Born to parents that were professional educators, Charles Noland began reading at a young age. As the oldest of six children, he then started reading to his younger siblings.

“It wasn’t hard for me to get completely lost in a book for hours,” he says. “I’d actually become oblivious to everything that was going on around me.” He laughs when he recalls an incident that happened during reading time in the fourth grade. “A father of one of the students brought a Christmas tree into the classroom and set it up. When reading time was over, I asked the teacher where the tree had come from. She was so dumbfounded that I hadn’t noticed what was going on! She thought I must have been sleeping, but I told her I had just finished reading a really good book.”

It was in that same fourth-grade class that Noland wrote his very first book. Entitled Under the Sea, it had a table of contents, dedication, glossary and even a copyright date of May 18, 1970.

Through the years, the idea of writing another book was always in the back of his mind, and he thought that maybe one day he would try it again. The more books he read, the stronger the idea became. Three decades later, that opportunity finally presented itself in a very unusual way.

“I was sitting outside, enjoying a beautiful summer’s day, and thinking about a couple of children I had met a few months earlier,” Noland remembers. “I was also thinking about doing some writing. Then, as if someone was whispering in my ear, the story of The Magical Dress just unfolded in my mind.”

Before he even finished the first draft, he was already thinking about the next story. He realized that he wasn’t going to write just one book, but a chapter book series that would soon be known as The Adventures of Drew and Ellie.

Noland wanted to write stories that would teach positive life lessons and encourage the development of creative problem-solving skills. “I wanted the books to be helpful tools for parents trying to teach their children traditional values and beliefs, much like the ones I was taught as a kid,” he says.

Before finalizing each story, Noland likes to read his manuscripts to groups of children in order to get their perspectives and suggestions. “My goal is to make sure they identify with the characters in the book so they will better understand the positive lessons presented in each story,” he says.

His hard work has really paid off. Children enjoy his books because they are fun and exciting. Of course, parents like them, too, because of the positive lessons that are being taught. Noland plans to continue writing the series for many years to come. In fact, he sees no end to the many exciting adventures awaiting Drew and Ellie.

Noland is a business professional with experience in management and sales, as well as an award-winning speaker, engaging storyteller and avid reader. He lives in Rochester, N.Y.

Sherri Baker always dreamed of illustrating children’s books. Creating the engaging pictures for The Magical Dress—and now Saving Christmas—helped make that dream a reality. Once again, Baker's images combine beautifully with Noland’s text in a chapter book created for children age’s five to nine.

Ever since she was a child herself, Baker has had a passion for both art and literature. It’s no wonder, then, that her beautiful pen and ink drawings bring such life to the characters and settings in The Adventures of Drew and Ellie. Her artwork lends creativity and excitement to the series, which promotes sound values and good judgment. In addition, her drawings effectively capture the feelings and emotions of the two characters as they continue to use the enchanting properties of the Magical Dress to find their way out of challenging situations.

Baker possesses a keen understanding of the images and stories that engage children the most, and enjoys creating illustrations for young, imaginative minds. A native of Upstate New York, Baker studied studio art at Nazareth College, concentrating in illustration and computer graphics. She continues to work in commercial advertising as an illustrator and designer. She also has a personal passion for cycling, and enjoys designing women’s cycling apparel. She currently lives in Fairport, NY.

Tom Moyer is an artist who loves to illustrate—from children’s books to company logos, corporate brochures to print advertisements, and almost everything in between.

Like Sherri Baker, Moyer had always hoped for an opportunity to illustrate children’s books. When Baker was unable to work on the second book in the series, Moyer stepped in and helped further develop the characters according to Noland’s written descriptions. His love of illustrating gives him a keen eye for detail, enabling him to convey the range of emotions that Drew and Ellie experience on their second adventure.

The Daring Rescue is the first book Moyer illustrated for The Adventures of Drew and Ellie, and he would like to continue working on future installments, possibly developing new characters for other books in the series. A native of Pennsylvania, Moyer graduated from Nazareth College with a major in art, and a concentration in graphic design and illustration. Currently, he is an art director/illustrator for an advertising agency, as well as a freelance artist. Besides drawing, he loves to play tennis, soccer and ski. He lives with his wife in Rochester, N.Y.