Born in Livingston, New Jersey, Mass's favorite subjects in school were reading and science. Wendy worked at town libraries and bookstores. As a child she would compete with friends to see who could read the most books; this helped develop her writing skills. Her first career vision was to be an astronaut. Mass's first story, co-written by her two siblings, starred a cat that somehow turned into a goat and destroyed her neighborhood.
In high school, Mass worked at a local bookstore and continued to hone her writing skills. She took writing classes and decided on writing for her career.
Mass has published 29 novels for children and teens. She won the American Library Association (ALA) Schneider Family Book Award for her children's book A Mango-Shaped Space in 2004.[1]
In 2011, she won the Black Eyed Susan Award from The Maryland Association of School Librarians for 11 Birthdays.[4] She won the American Library Association Award (best books for the teenage selection), New York Public, and New York Public Library Best Books for the teenage designation, Great Lakes Book Award and Michigan State award, and has since won 11 state book awards.[5]
Personal life
Mass currently resides in New Jersey with her husband, twin children, a dog, and two cats.[5]
Works
Non-fiction
Stonehenge (1998)
Teen Drug Abuse (1997)
Women's Rights (1998)
Readings on Night (2000)
Great Authors of Children's Literature (2001)
Discovering Mythology - Gods and Goddesses (2002)
Ray Bradbury: Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy (2004)