Melanie Abed is a behavioral expert turned story weaver who writes to help kids discover their superpowers are real.

Her entrepreneurial streak started early. In 4th grade, she launched her own newspaper and charged classmates a dime an issue — until the powers-that-be shut her down and made her give it away for free (her first lesson in the price of free press).

That love of story took her to Hollywood, where she spent over a decade working across commercials and feature films (she's married to a director who also happens to illustrate her books). She later earned a Master's in Psychology and turned her focus to schools, leading hands-on programs that build curiosity and confidence in young minds. Championing kids is her lifelong mission — on and off the page.

Off the page, you'll find her sipping cortados, raising butterflies in her garden, or longing for thunderstorms to roll in (which she finds equally delightful and terrifying).

She's convinced dragons are real. They're just very good at hiding.