Shelli Abel

I’m Shelli and my passion is teaching children. Being a teacher became my dream when I was in first grade. I began practicing my teaching skills in the basement of my childhood home. Armed with a box of chalk, a tube of pink lipstick (that smelled just like my kindergarten teacher) and a blackboard mounted on the wall I taught my heart out. I believe children are our greatest resource and our nation’s greatest hope. That is why I have spent the last 37 years of my life teaching elementary students, as well as raising my own two daughters. My husband Thad has taught high school, middle school, and elementary school students, and has coached many sports. Is it any wonder that both of our daughters have become teachers! We have two grand-pups Minna and Sully. Both are rescue dogs.  They are the inspiration for our books.

I graduated from Huntington University and earned my Masters degree in Gifted and Talented Education from Grand Valley State University. In my free time I love to study history and travel. I have snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, traveled in Europe, went on safari in Africa, and traveled in all the regions of the United States. I had the privilege of sharing the wonder of my adventures with my students.  I thank God for the many blessings and opportunities he has bestowed on me.

Erica Abel

Hi There!

I am Erica and I love making simple moments into great adventures. You could say it all started when I was just a little kid running around in my gel sandals and hair blowing all over the place and saw that my cat, Tiger, had gotten hold of a bunny. I made my dad drive the bunny to the vet where he promptly stitched the poor thing up and explained to me that next time I need to just let nature take its course. That was around the same time when I set up my American girl doll, Samantha, up as my first, third grade student and taught her how to read, all the while I forced my sister to follow along in my elaborate Barbie doll storylines. It is not hard to imagine why I am now an animal loving third grade teacher who writes stories in my free time.

I went to Huntington University where I received my Elementary Education degree as well as my Communications Studies degree. In 2017 I received my master’s degree in literacy at Grand Valley State University. In between teaching and writing, I adore my crazy rescue dog, Minna. I don’t need to set aside time to workout because she keeps me on my toes, but I try to get out weekly and go for a hike on one of the beaches along Lake Michigan. That being said, I love the beach and all of the beautiful lakeshore Michigan has to offer. All things related to brunch, shopping, spending time at the cottage, coffee, traveling, and the Detroit Tigers are things I enjoy. I love classic literature, with my favorite book being A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Bud, Not Buddy, any music by Van Morrison, Frank Sinatra, or the Avett Brothers, all things about travel and history, and teaching kids.

Working on this book series about a group of dogs who start their own school has been challenging, rewarding, and fun. I am excited to see where Minna and her friends take all of us, as these characters are constant reminders to me to live everyday to the fullest, seizing the opportunities that are placed in front of each of us, much like John 10:10 states, “He came so that we may have life and live it more abundantly.”