Jerdine Nolen

Jerdine Nolen is an acclaimed American children's book author and former educator, born on April 6, 1953, in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She holds a B.A. in special education from Northeastern Illinois University and an M.Ed. from Loyola University, and has worked extensively as a teacher and administrator. Known for award-winning books like Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm, Raising Dragons, Thunder Rose, and Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life, her stories often feature African-American protagonists, folklore, family, and imaginative tales.