Trudy Ludwig (1959–) Biography

Born 1959, in New Bedford, MA; Education: Attended University of New Hampshire, 1977–79; University of California, Santa Barbara, B.A. (communications and Spanish), 1981.

Addresses

Office—Ludwig Creative, Inc., P.O. Box 25505, Portland, OR 97298-0505.

Career

Children's author and lecturer. Bilingual immigration consultant, 1982–85; Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, projects manager and editor of Accent on Research, 1985–88; senior advertising/marketing copywriter in Lynwood, WA, 1988–92; freelance copywriter and editor, 1992–2002. Volunteer and speaker for Full Esteem Ahead. Has appeared on television programs, including Good Morning America and Keeping Kids Healthy.

Member

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Willamette Writers.

Honors Awards

Phi Beta Kappa honors, University of New Hampshire, 1980; Silver CASE National Award, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, and Women in Communications Matrix award honorable mention, both 1988, both for Accent on Research; CUNA Diamond Award of Merit, 2002.

Writings

My Secret Bully, illustrated by Abigail Marble, RiverWood Books (Ashland, OR), 2003.

Just Kidding, illustrated by Adam Gustavson, Tricycle Press (Berkeley, CA), 2005.

Sorry!, illustrated by Maurie Manning, Tricycle Press (Berkeley, CA), 2006.

Trudy Ludwig

Author's work has been translated into Spanish.

Sidelights

Trudy Ludwig told SATA: "Throughout my earlier career as an advertising/marketing copywriter, I never quite felt passionate about my craft. I knew I loved to write. I just didn't love what I was writing.

"My creative life turned around when my daughter, who was seven at the time, became the target of bullying friends. It was one of those experiences that had a profound impact on the both of us. I didn't want to fight my daughter's battles; I wanted to give her the social skills and tools she would need to fight her own battles in life.

"In my search for age-appropriate books to address the very real and rampant problem of social cruelty among peers, I came up empty-handed. Frustrated with this resource gap, I wrote My Secret Bully, my first children's book, to help empower my daughter and many children like her to make healthier friendship choices. It was such a rewarding and energizing experience for me that I quit my freelance copywriting career to focus on making a difference in kids' lives, one book at a time.

"Because the social world of today's children is very complex and difficult to navigate, I try to incorporate into my stories the wisdom and insights of young read-ers, so that my books resonate with the authenticity of real life experiences and views. I also have the added pleasure of tapping into my own inner child—letting her laugh, cry, and simply breathe. I've finally reached the point where I not only love to write, I truly love what I'm writing."