Vital Statistics:
Born: Neptune, New Jersey, 1938
High School: Asbury Park High School, 1956
College: Connecticut College, 1960
Married: James W. Coste, 1959
Children: Four
Grandchildren: Six
My Background
I’ve lived my entire life near the ocean. My favorite childhood memories are of the beach in Asbury Park, New Jersey. My first job -- at age 14 -- was selling salt water taffy on the boardwalk.
My family always kept lots of books, and I have always loved to write. When I was in fourth grade, I had a short weekly column in my local newspaper. I was editor of my high school newspaper, The Megaphone, and my college newsletter, ConnCensus. My major at Connecticut College (in New London, CT) was Government, and while I was a student, I met my husband Bill at a Coast Guard Academy dance. We were married just before my senior year, and by the time I was 26, I had four children: two boys and two girls.
During his 26 years as a Coast Guard officer, Bill was often stationed on icebreakers, so he spent a lot of time at sea. At first, I stayed at home with the children, but when they went off to school, so did I. I completed the credits for my teaching credential at the University of Virginia in 1970.Our family moved 14 times during Bill’s Coast Guard career. We lived in Massachusetts, Florida, California, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and Connecticut before we arrived in Hawaii in 1982. Bill retired from the Coast Guard in 1985 and went to work as Marine Superintendent for the University of Hawaii. After 33 years in Hawaii, we pulled up stakes, moved back to the mainland, and are now happily living in Florida.
My Career
I taught elementary school in four different states in every grade level from preschool to college. I even taught an Elderhostel class once! In Connecticut, I stepped out of the classroom for a while and worked as Director of Education at Mystic Marinelife Aquarium. I learned so much about the ocean and its creatures that I was able to create and teach a hands-on marine science program when we moved to southern California. In Hawaii, I learned a lot about Hawaiian history, culture, and environment working with Kamehameha Schools and Bishop Museum. I also worked with the Honolulu Academy of Arts, and my last full-time job was Instructor in the College of Education at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. In 1997, a local businessman and I created a family read-aloud program called RAP (Read Aloud Program) designed to encourage parents to read to their children and to create a love of reading in children.
My Books
The University of Hawaii Press published my first book, Nēnē, in 1993. Honu came out later the same year, and Kōlea appeared in 1998. My fourth and last book in the Hawaii life cycle series, The Hawaiian Bat (‘Ōpe’ape’a), arrived in bookstores in 2005. Wild Beach, published by Finney Company, also appeared in 2005, and my sixth book, Finding Joy, was published by Boyds Mills Press in 2006. Hawaii’s Animals Do the Most Amazing Things, my most recent book, published by UHPress,was released in 2015.
My Hobbies
I've always loved spending time outdoors – at the beach, on the tennis court, or on the golf course. Now that Bill and I are both retired, we love to travel. We’ve been to Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia, Canada, Africa, and many great destinations on the mainland US. When I’m indoors I like to read, sew, cook, play games, paint, and work on craft projects,. My favorite time of the week is my tap dancing class. I also enjoy belong to two book clubs and Bill and I are members of some neighborhood dinner groups.
Other Stuff
I think it’s important to be active in your community and volunteer for worthwhile programs. I am a volunteer with the Brevard Sharing Center, and I am President Emerita and Membership Chair of the Cape Canaveral Branch of the National League of American Pen Women.