Christine Van Zandt
I'm a children's picture book author Christine Van Zandt and freelance editor at Write for Success Editing and Author Coaching Services.
Milkweed for Monarchs
A Brief History of Underpants
If you like author Christine Van Zandt here is the list of authors you may also like
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Ana Velez
Author-illustrator Ana Velez living Oregon.
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Author-illustrator Ana Velez grew up in Quito, Ecuador “helping” her crafty Abuela with art projects. With a degree in fine art, she journeyed into the graphic design world. But it was a teaching position that sparked her passion and Master’s degree. She’s been learning from neuro-divergent children ever since as an early childhood specialist. When not attending to her feline rulers, she’s paddle-boarding down Oregon rivers. -
Heather C. Morris
Heather C. Morris is the grateful author of multiple stories for kids – fiction, nonfiction, picture books, and middle grade – including Trunk Goes Thunk! (Gnome Road Publishing, 2024), a ghost story in the Haunted States of America Anthology (Godwin Books/Macmillan, 2024), and the upcoming Backyard Stew (Gnome Road, 2026). She is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and has written six titles for the educational market. When Heather’s not reading, typing, or doodling, you’ll find her hiking the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains with
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her family. -
Susannah Buhrman-Deever
Susannah Buhrman-Deever is a biologist with a PhD in animal behavior from Cornell University. In addition to her academic work and writing, she has developed inquiry-based ecology curricula for children. Predator and Prey is her first book for children. She lives with her family in upstate New York.
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Frances Stickley
Frances Stickley grew up in Nottingham and Norwich, where she spent much of her time making up poems and dressing up her dog. She is a trained children’s literacy specialist and a primary school teacher who is happiest when she is covered in paint or stuck in a book. In 2017, Frances was the winner of the Bloomsbury and National Literacy Trust short story prize. She lives with her family and a big-eared dog called Babbage. When she is not writing, you’ll probably find her in a forest playing dragons with her daughters.
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Alison Pearce Stevens
Alison Pearce Stevens was a science professor until life took her overseas, at which point she started writing about science and nature for kids, because she’s an educator at heart and had to find new ways to share cool things with the world's most curious people. Alison writes lots of fun nonfiction: articles, picture books, and middle grade books. All of her work is inspired by a love of science and nature. Rhinos in Nebraska (Godwin Books/Henry Holt BYR) was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and won three Nebraska Book Awards. Animal Climate Heroes (Henry Holt) and Detective Dogs are on the Case (Holiday House) release in 2024. You can learn more about Alison at apstevens.com.
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Nora Nickum
Nora Nickum is a children’s author from Washington state. She writes picture books and middle-grade fiction and nonfiction books, and her stories and articles have also appeared in children's magazines like Cricket, Ladybug, and Muse. In addition to being a writer, Nora leads ocean conservation programs for the Seattle Aquarium.
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Randi Sonenshine
Randi Sonenshine is a middle-school literacy coach and writer. The Nest That Wren Built is her first picture book. She lives in northwest Georgia with her family.
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Elizabeth Shreeve
Elizabeth Shreeve is the author of several books for young readers, including the chapter book series the Adventures of Hector Fuller and two picture books, Captain Freddy Counts Down to School, illustrated by Joey Chou, and Oliver at the Window, illustrated by Candace Hartsough McDonald. She lives in Northern California.
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Lynn Street
Lynn is a science-inspired author sharing lively STEAM stories with young readers. She loves concepts that cross disciplines, and personal narratives set against a sea of facts. Her passion is writing for curious observers who want to discover the wonders of their world.
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Her debut, THE BLUE JAYS THAT GREW A FOREST (Peachtree, 2025), is illustrated by Anne Hunter. This lyrical nonfiction picture book explores the symbiotic relationship between blue jays and oak trees.
PLEASE, NO FEATHERS IN YOUR HATS! FLORENCE MERRIAM BAILEY AND BIRDWATCHING’S BEGINNINGS (Peachtree, 2027), illustrated by Anne Lambelet, is a picture book biography about the author of the first modern birding guide, who helped save millions of her feathered friends by changing t -
Katie Venit
Katie Venit has been writing since the fifth grade when she and her friends passed around a composition notebook in which they took turns making up. But she didn’t know she wanted to be a writer for kids (the best of all audiences, as it turns out) until her son asked her to write a book about the solar system.
