Lynn Sheffield Simmons resides on a small farm in Argyle, Texas, south of
Denton. She often draws on her own life as inspiration for her work. Sugar
Lump, the Orphan Calf, for instance, is based upon Mrs. Simmons' actual
experience of nursing a young steer back to health.
Mrs. Simmons has written four Accelerated Reader Program selection books for middle readers.
She is the founder of the North Texas Book Festival, Inc., a nonprofit
organization that raises funds for school libraries, public libraries, and
literacy programs in the north Texas area and sponsors a book festival each
April with about seventy-five authors participating. She is also the founder and manager of the Argyle Seniors' Activities Center
Mrs. Simmons is a strong advocate of parents and children reading together. Her booklets, Using the Newspaper to Teach Reading Readiness and
Newspaper in the Home: Helping Your Child with Homework, have been used in
many households. Mrs. Simmons' award-winning column, “Up a Creek,” historical
reviews, and feature stories have appeared in a number of newspapers and
magazines throughout Texas.
Lynn Sheffield Simmons holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education and
a master's degree in special education from Texas Woman's University. A member
of Phi Delta Kappa honorary fraternity, Mrs. Simmons has many years of
experience in private tutoring and public-school teaching.