Nancie Atwell is the author of several books for teachers including Coming to Know: Writing to Learn in the Intermediate Grades; In the Middle: New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and Learning; and Side by Side: Essays on Teaching to Learn. In these books, Atwell provides practical tips for teaching presented with humor, eagerness, and a love for students. Teachers throughout the country have accepted her theories and implemented them with great success. Parents interested in their children's education can also greatly benefit from her expertise. Atwell learned and perfected her techniques as a teacher of eighth graders for twelve years. She is now the director of Writing to Learn in the Elementary School, part of the Bread Loaf School of English Project.