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Katie has held quite a few jobs, from working at a barbeque catering company in Maryland to waiting tables at a beach in Delaware to teaching English in Japan. Now she lives in Wisconsin and works as an instructional designer helping college instructors put their courses online.
As a professional writer, Katie writes picture books and middle grade graphic novels, including Forts and Cassini’s Mission. Her nonfiction essays have appeare -
Kris Coronado
A journalist since she was a teen, has a proven track record of exploring captivating subjects for outlets such as the Washington Post. She was inspired to write Lighthouse Ladies when she came across an old newspaper article mentioning a woman lighthouse keeper off the coast of Maine. Intrigued, she dove in deep.
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Kris lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband and two daughters, who now love visiting lighthouses on family vacations. -
Nora Nickum
Nora Nickum is a children’s author from Washington state. She writes picture books and middle-grade fiction and nonfiction books, and her stories and articles have also appeared in children's magazines like Cricket, Ladybug, and Muse. In addition to being a writer, Nora leads ocean conservation programs for the Seattle Aquarium.
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Kirsten Pendreigh
Kirsten Pendreigh is a children’s author and poet from Vancouver.
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Her books include: MAYBE A WHALE (a JLG Gold Standard and Horn Book Fanfare Book),
WHEN A TREE FALLS (a PW Starred Review), WHAT FISH ARE SAYING (a SLJ Starred Review) and LUNA'S GREEN PET (a Today Show best book pick).
Kirsten’s poems are found in Canadian literary magazines and anthologies including Best Canadian Poetry 2021. Kirsten is a former CBC and NPR journalist. -
Leslie Barnard Booth
Leslie Barnard Booth writes lyrical picture books about science and nature. She is the author of One Day This Tree Will Fall and A Stone Is a Story, both of which were named Outstanding Science Trade Books by the National Science Teaching Association and Children's Book Council. Her next book, I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive, releases in fall 2025. Leslie lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family. Visit her at lesliebarnardbooth.com.
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Katie Furze
KATIE FURZE is a children’s author from Aotearoa New Zealand who loves science and nature and has a master's degree in creative writing. Katie writes children’s non-fiction and fiction including picture books, short stories, articles, plays, early readers, and novels.
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Her books include PEKAPEKA, SECRET FOREST BAT (2025), RURU, NIGHT HUNTER (2024), and TUATARA, A LIVING TREASURE (2023) with illustrator Ned Barraud and from Scholastic NZ. You can also read her work in The New Zealand School Journal, or The School Magazine in Australia. When she's not reading or writing, Katie enjoys hiking, yoga, gardening, travelling and scuba diving.
Read more about Katie at https://www.katiefurze.com/ -
Lindsay H. Metcalf
Lindsay H. Metcalf is a journalist and award-winning author of nonfiction picture books: BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST, a Mighty Girl Best Book of 2020 and Young People’s Literature Award winner from the Friends of American Writers Chicago; FARMERS UNITE! Planting a Protest for Fair Prices, a Kansas Notable Book, Friends of American Writers honoree, NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book, and Junior Library Guild selection; and NO VOICE TOO SMALL: Fourteen Young Americans Making History, a Kirkus and Chicago Public Library Best Book, Notable Social Studies Trade Book, and NCTE Notable Poetry Book. NO WORLD TOO BIG: Young People Fighting Global Climate Change, a poetry anthology from the team behind No Voice Too Small, is forthcoming in spri
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Gabi Snyder
Gabi Snyder is the author of TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE (Abrams/Appleseed, 2020) and LISTEN (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, July 2021).
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Gabi lives in Oregon with her family. -
Nathan Christopher
Nathan Christopher is a former child and aspiring adult who enjoys spreadsheets and—perhaps more useful to his writing aspirations—making people laugh. He pens his stories (and his letters to Santa) in Windsor, Canada, where he lives with his wife and children—who ensure endless material and a conveniently sleepless schedule for writing.
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Abi Cushman
Abi Cushman is an award-winning author-illustrator of funny picture books, including Wombats Are Pretty Weird, Animals Go Vroom!, and Soaked!.
