Annabelle Fisher

Annabelle Fisher, known officially as Phyllis Shalant, is an American children's author celebrated for her middle-grade novels The Secret Destiny of Pixie Piper and Pixie Piper and the Matter of the Batter. Fisher chose her pen name to honor her mother, Annabelle, underlining the influence of her childhood filled with Mother Goose rhymes on her writing.

Annabelle Fisher was born in Brooklyn, New York. She grew up immersed in stories, listening to and inventing her own. As a child, she enjoyed creating imaginative adventures for her dolls and pets.

After receiving a quarter from her mother for good grades, she bought The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, which ignited her passion for reading.

Fisher reminisces about her childhood creativity, recalling how she diverged from a standard school assignment on electricity to write a story about Mr. Electron and Sammy Atom, which her teacher praised. It was the tipping point that she decided to become a writer.

She pursued literature, writing, and teaching in college but didn't write her first book until her daughter was in elementary school. Inspired by the books her daughter brought home, Fisher wrote The Rock Star, the Rooster, and Me, the Reporter (1990), a story sparked by her daughter's fourth-grade class experiences.

At Manhattanville College, Fisher earned a Master of Arts in Writing. Post-graduation, she discovered a love for teaching and now contributes to the Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program, helping high school students develop their writing skills.

Annabelle Fisher resides in Westchester County, New York, with her husband and their dog, Dudley.

Photo credit: www.annabellefisher.com