Gilda Berger was born on June 30, 1935, in New York City. She earned her B.S. and M.S. in education, in 1955 and 1956 respectively, from City College. She married author Melvin Berger the following year and raised their two daughters, Eleanor Ruth and Nancy Beth. Gilda worked for many years as a teacher of children with special needs. When her husband accepted a publishing company's request for him to write children's books, Gilda helped him with the task, and thus began their lifelong family career.

In college, Berger majored in the education of children with special needs and taught special education in the New York City schools for three years. During that time, Gilda developed a technique for preparing original material for classroom use that was simply written, accurate, and with a high-interest level.

She and her husband spent one year abroad, in England, (1964-1965), where Gilda taught part-time in the English schools. On their return to the States, the Bergers moved from Levittown, NY to Great Neck, NY and for the next 6 years or so Gilda continued to teach, working as a substitute teacher in special education classes on Long Island.

Around the time their first daughter was born, an editor from McGraw-Hill asked Gilda's husband to write a book for young children on science and music. Gilda and Melvin worked on the book together and thus started, in 1959, what developed into a long career writing non-fiction children's books on many different science topics---from addiction to whales.

At the end of 1986, the Bergers bought a home in East Hampton, NY and settled there. In this most conducive environment, between walking the beach and entertaining their family, they love working on their books for children.

Booklists/Awards

Celebrate! Stories of Jewish Holiday, 1998
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Smithsonian Magazine Best Book of the Year

With Melvin Berger:
Howl! A Book About Wolves, 2002

Brrr! A Book About Polar Animals, 2001

Screech! A Book About Bats, 2000

Snap! A Book About Alligators and Crocodiles, 2002

Splash! A Book About Whales and Dolphins, 2001

Scholastic Question and Answer series, 2000-2003:

• Can Snakes Crawl Backwards?
• Do Bears Sleep All Winter?
• Do Penguins Get Frostbite?
• Does It Always Rain in the Rain Forest?
• Is a Dolphin a Fish?
• Where Have All the Pandas Gone?
• Why Do Wolves Howl?
• Can You Hear a Shout in Space?
• How Do Bats See in the Dark?
• What Do Sharks Eat for Dinner?
• What Makes An Ocean Wave?
• Do All Spiders Spin Webs?
• Do Tarantulas Have Teeth?
• Do Tornados Really Twist?
• Why Do Volcanos Blow Their Tops?
• Can It Rain Cats and Dogs?
• Did Dinosaurs Live in Your Backyard?
• Do Stars Have Points?
• Do Whales Have Belly Buttons?
• How Do Flies Walk Upside Down?
• Why Don't Haircuts Hurt?

Biography provided by Scholastic, Inc.