Writer.
Journalist.
Author of Contemporary Humorous Middle-Grade Fiction.
About Debra
Debra Schlact writes humorous, contemporary middle-grade fiction. When she was ten, Debra started writing funny stories in school and decided to become a children’s book author when she grew up. Along the way she studied political science at Tufts, journalism at Northwestern, and became an award-winning TV news reporter. Now, she uses her knowledge to write books about civics and journalism for students and (somehow) makes it fun.
Debra’s Experience
WRITING
Debra writes humorous, contemporary middle-grade fiction and is a full member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
JOURNALISM
For over a decade, Debra was an award-winning news reporter for WTSP-TV and WTVT-TV in Tampa. Before that, she worked as a
TV news reporter for WALA-TV in Mobile, Alabama. Her first reporting job was at WHEC-TV in her hometown of Rochester, New York.
TELEVISION
Debra has written for the syndicated show, Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures, as well as The Gentle Doctor on PBS. She was also a writer/producer for University Beat, a local TV magazine show for USF, and she taught a television news writing class at University of Tampa.
FILM
Debra had a credited cameo role in Henry Winkler’s Cop and a Half, appearing in a scene with Burt Reynolds.