Dorinda Makana nalani Nicholson was born in Hawaii to a Hawaiian mother and a Caucasian father. At the age of six she was an eyewitness to the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. Her first book, Pearl Harbor Child, chronicles that historic event. Nicholson believes it is her mission to bring World War II history to life for children. She is married to Larry Nicholson, an award winning photographer, video producer, and graphic artist. The two combined their talents to create Pearl Harbor Warriors, which won the International Reading Association Intermediate Nonfiction Award, the Benjamin Franklin Multi-Cultural Award, and was selected for the 2003-2004 Mark Twain Master List. The Nicholson's have four sons and six grandchildren. They live in Raytown, Missouri, with a very spoiled dog named Corduroy.