Rajani LaRocca
Rajani LaRocca was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in the Boston area, where she practices medicine and writes award-winning books for young people, including Red, White, and Whole, which won a 2022 Newbery Honor, the Walter Dean Myers Award, Golden Kite Award, and New England Book Award. Her other books include: Midsummer’s Mayhem (2019), Seven Golden Rings (2020), Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers (2021), Much Ado About Baseball (2021), Where Three Oceans Meet (2021), My Little Golden Book About Kamala Harris (2021), The Secret Code Inside You (2021), I'll Go and Come Back (2022), and more. She’s always been an omnivorous reader, and now she is an omnivorous writer of fiction and nonfiction, novels and picture books, prose an
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Camelia Kay
Camelia Kay is a children’s book author and editor. She lives in the Bay Area.
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Thanhhà Lại
Please contact my website with messages www.thanhhalai.com
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Thanhhà Lại was born in Vietnam. At the end of the war, she fled with her family to Alabama. There, she learned English from fourth graders and then spent the next decade correcting her grammar. Starting her writing life as a journalist, she worked at The Orange County Register. She switched to fiction, leading to an MFA from New York University and short story publications in various journals and anthologies. Then came Inside Out & Back Again, a National Book Award and Newbery Honor-winning verse novel based in part on her childhood as a refugee in Alabama. Next was Listen, Slowly, another middle grade novel featuring a young Vietnamese-American girl. Butterfly Yellow is her first Y -
Jacqueline Woodson
I used to say I’d be a teacher or a lawyer or a hairdresser when I grew up but even as I said these things, I knew what made me happiest was writing.
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I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and -
Kate Messner
Kate Messner is an award-winning author, TED 2012 speaker, and former middle school English teacher. Her books for kids include THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.,SUGAR AND ICE, and EYE OF THE STORM (Walker/Bloomsbury Dec. 2010) the MARTY MCGUIRE series (Scholastic), SEA MONSTER'S FIRST DAY, and OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW (Chronicle, Books). Kate also wrote SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE, both Lake Champlain historical novels published by North Country Books.
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Kate lives with her family on Lake Champlain, where she loves to read, write, hike, swing on birch trees, and eat chocolate. She also hangs out in various places online.
Visit Kate's website: http://www.katemessner.com
Find Kate on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/KateMessner
...or f -
Ann Clare LeZotte
Deaf--bilingual, bicultural. Author of T4: A Novel in Verse (Houghton, 2008) and Show Me a Sign (Scholatic, 2020). Library Youth Services for 11 years and counting. Focus on underserved populations and inclusion. Lives with her family in Gainesville, Florida.
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Thanhhà Lại
Please contact my website with messages www.thanhhalai.com
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Thanhhà Lại was born in Vietnam. At the end of the war, she fled with her family to Alabama. There, she learned English from fourth graders and then spent the next decade correcting her grammar. Starting her writing life as a journalist, she worked at The Orange County Register. She switched to fiction, leading to an MFA from New York University and short story publications in various journals and anthologies. Then came Inside Out & Back Again, a National Book Award and Newbery Honor-winning verse novel based in part on her childhood as a refugee in Alabama. Next was Listen, Slowly, another middle grade novel featuring a young Vietnamese-American girl. Butterfly Yellow is her first Y -
Ellen Oh
*Hi friends! I'm not often on Goodreads so if you want to keep up with me, the best place to do so is on instagram! I'm at elloecho!
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Ellen Oh is a former adjunct college instructor and lawyer with an insatiable curiosity for ancient Asian history. She loves K-pop, K-dramas, and eating good food that someone else cooks for her. She is fueled by Diet Coke. Ellen is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. Originally from New York City, Ellen lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, three children, two dogs, and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel. -
Kevin Noble Maillard
Kevin Maillard is Professor of Law at Syracuse University, a contributor to the New York Times and a co-founder of Black Stream Partners LLC. He has written for The Atlantic and has provided on-air commentary to ABC News and MSNBC. He is the debut author of Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, a picture book illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, which won the Sibert Medal and the American Indian Youth Literature Honor. An enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, he is based in Manhattan, NY.
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Jasminne Mendez
JASMINNE MÉNDEZ is a Macondo and Canto Mundo Fellow, as well as a Voices of Our Nations Arts (VONA) alumna. She is the author of a multi-genre memoir, Island of Dreams (2013), winner of an International Latino Book Award. She lives and works in Houston, Texas.
