James M. Deem is the author of numerous books of nonfiction and fiction, including the 2009 Sibert Honor Book, Bodies from the Ice: Melting glaciers and the recovery of the past.

Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, he moved to Tucson, Arizona, with his family when he was eleven. He earned a Bachelor's degree in language arts from the University of Kansas followed by a master's degree and a doctorate in reading education at the University of Michigan. For twenty-seven years, he taught reading and study skills to underprepared college students.

He once again lives in Tucson with his wife Susan and now writes fulltime.