Debbie Dadey

Debbie Dadey (born 1959) is an American children's author who, with Marcia Thornton Jones, created The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids, published by Scholastic from 1990 to 2009.

She was born Debra S. Dadey on 18 May 1959 in Morganfield, Kentucky, and worked as a first-grade teacher and a librarian before writing full time. The Bailey School Kids series began with Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots in 1990. Counting the specials, the Jr. chapter books and the Bailey City Monsters spin-off, the series ran to 83 books, illustrated by John Steven Gurney.

With Jones she also wrote Ghostville Elementary (Scholastic, 2003 to 2007), Triplet Trouble and The Keyholders (2009). Her solo series include the Swamp Monster books, The Worst Name in Third Grade and the Trident Academy mermaid books, which began with A Whale of a Tale (2012). She is credited as co-writer of more than 160 books.

For collectors. The series opener, Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots, was published by Scholastic in 1990. Gurney illustrated the original run, but some covers were redrawn by Nathan Hale in 2000, which helps to date a copy.