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Sally J. Pla
Sally J. Pla is the author of ALA Schneider Award-winning THE FIRE, THE WATER, AND MAUDIE McGINN, the Dolly Gray Award-winning THE SOMEDAY BIRDS, and other acclaimed novels and picture books. Her work has gained many awards and starred reviews, and has been included on many state awards lists and “best book” roundups.
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Sally has appeared on television and radio as an author and neurodiversity advocate. She also runs A Novel Mind, an online resource for neurodiversity/mental-health/disability representation in children's lit.
Sally believes in the beauty of different brains. We are all stars shining with different lights.
For more, visit her website at sallyjpla.com . -
Megan E. Freeman
Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week to teach poetry, and she has been a writer ever since. Her New York Times bestselling novel in verse, ALONE, won the Colorado Book Award, the Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, and Vermont Children’s Book Awards, the High Plains Book Award, is an NCTE Notable Verse Novel, and is included on over two dozen "best of" and state reading lists.
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Megan is also a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and the author of the poetry chapbook Lessons on Sleeping Alone. An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan is nationally recognized for her work leading workshops and speaking to audiences across the country.
Megan used to -
Cindy Baldwin
Cindy Baldwin the author of the critically acclaimed novels WHERE THE WATERMELONS GROW, BEGINNERS WELCOME, THE STARS OF WHISTLING RIDGE, and NO MATTER THE DISTANCE (2/2023). She lives just outside Portland, Oregon, with her husband and daughter.
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(PS, Goodreads friends! I am no longer accepting friend requests on Goodreads.) -
Charles Waters
I was born in Philadelphia and raised in the suburbs of Philly in a town called Yeadon.
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Fun fact: Will Smith grew up 15 minutes from me in one direction and Tina Fey grew up 15 minutes from me in another.
After graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson University, I joined several theater touring companies, including, Poetry Alive! where I first experienced the power of poetry.
For eight years afterward when I wasn't developing my poetic skills, I was acting at Walt Disney World performing in various shows, including, the role of Judge at The American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
I'm the co-author (with Irene Latham) of various books including: CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship, DICTIONARY FOR A BETTER W -
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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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 -
John Schu
John Schu is the creator of the popular blog Mr. Schu Reads (mrschureads.blogspot.com), was the Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic Book Fairs, a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University, and a former classroom teacher and school librarian. He has visited schools all over the world and has met with over 130,000 students, teachers, and administrators as he advocates for the people and things he cares about most: kids, books, schools, and the libraries — and librarians — that connect them. This Is a School is his picture book debut. John Schu lives in Naperville, Illinois. You can find him at JohnSchu.com and on social media at @MrSchuReads.
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Christine Day
Christine Day (Upper Skagit) grew up in Seattle, nestled between the sea, the mountains, and the pages of her favorite books. Her debut novel, I CAN MAKE THIS PROMISE (Harper), was a best book of the year from Kirkus, School Library Journal, NPR, and the Chicago Public Library, as well as a Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book, and an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book. Her second novel, THE SEA IN WINTER (Harper/Heartdrum), is coming to shelves on January 5, 2021. She also wrote the forthcoming SHE PERSISTED: MARIA TALLCHIEF (Philomel), an early reader biography in a new series inspired by Chelsea Clinton's bestselling picture book. Christine lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband.
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Her work is represented by Suzie Townsen -
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 -
Claire Swinarski
Claire Swinarski is the author of multiple books for both kids and adults. Her writing has been featured in The Washington Post, Seventeen, Milwaukee Magazine, and many other publications. She lives in small town Wisconsin with her husband and three kids, where she writes books, wears babies, and wrangles bread dough. You can follow her on Instagram @claireswinarski.
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Andrea Beatriz Arango
Andrea Beatriz Arango is the author of Newbery Honor Book Iveliz Explains It All and the Pura Belpré Honor Book Something Like Home. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where she first became a teacher. She then spent a decade in the United States working in public schools and nonprofits. When she’s not busy writing about middle schoolers and their families, you can find her hoping to spot manatees at the beach. Andrea lives in Puerto Rico with her family and two dogs.
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Chrystal D. Giles
Chrystal D. Giles is a champion for diversity and representation in children’s literature. She made her debut with Take Back the Block, which received multiple starred reviews, was a Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, and NPR Best Book, and won the IRA Social Justice Literature Award. Her latest middle-grade novel, Not An Easy Win, received four starred reviews and has been named an ALSC Notable Children's Book. Chrystal lives outside Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and son.
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Chrystal is represented by Elizabeth Bewley at Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. -
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 -
Meg Eden Kuyatt
Meg Eden Kuyatt is a 2020 Pitch Wars mentee, and teaches creative writing at Anne Arundel Community College. She is the author of the 2021 Towson Prize for Literature winning poetry collection “Drowning in the Floating World” (Press 53, 2020) and children’s novels, most recently “Good Different” (Scholastic, 2023). Find her online at www.megedenbooks.com or on Twitter at @ConfusedNarwhal and Instagram at @meden_author.
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Alain Serres
Alain Serres was once a kindergarten teacher who was inspired by his young students to write children’s books. He has since published more than one hundred titles for children of all ages, many of which have been translated into other languages. Alain founded the highly regarded French publishing house Rue du Monde, whose mission is to provide children with books that allow them to question and imagine the world. He lives in Voisins-le-Bretonneux, France.
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Jennifer Marie Thorne
Jennifer Thorne is the author of Lute and Diavola (a USA Today bestseller), published by Tor/Nightfire. With Lee Kelly, she is co-author of The Antiquity Affair (2023) and The Starlets (2024), published by HarperMuse. As Jenn Marie Thorne, she is the author of the YA novels The Wrong Side of Right, The Inside of Out, and Night Music, and her short fiction appeared in the YA anthology Battle of the Bands. She is also the author of the picture book Construction Zoo. She received her BFA in Drama at NYU, and currently lives in Gloucestershire, England with her husband and two sons.
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Laurel Snyder
Laurel Snyder is the author of six children's novels, "Orphan Island," "Seven Stories Up," "Bigger than a Bread Box," "Penny Dreadful," "Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains OR The Search for a Suitable Princess" and "Any Which Wall" (Random House) as well as many picture books, including "Charlie & Mouse," "The Forever Garden," "Swan, the life and dance of Anna Pavlova," and "Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher."
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A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a former Michener Fellow, she also writes books for grownups, and is the author of a book of poems, "The Myth of the Simple Machines" (No Tell Books) and a chapbook, "Daphne & Jim: a choose-your-own-adventure biography in verse (Burnside Review Press) and the editor of an anthology, "H -
Michelle Kadarusman
Michelle Kadarusman is originally from Australia and Indonesia and often shares her cultural background in her work. She is twice-nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award and her work has been translated into Spanish, German, Japanese and Turkish. Her middle-grade novels have earned many nominations and honors, including the Freeman Book Awards, Green Earth Books Awards, USBBY Outstanding International Books and Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature. She lives in Australia and Canada.
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Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones is a former bookseller, and now she Hosts the Atlanta Chapter of the popular Well Read Black Girl book club, as well as the infamous, viral sensation the YA Truth or Dare author panel at the Decatur Book Festival. She has worked in film and television with trailblazing figures such as Tyler Perry, Whitney Houston, and 8Ball & MJG. Currently, in addition to writing YA novels, she is a director of feature films and cutting-edge diverse web series. She also regularly lectures on working and succeeding in the Atlanta film market.
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Kim's book roots run deep. She served on the Selection Committee for Library of Congress' 2016-2017 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, the 2015 Children’s Choice Illustrator Committee for -
Arree Chung
Arree Chung makes picture books but he didn’t always do so. Once he made spreadsheets all day long and he decided that he wanted to make pictures instead. Arree learned how to draw, paint and think a little bit differently at Art Center College of Design.
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Arree is represented by Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content. http://www.rpcontent.com
Lots of cool stuff at: http://arree.com -
Shawn Thomas Odyssey
Edgar and Agatha nominated author of THE WIZARD OF DARK STREET and THE MAGICIAN'S TOWER, novels of detection and magic.
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Visit Shawn on the web at:
http://www.thewizardofdarkstreet.com/
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/c7dATW
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShawnOdyssey
Blog: http://shawnthomasodyssey.blogspot.com/ -
Christian Cooper
Christian Cooper is a science and comics writer and editor and the host and consulting producer of Extraordinary Birder on National Geographic. One of Marvel’s first openly gay writers and editors, Cooper introduced the first gay male character in Star Trek, in the Starfleet Academy series, which was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award. He also introduced the first openly lesbian character for Marvel and created and authored Queer Nation: The Online Gay Comic. Based in New York City, he is on the board of directors for NYC Audubon.
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Janet Lawler
Janet Lawler is the author of many books for children and is particularly inspired by the natural world. Her inspiration for this book came after listening to a YouTube recording of ten hours’ worth of walrus sounds, after which she wanted to learn more about these interesting creatures and share that knowledge with young readers. She had great fun creating words that reflect the weird noises walruses make! Janet Lawler lives with her family in Connecticut.
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Wade Hudson
Wade Hudson is the author of nearly 30 books for children and Young adults. He and his wife Cheryl are the founders of Just Us Books, Inc., a leading publisher of multicultural books for children.
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Jenna Lee-Yun
Jenna was a voracious reader as a child and adolescent but found there were never enough books to read. Moreover, there were no books featuring protagonists who looked like her.
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Now, Jenna continues to read as much as she can and finds there is never enough time to get ahead of her TBR pile. She is overjoyed to see so much more diversity (including Asian-American protagonists) in children's books than she could have imagined as a young reader!
Jenna resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, son, daughter, and mini-goldendoodle. She loves nothing more than writing middle-grade and young adult novels with a large cup of coffee. Jenna is represented by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary Agency. THE LAST RHEE WITCH is her debut novel. -
Julie Sternberg
Julie Sternberg is the author of the best-selling LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE and its sequels. Her latest book, SUMMER OF STOLEN SECRETS, is a middle-grade novel coming out in 2021 from Viking. She also wrote THE TOP-SECRET DIARY OF CELIE VALENTINE series and the picture books BEDTIME AT BESSIE AND LIL’S and PUPPY PUPPY PUPPY. Her books have received a number of awards. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband; her younger daughter, who is almost but not yet old enough to abandon her; and her dog, Clementine, who basks in pools of sunlight in the apartment and occasionally heaves a deep sigh.
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www.juliesternberg.com -
Lynnor Bontigao
Lynnor Bontigao is the debut picture book author-illustrator of SARI-SARI SUMMERS, her nostalgic love letter to the Philippines and to grandmothers. Lynnor illustrated 3 books in 2024: AT THE END OF THE DAY by Lisl H. Detlefsen(a JLG selection), KAILANI'S GIFT by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young, & SEASHELL KEY(a 2024 CPL Best Fiction for Younger Readers) by Lourdes Heuer. Lynnor also illustrated THE WORLD'S BEST CLASS PLANT(one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Picture Books of 2023) by award-winning authors Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick. Lynnor will have 2 more illustrated chapter books in 2025. She is currently working on book projects with Minh Lê coming out 2026 & Jean Reidy coming out 2027. She loves stories where family relationships, culture
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Michelle Sterling
I'm a speech-language pathologist, photographer and children's book author. My debut picture book When Lola Visits will be out on May 18, 2021. You can find me sharing the latest in picture books at:
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instagram.com/averyandaugustine
averyandaugustine.com -
Paul Shirley
A former college and professional basketball player, Paul turned the stories of his travels and travails into a humor memoir called CAN I KEEP MY JERSEY?
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He followed that with STORIES I TELL ON DATES, which also became a renowned podcast of the same name.
Paul's third book -- and first novel -- was BALL BOY, about a kid named Gray Taylor whose single mother moves Gray from Los Angeles to small-town Kansas, where he finds basketball as a way to fit in...and save the town.
Next came a return to nonfiction with THE PROCESS IS THE PRODUCT, a book that leans on his sports and writing pasts to help readers break big projects into achievable tasks and fall in love with their day-to-day.
Most recently, Paul authored his second novel, DAVID, about a ro -
Nabela Noor
Nabela Noor is a first-generation Bangladeshi American creator, activist, and entrepreneur. As a self-love advocate, Nabela utilizes her platforms to empower and inspire millions of people around the world to love the skin they’re in. Her work centers around her passion for representation and diversity with a commitment to uplifting stories and characters who are often unseen and underrepresented. Globally recognized for her “Pockets of Peace” content, you can learn more about the power of self-love through self-care on Nabela’s TikTok and Instagram @Nabela.
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Mónica Mancillas
Mónica Mancillas is a musician and educator who authors picture books and Middle Grade fiction and non-fiction. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley. Her award-winning books include MARIANA AND HER FAMILIA, THE WORRY BALLOON, HOW TO SPEAK IN SPANGLISH, SING IT LIKE CELIA, TACO TUESDAYS, and LEYENDAS/LEGENDS (Chronicle, 2025).
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Rebecca Evans
Rebecca Evans is an illustrator and author living in Maryland. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Art from Messiah College with a concentration in Drawing and Illustration in 2000, and also completed coursework from the Tyler School of Art. She worked for nine years as an artist and designer before returning to her first love: children’s book illustration and writing. Her experience includes illustrating and authoring children’s books, teaching art at the local Art Center, and publishing artwork with magazines and multiple publishing houses. She regularly speaks at elementary schools and shares her love of literature and art with children. She is also a member of the SCBWI. She lives in Maryland and enjoys spending time with h
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Nedda Lewers
Nedda Lewers is a USA Today Bestselling Egyptian American author and former teacher. She writes books that take children on fun adventures and feature characters who are trying to make sense of the big, complicated world and their place in it.
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As a kid, Nedda lived in Queens, NY, where she spent many Sundays at the local library deciding how many books she could possibly carry on the fifteen-minute walk home. Every summer, she visited Cairo, where her parents are from, getting to know her big extended family. Even though it wasn’t easy growing up with one foot in America and the other in Egypt, Nedda cherishes how that experience has given her a rich and expansive perspective from which she draws to write her stories.
She has an MSEd from Ban -
Jill Neimark
Jill Neimark is the author of the highly acclaimed BLOODSONG (adult fiction, Random House) as well as coauthor of WHY GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE (adult self-help, Random House), Her picture book, THE HUGGING TREE: A STORY ABOUT RESILIENCE has had over sixty YouTube read-a-louds by teachers, librarians and faith leaders worldwide and is a popular inspirational readaloud. I WANT YOUR MOO (picture book, Magination Press) with co-author Marcella Bakur Weiner, PhD,won a Teachers’ Choice Awards for Children’s Books; and the sequel, TOODLES & TEENY: A STORY OF FRIENDSHIP won a Mom's Choice Award. Under the nom de plume Gillian Neimark is also the author of the tween fantasy adventure novel, THE SECRET SPIRAL, and the sequel, THE GOLDEN RECT
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Vivienne Chang
Eugenia Yoh and Vivienne Chang met as students at Washington University in St. Louis and now live 2,555.87 miles apart from each other. Eugenia lives in Berkeley, California, and makes books for kids. Vivienne lives in New York City and makes digital products for grown-ups. In addition to What If We..., Vivienne and Eugenia are also the authors of This is Not My Home. They hope to continue telling stories that share universal ideas through humor. When they are not discussing their next book concept, they can be found in a forest sharing ideas on what it means to be in your twenties, which is a very confusing time, to say the least.
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Cindy Baldwin
Cindy Baldwin the author of the critically acclaimed novels WHERE THE WATERMELONS GROW, BEGINNERS WELCOME, THE STARS OF WHISTLING RIDGE, and NO MATTER THE DISTANCE (2/2023). She lives just outside Portland, Oregon, with her husband and daughter.
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M. Evan Wolkenstein
M. Evan Wolkenstein is a high school teacher and author of YA novel Turtle Boy (Random House, May 2020).
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He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Hebrew University, and the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies. His work can be found in The Forward, Tablet Magazine, The Washington Post, Engadget, My Jewish Learning, and BimBam.
He lives with his wife and daughters in the San Francisco Bay Area. -
Jenn Reese
Jenn Reese (she/they) writes speculative fiction for readers of all ages. She is the author of Every Bird a Prince and A Game of Fox & Squirrels, an NPR Best Book of 2020, a finalist for the Andre Norton Award and the Mythopoeic Award, and winner of the Oregon Book Award. Her other publications include the Above World trilogy and numerous short stories and essays. Jenn lives in Portland, Oregon where she makes art, plays video games, and talks to the birds.
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James Phelan
James Phelan is the award-winning author of twenty-four novels and one work of non-fiction. He first studied and worked in architecture before turning to English/Lit, working five years at The Age newspaper, obtaining an MA (Writing) and PhD (Young Adult Literature).
