Kat Zhang
*Please do not message me through Goodreads! Instead, email me at katzhang3 AT gmail DOT com. I don't get on Goodreads often to check messages! Thank you :) *
Kat Zhang spent most of her childhood tramping through a world weaved from her favorite stories and games. When she and her best friend weren't riding magic horses or talking to trees, they were writing adaptations of plays for their stuffed animals (what would The Wizard of Oz have been like if the Cowardly Lion were replaced by a Loquacious Lamb?). This may or may not explain many of Kat's quirks today.
By the age of twelve, Kat had started her first novel and begun plans for her life as a Real Live Author (she was rather more confident at twelve than she is even now). Said plans didn
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Jessica Khoury wrote her first book at age 4, a fan fic sequel to Syd Hoff's Danny and the Dinosaur, which she scribbled on notebook paper, stapled together, and placed on the bookshelf of her preschool classroom. Since that day, she's dreamed of being an author.
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When not writing, Jess enjoys spending time with family, playing video games, and oil and watercolor painting. She is also a professional mapmaker, and spends far too much time scribbling tiny trees and mountains for fictional worlds.
Jess currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She is the author of the Corpus trilogy, The Forbidden Wish, Last of Her Name, and The Mystwick School of Musicraft. -
Nancy Rose
I have always loved crafts and cute animals, and after taking lots of photos of squirrels and birds at my backyard feeders, I decided to get more creative. Gradually the "secret life" of my backyard squirrels emerged which has led to 6 picture books, and calendars. I love making my own props and the squirrels seem to love them too! For more smiles come visit me at www.facebook.com/secretlifeofsquirrel...
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Amanda Gorman
Amanda Gorman was the first Youth Poet Laureate of the United States. She is also an activist. Gorman's work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora. In January 2021, she became the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration, reading her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration of Joe Biden.
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Ibtihaj Muhammad
Ibtihaj Muhammad is a fencer and the first Muslim American woman in hijab to compete for the United States in the Olympic Games. She is also the first female Muslim American to medal at the Olympic Games, winning bronze in the women’s saber team event. An activist, speaker, and entrepreneur, Ibtihaj has written a memoir, Proud, and inspired the first hijabi Barbie in her likeness.
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Vashti Harrison
Vashti Harrison, author and illustrator of the bestselling Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, is an artist, author, and filmmaker with a passion for storytelling. She earned her MFA in film and video from California Institute of the Arts, where she snuck into animation and illustration classes to learn from Disney and DreamWorks legends. There she rekindled a love for drawing and painting. Now she uses her love for both film and illustration to craft beautiful stories for children.
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Minh Lê
Minh Lê is the author of Drawn Together illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat and Let Me Finish! (named an NPR Best Book of 2016) illustrated by Isabel Roxas (both published by Disney-Hyperion). He is also writing Green Lantern: Legacy, a graphic novel (illustrated by Andie Tong) for the new DC Comics middle grade imprint, DC Zoom. As a member of the kidlit consortium The Niblings, he writes about children's literature at Bottom Shelf Books and for a variety of publications, including the New York Times, The Horn Book, and HuffPost.
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Corey R. Tabor
Corey R. Tabor grew up in Wyoming, where he once spent the night in a cave by an underground waterfall. He now lives with his wife in Seattle, where he draws and reads and explores. Please visit him at coreyrtabor.com.
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from https://www.readbrightly.com/meet-ill... -
Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Maggie Tokuda-Hall (1984 -) is the author of Also an Octopus, The Mermaid the Witch and the Sea, its sequel The Siren, The Spy and The Song, Squad, and Love in the Library.
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Lupita Nyong'o
Lupita Nyong’o is a Kenyan actress and producer. Her first feature film role was in the film 12 Years a Slave, for which she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as multiple accolades, including the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Critics’ Choice Award, the Independent Spirit Award, and the NAACP Award. She has since starred in Mira Nair’s Queen of Katwe, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ryan Coogler’s record-breaking box office hit Black Panther, and in Jordan’s Peele’s critically acclaimed horror film Us. Nyong’o earned a Tony nomination for her Broadway debut in Danai Gurira’s play Eclipsed. She lives in Brooklyn.
