Russell, Joan Plummer

Background: Joan is the mother of nine adult children and has twelve grandchildren. She has served on the pastoral care team of St. Luke Hospital and St. Vincent Charity Hospital in Ohio, and has been a certified hospital chaplain for St. Alexis (now St. Michael's) Hospital in Cleveland. Joan is very involved with her local police department. Her book, Aero and Officer Mike: Police Partners, has been published by Boyds Mills Press and earned Joan the honor of the International Reading Association's Children's Book Award for nonfiction by a first time author this past May.What's the best advice someone has given you? "To believe in myself and to be eager to attempt new things-still not easy."My favorite character from children's literature is: "Names like 'Tristan Coffin' absolutely intrigue me."