A.J. Sass
A. J. Sass (he/they) is an author whose narrative interests lie at the intersection of identity, neurodiversity, and allyship. He is the critically acclaimed author of the ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10 titles Ellen Outside the Lines, which was also a Sydney Taylor Honor Book, and Ana on the Edge, as well as the co-author of Camp QUILTBAG (with Nicole Melleby). All three books are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections.
A. J. is the author of the upcoming middle-grade book Just Shy of Ordinary (Little, Brown, 2024), and a contributor to the This Is Our Rainbow (Knopf Books for Young Readers), Allies (DK/Penguin Random House), and On All Other Nights (Abrams, 2024) anthologies. His debut picture book with illustrator Noa Kelner, Shabbat
If you like author A.J. Sass here is the list of authors you may also like
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Jules Machias
Jules Machias is the author/illustrator of the novels Both Can Be True (an American Library Association Rainbow Booklist Top Ten Title for Young Readers, a Bank Street Children’s Best Book of the Year, and an Indie Next List Pick) and Fight + Flight.
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Jules has worked for veterinarians, marketing firms, construction companies, a car parts warehouse, and schools for kids with disabilities; they now own and operate Red Pen Refinery, an editing business. Jules lives in Cincinnati with their family, a bunch of lizards and pythons, a herd of discount-rack dogs, and a garage full of dirt bikes and art supplies. Visit Jules on Instagram for ridiculous dog pictures. -
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Justine Pucella Winans
Justine Pucella Winans (they/she) is a critically acclaimed and award winning author of queer fiction. They have written a variety of funny and/or scary books across age ranges, receiving accolades such as a Stonewall Honor, Indies Introduce, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections, and multiple starred reviews. When not writing, she can be found taking too many photos of her cats, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, actively avoiding real life scary situations, and working their true goal of becoming a Pokémon trainer.
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William Alexander
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
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William Alexander won the National Book Award in 2012 for his first book, Goblin Secrets, and the Earphones Award for his narration of the audiobook. He has since written three more novels for Middle Grade audiences: Ghoulish Song, Ambassador, and Nomad.
Will is Cuban-American. He studied theater and folklore at Oberlin College, English at the University of Vermont, and creative writing at the Clarion Workshop. He currently teaches at the Vermont College of Fine Arts program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
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Caroline Huntoon
Caroline Huntoon (they/them) is a nonbinary storyteller and educator and the author of SKATING ON MARS, LINUS AND ETTA COULD USE A WIN, and GOING OVERBOARD (spring 2025), all from Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan. They grew up in Michigan but spent time in New York City to earn their B.A. at Barnard College and see as much musical theater as possible, Walt Disney World to fulfill a lifelong dream of working on The Great Movie Ride, and Vermont to earn their M.A. from The Bread Loaf School of English and eat their weight in maple creemees. Now back in Michigan, Caroline lives with their headstrong and hilarious child, Winnie, and their adorable and needy dog, Oscar David. By day they work as an English teacher and theater director, and by night
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Nicole Melleby
Nicole Melleby, a Jersey native, is the author of highly praised middle-grade books, including the Lambda Literary finalist Hurricane Season and ALA Notable Children's book How to Become a Planet. She lives with her wife and their cats, whose needs for attention oddly align with Nicole’s writing schedule.
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Feel free to follow her on Twitter @LadyMelleby
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Phil Stamper
Phil Stamper grew up in a rural village near Dayton, Ohio. While it could be seen as a boring lifestyle to some, he kept himself entertained by playing the piano and writing stories that stretched his imagination. He has a B.A. in Music from the University of Dayton and an M.A. in Publishing with Creative Writing from Kingston University.
