" Andrea Williams was born in Ellsworth, Maine. Because ofher father's job in the U.S. Coast Guard, Andrea spent most of her childhood moving up and down the East Coast. She was inspired to become a writer at a young age by her YiaYia, who would often create stories and gift books to her grandchildren.After graduating from ODU with a B.S. in Exercise Science and an M.

A. in Early Childhood Education, Andrea became a kindergarten teacher. The idea for Goodbye Kindergarten came from a project she worked on during her last year as a kindergarten teacher at Hillpoint Elementary School. Andrea originally wrote this book for her class as a parting gift.When she's not writing, Andrea likes to enjoy anything withher kids: the beach, sporting events, concerts, knitting, and, of course, reading. Her favorite children's book is Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.