Welcome to my new website! Hey, while I've got your attention, check out the December 2006 issue of Highlights. If that's not enough excitement, turn to the Sept 2007 issue for more!

REVIEWS and AWARDS

• Ice is Speaking, Tassy Walden Winner, nonfiction, 2016
• Sliders and Gliders, Tassy Walden Finalist, nonfiction, 2016
• Guardians of the Forest, Letter of Merit, SCBWI Magazine Merit Competition, Nonfiction, 2015
• Guardians of the Forest, CNW/FFWA, Published Nonfiction, 2nd place, 2015 
• Searching for Monkeys, CNW/FFWA, Published Nonfiction, 3rd Honorable Mention, 2015 
• When Nature Calls the Three-Toed Sloth, Tassy Walden Finalist, 2015
• Tuxedo Penguins in Peril, CNW/FFWA, Children's Literature, 1st Honorable Mention, 2013 
• Ice King of the Mountain. CNW/FFWA, Children's Literature,6th Honorable Mention, 2013
• Winter in No Man's Land, CNW/FFWA, Children's Literature, 2nd place, 2011 
• Ice birds in a Warming Land, CNW/FFWA, Children's Literature, 1st place, 2010
 • The Vinland Map: The Vikings' Best Kept Secret, CNW/FFWA, published nonfiction, 2nd place, 2010
• Ice birds in a Warming Land, PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Children's Discovery Award for Nonfiction, 2010 
• Whale Crossing ,CNW/FFWA, Children's Literature, 1st Honorable Mention, 2009
• Hiking a Massive Sheet of Ice, CNW/FFWA , Children’s Literature, 2nd Honorable Mention, 2008
• The Beavers That Struck It Rich,Letter of Merit,SCBWI Magazine Merit Competition,Nonfict,2007
• The Crooks in the Creek, Byline, Special Honorable Mention, Nonfiction, 2006
• A Night at the Light, CNW/FFWA , Children’s Literature, 3rd place, 2006
• A Honeybee’s Secret, Byline, Honorable Mention, Nonfiction, 2006
• Save Us! Endangered Species Research, Byline, Special Hon. Mention, Nonfiction, 2005
• Creatures of the Mist, Byline, Special Honorable Mention, Nonfiction, 2005
• Monkey Business, Byline, Special Honorable Mention, Nonfiction, 2005
• Giggles, Women in the Arts, Commendation, Fiction, 2005
• A Night at the Light, Byline, Special Honorable Mention, Creative Nonfiction, 2004
• Swallowing the Food Pyramid, Letter of Merit, SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grant, Nonfiction, 2003
• Giggles From the Past, Porter Collins Storytelling Contest, 1st place, 2003
• Never in my Wildest Dreams, May Day Prose Contest, Juv. Fiction, Commendation, 2002
• Cache In on the Fun, Byline, Creative Nonfiction, Honorable Mention, 2002

Reviews 

2015 CNW/FFWA Florida State Writing Competion published nonfiction - "Science and technology come together with good fiction techniques."
"An endangered species and an exotic setting generate interest in this nonfiction article."

2010 CNW/FFWA Florida State Writing Competition Children's Literature - "well-written, interesting, well-researched and appropriate to the age group"

2010 PEN New England Children's Book Discovery Award - "Gripping," "wonderfully creative," "whole committee reads and everyone liked it"

2008 CNW/FFWA Florida State Writing CompetitionChildren's Literature
2nd honorable mention - Hiking a Massive Sheet of Ice - "Interesting info, well-researched and well-told"

2006 CNW/FFWA Florida State Writing Competition CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
3rd PLACE - Linda Rose Zajac, Vernon, CT - "A Night at the Light" (nonfiction article, sidebar, references) – Sensory description, a first person viewpoint, and interesting information about a lighthouse engage readers yet avoid the typical trap of fiction techniques overshadowing the clear presentation of nonfiction information
“The sensory detail and strong visuals are excellent attention-grabbers. Well-done.”

ILLUSTRATIONS

CONTACT ME

lzajac@sbcglobal.net

ABOUT ME

It took me a year to grow hair.  This is a rare, but treasured photo of me and my father. 

I grew up on a sliver of land surrounded by cornfields and cow pastures. With my sister and two brothers, I explored empty barns, skated frozen fields and watched setting suns. Inside, I hollowed out and painted eggs, molded paper-mache puppets and folded cardboard into intricate ornaments. I read Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes and old biographies of famous people like Daniel Boone and Molly Pitcher. It was the pages of my grandfather's yellowing encyclopedias that I was most captivated by.

I was the quiet one,
 always observing, but saying very little

In high school, I developed an interest in technology and pursued it in college. For roughly fifteen years, I worked as a computer programmer, systems designer and consultant, analyzing, coding and testing programs and systems that were often very complex. That experience taught me to ask questions, to be precise and to persevere, but creativity was missing.  After getting married and having three children, I started writing professionally.

The cows knew where to find food.   Sometimes, they'd escape and stand in the road blocking traffic.  Every now and then I'd get to see a newborn calf.

Kindergarten report card notes a "reflective personality" - click to expand

As a freelance science writer, I pursue projects involving state-of-the-art science, technology and biotechnology and their use to advance medicine, study wildlife and protect the environment. As a writer of literary nonfiction, I write science as a story, sprinkled with art.

I got to hold the snake's head.  Boy, did I hate that hairdo.

5th grade report card mentions science - click to expand

My work has been published in numerous national magazines for children. Over the years, I've contacted scientists all over the world to research and write about their work. In 2008, it was an honor and a pleasure to interview two great scientists that went on to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry! In 2010, I was honored to receive the PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Children's Discovery Award for Nonfiction.  In 2012, I was a Woods Hole Fellow.

