Claudine WargelClaudine C. Wargel cherishes the childhood she spent among the vegetable gardens, cropland and animals on her family's Midwestern farm. (Above, the author today, and as a young girl preparing for a local parade.) Ms. Wargel came to love reading and witing as a young girl, often penning simple poems and sharing them with friends. The author went on to study agriculture, communications and journalism, and her articles have appeared in magazines, newspapers and online. Ms. Wargel is a published poet whose works have been featured at www.VerseWrights.com. Hattie Mae's Halloween is the author's first published book. She calls writing a "hobby," and pays the bills through her business, Anthro Insights, Inc. (www.anthroinc.com), conducting qualitative and quantitative research for non-profits, associations and corporations throughout the United States. Today, Ms. Wargel's childhood experiences inform her storytelling to the delight of young children. Through her writing, she hopes to transport young minds to a different place, where they, too, can sample the joys of farm life in the Heartland. "Not many children today experience the joys of growing up on, or even visiting, a farm," said Wargel. "Through Hattie Mae, I want to share some of the magic found there -- dusty haylofts, new life, things growing." Read More Read Less