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Andrea Wang
Andrea Wang is the award-winning author of Watercress (Caldecott Medal, Newbery Honor, APALA Award, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, JLG Gold Standard Selection, seven starred reviews), The Nian Monster (APALA Honor), Magic Ramen (Freeman Book Award Honor). Her debut middle grade novel, The Many Meanings of Meilan, was reviewed by the New York Times, has two starred reviews, and is also a JLG Gold Standard Selection. Her work explores culture, creative thinking, and identity. She is also the author of seven nonfiction titles for the library and school market. Andrea holds an M.S. in Environmental Science and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing for Young People. She lives in the Denver area with her family.
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Greg Pizzoli
Greg Pizzoli is the author and illustrator of The Watermelon Seed, winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, Number One Sam, Templeton Gets His Wish, Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower, and coming in April 2016, Good Night Owl. He lives in Philadelphia.
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Gayle E. Pitman
Gayle E. Pitman, Ph.D. is a professor of psychology at Sacramento City College. Her writing, research, and teaching focuses on issues of gender and sexual orientation. She lives in Northern California.
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Sarah Crossan
Sarah Crossan is Irish. She graduated with a degree in Philosophy and Literature before training as an English and Drama teacher at Cambridge University and worked to promote creative writing in schools before leaving teaching to write full time.
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She completed her Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Warwick in 2003 and in 2010 received an Edward Albee Fellowship for writing.
She currently lives in NYC. -
Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds is an American author of novels and poetry for young adult and middle-grade audience. After earning a BA in English from The University of Maryland, College Park, Jason Reynolds moved to Brooklyn, New York, where you can often find him walking the four blocks from the train to his apartment talking to himself. Well, not really talking to himself, but just repeating character names and plot lines he thought of on the train, over and over again, because he’s afraid he’ll forget it all before he gets home.
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Bob Shea
Bob Shea has written and illustrated over a dozen picture books including the popular Dinosaur vs. Bedtime and the cult favorite Big Plans illustrated by Lane Smith.
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His characters and animations have appeared on Nick Jr, Playhouse Disney and PBS Kids.
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Loren Long
I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky in the 1970’s. We had no artists of any kind in the family. We didn’t know any artists. I liked sports, especially baseball. My mother read to me a lot. But I have to admit, my favorite subject in school was gym class. I also liked to draw. My parents encouraged me to keep drawing.
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Padma Lakshmi
Padma Lakshmi is an American television host, producer, author, model, and activist whose multifaceted career has spanned fashion, food, literature, and social justice. Born Padma Parvati Lakshmi in Chennai, India, she immigrated to the United States as a child, where she was raised by her mother, a single parent and oncology nurse. Overcoming significant personal hardships, including bullying, health issues, and sexual trauma, Lakshmi has used her platform to advocate for marginalized voices and promote cultural understanding.
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Lakshmi first rose to international prominence as a fashion model. Discovered while studying abroad in Madrid, she quickly became the first Indian model to build a successful career in fashion capitals like Paris, Mil -
Momoko Abe
Momoko Abe was born in Japan and has been drawing ever since she can remember. She moved to the UK to study filmmaking, and still works in the TV and film industry alongside her illustration work. Momoko is an AOI World Illustration Award Shortlist artist. She lives in London. She is the author and illustrator of Avocado Asks: What Am I? and the illustrator of The Pet Potato.
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Andrew Prahin
Andrew Prahin won a partial college scholarship from his hometown of Arlington Heights, Illinois, by detailing his dream of becoming a children’s book illustrator.
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Then he went into advertising.
With the publication of Brimsby’s Hats, Andrew is finally making things right with the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce.
Andrew currently lives in Chicago, but we'll see about that after this winter. -
Sangu Mandanna
Sangu Mandanna was four years old when an elephant chased her down a forest road and she decided to write her first story about it. Seventeen years and many, many manuscripts later, she signed her first book deal. Sangu now lives in Norwich, a city in the east of England, with her husband and kids.
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Elizabeth Suneby
Elizabeth Suneby loves to play with words!
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Writing helps her generate new ideas, learn new things, understand her feelings and express them to others.
Writing is also how she earns a living. She writes for organizations big and small, magazine articles, and books for children and teens that help them find their voice in a hopeful world.
