Meet Mardell Alberico

I’m often asked how I became a storyteller, and I always say it began in Mr. Hibdon’s fifth grade class during “show and tell” where I learned to improvise and encourage emotional reactions with my words. In a few sentences I learned to take my audience from laughter to shock to sorrow. It was fun and had me wanting to do it every day.

Years later, I wrote stories for my son, which I kept in a file, and it was really just by chance that those stories found their way to be heard.

One cold and rainy day my son and his friends burst through the door and headed straight for the fireplace. Shedding coats, boots, and hats, they sprawled out to take in the warmth and to get their fill of popcorn and hot chocolate. Hearing their grumbles about bad weather, prompted me to say it was a perfect day for telling stories. With some doubt, we began what turned into a neighborhood tradition that lasted many years.

It was a wonderful lesson for an insecure author, as I learned my words had meaning and held great joy for those listening.

Years passed, and encouraged by my wonderful husband and some very good friends, I published two stories. “Children will love them,” they said. And so they do.

Since 2006 I have found great happiness and success in sharing Perry the Pack Rat as a visiting author to more than ninety schools throughout Northern California where students as well as educators have taken Perry into their hearts. My books are kept in classrooms where teachers tell me that children read them every day.

"Great Books Grow Great Kids"