Kalli Sperdakos (Kalli Dakos, pen name) has published many books for children and teachers. She received an Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children from the National Council of the Teachers of English for her book, They Only See the Outside, in 2022. Her career in education began at Queen’s and she has written many books with school related topics: If You’re Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand, Our Principal Promised to Kiss a Pig, A Funeral in the Bathroom, The Bug in Teacher’s Coffee, and many others. Most of these books are Children’s Choice Selections with the International Literacy Association and the Children’s Book Council. Her newest book, Happy Birthday, Belly Button, was released in March 2023. Kalli has visited schools all over Canada and the U.S. to share her love of the hilarious, tragic, and poignant stories inside classrooms and to encourage students and teachers to write about them. She encourages alumni to reach out.