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When he first left his home state, he landed in Washington, DC with no job prospects, $800 in graduation money, and the promise of a walk-in closet to live in. Not long after—and he’s not totally sure how—he was jumping headfirst into a career in non-profit PR and sleeping in a real bed. He loved writing for a living, even if he was writing press releases and news stories... and hundreds of emails to annoye -
Jennifer Latham
"I'm a grown-up army brat with two kids, two dogs, and a husband. After working in a morgue, a maximum-security prison, a heroin detox, and assorted middle and high schools, I decided to try may hand at writing. Happily, it stuck.
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I love watching people.
And I love writing about the characters who live inside my head—even when they don’t play nice." -
Joan Bauer
From: http://www.joanbauer.com/jbbio.html
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July 12, 1951 - I was born at eleven A.M., a most reasonable time, my mother often said, and when the nurse put me in my mother's arms for the first time I had both a nasty case of the hiccups and no discernible forehead (it's since grown in). I've always believed in comic entrances.
As I grew up in River Forest, Illinois, in the 1950's, I seem to remember an early fascination with things that were funny. I thought that people who could make other people laugh were terribly fortunate. While my friends made their career plans, declaring they would become doctors, nurses, and lawyers, inwardly I knew that I wanted to be involved somehow in comedy. This, however, was a difficult concept to get across in -
Joey Graceffa
Joey Graceffa is one of the fastest-growing personalities on YouTube. A popular brand ambassador, he has partnered with Topshop, Audible, eBay, and H&R Block. In 2013, between his daily vlogs and gameplay videos, Joey produced and starred in his own Kickstarter–funded supernatural series, “Storytellers,” for which he won a Streamy Award. He also starred in The Amazing Race on CBS and returned in 2014 for the all-star edition. He grew up with his family in Boston before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment.
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John David Anderson
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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John David Anderson once hit himself so hard on a dare by his sister that he literally knocked himself out of a chair and nearly blacked out. He has since translated this passion and singularity of purpose to the related arts of novel writing and pizza eating. The author of STANDARD HERO BEHAVIOR, SIDEKICKED, MINION, THE DUNGEONEERS and the soon-to-land MS. BIXBY's LAST DAY, Anderson is a firm believer in wearing the same pair of jeans for three days in a row (four in the winter) and the power of writing to solve 73% of the world's problems. He lives with his beautiful wife and twins in Indianapolis, Indiana. -
Maddox Lyons
Maddox Lyons is a transgender teen who lives in California with his parents, sister, and two dogs. After he came out in elementary school, Maddox and his family went in search of books for and about kids like him. There were very few, so he set out to write one. I'm Not a Girl is based on his true gender identity journey.
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Maddox is a speaker and advocate for gay and gender diverse youth. He's been ambassador for TransFamily Support Services for several years. Maddox loves learning Spanish, figure skating, writing and reading.
He is represented by Kate McKean of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. -
Alex Gino
Alex Gino loves glitter, ice cream, gardening, awe-ful puns, and stories that reflect the diversity and complexity of being alive.
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Gino is genderqueer and uses singular they pronouns and the honorific Mx. -
Cliff Burke
Cliff Burke has taught reading and writing in China, Hong Kong, the US, and the UK. His first novel, An Occasionally Happy Family, was a 2022 Spirit of Texas Book and was selected for several state reading lists. His most recent novel, My Not-So-Great French Escape, was released in March 2023.
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Visit him online at cliffburke.com -
Beth Leipholtz
Beth Leipholtz is an inclusion and accessibility advocate who believes in creating a more accepting world for our children. As the hearing mother of a deaf child, Beth is raising her son, Coop, bilingually in both hearing and Deaf cultures. She shares her parenting journey on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, where she has built a community of more than 1 million people around disability inclusion.
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She lives with her family in Minnesota. In addition to spending time with her family, Beth enjoys Minnesota summers, photography, iced Americanos, CrossFit, and a good old-fashioned book. You can follow her online at @beth_and_coop. -
Rebecca Westcott
Rebecca Westcott was born in Chester. She went to Exeter University to train as a teacher and has had a variety of teaching jobs that have taken her to some very interesting places, including a Category C male prison. She started writing a diary when she was eight years old, although she had no idea that one day her entries would be used to help her write a book. Rebecca currently teaches in a primary school and lives in Dorset with her husband and three children. Dandelion Clocks is her first book.
