About Erica

Erica S. Perl is an established picture book author (most recently of Chicken Butt!, illustrated by Henry Cole), and her new picture book, Dotty, will be out soon (Abrams, 8/10).  She recently made her debut as a young adult novelist with Vintage Veronica (Knopf, 3/10). 

The story behind Vintage Veronica began at The Garment District, the Boston area’s legendary vintage clothing store.  Erica started taking notes and drawing inspiration from the unique characters and one-of-a-kind clothing articles she found there.  Her research grew into a short story, which then evolved to become a book. 

Publisher's Weekly calls Vintage Veronica "wonderfully fun."  Booklist says Erica “masterfully” creates “earthy and real” emotional lives for her characters, building “a romance that’s as complicated as it is sweet,” and School Library Journal cheers Veronica as “a much needed character in young adult fiction.”

Erica’s awards include the Reuben Award and a writing fellowship from the Virginia Center of Creative Arts.  She has presented her work to the National Council of Teachers of English and has led workshops for literacy organizations including The Reading Connection, Turning the Page and ReadBoston.  She has also done author presentations at schools and libraries across the United States and in Europe.  In addition to writing books, Erica works at First Book, the groundbreaking non-profit organization that has provided over 70 million brand new books to children in need.