Ella May Arnel
Children's Author
About
Ella May Arnel grew up running wild on The Auge Ranch in Texas, here fences were more of a suggestion and animals were simply future friends she hadn’t met yet. Her childhood was a whirlwind of bareback horse rides, pig races (yes, she insists she usually won), and long afternoons spent building “creek cheese stores” with her older sister Christine—whatever that meant at the time, it was very important. At home, she played “mom” to her baby sister Anabelle, practicing the kind of fierce love she would one day carry into her own family.Her dad taught her to always search for the “money tree”—his way of saying never stop chasing your dreams, no matter how impossible they seem. Her mom taught her something just as powerful: that raising a life full of heart and passion matters more than getting everything right, and that sometimes the best lessons come from learning the hard way. Ella May took both lessons seriously.After high school, she attended Texas State University, where her sense of adventure only grew. If she wasn’t off-roading with her best friend, she might have been rescuing a snake from a hot tub (because obviously it needed help), or getting ready for a girls’ night that was sure to turn into a story worth telling later. And the stories don’t stop there. She’s been stung by a stingray while treasure hunting with her sister. She once rode off a fifteen-foot dam on a blow up toy just to see what it felt like to fly (she still recommends the idea, not necessarily the landing). She even commandeered a school bus during her senior year—not for trouble, but to rescue her class from what she considered the greatest threat of all, boredom.Now living in Maryland with her husband and their four wonderfully rowdy boys, Ella has traded the wide-open ranch for a different kind of wild—raising a family. But her mission hasn’t changed. She’s determined to show her boys that adventure isn’t something you wait for… it’s something you chase. Whether that means diving into the water instead of running from it (even when sharks are involved), exploring the unknown, or simply choosing curiosity over fear —Ella believes the best stories come from saying “yes” to life. And if you look closely, you might just find that same spirit tucked into every page she writes.
Books
Coming soon - spring 2026
Teacher Resources
Coming Soon!
Contact
I love hearing from readers, teachers, librarians and the occasional confused parent. School visit questions, event invitations, "My kid drew you a picture of Pip" emails -- all are welcome. I read every one of the, eventually.
For sneak peaks at upcomming books, notes from the woods, occasional sketches of charactors brought to life, the newsletter is the place to be!!!!