Elizabeth Upton first created Maxi's story to entertain her son when he was young. She has a teaching degree from Teachers College at Columbia University, and her poetry has been included in several collections edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins. She currently works as a writer and a teacher in New York City, where she lives with her two children. Elizabeth Upton first created Maxi's story to entertain her son when he was young. She has a teaching degree from Teachers College at Columbia University, and her poetry has been included in several collections edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins. She currently works as a writer and a teacher in New York City, where she lives with her two children.