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When she’s not creating picture books, Abi works as a web/graphic designer. Her educational website Animal Fact Guide was named a “Great Website for Kids” by the American Library Association. She also enjoys running, playing tennis, and eating nachos. (Yes, at the same time.)
For sneak peeks, exclusive giveaways, and wombats, join Abi's email list. -
Colleen Paeff
Colleen Paeff is the award-winning author of The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s Poop Pollution Problem. A lifelong Californian, she received a Bachelor’s Degree in set design for theater from California State University Fullerton, before becoming a bookseller, preschool teacher, and newspaper columnist. (She never did become a set designer!) Eventually, she figured out how to roll books, kids, and writing into a career as a children’s book author, and now she gets to share her enthusiasm for books and learning by visiting with students both at home and abroad. Colleen is a Robert F. Sibert Honor recipient and winner of the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction Text for Young Readers. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husb
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Michelle Cusolito
Author. Educator. Public Speaker. Science Communicator.
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Michelle Cusolito is the award-winning author of Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible ALVIN and Diving Deep: Using Machines to Explore the Ocean. She joined a three-week research expedition to the North Atlantic with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to research for A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone: Twenty-Four Days of Science at Sea. That expedition fueled her love of science communication and being at sea. Jellyfish Scientist: Maude Delap and Her Mesmerizing Medusas and In the World of Whales publish in 2025. Michelle dreams of swimming with whale sharks one day. www.michellecusolito.com -
Buffy Silverman
Author of nonfiction and poetry for young readers. Nature lover with a camera on hand.
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Nancy F. Castaldo
Nancy Castaldo is an award winning author of children's books, a certified National Geographic educator, and photographer.
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She loves writing books for curious readers that get them thinking about the world around them.
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Elizabeth Shreeve
Elizabeth Shreeve is the author of several books for young readers, including the chapter book series the Adventures of Hector Fuller and two picture books, Captain Freddy Counts Down to School, illustrated by Joey Chou, and Oliver at the Window, illustrated by Candace Hartsough McDonald. She lives in Northern California.
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Ann McCallum Staats
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A former educator with a master's degree in education, Ann McCallum Staats is an award-winning author. Her book "Fantastic Flora: The World's Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants" (Candlewick/ MIT Kids Press) shares how some of the weirdest plants survive and thrive. She is also the co-author with astronaut Karen Nyberg of "A Quilt of Stars," releasing Fall, 2026. When she's not writing, Ann travels, mentors, and connects with audiences. Find out more at www.annmccallumbooks.com or on Instagram @annmsbooks or other social media. -
Abi Cushman
Abi Cushman is an award-winning author-illustrator of funny picture books, including Wombats Are Pretty Weird, Animals Go Vroom!, and Soaked!.
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When she’s not creating picture books, Abi works as a web/graphic designer. Her educational website Animal Fact Guide was named a “Great Website for Kids” by the American Library Association. She also enjoys running, playing tennis, and eating nachos. (Yes, at the same time.)
For sneak peeks, exclusive giveaways, and wombats, join Abi's email list. -
Buffy Silverman
Author of nonfiction and poetry for young readers. Nature lover with a camera on hand.
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Becca McMurdie
Becca is inspired by real-life successes in wildlife rehabilitation and ecosystem regeneration. She writes fiction and non-fiction books for children that feature animal rescues, rainforests, and urban wildlife. During the day, she is an elementary school educator. By night, she researches and writes children's books. Originally from Maryland, she has lived in Mexico, Chile and Costa Rica, and currently resides in New York City.
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Sarah Nelson
Sarah Nelson is the author of critically acclaimed fiction and nonfiction picture books. Her most recent title, Birth of the Bicycle: A Bumpy History of the Bicycle in America, is a 2024 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Sarah's other titles include Firefly Galaxy, Follow the Flyway: the Marvel of Bird Migration, and A Park Connects Us, which has been featured in dozens of StoryWalks across the United States. When not writing, Sarah teaches English to adult immigrants and refugees and loves walking in the parks around her Minnesota home. She is represented by Marietta B. Zacker of the Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency. Learn more at sarahnelsonbooks.com.
