Maggie Schmieder loves learning a little about a lot. When she finds something that she loves, she pours her heart and soul into making that something little into something BIG! When she can't find just the right thing for a project, she rolls up her sleeves and starts creating it herself.

Maggie's most recent project, Hopeful Hearts in Highland Park was written as a response to the tragic 4th of July parade shooting in Highland Park, IL. As a parade survivor, Maggie wrote and illustrated the book to help families and children process and heal, bringing light and love to a devastating situation. 

Maggie's first inspiration- the pet hamster, Divvy led her to her dreaming up, photographing, and authoring her first book. A Very Divvy Day, captures her love for animals, whimsy, and words.

Two years before Wynnie's Heart Powers Up was published, Maggie had written the book. She was inspired to write the book for her own daughter, Wynnie who was going in for heart surgery. The book is already helping other families and children understand more about heart surgery and heart conditions. 

When she isn't creating and writing, Maggie is a special education teacher. Teaching students with disabilities has taught her so much about creating, inventing, and following her dreams. Maggie lives in Highland Park, Illinois with her husband, Derek, daughters, Ebby and Wynnie, dogs, Dottie, Archie, and Stupefy and of course the pet hamster, Divvy!