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Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Pancholy was born on January 18, 1974 in the USA as Maulik Navin Pancholy. His parents immigrated to the United States from Gujarat, India, in the 1960s. Born in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Ohio, Indiana, Texas and Florida. He attended junior high and high school in Tampa, Florida. Pancholy was named one of OUT Magazine's 100 most influential gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender people for 2013.
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He married his partner of 10 years, Ryan Corvaia, in 2014, nine months after they were engaged at the Taj Mahal.
He is an actor, known for 30 Rock (2006), Weeds (2005) and 27 Dresses (2008). -
Schuyler Bailar
Schuyler is the first trans athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA D1 men’s team, and the only to have competed for all four years. He is an internationally-celebrated inspirational speaker and a respected advocate for inclusion, body acceptance, and mental health awareness.
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Schuyler graduated from Harvard College in May 2019 with a degree in Cognitive Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology. His studies focused on social emotional learning, emotional intelligence, and education. He is a tireless advocate for inclusion through speaking engagements and social media. Schuyler also holds on-going advisory roles with Monte Nido & Affiliates (the leading eating disorder treatment provider), USA Swimming, the Harvard Medical School Primary Ca -
Landra Jennings
Landra writes fanciful books for young people. She is influenced by folk and fairy tales as well as her Southern-USA roots. She has a MFA in Writing for Children and Young adults from Hamline University.
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Gennifer Choldenko
There’s a Lego in my bum which fits with the Lego in my chair and when I sit down to write, I hear the satisfying snap of the two pieces fitting together. I love words, dictionaries, thesauruses, sharp pencils, the smell of book ink and the delicious art of carving out sentences on clean white paper. I love to slip into another person’s skin and feel what it’s like to live another life. I love when characters come to me out of nowhere and make me cry so hard my mascara runs or laugh until my stomach hurts. I love the crazy fun and infinite possibility of storytelling.
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What prepared me for a life of writing fiction? Though I have a BA from Brandeis University in English and American Literature and a BFA in illustration from Rhode Island Schoo -
Anne Ursu
Anne Ursu is the author of several fantasies for young readers, including THE REAL BOY, which was longlisted for the National Book Award, and BREADCRUMBS, which was named as one of the best books of the year by Publishers Weekly, Amazon, and School Library Journal. She is also the recipient of a McKnight Fellowship. She teaches at the Hamline University's Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and lives in Minneapolis. Her next book, THE LOST GIRL, will be out in February 2018.
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Hena Khan
Hena Khan writes books in a multitude of formats, including picture books, middle grade fiction, pick-your-path adventures, and graphic novels. Her stories are often centered around community, friendship, and family, and draw from her own experiences and culture. Hena’s novels include AMINA'S VOICE, MORE TO THE STORY, and DRAWING DEENA. She is the author of the Zayd Saleem Chasing the Dream, Zara’s Rules, and Super You! series. Hena’s picture books include GOLDEN DOMES AND SILVER LANTERNS, UNDER MY HIJAB, and IT'S RAMADAN, CURIOUS GEORGE, among others.
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Sherri Winston
Prepare for your greatest mission yet. Jada Sly, Artist & Spy, is ready to take you on a journey across Manhattan and behind the scenes at her family’s museum. Fast-paced and quick-witted, Jada leads us into her conspiratorial world with great panache and determination. Perfect for cool middle grade spies.
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Sherri Winston has eight published works of fiction, and lives in Orlando, FL. -
Deva Fagan
I write fantasy and science fiction for readers of all ages. I live in Maine with my husband and our dog. When I'm not writing I spend my time reading, playing video games, doing geometry, and drinking copious amounts of tea.
