James, J. Alison: - J. Alison James has been writing and translating books for children since 1990, when her first novel came out to awards and rave reviews. Since then, she has published a novel, three picture books, and translated over 150 books for children. She has lived around the world, including in Japan, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Taiwan, and Pakistan. Her graduate degree is in Children's Literature, and she completed the Professional Program in Screenwriting from UCLA. Alison lives with her musical family in northern Vermont.