I could have spent more time hiking Root Glacier in Wrangell- St. Elias National Park, Alaska (2008)

I'm a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, National Association of Science Writers and Appalachian Mountain Club.

You can read more about me in these interviews:
Ana Del C. Dye - 2/9/13
Brittney Breakey - 3/7/12

SCHOOL VISITS

Programs:

Takeaways:

• Failure is part of the creative process
• Biomimicry
• Robots that move like animals can help us

Robots Rock The Room

Grades K–2

30–45 minutes

In this lively STEM program, we’ll move like robots, learn about biomimicry, and find out how scientists study animal locomotion.

NGSS: ETS1-1 Engineering design (ask questions, observe, gather info)

CCSS. ELA-LITERACY.L.K-5.D (verbs)

Grades 2–5

45–60 minutes

Ideas, research, the writing process, Q & A

Fees:

$250 - 1 presentation

$750 - full day (3 presentations)

>50 miles, travel fees apply

Author travel fees and expenses

• airfare
• transportation to and from airport (if needed)
• hotel
• meals

Virtual Visits

Fees:

$150 - 30 minutes + 10 minute Q & A

* Programs can be tailored to your needs. 

For further information, contact me at www.lindarosezajac.com

New Haven Free Public Library

"I really enjoyed the program. The engagement with the audience was very good, including the demonstrations with animal/robot toys. There was a lot of great variety, too, with the book reading, overview of your career/publishing process, pulling things out of your bag, etc.; this really kept things exciting."

WRITING

* Reaching Like Roaches, nonfiction, March 2017, MUSE

*  Lobster's on the Edge, nonfiction, February 2017, MUSE

*  At a Snail's Pace, nonfiction, Schoolwide (online), August 2016

* These Toxic Tiger Moths Warn Bats With Sonar Clicks, AAAS Science online, May 6, 2016

* Monkey Talk, nonfiction, May 2016, Highlights for Children

* A Lick Does the Trick, nonfiction, April 2016, MUSE

* Breathtaking Crystals, nonfiction, January 2016, MUSE

* Ice Climbing, nonfiction and photographs, June/July 2015, Hopscotch

* The Dolphins From Down Under, nonfiction and photographs, June/July 2015, Boys' Quest

* Making Mako Skin, nonfiction, Odyssey (online only), February 2015

* Veterinary Pain Killer Threatens Europe's Vultures, nonfiction, Chemistry World, January 14, 2015

* Searching for Monkeys, nonfiction, Highlights, December 2014.

* Essay in Wind Energy: a Reference Handbook, David E. Newton, ABC-CLIO, Dec 2014.

* Guardians of the Forest, nonfiction, Odyssey, September 2014

* Flippin' Out Over School, nonfiction, Fun for Kidz, September 2014

* Diagnosing Climate Insanity, The Hartford Courant, May 27, 2014, in print

* Climate Insanity Characterized by Denial, editorial, The Hartford Courant, May 23, 2014, online

* Public View of Global Warming at Odds with Scientists', editorial, The Hartford Courant, July 23, 2013, online

* Climate Change in a Nutshell, editorial, The Hartford Courant Nov 11, 2012.  The Journal Inquirer, Dec 1-2, 2012
* Kilimanjaro: Peering Through Disappearing Ice, nonfiction, ChemMatters, February 2011

* From Copper Town to Ghost Town, nonfiction, Viatouch, February 2011

* A Honeybee's Secret, nonfiction, Viatouch, April 2010, ProQuest Database 2011
* Hiking a Massive Sheet of Ice, nonfiction and photographs, January 2010, Fun For Kidz
* What an Ice Surprise!, nonfiction, January 2010, January/February 2017, Fun For Kidz

* The Vinland Map: The Vikings' Best Kept Secret, nonfiction, December 2009, ChemMatters

* Glowing Proteins with Promising Biological and Medical Applications, nonfiction, December 2008, ChemMatters

* What Good is the Big Bad Wolf? nonfiction, July 2008, Highlights
* The Beavers that Struck it Rich, nonfiction, December 2007, Spider
* Scrambled Legs, game, December 2007, Highlights

*The Dolphins Down Under, nonfiction and photographs, August 2007, Hopscotch

* Tiger Cubs on the Move, nonfiction, September 2007, Highlights

* Flippin' Out Over School, nonfiction and photographs, August 2007, Boys' Quest

* How Do You Count Grizzly Bears? nonfiction, December 2006, Highlights

* The Mountain Goats Gruff, nonfiction, April 2006, Hopscotch

* Building Art, nonfiction, December/January 2006, Boys' Quest

* The Battle of the Big Bighorns, nonfiction and activity, January 2006, Story Friends

* Tuhu, nonfiction and illustration, Fall 2004, Confetti

* Little Houses on the Prairie, nonfiction and photographs, October 2004, Boys' Quest

* Turtle Trouble, nonfiction and illustration, Summer 2004, Confetti

* The Battle of the Big Bighorns, nonfiction, March/April 2004, Three Leaping Frogs

* Finders Keepers Treasure Seekers, nonfiction, Spring 2004, Confetti

* Rainbow Roni's, craft and photograph, Fall 2003, Confetti

* Bus Buddies, craft, August 2002, Instructor Arts and Crafts supplement
Miscellaneous Writing

* Wrote passages incorporating common core standards for a higher education test.  Many were climate change related - Fall 2012
 * Wrote line items for a research study. on composing the most challenging types of line items (those that make the reader think) - February 2013 

Professional Affiliations

* Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
* National Association of Science Writers
* Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Climate Change Education Committee
* Appalachian Mountain Club