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Beth Anderson
Beth Anderson, a former teacher, loves digging into history and culture for undiscovered gems, exploring points of view, and playing with words. She is drawn to stories that open minds, touch hearts, and inspire questions. Born and raised in Illinois, she now lives in Loveland, Colorado.
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Katie Furze
KATIE FURZE is a children’s author from Aotearoa New Zealand who loves science and nature and has a master's degree in creative writing. Katie writes children’s non-fiction and fiction including picture books, short stories, articles, plays, early readers, and novels.
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Her books include PEKAPEKA, SECRET FOREST BAT (2025), RURU, NIGHT HUNTER (2024), and TUATARA, A LIVING TREASURE (2023) with illustrator Ned Barraud and from Scholastic NZ. You can also read her work in The New Zealand School Journal, or The School Magazine in Australia. When she's not reading or writing, Katie enjoys hiking, yoga, gardening, travelling and scuba diving.
Read more about Katie at https://www.katiefurze.com/ -
Laura Bontje
Laura Bontje (she/her) is a Canadian children's book author and a freelance fiction editor.
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Her first book, Was It a Cat I Saw? (illustrated by Emma Lidia Squillari), came out in 2024. Her second, When the Air Sang (illustrated by Sarah Whang), will be released by Annick Press in April 2025. In 2026, Groundwood Books will publish Marian's Marvelous Excavation (illustrated by Scot Ritchie), the story of a young geology enthusiast who's certain she's found a dinosaur fossil. Stay tuned for more to come!
Laura was raised in Calgary, Alberta, and now lives in London, Ontario. -
Debra Kempf Shumaker
Debra started reading at the age of four and hasn't stopped since. She grew up on a small dairy farm in Wisconsin but now lives in the suburbs of Northern Virginia with her husband, three sons, and two cats.
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She is the author of picture books FREAKY, FUNKY FISH and PECULIAR PRIMATES with Running Press Kids, TELL SOMEONE with Albert Whitman, and the upcoming WIND IS A DANCE with Running Press Kids. -
Sarah Tagholm
Sarah Tagholm is a children's author who loves writing about confused animals, mischievous children and all things bizarre.
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She is passionate about encouraging a love of reading, libraries and availability of books for all children.
Sarah lives with her husband and son in Cornwall. -
Marta Magellan
Marta Magellan was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and has lived in Miami, Florida since the age of seven. She taught Composition, Creative Writing, and Survey of Children’s Literature at Miami Dade College, where she was a full professor and award-winning adviser to Miambiance, the campus literary arts magazine. She has written travel articles for magazines and newspapers but her love for children and profound interest in nature has produced several award-winning children’s books about wild animals, many in collaboration with her brother, Mauro Magellan, an illustrator who has produced work for Albert Whitman, Pelican Press, Scholastic, among others. She has also written children's books for the educational market and a few travel articles
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Katrina Tangen
Katrina Tangen lives in Southern California between Disneyland and the beach. At Harvard, she studied Folklore & Mythology, History of Science, Psychology, and Religion, so she knows a little bit about a lot of things. This turned out to be excellent training for writing nonfiction for kids! Katrina is disabled by ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis). She writes fiction and nonfiction for kids of all ages; Copy That, Copy Cat! is her debut.
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Medeia Sharif
I was born in New York City and I presently call Miami my home. I received my master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. After becoming a voracious reader in high school and a relentless writer dabbling in many genres in college, I found my niche writing for young people. Today I'm a writer for all age levels published through various presses. In addition to being a writer, I'm a public school teacher. My memberships include Mensa and SCBWI.
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Candace Spizzirri
Candace Spizzirri grew up in a small town in New Jersey with tree-lined streets and old Victorian houses. As a child, she spent hours playing at the park, catching minnows in a nearby stream, and exploring the woods at the end of her street.
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Passionate about education, Candace is a co-founder of an elementary school and high school in Southern California. She now splits her time between SoCal and Pennsylvania. Candace loves spending time with her husband, grown children, daughter-in-law, and five grandkids.