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Nancy Tupper Ling
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Josh Lieb
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I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President is his first novel. He lives in New York with his wife and family. -
Ambreen Tariq
Ambreen Tariq is the author of “Fatima’s Great Outdoors” and founder of @BrownPeopleCamping, which she launched in August 2016 in celebration of the National Park Service’s centennial. Ambreen utilizes storytelling to share how her life experiences as a Muslim, South-Asian American immigrant female have shaped her love for the outdoors; to reflect more openly on the role privilege plays in enabling us to enjoy the outdoors; and to promote more passionately for everyone to experience and enjoy the outdoors in their own authentic ways. She strives to achieve these goals in order to help grow our community of people who, having developed personal connections to the environment, will feel invested in protecting it and advocating for its future
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X. Fang
Hello! I’m X. Fang. I am a visual artist and maker of books for young readers. I was born in Taiwan, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, bounced around Brooklyn and Philly before settling down in Midcoast Maine with my husband, son, and dog.
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Jennifer E. Morris
Jennifer is an award winning illustrator and children’s book author. She has illustrated picture books, children’s magazines, greeting cards, party ware and educational materials. She authored and illustrated four books for Scholastic. The best selling of which, "May I Please Have a Cookie?" has sold over one million copies.
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Kimberly Lee
Kimberly Lee is the award-winning author of BOYS DON’T FRY (Freeman Book Awards 2023 (Honorable Mention); Crystal Kite Awards 2024 (Honor)) and the co-author of WHAT IF?. She is also the Managing Editor of parenting platform makchic.com, a lawyer, and was named one of Tatler Gen T. List 2023’s Leaders of Tomorrow in Asia.
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Kimberly is a firm believer in the power of stories to create change, and in the right of every child to have their voice heard. She lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with husband and their two young sons. When she isn't busy writing, or navigating life with her family, Kimberly can often be found singing, stress baking, and covertly consuming her own baked goods.
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Joanna Ho
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Padma Lakshmi
Padma Lakshmi is an American television host, producer, author, model, and activist whose multifaceted career has spanned fashion, food, literature, and social justice. Born Padma Parvati Lakshmi in Chennai, India, she immigrated to the United States as a child, where she was raised by her mother, a single parent and oncology nurse. Overcoming significant personal hardships, including bullying, health issues, and sexual trauma, Lakshmi has used her platform to advocate for marginalized voices and promote cultural understanding.
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Lakshmi first rose to international prominence as a fashion model. Discovered while studying abroad in Madrid, she quickly became the first Indian model to build a successful career in fashion capitals like Paris, Mil -
Ying Chang Compestine
A leading national authority on culture and cuisine, award-winning author, and former food editor for Martha Stewart's Whole Living magazine, Ying Chang Compestine has written 27 books across multiple genres, including picture books, YA novels, and healthy adult cookbooks. She has hosted cooking shows, worked as a food editor for Martha Stewart’s Body+Soul, and was a spokesperson for Nestle Maggi and Celestial Seasonings.
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Her novel "Revolution is Not a Dinner Party" and her memoir "Growing Up Under a Red Flag" recount her childhood during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. These works have received awards globally and high praise from prestigious media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and Publisher's Weekly. Her novel "A Banquet for Hun -
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Ashley Franklin
Ashley Franklin is the author of NOT QUITE SNOW WHITE (2019), “Creative Fixes” from the anthology ONCE UPON AN EID (2020), “Situationally Broke” from the anthology WHAT WE DIDN’T EXPECT (2020), BETTER TOGETHER, CINDERELLA (2021) and more. Ashley received her master’s degree in English literature from the University of Delaware. She is an adjunct college instructor, freelance writer, and proud mom. Ashley currently resides in Arkansas with her family.
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Sean Julian
Sean Julian enjoyed art from an early age, focusing on potato printmaking and creating plasticine dinosaurs. He now focuses his talents on children’s book illustrations, where he can follow his passion to draw hairy gorillas, bears, and dinosaurs. His pictures delight and entertain. He lives in Bristol, England.
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Bess Kalb
Bess Kalb is an Emmy Award-nominated writer for the Jimmy Kimmel Live! television show and journalist with The New Yorker magazine. She is the author of the best-selling book, Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (As Told to Me) Story, which recounts the life of her grandmother, Bobby Bell.
