Marta Elizabeth Magellan is a nature lover who has made putting books in children's hands one of her favorite causes. An avid admirer of wildlife, she travels yearly to wildernesses all over the North and South American continent. She has written nonfiction books for children about animals, readers for the educational market, magazine articles for both children and adults, poetry and essays. She is the founder of the Kids' Choice Story Contest at Miami Dade College/ Kendall Campus, in which once a year college students write stories judged by children. She taught English, Creative Writing, and Survey of Children's Literature at Miami Dade College where she was a full professor.