Valerie Tripp (born 1951) is a children's book author, best known for her work with the American Girl series. She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and a brother. She graduated from Yale University and has a Master’s of Education degree from Harvard University. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College. She has been a writer for reading textbooks for three decades.