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Traci Sorell
Best-selling author and Cherokee Nation citizen Traci Sorell writes inclusive, award-winning fiction and nonfiction in a variety of formats for young people. In 2023, she shares Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series, a Kirkus Reviews starred nonfiction picture book biography illustrated by Arigon Starr, and Mascot, a middle grade fiction novel-in-verse co-authored with Charles Waters. Traci is a two-time Sibert Medal and Orbis Pictus honoree for her nonfiction work. Her first five books have received awards from the American Indian Library Association. Learn more at www.tracisorell.com.
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Surishtha Sehgal
Surishtha Sehgal was a university professor for many years and now enjoys reading to children during story time. She is the founder of a nonprofit organization that promotes social responsibility among students, and she serves on the boards of two universities and a national arts center. She lives in Atlanta.
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Ciara Wilson
Ciara Princess Wilson (/siˈɛərə/ see-AIR-ə; née Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. She was discovered by record producer Jazze Pha in the early 2000s, and rose to prominence with her debut studio album, Goodies (2004). Its namesake lead single (featuring Petey Pablo) peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, while the follow-ups, "1, 2 Step" (featuring Missy Elliott) and "Oh" (featuring Ludacris), both peaked at number two on the chart. The album received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and received two nominations at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. Ciara also guest appeared on the 2005 singles "Lose Control" by Missy Elliott and "Like You"
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Ai-Ling Louie
Ai-Ling Louie is the author of the children’s classic, Yeh-Shen; A Cinderella Story from China (Philomel/Putnam). Her children’s biography series, "Amazing Asian Americans" currently contains three books: "Vera Wang, Queen of Fashion", "Yo-Yo and Yeou-Cheng Ma, Finding Their Way", and her book, the first children's biography published in the US about a South Asian American, "Astronaut Kalpana Chawla, Reaching for the Stars." In December 2018, "Patsy Mink, Mother of Title 9" will be published. All her books are for the elementary school child. The reading level is 4th grade
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Ms. Louie was born in New York and became an elementary school teacher and children's librarian. Her pets are her aquarium fish. -
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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Karen Yin
Karen Yin is the author of THE CONSCIOUS STYLE GUIDE: A FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO LANGUAGE THAT INCLUDES, RESPECTS, AND EMPOWERS (Little, Brown Spark) and stories for children and teens, including WHOLE WHALE (Barefoot Books), SO NOT GHOUL (Page Street Kids), DOUG THE PUG AND THE KINDNESS CREW (Scholastic), NICE TO EAT YOU (Scholastic, 2026), and "My Kinda Sorta Badass Move" (BOUNDLESS anthology, Inkyard Press).
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Acclaim for her writing includes a 2021 California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship grant, a Lambda Literary Fellowship, a grant from Table 4 Writers Foundation, and selection of her flash fiction by the Los Angeles Public Library for its permanent collection and Short Story Portal.
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Raúl Colón
New York City has been Raul's loyal patron, from illustrated New Yorker covers to an MTA mural at the 191st. St. subway station to work in the New York Times.
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Along with all this 'grown up' work, Raul Colón is a most prolific and popular children's book illustrator, happy that his time is always committed to publishers for years hence. In recent years he is pleased that his work has been recognized with The David Usher Greenwich Workshop Award from The Society of Illustrators as well as SI Gold and Silver Medals; honors from Communication Arts and 3x3; two Pura Belpre Awards; twice included in the NY Public Library's 100 titles for Reading and Sharing; and twice recipient of The Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Award. Raul lives nort -
C.G. Esperanza
C.G.Esperanza also goes by Charles George Esperanza and ChalaRanza.
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C.G. Esperanza is the second of six cool kids. The South Bronx is where he first opened his eyelids. A dope land shrouded in bright-colored decay, the home of graffiti and hip-hop DJs! He paints funky elephants! Bodegas, too! Mixed with this wonder is some whimsical truth.
Charles has a voice that is seldom heard. A fusion of jazz, distorted guitars, and chirping birds. -
Christina Couch
I am a freelance science and tech journalist and the assistant director of professional development for the MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing.
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I also graduated from MIT’s science writing program, where I did my thesis on the science of white supremacy. My bylines can be found in Discover Magazine, Fast Company, NBC News, The New York Times, NOVA Next, Mental Floss, MIT Technology Review, Science Friday, The Verge, Wired Magazine, and Wired UK.