He serves as full time Associate Professor of Education and Literature at Judson College in Elgin, IL. His vast array of experience working at multiple grade levels in the public schools allows him a unique camaraderie with teachers and librarians and his award-winning books for children and young adults add another appealing element to his dynamic presentations. He is a frequent keynote speaker at large conferences and gatherings of literacy educators and librarians throughout the world. In addition, Steve continues to do a few school appearances each year as a guest author and provides inservice for schools throughout the nation.

Steve has been honored with numerous awards for his work as an educator and researcher. In 2001, he received one of the Milken Foundation's National Awards for Teaching Excellence in the amount of $25,000.00. He was also named to the 2001 All-Teacher Team by USA TODAY newspaper and was chosen as the Edwin A. Hoey Award Winner for U. S. Outstanding Teacher at the junior high level by NCTE in 2001. Steve was the 2000 ICARE for Reading Award winner and the 1999 Reading Teacher of the Year in Illinois. In addition, his doctoral dissertation research garnered the Outstanding Researcher Award from Northern Illinois University's College of Education Alumni Council as well as the Winn Research Award given by the State of Illinois Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development in 1997.

Steve's interest in state and community literacy organizations has led to active leadership positions on the boards of the Northern Illinois Reading Council and Literacy Volunteers of America's Fox Valley Affiliate. He has also served as a reader for the Rebecca Caudill Young Reader Award Committee and been active in the DuPage Literacy Roundtable. Steve has been a member of several committees for the Illinois Reading Council throughout his involvement with the organization and currently serves as its past president.

His works include but not limited to the following:

But science and math weren't my only fascinations: I also loved bicycles, baseball, boats...and ice cream. Years later, on a clear spring night, I looked up at the sky and a shower of memories descended. I suddenly remembered my childhood awe at the wonders of space.

That night I was inspired to write my first book, How Much Is a Million? Now, almost 50 books later, I spend much of my time finding unusual, whimsical ways to make math and science come alive for kids and teachers, both through my writing, and through speaking at schools and conferences. I also write science articles for magazines, especially Smithsonian, and to do the research I've made exciting trips to some of the more remote corners of several continents. I've been to Africa to study hippos, to South America to visit an indigenous tribe living in the rain forest, and to far northern Scotland to track illegal egg collectors. But I still love the land outside my door in northern California, and the same distant stars that inspired me years ago.

His works include but not limited to the following: