Tracey Baptiste
From Thompson-Gale: "Something About the Author"
I have always loved books. My favorite, was an oversized complete Grimm's Fairy Tales with beautiful illustrations, which I lost when my family moved to the United States. I was fascinated by the stories of the tailor who went up against a giant, and clever Hans, who wasn't so clever as well as the more traditional princess stories. When I was about thirteen, after spending a summer in the library reading Paul Zindel and Judy Blume among other authors, I announced to my best friend that I was going to be a writer. I didn't decide what I wanted to write until I read "The Friends" by Rosa Guy. I had recently moved to Brooklyn, NY, and the book spoke to my situation precisely. It remains one of m
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Preston Norton
Preston Norton teaches environmental science to fifth graders. He is the author of Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe, Where I End & You Begin, and Hopepunk. He is married with three cats.
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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.
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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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Karen Strong
Karen Strong is the critically acclaimed author of several books for young readers. Her work has been praised by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, and School Library Journal and has received recognition as a Southern Book Prize finalist, Ignyte Award finalist, and BCCB Blue Ribbon selection. Find her online at karen-strong.com.
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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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Sofiya Pasternack
Sofiya Pasternack is a mental health professional, the highly-distractible author of Jewish MG and YA fantasy, and prone to oversharing gross medical stories. She enjoys speaking to crowds about writing and mental health. She does not enjoy running but she does it anyway. She is actually a gremlin in a bad wig.
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Her upcoming middle grade fantasy, BLACK BIRD, BLUE ROAD, is all about death, demons, and dessert. It will be available 9/20/22!
Sofiya does stuff all over the internet!
Twitter: @sofipasternack
Insta: @sofipasternack
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Jewell Parker Rhodes
Jewell Parker Rhodes has always loved reading and writing stories. Born and raised in Manchester, a largely African-American neighborhood on the North Side of Pittsburgh, she was a voracious reader as a child. She began college as a dance major, but when she discovered there were novels by African Americans, she knew she wanted to be an author. She wrote six novels for adults, two writing guides, and a memoir, but writing for children remained her dream.
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Now she is the author of eleven books for youth including the New York Times bestsellers Will's Race for Home, Ghost Boys and Black Brother, Black Brother. Her other books include Soul Step, Treasure Island: Runaway Gold, Paradise on Fire, Towers Falling, and the Louisiana Girls Trilogy: Nin -
Carla Naumburg
Carla Naumburg, PhD, is a clinical social worker, writer, and speaker. She is the author of four parenting books, and lives outside of Boston with her family.
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Elisa Stone Leahy
Elisa Stone Leahy is a queer, Peruvian American children’s author who lives with her husband and kids in Columbus, Ohio. Her first middle grade book, Tethered to Other Stars, was a finalist for the Cybils Award and the Ohioana Book Award, made the 2024 Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices list, the Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year list, and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, which called it “beautifully executed.” Her second book, Mallory in Full Color, was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, made the NYPL Best Books for Kids list, was named on SLJ’s Best Books of 2024 list, and received starred reviews from The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books and School Library Jou
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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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G.F. Miller
G. F. Miller absolutely insists on a happy ending. Everything else is negotiable. She is living her Happily Ever After with the love of her life, three kids, two puppies, and some chickens. She cries at random times. She makes faces at herself in the mirror. She believes in the Oxford comma. And she’s always here for a dance party.
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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. -
Heather Smith
Originally from Newfoundland, Heather Smith now lives in Waterloo, Ontario, with her husband and three children. Her Newfoundland roots inspire much of her writing.
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Frank L. Cole
Frank L. Cole has lived in such exotic places as the Philippines and Kentucky, and currently lives with his wife and three children out west. While he strived for years to earn his publishing credits, Frank considers sharing his message of “Exercising Your Imagination” to over 100,000 kids across the country as his greatest accomplishment. Frank has been published with Cedar Fort Books, Delacorte Press, and Shadow Mountain Publishing. The Legend of the Last Library is Frank's 15th published book. You can learn more about his writing at frankcolewrites.com
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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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Cale Atkinson
Cale Atkinson is an illustrator/writer/animator currently residing in Kelowna Canada.
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Believing in tea more than sleep, Cale is constantly working on numerous projects. His work can be found in children’s books, animated shorts, television, and games.
Publishers Cale has worked with include Disney Hyperion, Tundra, Simon and Schuster, Doubleday, KidsCan Press, Owl Books, Grosset & Dunlap, GreyStone, Scholastic, Pearson, and Marvel. -
April Jones Prince
April Jones Prince is a children's book author specializing in history and books for the very young.
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Rebecca Carvalho
Rebecca Carvalho is a Recifense writer based in Berkeley, California. She loves crafting stories filled with close-knit neighborhoods, Brazilian food, and telenovela-esque settings. When she is not writing, you can find her with her camera, gaming with her husband, or watching Star Trek for the hundredth time. Rebecca has a bachelor’s degree in English from Lawrence University. Salt and Sugar is her debut novel, and it was inspired by her life in northeastern Brazil.
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Melanie Conklin
Melanie Conklin is the author of Counting Thyme, Every Missing Piece, and A Perfect Mistake. Melanie grew up in North Carolina and worked as a product designer before she began her writing career. When she’s not writing, Melanie spends her time doodling and dreaming up new ways to be creative. She lives in New Jersey with her family.
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Rebecca Ansari
Rebecca Ansari lives in a very loud house in Minneapolis with her husband, their four boys, and two huge dogs. After twelve years as an ER doctor, she shelved her scrubs to write magical and mysterious worlds for middle grade readers. She is drawn to any story that evokes, “Please, mom! Just one more chapter!” and she strives to craft the same. When she isn’t writing, you can find her joyously biking and skiing, begrudgingly running, or escaping “up north” with family, friends and a stack of good books.
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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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Jenn Bishop
Jenn Bishop is also the author of four other novels for young readers, including the Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner Things You Can’t Say. Her books have been named Junior Library Guild selections and Bank Street College of Education best books and have been finalists for state book awards. She currently calls Cincinnati, Ohio, home. What team do you think she roots for? Visit her online at jennbishop.com.
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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 -
Jewell Parker Rhodes
Jewell Parker Rhodes has always loved reading and writing stories. Born and raised in Manchester, a largely African-American neighborhood on the North Side of Pittsburgh, she was a voracious reader as a child. She began college as a dance major, but when she discovered there were novels by African Americans, she knew she wanted to be an author. She wrote six novels for adults, two writing guides, and a memoir, but writing for children remained her dream.
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Now she is the author of eleven books for youth including the New York Times bestsellers Will's Race for Home, Ghost Boys and Black Brother, Black Brother. Her other books include Soul Step, Treasure Island: Runaway Gold, Paradise on Fire, Towers Falling, and the Louisiana Girls Trilogy: Nin -
Gayle Forman
Award-winning author and journalist Gayle Forman has written several bestselling novels for young adults, including the Just One Series, I Was Here, Where She Went and the #1 New York Times bestseller If I Stay, which has been translated into more than 40 languages and in 2014 was adapted into a major motion picture.
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Gayle published Leave Me, her first novel starring adults in 2016 and her latest novel, I Have Lost My Way, comes out in March of 2018.
Gayle lives with her husband and daughters in Brooklyn. -
Kwame Alexander
Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New York Times Bestselling author of 21 books, including The Crossover, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children, the Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor, The NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the Passaic Poetry Prize. Kwame writes for children of all ages. His other works include Surf's Up, a picture book; Booked, a middle grade novel; and He Said She Said, a YA novel.
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Kwame believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his PAGE TO STAGE Writing and Publishing Program released by Scholastic. A regular speaker at colleges and confere -
James Ponti
James Ponti is the New York Times Bestselling author of three Middle Grade book series: the DEAD CITY trilogy about a secret society that polices the undead who live beneath New York City; the Edgar Award-winning FRAMED! series about a pair of Sherlockian tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, D.C.; and the all-new CITY SPIES about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 spy team.
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James grew up in Atlantic Beach, Florida and lives in Orlando. He's a die hard fan of the Boston Red Sox, the USC Trojans, and the Italian National Soccer Team. He loves travel, writing, and spending time with his amazing family. -
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. -
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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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 -
Ruta Sepetys
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author and Winner of the Carnegie Medal.
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Ruta Sepetys was born and raised in Michigan in a family of artists, readers, and music lovers. The daughter of a refugee, Ruta is drawn to underrepresented stories of strength through struggle and hopes to give voice to those who weren't able to tell their story. Her award-winning historical novels are published in over sixty countries and have received over forty literary prizes.
For more information:
https://www.rutasepetys.com
https://www.facebook.com/rutasepetys
https://www.instagram.com/rutasepetys...
https://www.twitter.com/rutasepetys -
Jodi Meadows
I write books. I snuggle cats. I drink coffee.
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Feel free to send a friend request. I don't reply to Goodreads messages; email is preferred. -
Renée Watson
Renée Watson is the author of the children’s picture book, A Place Where Hurricanes Happen (Random House, June 2010), which was featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Her middle grade novel, What Momma Left Me debuted as the New Voice for 2010 in middle grade fiction by The Independent Children's Booksellers Association.
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Renée’s one woman show, Roses are Red, Women are Blue, debuted at New York City's Lincoln Center at a showcase for emerging artists. Her poetry and articles have been published in Rethinking Schools, Theatre of the Mind and With Hearts Ablaze.
When Renée is not writing and performing, she is teaching. Renée has worked in public schools and community organizations as an artist in residence for several years, teachin -
Saadia Faruqi
Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani American author, essayist and interfaith activist. She writes the children’s early reader series “Yasmin” published by Capstone and other books for children, including middle grade novels “A Place At The Table” (HMH/Clarion 2020) co-written with Laura Shovan, and “A Thousand Questions” (Harper Collins 2020). She has also written “Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage from Pakistan” a short story collection for adults and teens. Saadia is editor-in-chief of Blue Minaret, a magazine for Muslim art, poetry and prose, and was featured in Oprah Magazine in 2017 as a woman making a difference in her community. She resides in Houston, TX with her husband and children.
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Jenn Bishop
Jenn Bishop is also the author of four other novels for young readers, including the Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner Things You Can’t Say. Her books have been named Junior Library Guild selections and Bank Street College of Education best books and have been finalists for state book awards. She currently calls Cincinnati, Ohio, home. What team do you think she roots for? Visit her online at jennbishop.com.
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Mylisa Larsen
Mylisa Larsen has been telling stories for a long time. This has caused her to get gimlet-eyed looks from her parents, her siblings and, later, her own children when they felt that certain stories had been embellished beyond acceptable limits. She now writes children’s books where her talents for hyperbole are actually rewarded.
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She is the author of the middle grade novels Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better and Playing Through The Turnaround and the picture books All Of Those Babies, If I Were A Kangaroo, How To Put Your Parents To Bed and Ho Ho Homework.
She has lived in eight states and two countries and has loved things about all of them. The first place she always finds is the library.
You can visit her online at http://mylisalarsen.com -
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 . -
Scott Reintgen
Scott Reintgen grew up in North Carolina, and took full advantage of the fact that he lived on the same street as fourteen of his cousins. It could be a little crowded, but he threw a few elbows and carved out a space for himself as the family storyteller. He enjoyed the role so much that he decided to spend most of college and graduate school investing in the world of literature. This led to a career teaching English and Creative Writing in the great state of North Carolina, where he currently lives with his wife and family. To his great delight, the demand for stories and storytellers is alive and well. As such, he can often be found at local coffee shops laboring over stories that he hopes his family, and fans, will love.
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Tiffany D. Jackson
Tiffany D. Jackson is the New York Times Bestselling author of YA novels including the Coretta Scott King — John Steptoe New Talent Award-winning Monday’s Not Coming, the NAACP Image Award-nominated Allegedly, Let Me Hear A Rhyme, and her 2020 title GROWN. She received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University, her master of arts in media studies from the New School, and has over a decade in TV/Film experience. The Brooklyn native is a lover of naps, cookie dough, and beaches, currently residing in the borough she loves, most likely multitasking.
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Tehlor Kay Mejia
TEHLOR KAY MEJIA (he/him) is a bestselling and award winning author of books for all ages.
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His debut young adult novel, WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE, received six starred reviews, as well as the Oregon Spirit Book Award for debut fiction, and the Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award runner up honor for debut speculative fiction. It has been featured on Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and O by Oprah Magazine’s best books lists, and was a 2019 book of the year selection by Kirkus and School Library Journal.
Tehlor’s debut middle grade novel, PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE RIVER OF TEARS, was published by the Rick Riordan Presents imprint at Disney/Hyperion. It received four starred reviews, and was named Amazon’s best book of 2020 in the 9-12 age range.
Tehlor stri -
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 -
Adrianna Cuevas
Adrianna Cuevas is a first-generation Cuban-American originally from Miami, Florida. A Spanish, ESOL and TOEFL teacher, Adrianna currently resides in Austin, Texas with her husband and son. When not working with TOEFL students, wrangling multiple pets including an axolotl, and practicing fencing with her son, she is writing her next middle grade novel.
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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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H.E. Edgmon
H.E. Edgmon (he/they) is a high school and college dropout, a militant queer, and an author of books both irreverent and radicalizing. His stories will always center the perspective of Indigenous people, trans people, and survivors of trauma. At present, he’s probably biting off more than he can chew, emulating the aesthetic of Dwayne from The Lost Boys (1987), and living out the found family trope in Brooklyn. Online, he can most often be found on Twitter @heedgmon.
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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 -
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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Ginger Reno
Ginger Reno has always been a writer – it just took a while for her to figure that out. (Her first clue should have been her family always calling her “the wordy one.”) An enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, her desire to learn about Cherokee history and culture has naturally spilled over into her writing. FIND HER, her debut novel, is part of that journey. Ginger lives in northeast Oklahoma within the Cherokee Nation and likes to spend as much time as possible on her lakefront porch with her two favorite people—her husband and their twelve-year-old German shepherd.
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Kathryn Erskine
Kathryn Erskine spent many years as a lawyer before realizing that she'd rather write things that people might actually enjoy reading.
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She grew up mostly overseas and attended eight different schools, her favorite being the Hogwarts-type castle in Scotland.
The faculty, of course, did not consist of wizards, although... how did the headmistress know that it was the wee redhead who led the campaign to free the mice from the biology lab?
Erskine draws on her childhood and her second childhood through her children for her stories. She still loves to travel but nowadays most trips tend to be local, such as basketball and tennis courts, occasional emergency room visits, and the natural food store for very healthy organic chocolate with life savi -
Jessika Fleck
Jessika Fleck is a writer, voracious coffee drinker, and knitter—she sincerely hopes to one day discover a way to do all three at once. Until then, she continues failing to resurrect house plants, taking care of museum collections, and slowly working toward goal of becoming a genuine 'cat lady'. Her YA fantasy, BEWARE THE NIGHT (Macmillan), received a coveted starred review from School Library Journal. Her most recent project, THE CURSE OF GREAT WINTER ACADEMY (A Choose Your Own Adventure book) releases May 6, 2025! More at www.jessikafleck.com
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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 -
Ruta Sepetys
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author and Winner of the Carnegie Medal.
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Ruta Sepetys was born and raised in Michigan in a family of artists, readers, and music lovers. The daughter of a refugee, Ruta is drawn to underrepresented stories of strength through struggle and hopes to give voice to those who weren't able to tell their story. Her award-winning historical novels are published in over sixty countries and have received over forty literary prizes.
For more information:
https://www.rutasepetys.com
https://www.facebook.com/rutasepetys
https://www.instagram.com/rutasepetys...
https://www.twitter.com/rutasepetys -
Sarvenaz Tash
Sarvenaz Tash is the author of of nine novels (and counting) for kids, young adults, and adults including The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love, A Whole Song and Dance, and The Queen of Ocean Parkway. Her books have won awards and recognition from the Junior Library Guild, the American Library Association, Amazon, Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly to name a few. She was born in Tehran, Iran and grew up on Long Island, NY. She received her BFA in Film and Television from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, which means she got to spend most of college running around and making movies (it was a lot of fun). Sarvenaz currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with her family.
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Dana Alison Levy
Dana Alison Levy was raised by pirates but escaped at a young age and went on to earn a degree in aeronautics and puppetry. Actually, that’s not true—she just likes to make things up. That’s why she always wanted to write books. She was born and raised in New England and studied English literature before going to graduate school for business. While there is value in all learning, had she known she would end up writing for a living, she might not have struggled through all those statistics and finance classes. The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher is her first published novel, but she has a trunk full of other attempts, which vary in degrees of awfulness.
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Her first book for young adults, Above All Else, comes out in October 2020. In addit -
Barbara Bottner
Barbara Bottner, New York Times best-selling author, is a screenwriter, TV writer, and writing coach, who began her multi-hyphenate career as an artist and actor. Designing off-Broadway sets in the ’60s led her to performance and following her career in theatre, she began writing and illustrating books for children. In total, she has written over 40 books in all areas of children’s literature including Young Adult, Middle Grade, chapter, and "I Can Reads". Several of her award-winning picture books have been animated and translated into multiple languages.
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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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Tina M. Cho
Tina M. Cho is also known as Tina Cho.
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Tina Cho is the author of Rice from Heaven: The Secret Mission to Feed North Koreans (Little Bee Books 2018), Korean Celebrations (Tuttle 2019), My Breakfast with Jesus: Worshipping God around the World (Harvest House 2020), The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story (Kokila/Penguin Random House 2020), God’s Little Astronomer (Waterbrook 2024), God’s Little Oceanographer 2025, & The Princess & the Grain of Rice (FSG 2025). Her lyrical middle grade graphic novel, The Other Side of Tomorrow, debuts from Harper Alley 11/12/2024. After living in South Korea for ten years, Tina, her husband, and two kids reside in Iowa where Tina also teaches kindergarten. -
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 -
Adrianna Cuevas
Adrianna Cuevas is a first-generation Cuban-American originally from Miami, Florida. A Spanish, ESOL and TOEFL teacher, Adrianna currently resides in Austin, Texas with her husband and son. When not working with TOEFL students, wrangling multiple pets including an axolotl, and practicing fencing with her son, she is writing her next middle grade novel.
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Mylisa Larsen
Mylisa Larsen has been telling stories for a long time. This has caused her to get gimlet-eyed looks from her parents, her siblings and, later, her own children when they felt that certain stories had been embellished beyond acceptable limits. She now writes children’s books where her talents for hyperbole are actually rewarded.
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She is the author of the middle grade novels Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better and Playing Through The Turnaround and the picture books All Of Those Babies, If I Were A Kangaroo, How To Put Your Parents To Bed and Ho Ho Homework.
She has lived in eight states and two countries and has loved things about all of them. The first place she always finds is the library.
You can visit her online at http://mylisalarsen.com -
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. -
John Cochran
I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. I studied journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and worked for daily newspapers in Missouri, Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina, reporting on everything from crime to state government. I went on to cover Congress and national politics for Congressional Quarterly in Washington, D.C., where I received the National Press Foundation’s Everett McKinley Dirksen Award. I live on Capitol Hill in D.C. with my wife and our two children. Breaking into Sunlight is my first novel.
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I am represented by Isabelle Bleecker of Nordlyset Literary Agency. -
Renée Watson
Renée Watson is the author of the children’s picture book, A Place Where Hurricanes Happen (Random House, June 2010), which was featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Her middle grade novel, What Momma Left Me debuted as the New Voice for 2010 in middle grade fiction by The Independent Children's Booksellers Association.
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Renée’s one woman show, Roses are Red, Women are Blue, debuted at New York City's Lincoln Center at a showcase for emerging artists. Her poetry and articles have been published in Rethinking Schools, Theatre of the Mind and With Hearts Ablaze.
When Renée is not writing and performing, she is teaching. Renée has worked in public schools and community organizations as an artist in residence for several years, teachin -
Sherri L. Smith
Sherri L. Smith is the award-winning author of YA novels LUCY THE GIANT, SPARROW, HOT SOUR SALTY SWEET, FLYGIRL and ORLEANS. In October 2015, she makes her middle grade debut with THE TOYMAKER’S APPRENTICE from G.P. Putnam and Sons for Penguin Random House.
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Sherri has worked in film, animation, comic books and construction. Her books have been listed as Amelia Bloomer, American Library Association Best Books for Young People, and Junior Library Guild Selections. FLYGIRL was the 2009 California Book Awards Gold Medalist.
She loves her family, travel, chocolate chip cookies, reading, and and a really good cup of tea. -
Gillian Sze
GILLIAN SZE is the author of Panicle (ECW Press, 2017), Peeling Rambutan (Gaspereau Press, 2014) and Redrafting Winter (BuschekBooks, 2015), which were shortlisted for the QWF A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry. She is also the author of The Anatomy of Clay (ECW Press, 2011) and Fish Bones (DC Books, 2009). More recently, she has started writing for children. Her first two picture books are The Night Is Deep and Wide (Orca, 2021) and My Love for You Is Always (Philomel, 2021). Gillian's work has appeared in a number of national and international journals, and has received awards such as the University of Winnipeg Writers’ Circle Prize and the 3Macs carte blanche Prize. She studied Creative Writing and English Literatur
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Alan G. Robinson
Dr. Alan G. Robinson specializes in lean production, managing continuous improvement, creativity, ideas and innovation, and is the co-author of six books, which have been translated into more than twenty languages. His new book, The Idea-Driven Organization (co-authored with Dean Schroeder) is scheduled to be released on March 31, 2014.
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According to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), Modern Approaches to Manufacturing Improvement -- his 1991 book with Shigeo Shingo, one of the developers of the Toyota Production System -- "remains a must-read for anyone interested in lean production".
Corporate Creativity (co-authored with Sam Stern) was named "Book of the Year" by the Academy of Human Resource Management, was a finalist in the Fin -
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 -
Brigit Young
Brigit Young is the author of four middle grade novels: WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, THE PRETTIEST, BRIGHT, and BANNED BOOKS, CROP TOPS, AND OTHER BAD INFLUENCES. Additionally, Brigit has published poetry and short fiction in dozens of literary journals and taught creative writing to kids of all ages.
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Brigit lives in New Jersey with her husband, daughters, gecko, and dog. She loves British mystery TV shows, hanging out with her fabulous kids, and tending to her garden. -
Margriet Ruurs
Margriet Ruurs is the author of more than 40 children's books, many of them award winners.
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Margriet lives on Salt Spring Island where she runs BETWEEN THE COVERS, a booklovers' B & B (see: http://www.betweenthecoversbandb.com/)
She writes regular book reviews of YA and picturebooks here: http://margrietruurs.blogspot.ca/
Margriet visits schools around the world to conduct dynamic author presentations, slideshows of the writing process and poetry writing workshops for students and teachers. She also speaks at many literary conferences each year.
Margriet has a Master of Education degree from Simon Fraser University.
She also conducts school talks via Skype.
For more details visit her website and blog: www.margrietruurs.com
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Maleeha Siddiqui
Maleeha Siddiqui is an American writer of Pakistani descent who loves to tell stories for all ages. Her books include Barakah Beats (Scholastic 2021), Bhai For Now (Scholastic 2022), and Any Way You Look (Scholastic 2024). By day, Maleeha works as a regulatory affairs professional in the biotech industry. She grew up and continues to reside with her family in Virginia.
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M.T. Khan
M.T. Khan is a speculative fiction author with a penchant for all things myth, science, and philosophy. She focuses on stories that combine all three, dreaming of evocative worlds and dark possibilities.
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When she's not writing, M.T. Khan has her nose deep in physics textbooks or glued to her CAD computer as she majors in Mechanical Engineering. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, she currently resides in Toronto, Canada, with a hyperactive cat and an ever-increasing selection of tea. -
G. F. Miller
G. F. Miller absolutely insists on a happy ending. Everything else is negotiable. She is living her Happily Ever After with the love of her life, three kids, two puppies, and some chickens. She cries at random times. She makes faces at herself in the mirror. She believes in the Oxford comma. And she’s always here for a dance party.
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Michael Leali
Michael Leali is a writer and educator. He received his MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When he’s not dreaming up stories, he’s probably playing a board game, eating cheese, or grading papers somewhere in the suburbs of Chicago. The Civil War of Amos Abernathy is his debut novel. Visit Michael at michaelleali.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @michaelleali.
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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. -
DoanPhuong Nguyen
DoanPhuong Nguyen was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States when she was in elementary school. After growing up in the South, she settled in the Midwest. DoanPhuong loves anything pink and cute but enjoys writing incredibly sad, emotionally evocative novels. She received her MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. This is her first middle grade novel. Find her at doanphuong.com.
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Daka Hermon
Daka Hermon was born in Tennessee and spent her childhood huddled under a blanket with a flashlight reading and writing fairy-tale and fantasy stories. She works in the entertainment industry, and is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She loves peach sweet tea, chocolate, cupcakes, and collecting superhero toys. Daka lives in California and can be found online at dakahermon.com and on Twitter @dakadh.
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Joyce Hansen
Joyce Hansen has been writing books and stories for children and young adults for over twenty years. Joyce was born and raised in New York City, the setting of her early contemporary novels. She grew up with two younger brothers and her parents in an extended family that included aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, all living nearby in the Morrisania section of the Bronx.
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Attending Bronx public schools, she graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1960. While working secretarial jobs during the day, Joyce attended Pace University in New York City at night, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree. She then began her teaching career in the New York City public schools and earned a Master of Arts degree from New York University. She al -
L.M. Elliott
L. M. Elliott was an award-winning magazine journalist for 20 years before becoming a New York Times bestselling author of historical and biographical novels. Three-time finalist for the National Magazine Award and winner of multiple Dateline Awards, Elliott focused primarily on women's issues. Her groundbreaking profile of a domestic violence survivor, wife of a high-level federal government appointee, was one of the first to discuss "white-collar" violence against women and the psychological/emotional control intrinsic to the abuse. Elliott’s extensive reporting experience on such topics informed and enriched the themes and characters of TRUTH, LIES, AND THE QUESTIONS IN BETWEEN. It is her third docudrama-novel exploring a fraught politic
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Marti Dumas
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Writer:
Marti Dumas is a native New Orleanian with a passion for storytelling. When she is not teaching or parenting, she is reading or writing. She prefers to do some combination of the above within view of ancient oak trees or the banks of the river. Or both.
Narrator:
For over a decade Marti has narrated and produced audio books for use in educational settings, using her melodic voice to captivate audiences of children and adolescents. More recently, her honeyed tones have been featured in radio plays and television spots, and her first commercially available audio books were released in December of 2012.
Marti is a bel canto trained mezzo soprano and a versatile vocal performer, with a wide dramatic range and more than 20 years of experienc -
Brandon Hoàng
Brandon Hoàng is the author of the critically acclaimed Gloria Buenrostro is Not My Girlfriend and The Crossbow of Destiny.
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Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Brandon grew up coveting The Baby-Sitters Club books and slurping noodles. Before he was a writer, Brandon spent 10 years as an animation executive.
Now a television writer by day and novelist by night, he currently resides in Portland, OR with his wife and two daughters. -
Craig Kofi Farmer
Craig Kofi Farmer is the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award-winning author of the middle grade novels Kwame Crashes the Underworld and A Method for Magic and Misfortune. Craig grew up in Prince George's County, went to Towson University for his Bachelor of Science degrees, and earned a Master of Education degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. He currently works in student affairs, helping college students achieve work-life balance and self-actualization. When he's not writing or working, he's exploring Baltimore City, analyzing superhero movies, watching psychological thrillers, and deciding exactly what he's going to eat that day.