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Hachette has published his five geo-political thrillers: FOX HUNT, PATRIOT ACT, BLOOD OIL, LIQUID GOLD and RED ICE.
From 2010-2011, Hachette published the widely acclaimed ALONE trilogy of Young Adult post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels.
In 2013/2014, Scholastic published James' thirteen-book adventure series about the dream work THE LAST THIRTEEN. The multi-award winning series (2014 YABBA, COOL, KOALA awards) has been highly successful around the world, selling over a million c -
Margaret McNamara
Margaret McNamara is the Christopher Award–winning author of more than two dozen books for young readers, including the Robin Hill School series. The Fairy Bell Sisters series is inspired not only by her love of the classic sisterhood novel Little Women but by her own experiences growing up with older sisters (and a baby brother). Margaret and her family live in New York City, but they spend part of their summer on an island in Maine very much like Sheepskerry Island.
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Adam Pottle
Adam Pottle's work spans multiple genres, from fiction and poetry to drama and creative nonfiction. His books include the novel Mantis Dreams, the novella The Bus, the memoir Voice, and the poetry collection Beautiful Mutants.
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Cara Giaimo
Cara Giaimo is a science journalist and alum of the MIT graduate program in science writing. Cara writes about the amazing lives of animals. You can find Cara's work in the New York Times, Atlas Obscura, NOVA, and other outlets. Cara lives in the Boston area.
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Roda Ahmed
Roda Ahmed is a Norwegian novelist and children's author. Born in Hargaisa, Somalia, she emigrated with her family to Norway, and was educated at the Norwegian University of Technology and Natural Sciences. She speaks Somali, Arabic, Norwegian, English and French. In 2008 her debut novel, Forberedelsen (The Preparation), became a bestseller in Norway. Ahmed was a regular columnist for the Norwegian National newspaper, Dagsavisen and released her first children’s book, Mae Among the Stars, in 2018.
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Carolyn Tara O'Neil
Carolyn Tara O’Neil grew up in a tiny New York City apartment filled with thousands of books. Every Friday she went to the public library for even more reading material. She now lives in a slightly smaller NYC apartment with slightly fewer books, and still goes to the library every week.
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In between then and now, Carolyn has lived in France, Spain, and Japan, and has dedicated her career to the education and rights of young people. She loves to travel, study languages, and spend endless hours discussing TV, books, great hiking trails, and how we can work together to build a more equal society.
Her debut novel, DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE, is set during the Russian Revolution and will be published in Fall 2021 by Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan -
Jennifer Moffett
JENNIFER MOFFETT grew up in Arkansas, where she spent her childhood playing in creeks and climbing trees while dreaming up stories about faraway places. A college study abroad program sparked her lifelong passion for travel. After working in children’s television in New York City, she received an MA in Creative Writing and wrote book reviews for regional publications. Her short stories and poems have appeared in various literary journals, including New Orleans Review and descant. She teaches creative writing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where she enjoys kayaking, gardening, reading outdoors, and planning trips to new places (preferably with great local yarn shops and bookstores).
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Her debut YA thriller, THOSE WHO PREY (Atheneum, Simon & Sch -
Anna Meriano
I grew up in Houston with an older brother and a younger brother and a large but close-knit network of aunts, uncles, and cousins spreading across the state of Texas. I graduated from Rice University with a degree in English, and earned my MFA in creative writing with an emphasis in writing for children from the New School in New York. There I was lucky to meet CAKE Literary founders Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra, who started me on the Love Sugar Magic journey.
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I live in Houston with my dog Cisco. I have taught creative writing and high school English and currently work as a tutor for students of all ages across Houston. In my free time I love knitting, playing full-contact quidditch, and singing along to songs in English, Spanish, -
Mike Jung
Mike Jung is the author of the middle-grade novels Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2012), Unidentified Suburban Object (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2016), and The Boys in the Back Row (Levine Querido, 2020). His essays can be found in the anthologies Dear Teen Me (Zest, 2012), Break These Rules (Chicago Review Press, 2013), 59 Reasons to Write (Stenhouse, 2015), (Don't) Call Me Crazy (Algonquin, 2018), and The Hero Next Door (Crown, 2019). He's a founding member of We Need Diverse Books.
