Rod Gottula won the 2019 High Plains Book Award for Best Children's Book for his story, Double! Not Half.
Rod grew up in Shepherd, Montana, studied English Literature and Philosophy at Rocky Mountain College in Billings and earned his M.A. in Linguistics on his way to becoming a National Board Certified Teacher of English Language Arts and a high school administrator. Having lived and taught overseas, Rod's four years on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program fueled his passion for helping young people experience the wonders of other cultures and the beauty of everyday folks in different lands. Whether sharing Montana with the world or marching off into the world with Montanans, he takes joy in learning and seeing something a little bit new. His hobbies include reading, writing, struggling to play the guitar, and an occasional evening of imbibing and karaoke. Rod and his wife, Rie, have two children and are constantly nagging them to study more and make the most of their bilingual and multicultural opportunities. Double! Not Half. is dedicated to their journey.