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NOTE: My comments on books I've read are not meant to be critical reviews, but are just my own reactions. I don't generally use stars, but I do occasionally mark a book with five stars if it's one that feels like it will become a long-term favorite, because it's exactly my sort of book, and caters to my specific tastes as a reader. There are plenty of books I read and really admire that are clearly excellent books, but which are not so exactly "for me" that I give them five stars. I will unabashedly stop reading books I -
Kyle Lukoff
Kyle Lukoff writes books for kids and other people.
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Before becoming a full-time writer, Kyle worked at five bookstores, in four libraries, for three schools, as two genders, through one intersection: people, and books. -
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Rosena Fung
Rosena Fung is a cartoonist and illustrator based in Toronto, Canada. She is the creator of the graphic novel Living With Viola. Her second graphic novel is forthcoming May 2024.
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Her illustration clients include Chickadee Magazine, The Bentway, The Globe and Mail, CBC Arts, and the Toronto Transit Commission. She has created work for magazines, newspapers, and public art murals.
When she is not drawing, Rosena can be found teaching illustration, vending at zine fairs, and going to the library. Her favourite activities also include petting cats, eating snacks, and learning to play both acoustic and electric guitar (she is not great at it but it doesn't matter, it makes her happy to cradle her rockstar dreams!). She lives with her partner and -
Jamie Sumner
Jamie Sumner is the author of the critically-acclaimed middle-grade novels, Roll with It, Tune It Out, and One Kid's Trash. Her forth middle-grade novel The Summer of June hits shelves on May 31st, 2022 with Atheneum Books for Young Readers. She is also the author of the nonfiction parenting books, Eat, Sleep, Save the World and Unbound.
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She has also written for the New York Times and the Washington Post as well as other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Connect with her at Jamie-Sumner.com -
Nicole Melleby
Nicole Melleby, a Jersey native, is the author of highly praised middle-grade books, including the Lambda Literary finalist Hurricane Season and ALA Notable Children's book How to Become a Planet. She lives with her wife and their cats, whose needs for attention oddly align with Nicole’s writing schedule.
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Feel free to follow her on Twitter @LadyMelleby
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Alicia D. Williams
What's there to know about Alicia D? Well, that depends on who you ask.
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If you ask kindergartners, they'd tell you:
1. She likes chunky guacamole.
2. She likes shiny things.
3. She tells good stories.
If you ask her middle schoolers, they'd surely say:
1. She gets us.
2. She makes us laugh with all her jokes.
3. She is Da BOMB.
While all of these may be true, there are a few more points to add . . . Alicia D. is a teacher in Charlotte, NC. She is the proud mother of a brilliant college student. Her love for education stems from conducting school residencies as a Master Teaching Artist of arts-integration. Alicia D infuses her love for drama, movement, and storytelling to inspire students to write. And like other great storytellers, she made the leap -
Jake Maia Arlow
Jake Maia Arlow is a Stonewall Honor author, podcast producer, and bagel connoisseur. They grew up on Long Island and now live with their girlfriend and loud cat in the Pacific Northwest.
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Cliff Burke
Cliff Burke has taught reading and writing in China, Hong Kong, the US, and the UK. His first novel, An Occasionally Happy Family, was a 2022 Spirit of Texas Book and was selected for several state reading lists. His most recent novel, My Not-So-Great French Escape, was released in March 2023.
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Visit him online at cliffburke.com -
Justine Pucella Winans
Justine Pucella Winans (they/she) is a critically acclaimed and award winning author of queer fiction. They have written a variety of funny and/or scary books across age ranges, receiving accolades such as a Stonewall Honor, Indies Introduce, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections, and multiple starred reviews. When not writing, she can be found taking too many photos of her cats, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, actively avoiding real life scary situations, and working their true goal of becoming a Pokémon trainer.
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Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Shifa Saltagi Safadi was born in Syria and immigrated to the US with her parents when she was a young girl. She is a bilingual Arabic/English speaker, and is very familiar with the challenges of learning English and navigating two languages.