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Regina Linke
Regina Linke is a Taiwanese American artist specializing in Chinese gongbi-style painting, an ancient form of brush painting that depicts narrative subjects in colorful high detail. She enjoys writing and illustrating stories that celebrate East Asian folklore and philosophy in a modern way. Regina lives with her family in Rhode Island, in the United States.
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Anika Fajardo
Anika Fajardo is an award-winning writer, who was born in Colombia and raised in Minnesota. Her debut novel, The Many Mothers of Dolores Moore, is forthcoming in 2025. She is also the author of Magical Realism for Non-Believers: A Memoir of Finding Family and two middle-grade novels, What If a Fish and Meet Me Halfway. She lives with her family in Minneapolis.
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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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Laura Alary
Many years have passed since Laura used to make her own books with manila paper, mucilage and crayons. Nowadays her books look much more professional, but the process of creating them is as much fun as it always was!
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In her writing , Laura draws upon her background in Classics, theology and biblical studies, as well as her long-standing interest in ancient history, folklore, mythology, and science.
Her books are meant to teach and to entertain, but most of all, to encourage children to wonder about the world and to ask really big questions.
Laura's books include: All the Faces of Me (Owlkids, 2023); Here: The Dot We Call Home (Paraclete Press, 2022); Sun in My Tummy (Pajama Press, 2022); The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything (Kids Can Pre -
Suma Subramaniam
Suma Subramaniam earned her MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a certificate in popular fiction from the University of Washington. Suma Subramaniam lives in Washington State.
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Samara Cole Doyon
Samara Cole Doyon is both a second--generation Haitian American and a deeply rooted Mainer, with half of the roots of her family tree reaching generations deep into the soil of the Pine Tree State. She is a freelance writer, teacher, wife, and mother. She has been a regular contributor at Black Girl In Maine Media and has been featured in the "Deep Water" poetry column of the Portland Press Herald.
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Monique Duncan
In 2008, Monique Duncan established Sweet Pea Books Inc., an independent publishing company dedicated to producing multicultural stories that inspire, amuse, and foster a love of reading in all children. Her vibrantly illustrated books reflect images and experiences with which children of color can identify. Duncans children's books aim to promote self-acceptance, respect, and forgiveness, as well as encourage the development of good character.
Her featured title, Polka-Dot Face, is an inspiring story about a young girls journey toward self-acceptance. Polka-Dot Face encourages us to accept ourselves and not let the words of others change how we feel.
Learn more about Duncan's character bulding literature at www.sweetpeabooks.com
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Jane Kuo
Jane Kuo is a Chinese and Taiwanese American writer who grew up in Los Angeles. Also, she once borrowed a pencil from Maxine Hong Kingston.
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Jane lives in California with her husband and two kids. Her novels, In the Beautiful Country and Land of Broken Promises are based on the events of her childhood. -
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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Karuna Riazi
Karuna Riazi is a born and raised New Yorker, with a loving, large extended family and the rather trying experience of being the eldest sibling in her particular clan. She holds a BA in English Literature from Hofstra University, and is an online diversity advocate, blogger, and educator. She is a 2017 honoree on NBC Asian America's Redefining A-Z list, featuring up and coming talent within the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community, and her work has been featured on Entertainment Weekly, Amy Poehler's Smart Girls, Book Riot and Teen Vogue, among others.
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Karuna is fond of tea, Korean dramas, writing about tough girls forging their own paths toward their destinies, and baking new delectable treats for friends and family to relish.
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Mindy Thompson
Mindy Thompson is a writer of fantastical stories for Middle Grade readers. She holds a BA in creative writing from Boise State University and previously had the privilege of working in public and middle school libraries. She currently resides in Southern Idaho.
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Dee Leone
Dee Leone is the author of Dough Knights and Dragons (Sterling), Nature's Lullaby Fills the Night (Sterling), and Bizz & Buzz Make Honey Buns (Penguin). To view a book trailer for each book and to download free activity kits, visit http://deeleone.com.
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The author taught at the elementary level and tutored college math. She loves writing for children, parents, and teachers. She is busy creating easy readers, picture books, a middle grade novel, silly verse, non-fiction projects, and screenplays.
In addition, she has written several reproducible books for the educational market, covering themes such as science, language arts, and holidays. She has also created more than 100 stories, poems, puzzles, and plays for children's magazines. You can f