Sandra Hanken

Though Sky Castle is the first book for Minnesota resident Sandra Hanken, she's no stranger to the world of children. She has been an elementary school teacher, crisis shelter worker, parent educator, and is currently a family social worker.

For many years, Hanken aspired to write a book that would give children a sense of hope, "a book that would encourage their belief in themselves and their abilities."

One January night, she awoke with the words "Let's build a castle in the sky. We'll build a castle, you and I." When the rest of the poem came a few days later, she knew that artist Jody Bergsma would be the perfect choice to illustrate her story.

Hanken and her husband live in their country home amid woods and wildlife near the town of Chisholm, Minnesota. They have two grown children.