Born in Brooklyn, New York, Shalant has a B.A. from Brooklyn College, 1971 and an M.A. from Manhattanville College, 1997. She is currently a Professor of children's writing at Manhattanville College in New York. She is a prolific author of scholastic children's books. She focuses on teaching creative writing to children and adults. Her debut work was The Rock Star, the Rooster, & Me, the Reporter She is most recently the author of The Society of Super Secret Heroes which was published by Dutton Children's Books, A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group.

Shalant focuses almost exclusively on pedagogical writing. She conducts writer's workshops intended specifically for elementary school age children.

The Society of Super Secret Heroes is a children's book intended for the 4th-6th grade level. Finch Mundy is the main character. He and his three best friends, Rajiv Shah, a magician, Kevin Chan an artist and Elliott Levenson, who loves to joke around. The once dormant "Thinking Cape", acquired by Finch in Kindergarten, takes on magical powers and purports to “turn ordinary mortals into extraordinary ones.” They embark on several “missions,” where the boys have to take on the class bullies, and help a new teacher make friends. The Thinking Cape guides the boys on how to approach these problems. The boys face a real test as superheroes when the Thinking Cape disappears.

Fiction

• The Rock Star, The Rooster, & Me, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY) 1990
• The Transformation of Faith Futterman, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY) 1990
• Shalom, Geneva Peace, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY) 1992
• Beware of Kissing Lizard Lips, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY) 1995
• The Great Eye, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY) 1996
• Bartleby of the Mighty Mississippi Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY) 2000 Guild Selection; New York Public Library 100 Best Books, 2000; Washington Irving Children's Choice Honor Book, 2002; Golden Sower Children's Choice Book Award nominee, 2002-2003
• Bartleby of the Big Bad Bayou Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY) 2002 Junior Library Guild Selection
• When Pirates Came to Brooklyn Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY) 2002 Best Books of 2002; Bank Street College of Education; Top 10 Books for Youth About Religion, Booklist
• The Society of Super Secret Heroes Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY) 2007

Non-Fiction

• Look What We've Brought You from Vietnam: Crafts, Games, Recipes, Stories and Other Cultural Activities from Vietnamese Americans, Silver Burdett Press, 1988.
• Look What We've Brought You from Korea: Crafts, Games, Recipes, Stories and Other Cultural Activities from Korean-Americans, Silver Burdett Press, 1994.
• Look What We've Brought You from India: Crafts, Games, Recipes, Stories and Other Cultural Activities from Indian Americans, Silver Burdett Press, 1997.
• Look What We've Brought You from the Caribbean: Crafts, Games, Recipes, Stories, and Other Cultural Activities, Silver Burdett Press, 1998.
• Look What We've Brought You from Mexico: Crafts, Games, Recipes, Stories and Other Cultural Activities from Mexican Americans, Silver Burdett Press, 1998.

Short Stories

• "Pinch-Hitting" to anthology, With All My Heart, With All My Mind, 2000

Reviews

• Hazel Rochman, Booklist, Review of Beware of Kissing Lizard Lips, p. 1674; May 15, 1995
• Hazel Rochman, Booklist, Review of The Great Eye, p. 501; November 1, 1996,
• John Peters, Booklist, Review of Bartleby of the Mighty Mississippi, p. 1744; May 15, 2000
• Julie Cummins, Booklist, Review of When Pirates Came to Brooklyn, p. 407; October 15, 2002
• Alaina Cauchie Genre Book Review - The Great Cape Rescue, April 12, 2009