Ruth Tenzer Feldman is the author of numerous nonfiction books for children and young adults, including The Fall of Constantinople, How Congress Works, and Don't Whistle in School: The History of America's Public Schools. She holds degrees in both law and international relations, and has spent time working as a legislative attorney for the U.S. Department of Education. She lives in Portland, Oregon, where she is a member of the League of Women Voters, the Oregon Historical Society, and the Institute for Judaic Studies. Her first novel, Blue Thread, was published in 2012 and is a finalist for the Oregon Book Award in Young Adult Literature.