Judy Young

Judy Young remembers writing a poem for her grandmother when she was about ten. Her grandmother encouraged her to keep writing, and Judy did! Judy is the author of over two dozen children’s picture books and novels, including The Wild World of Buck Bray series. Judy’s books are used extensively in the public schools and have received numerous awards and honors. One of the most cherished is hearing LeVar Burton read A Pet for Miss Wright for Reading Rainbow Storytime Video to celebrate National Reading Month. Another, was watching as R is for Rhyme, A Poetry Alphabet was performed by the University of Utah’s Creative Dance Program.

Judy received her MA in Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Tulsa and formerly worked in the public schools for 20 years. Her first book was published in 2001, and in 2004, Judy left the schools to fulfill her dream of writing full-time. A frequent speaker at schools, children’s lit fests and professional educational conferences, Judy’s firsthand experience in the schools makes her programs not only entertaining, but directly related to school curriculum.

Judy resides in the Bear River Range near Mink Creek, Idaho, with her husband, Ross, a professional artist, who illustrated two of Judy’s books. They have two grown children and several dogs. In her spare time, Judy enjoys hiking, fishing and gallivanting around the country in “Arlo,” the Young’s traveling studio.