Candace's debut picture book, FISHING WITH GRANDPA AND SKYE, illustrated by Beverly Love Warren published with Clear Fork Publishing/Spork on April 19, 2022. Her second book, FINLEY: A MOOSE ON THE CABOOSE, illustrated by Chantelle & Burg -
Loree Griffin Burns
Loree is a scientist-turned-writer specializing in books about science and nature for young readers. You can learn more about her adventures and her books by visiting her website (www.loreeburns.com) or by following her blog (http://loreeburns.com/category/blog/).
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Suzanne Jacobs Lipshaw
Suzanne Jacobs Lipshaw is a children's book author and former special education teacher who is passionate about growing young minds. Suzanne enjoys speaking at schools about writing, leadership, and how kids can make a difference in our world. The proud momma of two grown boys, Suzanne lives in Waterford, MI with her husband and furry writing companion Ziggy. When she's not dreaming up new writing projects, you can find her kayaking on the lake, hiking a trail, practicing at the yoga studio, or dabbling in interior design. Learn more about Suzanne at SuzanneJacobsLipshaw.com.
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Merrill Rainey
Growing up, Merrill Rainey spent most of his Saturday afternoons drawing, watching monster movies, and going on imaginary adventures. Today, he is a cowboy-boot-wearing, picture-book-creator, and paper-toy-maker. Merrill’s work focuses on exploring creativity and imaginative play. His most recent titles include Color, Cut, Create • Dinosaur World, and Color, Cut, Create • Horse Ranch (OddDot). Merrill is also the author and Illustrator for a new board book series with HarperCollins. The first book, Roar! I’m a Dinosaur launched June 21, 2022. The second book, Oink! I’m a Pig launched September 6, 2022. Merrill also works for many children’s magazines like Highlights, Cricket, Ranger Rick, and Humpty Dumpty. He has served on faculty at the H
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Melinda Szymanik
I write for young adults, children of all ages and have published novels, picture books and have short stories in anthologies and educational publications. My sophisticated picture book 'Fuzzy Doodle' (Scholastic, 2016), was a 2017 Storylines Notable book, finalist in the 2017 NZ Children's and Young Adults Book Awards and a 2017 White Raven selection. My historical mid grade children's novel, 'A Winter's Day in 1939' (Scholastic) was a 2014 Storylines Notable book and won Librarian's Choice at the 2014 LIANZA Awards. My 2008 picture book The Were-Nana was voted Children's Choice at the 2009 NZ Post Children's Book Awards.
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Howard Calvert
As a child, Howard was a big Richard Scarry fan, and still considers Lowly Worm a close confidante, even if he is an anthropomorphic worm. He now writes his own children’s books, mainly while on the train to work, and in 2015 was runner-up in the Greenhouse Funny Prize.
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He lives in Hampshire with his wife and two daughters, and enjoys getting covered in mud in the countryside while trail running or mountain biking, eating his own bodyweight in cinnamon buns, riding his Brompton and destroying his kitchen while baking.
When not writing children’s books, Howard writes about adventure and travel, health and fitness and food and drink for newspapers, magazines and websites such as The Telegraph, Red Bull, Get Sweat Go, Trail Running Magazine and -
Lisa Gerin
Author of Junior Library Guild Gold Standard:
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ROSALIND LOOKED CLOSER: AN UNSUNG HERO OF MOLECULAR SCIENCE (Beaming Books)
2 new #kidlit books coming in 2026!
Growing up I always thought I'd become a writer, but teaching and raising kids came first. As a school librarian, I saw the need for more nonfiction for children and that is the genre I prefer to write.
I never gave up on that dream and began my writing career in my fifties. It's never too late to learn new things!
Visit my website to contact me for school visits:
https://www.lisagerin.com -
Laura Segal Stegman
Laura Segal Stegman is the author of Summer of L.U.C.K., Ready or Not, and The Chambered Nautilus, a middle-grade trilogy from Young Dragons Press, each of which has earned Five-Star Readers' Favorite Awards. She has been featured at NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English), Orange County Children’s Book Festival, SCBWI-SoCal’s Fall Harvest Writers and Illustrators Day, San Diego Writers Festival, OC Book Fair, and LitFest in the Dena, and she shares her author journey with students at virtual and in-person school visits. She also serves as a judge for Society of Young Inklings, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and other writer competitions. She owns Laura Segal Stegman Public Relations, LLC, whose wide-ranging cli
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