As a young child Allison played school every single day with the dream of one day becoming a real teacher.  In second grade she won a writing award that sparked her second dream of being an author. 

When Allison isn’t writing children’s books or dreaming of her next story, she is busy cooking, baking, crafting and caring for her children, Jake, 24, and Madi, 22 her husband, Jeff and their dog, OL-iver. Allison’s husband is a professional football coach, which means she and her family move from one state to another quite often. Over the last 27 years, the Stoutlands have lived in Connecticut, Upstate New York, Michigan, Florida, Alabama and currently Pennsylvania.

Each of those moves is an emotional roller coaster, with Allison in the front passenger seat! There are homes to pack up, friends to say goodbye to, finding the perfect new house to make into the family home, finding new schools, doctors and vets. Yet, no matter how many times they have moved and said goodbye, Allison has never had to leave behind her books. 

Allison, like many others do, truly believes she is who she is, because of all the events that have taken place in her lifetime; good and bad. Of all the sad events that have occurred in her lifetime, (parents divorce, losing a dear friend to breast cancer, the constant uncertainty of moving and the everyday struggles of life) all of these challenges have only made her a stronger and kinder person.  Always trying to see the positive, looking for a person to help, speaking to strangers, in other words, happying hearts along her path. Might be why new friends always have a way of finding her, as she says…“Being a good friend is my very best skill!

Education

• Bachelors Degree–Early Childhood Education, Central Connecticut State University

• Masters of Science–Reading Consultancy, Southern Connecticut State University

• Sixth Year Degree–Supervision and Administration, Southern Connecticut State University