Meet the Author
My sons inspired me!
My sons inspired me!
My sons inspired me!
I raised my sons, Michael and Casey, in a house on the water on Long Island. They are the reason I finally got the guts to become an author. Although I always knew I was a writer, I became terrified to pursue my passion. I stopped writing completely and fell into a creative hibernation. When Casey was born, I realized I wanted to leave my
I raised my sons, Michael and Casey, in a house on the water on Long Island. They are the reason I finally got the guts to become an author. Although I always knew I was a writer, I became terrified to pursue my passion. I stopped writing completely and fell into a creative hibernation. When Casey was born, I realized I wanted to leave my boys something to remind them of my love. I decided to write a book for them.
Once I started writing again, I was awakened. I felt like a fish that had been caught on a hook, released back into the ocean. I was free, gloriously free to be who I was meant to be!
I love words!
My sons inspired me!
My sons inspired me!
Fun for me is playing with words, searching for the perfect phrases to string together. It’s a thrill! Growing up, books kept me from being lonely. I was an only child— but the characters in books were always with me. I also wrote stories, and even started authoring a novel in 6th grade. It was called The Fortunate Corpse, and its hero (
Fun for me is playing with words, searching for the perfect phrases to string together. It’s a thrill! Growing up, books kept me from being lonely. I was an only child— but the characters in books were always with me. I also wrote stories, and even started authoring a novel in 6th grade. It was called The Fortunate Corpse, and its hero (definitely an anti-hero) was Michael Baron. In my mind, he looked and acted like Pete from The Mod Squad, a show I watched in daily reruns when I came home from school.
My religion is love
My sons inspired me!
My religion is love
On my home page I state that I’m an author who is being the change one word at a time. That change is love. Like Shakespeare, I examine humanity in crisis and imperiled relationships. I want to know why people hurt each other. I want to portray the devastation, so perhaps people will take notice of their actions. We’re all human, with mor
On my home page I state that I’m an author who is being the change one word at a time. That change is love. Like Shakespeare, I examine humanity in crisis and imperiled relationships. I want to know why people hurt each other. I want to portray the devastation, so perhaps people will take notice of their actions. We’re all human, with more in common than not. Love is the answer to everything.
“One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love.”
—Sophocles
About Selene Castrovilla
Uncovering the Human Heart of American History—and the Courage Within Ourselves.
Selene Castrovilla writes about bravery—on battlefields, in secret letters, and in the quiet moments when we choose who we will become. Selene is an award-winning author of historical nonfiction, young adult fiction, and women’s fiction whose work uncovers the hidden truths in history and within ourselves.
Through meticulously researched American history books for young readers and emotionally resonant contemporary novels, Selene explores the courage, conscience, and moral choices that shape both nations and individuals. Her writing is known for humanizing iconic figures, illuminating overlooked voices, and inviting readers to reflect on how personal integrity and virtue can alter the course of history.
Her acclaimed nonfiction titles have received national recognition from organizations including the Society of School Librarians International, the California Reading Association, the National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council, Bank Street College of Education, School Library Journal, and the International Literacy Association. Her books have been named Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year, Booklist Top Ten Biographies for Youth, Kansas Reading Circle selections, and recommended reading for American history classrooms.
Selene’s work on the American Revolution and Civil War—from the bond between George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette to the moral complexities of Benedict Arnold and the hidden networks of Revolutionary spies—has earned literary honors as well as historical recognition, including the Tappantown Historical Society’s Achievement Award. Her nonfiction is widely used in classrooms to teach inquiry-based learning, civic literacy, and empathy through story.
In addition to her historical nonfiction, Selene writes emotionally charged young adult fiction described as “intense, gritty, lyrical, romantic, hopeful and powerful at the same time.” Her contemporary novels have received multiple honors, and her women’s fiction has been recognized with the Book Excellence Award. Across genres, her work explores reinvention, resilience, identity, and the transformative power of reflection.
Selene holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School and a BA in English from New York University. She is the Founder and former Regional Advisor of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ Long Island Chapter and is affiliated with PEN America’s Children’s Book Committee and Bank Street College of Education’s Writers Lab.
A sought-after speaker, Selene has presented at national conferences including the American Library Association, the American Association of School Librarians, the National Council of Teachers of English, the National Council for the Social Studies, the American Historical Association, Book Expo America, and the Young Adult Library Services Association. She regularly conducts author visits, educator workshops, and keynote talks that connect head and heart—bringing history to life for students and teachers alike. Locally, she has also been recognized as a finalist in Newsday’s Best of Long Island competition in the “Favorite Author” category.
Whether writing about Revolutionary spies, Civil War freedom seekers, first love, or the courage to begin again, Selene Castrovilla believes that through reflection, we become agents of our own change.
MELT , Selene Castrovilla's gritty teen novel about domestic violence, won six awards and honors.
Podcast Guest
Short Story Reading on Story Works Reading Series
Description from the episode:
On today’s Story Works Reading Series, Selene Castrovilla reads the short story “Careless Whistle.” If the title brings to mind a certain ’80s pop tune, it (like everything in great fiction) is intentional.
Podcast Guest
Chatting on Live True
Such a fun interview with Lisa Lucca, host of Live True! We touched on so many subjects and laughed a lot. Check it out!
Podcast Guest
Conversations With Creative Women
I was a guest on the Sandi Klein Show, where she had Conversations With Creative Women. We talked about hidden history, my other genres, and how I manage to juggle them. Did you know there was a women's tea party during the American Revolution? Learn about this and so much more.
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