With books and me, it was love at first sight. I remember standing on a stool to reach the counter in the local library. I was four and proud that I could sign my name, and get my very own library card, a passport to all of those great books on the shelf.

For seventh grade English, I wrote about 13-year-old twins who go back in time and meet their mother as a kid. I guess that writing assignment was at the root of Midnight at the Taj Mahal. Thank you Mrs. Unschuld of I.S. 181 in The Bronx!

I later graduated from SUNY Binghamton with a BA in Creative Writing and from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem with an MA in English Literature.

I love to travel and have been to many places, including Vietnam, where I adopted my daughter Rachele. My first book, Sydney Taylor Award-winning "Rebecca’s Journey Home," is based on that exciting adventure.

I love old buildings which have survived the past – and ancient ruins, with stories sealed in their silent walls. I now live in Israel, a land oozing history. If only stones could talk!

So, why the Taj Mahal? Well, when I visited India, saw the stunning Taj Mahal, and heard the story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, I knew: it doesn’t get better than this!

"Midnight at the Taj Mahal" is the first book in "The Out-of-School Adventures" series. Stay tuned for the next adventure as the Copperman family continues their year abroad. Next stop: Jerusalem!