About Judy Bradbury
Judy Bradbury writes children’s books and professional resources for educators.
Latest books: The Cayuga Island Kids chapter book series!
The Mystery of the Barking Branches and the Sunken Ship, the first in the Cayuga Island Kids chapter book series for ages 7-10, introduces young readers to a resourceful cast of characters, a little history, and a lot of laughs. When five friends set out to solve the mystery of a “barking” tree, they unearth a remnant of a famous ship built in the 1600s! The island they live on is home to a whole lot of history and, it turns out, a whole lot of mystery, too. Loosely based on a true story, The Mystery of the Barking Branches and the Sunken Ship, features a historical thread centering on one of the most intriguing unsolved mysteries of the Great Lakes.
The fun continues in Book 2 in the series, The Adventure of the Big Fish by the Small Creek. The story begins with a plastic bottle and a couple of ducks and ends with a big fish and a couple of new friends. Readers join in the adventure with the Cayuga Island Kids as they come to realize that though each of us is just one person, together we can make a BIG difference. Awarded the Ben Franklin Silver Award for Young Reader Fiction, 8-12.
It’s fall when Book 3, The Case of the Messy Message and the Missing Facts, begins. The Cayuga Island Kids are busy with homework, projects, and after-school activities. But there’s still plenty of time for mystery and adventure! As the fall leaves turn color, the Cayuga Island Kids come to realize that sorting through clues and evidence—just like research—means making sure information is factual, and not just a fraction of the truth. Young readers will cheer for the Cayuga Island Kids as they embark on this adventure involving faulty assumptions, missing facts, flour bugs, and chocolate chip cookies.
Judy’s picture book series Christopher Counts! is intended for ages 4-7 and features embedded math in each story. Children laugh along with Christopher as they learn about the concept of a dozen, subtraction, money, counting by twos and fives, and more.
A literacy specialist who has taught students from preschool through college, Judy is also the author of the four-book Children’s Book Corner series of read-aloud resources for teachers, librarians, and parents; The Read-Aloud Scaffold: Best Books to Enhance Content Area Curriculum; and Empowering Families: Practical Ways to Involve Parents in Boosting Literacy (co-authored by Susan E. Busch).
Photo credit: Peter Scumaci
Judy is available for school visits as well as writing workshops for children. She presents at national, state, and local conferences, and leads professional development on topics related to English Language Arts and connecting kids to great books.
Judy has served as the Educator Event Coordinator of the Western New York Children’s Book Expo since its inception in 2015. She has taught graduate courses in literacy and writing for children, and is a freelance writing consultant.
A lifelong advocate for promoting reading through community initiatives, Judy pioneered a New York State-funded city-wide summer community reading program and has developed remedial and enrichment reading and writing curricula.
Judy is an active member in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Buffalo-Niagara Children’s Writers and Illustrators (BNCWI), the International Literacy Association (ILA), the New York State Reading Association (NYSRA) and the Niagara Frontier Reading Council (NFRC), for whom she is the Professional Development Chair. She has received awards from both the New York State Reading Association and the Niagara Frontier Reading Council for her service in promoting literacy.
A first-generation Italian-American, Judy is a lifelong resident of Western New York with a large, loving, and lively extended family. She is the mom of a voracious reader with whom she enjoys sharing books and belly laughs. Judy also laughs with her husband over the misadventures of their goofy dog and spunky cat. When not at her desk, Judy enjoys cycling, jogging, traveling, reading, gardening, and showing up at the barre (It keeps her on her toes!).
IG: judy_bradbury; Twitter: @JudyBwrites; LinkedIn: judy-bradbury-295a17b
Read, Dream, Believe, Become!
Short Bio:
Judy Bradbury (www.judybradbury.com) is an award-winning children’s author and literacy specialist. Debuting in Spring 2021, the Cayuga Island Kids chapter book series for ages 7-10 includes The Mystery of the Barking Branches and the Sunken Ship, The Adventure of the Big Fish by the Small Creek, and The Case of the Messy Message and the Missing Facts. Judy’s professional resources include: Empowering Families: Practical Ways to Involve Parents in Boosting Literacy, The Read-Aloud Scaffold: Best Books to Enhance Content Area Curriculum, and the Children’s Book Corner read-aloud resource series. Judy blogs at Children’s Book Corner (www.judybradbury.com/blog) about books that open minds and hearts, initiate conversations, and expand possibilities. She offers school visits and professional development nationwide. An advocate for promoting reading through community initiatives, Judy received awards from NYS Reading Association and Niagara Frontier Reading Council, for whom she is Professional Development Chair. You can find Judy at the barre (ballet barre!) or cycling at sunrise. IG: judy_bradbury; Twitter: @JudyBwrites; LinkedIn: judy-bradbury-295a17b