Biography | Books | Articles | Home | Welcome to the Joan Bauer site. Joan is the author of Hope was Here, Rules of the Road, and Backwater, published by Penguin/Putnam; as well as Squashed, Thwonk, and Sticks, published by Bantam, Doubleday Dell. NEWS FLASH: The American Library Association announced on January 15, 2001 that Hope was Here has been selected as a Newbery Honor Medal winner. www.