Kimberly A. Conrad holds a Bachelor's Degree in Human Development and Child Studies and a Master's Degree in Elementary Education/Literacy Studies from the University of New Hampshire. She is a Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) in the area of English Language Arts 7-12. She has taught seventh and eighth grade Language Arts in New Hampshire for many years and often presents at conferences on the topics of Interdisciplinary Instruction and Reading/Writing in the Content Areas. She was a co-author of her district's Literacy Framework titled, Dover Growing Readers and Writers. She is inspired by challenging middle school learners through rigorous and engaging reading and writing practices. Kim enjoys collaborating with other educators and sharing her expertise in the fields of literacy and middle level learners. She lives and teaches in Dover, New Hampshire. Janet E. Croon holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, Modern European History, and Russian Language and Area Studies from the Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1983), and a Master's Degree in International Studies from the Univ. of Dayton (1985). She taught International Baccalaureate History for nearly two decades for Fairfax County Public Schools and developed a deep interest in the Civil War by living in northern Virginia. She is also the author of The War Outside My Window: The Civil War Diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham, 1860-1865: A Comprehensive Curriculum Guide for Teachers (with Kimberly Conrad).