Joan has always been in love with words —  “Verbal Linguistic” in the parlance of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory.  She graduated as a “straight-up” English major from Douglass College, and within a year, returned to Rutgers University for a master's degree in education with a specialization in Reading.  After a decade of teaching, and seeing her own children into their teens, she was inspired to pursue a doctorate in curriculum and teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. 
Throughout, she was writing for professional journals, and for many years, Joan wrote a weekly column, “Books Notes” for the Princeton Packet publications.  Reading and reviewing books of all types made for a busy sideline. (Hobby?)
She was never tempted to write novels, or try her hand at young adult fiction, a stable of her reading life for many years as a middle school teacher.  However, she has always kept an ongoing list of research projects for possible nonfiction books.
Joan certainly never entertained the idea of writing children’s books.  But becoming “Noanie” to five little grandchildren inspired a host of ideas that she scribbled down. 
Meeting the talented Jo Ann Kairys forged a partnership that brought these children’s books to life.