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As a mom to four Arab American children and a former English teacher to Middle School students, (and an author!) she now spends her time helping kids develop a love of reading and writing too.
You can learn more about her books on her website shifasafadi.com -
Mary Averling
Mary Averling grew up across England and Canada, never far from the woods. She has degrees from the University of Victoria and Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. Her debut, The Curse of Eelgrass Bog, was a Bram Stoker Award Finalist, a Junior Library Gold Standard Selection, an ALA Rainbow List Pick, and one of BookPage's Top 10 Books of 2024. Since she can't stay away from libraries for very long, she is currently working toward her PhD in Ontario, where she lives surrounded by all the magical, spooky, heartfelt books she can find.
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She is represented by Kelly Sonnack at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. -
Chatham Greenfield
Chatham Greenfield is an award winning author and romance enthusiast. Their debut novel, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, received a Stonewall Honor Award, was named a best queer book of the year by Autostraddle, and was a LitUp by Reese’s Book Club pick. Their second novel, TRY YOUR WORST, comes out September 2025 and their third novel, LIKE A LADY, comes out early 2027.
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Taylor Tracy
Taylor Tracy is the author of the Stonewall Award Honor Book Murray Out of Water. Taylor writes books filled with humor and heart that explore the joys and hopes of queer kids, focusing on mental health, found family, and the importance of a sense of community. She lives in New Jersey with her family, including a fluffle of mischievous rescue bunnies, and loves everything her home state has to offer: the best bagels, pizza, and beaches. When not writing, she can be found down the shore, in the rock gym or next to her growing pile of books to read and love.
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Ali Terese
Ali Terese is a middle grade and YA author who writes funny and heartfelt stories including FREE PERIOD (Scholastic - 2024) and VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. (Aladdin / Simon & Schuster - 2025). Her work has received the National Book Award - Longlist honor, a School Library Journal starred review, an Audiofile Magazine Earphones Award, and a Kids’ Indie Next selection. FREE PERIOD is part of the Chicago Battle of the Books and Texas's Lone Star Reading ListVisit Ali online for book bonuses, giveaways, and resources like discussion guides, recipes, craftivism projects, and more at aliterese.com.
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Mariama J. Lockington
Mariama J. Lockington is an adoptee, author, and educator. She has been telling stories and making her own books since the second grade, when she wore shortalls and flower leggings every day to school. Mariama’s middle-grade debut, For Black Girls Like Me, earned five starred reviews and was a Today Show Best Kids’ Book of 2019. Her sophomore middle-grade book, In The Key of Us, is a Stonewall Honor Award book and was featured in the New York Times. Her debut young adult novel, Forever is Now, is the 2024 winner of the Schneider Family Book Award. Mariama holds a Masters in Education from Lesley University and a Masters in Fine Arts in Poetry from San Francisco State University, she calls many places home, but currently lives in Kentucky wi
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Jen Wilde
Jen Wilde (she/they) is the queer, disabled author of QUEENS OF GEEK, THE BRIGHTSIDERS and GOING OFF SCRIPT.
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They write unapologetically queer stories about unlikely heroes, awkward romantics and chosen families. Jen’s books have been praised in Teen Vogue, Buzzfeed, Autostraddle, Vulture and Bustle. Their debut, QUEENS OF GEEK, made the 2018 Rainbow Book List and the Amelia Bloomer List.
Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Jen lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her wife, where she collects books, candles and foster cats. When she isn’t writing, Jen spends her time shouting about queer books on TikTok.
Connect with her online @jenwildebooks or visit her website: jenwildebooks.com. -
Remi K. England
M.K. England grew up on the Space Coast of Florida watching shuttle launches from the backyard. These days, they call rural Virginia home, where there are many more cows but a tragic lack of rockets. In between marathon writing sessions, MK can be found drowning in fandom, rolling critical hits at the gaming table, digging in the garden, or feeding their video game addiction. They probably love Star Wars more than you do.
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