The other day at a workshop, I noted a teacher's great excitement about an author's website. I told her that I had many links to these on my website, but there are also several recent memoirs and autobiographies by some of the most popular authors of children's books. All are impressive in their eloquence, easy manner of relating to child readers, and the range of creative expression.

Two authors known for their picture books have made entry into the world of longer fiction by way of autobiographical writing. This year, well-known author and illustrator Tomie dePaola won a Newbery Honor award for 26 Fairmount Avenue (Putnam, $13.99; ages 6-9). In a large-print, first-chapter book format, dePaola recounts the early adventures in his life. He writes about watching the hurricane of 1938 take over his neighborhood, mistaking laxatives for chocolates, and painting family portraits on the walls of his new home before the plasterers arrive. dePaola's style is brisk and readable, the anecdotes are well-chosen, and he promises more autobiographical picture books will follow.

For decades, Anita Lobel has drawn bright, richly detailed children's book illustrations. In contrast, her first novel, No Pretty Pictures, tells her story of surviving the Holocaust (new in paperback, Avon, $4.99; ages 11 and up). When the Nazis invaded Poland, changes began in Lobel's life. Her Hasidic father fled after "kissing her in the night" when she didn't even know it. While her mother managed in Krakow with false identity papers and selling belongings on the black market, Anita and her brother were sent into the country with their strange Catholic nurse. Lobel was suddenly turned into a practicing Catholic, her brother was disguised as a girl, she saw her mother infrequently, and was plunged into a world of instability. Soon after came the insanity of the camps until, finally, she was reunited with her parents in Sweden. While reading, I couldn't help thinking of the pleasure Lobel has given with her fanciful illustrations and how the raw power of her writing will please fans in a different way.

Three favorite middle-grade authors have written about their lives. Newbery medalist, Jerry Spinelli writes Knots in My Yo-yo String:The Autobiography of a Kid (Knopf, $9.99; ages 9-12) As Spinelli steers readers through his early life, he, himself seems to enjoy the journey which he fills with the same kind of sensory descriptions, humor, thought, and feelings that make his novels so popular . Spinelli's growing up seems common enough. He played war, cowboy, and later, all sports. He yo-yoed, loved his dog, and later, discovered girls and kissing. It's the telling that makes all the difference. Spinelli's early life was filled with fascinating characters, many of whom have made their way into his novels. The events he describes may not be extraordinary, but his intriguing and reflective insights seem so.

Any Gary Paulsen fan knows that he has a deep appreciation for animals in general, and dogs in particular. So it makes perfect sense to recall periods of his life in terms of memorable dogs in My Life in Dog Years (new in paperback from Yearling, $4.99 )Paulsen dedicates this book to his dog, Cookie, who led his first Iditarod race and saved his life. Paulsen has indeed known some amazing dogs. There's Snowball who brightened his seven year old existence by rambling with him in the strange Philippine world to which his parents had moved. Ike appeared when he needed a hunting dog and then, one day, disappeared just as mysteriously. It wasn't until years later Paulsen discovered the Ike's secret. From tiny watchdog, Dirk, to the gentle and giantic Great Dane, Caesar, Paulsen remembers each canine pal with warmth and humor. Each dog has a special quality and story to tell and Paulsen tells them marvelously well.

Lois Lowry's books are loaded with versatility, creativity, emotional tones, and interesting perspectives. These same qualities hold true in her Looking Back: A Book of Memories (Delacorte, $12.95; ages 9-12). The book is partly inspired by her fans' wondering about what inspired her books. Writers are asked this question all the time, but Lowry is a pensive listener and this question sent her on a backwards journey of reviewing her life's "moments, memories, fragments, falsehoods, and fantasies." Short vignettes are highlighted by photographs which help to explain her life and writings, initiate thoughts about parallels between herself and her mother, communicate sadnesses and joys she's experienced, generate what-if's, and capture who she is. Each piece is short, beautifully-crafted, and poignant.

Two writers use poetry to remember their own lives. Lee Bennett Hopkins, who has written reams of his own poetry and compiled many wonderful anthologies, authors Been to Yesterdays: Poems of a Life (Boyds Mills Press, $8.95; ages 8 and up). The poems use a variety of techniques and all look simply written. This is deceptive for emotions run deep as Hopkins writes of his thirteenth year when his life was turned upside down with divorce, moving, and instability.

While Hopkins' book feels fresh and raw, young adult author Robert Cormier uses poetry to look back at his twelfth year through the perspective that time has given him in Frenchtown Summer (Delacorte, $16.95; ages 10 and up). Cormier reminisces about his first love, first job, intense people and emotions , and the ambiguities in his relationship with his father. Each poem takes the shape of a story, each filled with insights and imagery only remembering can bring.