WWJD for Kidz Book Review

Mary Hollingsworth

Home: Bedford, Texas, United States

Biography: Mary Hollingsworth is the author of over sixty Christian adult and children's books, animated videos and CD-ROMs, published by eleven different publishers. Sales of her books now approach six million copies, including My Little Bible (Word Publishing, 1991) and The International Children's Story Bible, (Word Publishing, 1990), which have each received The Gold Book Award presented by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. She also wrote Just Imagine! (The Lyons Group, 1992)-the first picture book featuring Barney the Dinosaur, which has sold 1.3 million copies.

Mary's books have appeared on bestseller lists in the Christian market over one hundred times. Her most recent bestseller, Hugs for Women (Howard Publishing, 1998), was on the CBA Marketplace Gift Book list for over a year and was a finalist for the 1999 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award. She has also had over one hundred other works published, including magazine articles, poetry, plays, and songs.

In July 2001 she will release Fireside Stories of Heaven, Hope, and Hilarity, her third in the Fireside Stories collection, a series of books in which Hollingsworth brings together the most beloved storytellers of our time including Billy Graham, Max Lucado, Barbara Johnson, and Mark Twain.

In addition to writing her own works, Mary is currently under contract as a managing editor of the Bible and Specialty Trade Book division of W Publishing Group.

Mary holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Education degree from Abilene Christian University, minor equivalents in Bible and English and masters work in Journalism and Communication. She is a speaker/lecturer for Christian workshops and writers' conferences. And she serves as one of the Music Outreach Ministry leaders of her 4,000-member church in Fort Worth, Texas, where she has served for 15 years.

In her spare time, Mary enjoys travel, collecting miniature and rare books and singing. She works as a telecommuter from her private offices, Shady Oaks Studio, in Bedford, Texas.