Tanja Sullivan

Meet Tanja Sullivan

Children’s Book Writer and Prolific Reader

I was born in Queens, NY, the youngest of five. My German immigrant parents weren’t really sure if they wanted to raise a family in the city, so they moved us to New Hampshire. Then they weren’t sure they really liked country living either, so they moved us back to New York, eventually moving to Vermont. I got used to moving as a child and grew to enjoy the changing scenery. I have since backpacked through Europe, been to 46 states, lived in Texas, California, Maryland, Long Island, and finally landed in the Lowcountry of Charleston, SC, where I now live with my husband, our four boys, a blind Pekingese, a diva cat, and multiple chickens.

I proudly served in the United States Air Force for four years as a Spanish Cryptologic Linguist and was lucky enough to do some intensive language training in Costa Rica during that time. However, as they say, if you don’t use it you lose it. I speak very little Spanish now even after all that time and training.

I have a master’s degree in Elementary Education and taught ELA, Social Studies, and even a little Spanish over the years before forgetting most of it. I currently sub in our local schools, write books, and read as much and as often as I can.

A little more about me and some of my favorite things:

  • I love birds – especially swans and chickens
  • Traveling is important – if I can’t go in person a book is the next best mode of transportation
  • If I ever feel extremely overwhelmed, I head to the ocean – it is so vast compared to my problems
  • I believe in fairies and unicorns
  • I love trees – especially magnolias
  • The best weather is 65 to 70 degrees and slightly overcast with a gentle breeze
  • Violin music speaks to my soul
  • I believe there is ALWAYS something good to come out of any and every bad situation
  • One day I hope to have bee hives – bees are so important
  • When I was a child, my father asked me what color house I would like to live in – I said pink and that is what he painted our house
  • Winnie-the-Pooh is my spirit animal
  • Watercolor painting is something I aspire to learn how to do
  • I love cute bookmarks, fresh notebooks, and fancy pens and pencils
  • I make a point to literally stop and smell the roses whenever I see them
  • Tea – hot or cold – never coffee
  • Hearts, swirls, stars, and teardrops
  • Snickerdoodles – they’re tasty and it’s fun to say
  • The fingernail moon
  • Horses
  • Christmas
  • Pizza
  • Cute tote bags
  • Dubai chocolate

1984

year I got my first library card

50+

number of books I read each year

three

number of book clubs I belong to

700+

number of books I own

“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.”

Mark Twain

Some of my favorite books as a child:

Richard Scarry books

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

Babar by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz

Choose Your Own Adventure book series

Archie Comics

My Parents’ set of Encyclopedias