A life shaped by care
Susan Joy Menchell Author • Poet
Susan Joy Menchell is a New York author whose writing explores compassion, resilience, healing, and the quiet strength found within both children and adults. Drawing from more than 42 years as a Registered Nurse, Susan brings an uncommon understanding of human suffering, hope, and healing to every story she writes.
From nursing to storytelling
Compassion has always been at the heart of Susan’s work.
After a 42-year nursing career devoted to caring for others, Susan turned fully toward writing—a lifelong passion that allows her to continue helping people in a different way. Whether writing children’s literature, inspirational poetry, or reflective prose, her work encourages readers to see kindness as strength, embrace differences, and recognize the extraordinary value in every life.
Her children’s books combine memorable animal characters with meaningful life lessons that inspire empathy, friendship, courage, forgiveness, and self-worth. Her poetry invites readers to reflect on love, loss, healing, spirituality, and the beauty found in everyday moments.
Through author visits, Storytime presentations, and speaking engagements, Susan encourages readers of all ages to ask questions, think deeply, and discover that understanding one another creates lasting friendships.
Susan continues to teach yoga and enjoys photography, drawing, music, travel, and lifelong learning. Her experiences as a nurse, teacher, and author reflect the same guiding belief—that every person has a story worth hearing and every act of kindness has the power to make a lasting difference.
She lives in New York, where she continues writing books for both children and adults while preparing several new works for publication.
My hope is that every reader—child or adult—closes one of my books feeling a little kinder, a little stronger, and a little more hopeful than when they began.