Mary Jo Swanson was born in Kentucky to a military family. She traveled all over the world and attended eighteen schools. She attended the University of Minnesota Duluth and received both her B.S. Degree and her M.A. She settled with her family in Northern Minnesota where she spent 36 years teaching. She won several awards during her tenure. Her school was awarded a School of Excellence distinction through her efforts. She received the P.E. Teacher of the Year in 1995. The end of her career was spent as a high school guidance counselor. She always loved writing and self-published two books. This is her first book for children.