Rebecca DePaola is a certified special education teacher and reading specialist. During her graduate program in literacy, Rebecca developed a passion for diverse literature, firmly believing that all children deserve the opportunity to see themselves, and their peers, accurately represented in the books they read. Her passion for writing developed at a young age, using her time after school to write creative stories, instead of doing the assigned homework. Born and raised in New Jersey, Rebecca now lives on Long Island with her husband and daughter. In both of the places she calls home, she always finds the time to spend a day reading on the beach.