Monthei, Betty (Betty Jane Sanders)

PERSONAL:

Married; husband's name Lee. Hobbies and other interests: Walking, scuba diving, drawing, painting, photography, sewing, reading.

ADDRESSES:

Home—AK. Agent—The Chudney Agency, 750 Kappock St., Ste. 808, Riverdale, NY 10463.

CAREER:

Children's book author.

WRITINGS:

Looking for Normal, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2005.

Contributor to Alaska Women Write: Living, Laughing, and Loving on the Last Frontier, edited by Dana Stabenow. Also author of romance novels Marriage Is Just the Beginning and His Secret Son, both under pseudonym Betty Jane Sanders.

SIDELIGHTS:

Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Betty Monthei grew up with a love of writing. Beginning her career writing for adults, she published two romance novels under the pen name Betty Jane Sanders before turning her attention to younger readers. Monthei's young-adult novel Looking for Normal features a compelling story about a brother and sister whose world is rocked by a family tragedy when their father murders their mother and then kills himself.

Annie is twelve years old when her father's violent act makes her and her brother, Ted, orphans. Unfortunately, after the siblings move in with their grandparents, they find themselves once again embroiled in domestic abuse. Annie struggles to understand the reasons behind the violence, and attempts to let go of her hatred and forgive even those who have hurt her. "Annie's voice rings honest and true throughout as she searches for a normal life," wrote a Kirkus Reviews contributor. In another review of Looking for Normal, B. Allison Gray noted in School Library Journal that the author "is superb at describing the characters' moods and the oppression caused by sadness, fear, and shock." According to Booklist critic Cindy Dobrez, "Monthei writes a sensitive, poignant novel about dealing with the impact of just such horrific loss."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 1, 2005, Cindy Dobrez, review of Looking for Normal, p. 1813.

Children's Bookwatch, November, 2005, review of Looking for Normal.

Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2005, review of Looking for Normal, p. 292.

School Library Journal, April, 2005, B. Allison Gray, review of Looking for Normal, p. 137.

ONLINE

Betty Monthei Home Page,http://www.bettymonthei.com (May 17, 2007).