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Hope Jahren
HOPE JAHREN is a teacher, scientist, and book lover living in Oslo, Norway. Recognized as one Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, Jahren is the recipient of three Fulbright Awards and was named one of the Brilliant 10 by Popular Science magazine in 2005. She is the author of two works of nonfiction: The Story of More and Lab Girl, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography. Adventures of Mary Jane is her first work of fiction.
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Olivia Stephens
Olivia Stephens is a graphic novelist, illustrator, and writer from the Pacific Northwest. She earned her BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2017. Olivia has created work for a number of sites and publications, including The New York Times, The Guardian, and FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction. Her debut graphic novel, Artie and the Wolf Moon, comes out from Lerner Books in Fall 2021. The story follows Artemis "Artie" Irvin, a fiercely independent eighth grader who's just discovered she comes from a family of werewolves. As she navigates her new reality, school bullies, and a first crush, she's also determined to find out how her human father died—and learns she isn't the scariest thing in the woods.
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Ginger Reno
Ginger Reno has always been a writer – it just took a while for her to figure that out. (Her first clue should have been her family always calling her “the wordy one.”) An enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, her desire to learn about Cherokee history and culture has naturally spilled over into her writing. FIND HER, her debut novel, is part of that journey. Ginger lives in northeast Oklahoma within the Cherokee Nation and likes to spend as much time as possible on her lakefront porch with her two favorite people—her husband and their twelve-year-old German shepherd.
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Desmond Hall
Desmond Hall – bio
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Desmond Hall is a Jamaican born author whose debut YA novel, YOUR CORNER DARK, a fast-paced thriller is due out in January ’21. American Street meets Long Way Down in this searing and gritty novel that takes an unflinching look at the harsh realities of gang life in Jamaica and how far a teen is willing to go for family. The book confronts police brutality, “Colorism”, gang culture and political deception.
He graduated Marquette University with a BA in Journalism and was selected for the “Who’s Who of American College Students.”
He’s written and directed an HBO feature movie, “A Day in Black and White” which was nominated for the Gordon Parks Award. He’s also written and directed a full-length stage play, “Stockholm, Brookl -
H.E. Edgmon
H.E. Edgmon (he/they) is a high school and college dropout, a militant queer, and an author of books both irreverent and radicalizing. His stories will always center the perspective of Indigenous people, trans people, and survivors of trauma. At present, he’s probably biting off more than he can chew, emulating the aesthetic of Dwayne from The Lost Boys (1987), and living out the found family trope in Brooklyn. Online, he can most often be found on Twitter @heedgmon.
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K.D. Kirchmeier
K. D. Kirchmeier is a Saskatchewan-based author who writes strange and fantastical stories about ordinary people who get caught up in extraordinary circumstances. He also writes under the name Kurt Kirchmeier, and is the author of middle grade horror novel THE ABSENCE OF SPARROWS.
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Tom Llewellyn
TOM LLEWELLYN is the author of five novels for middle-grade and young-adult readers, and one picture book. His books have been translated into five languages.
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His first novel, The Tilting House, was published by Random House in 2010. Regarding his 2024 novel, The Five Impossible Tasks of Eden Smith (Holiday House), Booklist said: "A truly memorable setting for a terrific tale."
Tom graduated with honors from the University of Washington's creative writing program. When he's not making books, he writes thought leadership for an investment company and serves as the co-founder of the street art project, Beautiful Angle. Tom was born in Tacoma, Washington, where he raised his four brilliant children. He lives in Tacoma with his amazing wife, Deb. -
Anna Lapera
Anna Lapera is a writer and educator based in the DC area. She comes from a Guatemalan mother and Hawaiian-Filipino-German father, and was raised all over the world.
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She teaches by day and writes stories about girls stepping into their power in the early hours of the morning before the teaching day begins. She is a member of Las Musas, a 2022 Macondista and Kweli Journal mentee, and has received financial support from Tin House, Kweli Journal and SCBWI.
When she’s not writing or teaching, you can find her visiting trails and coffee shops in DC and Maryland, where she lives with her family.
Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice is her debut novel, and she’s currently working on a historical fiction young adult novel as well as a short story co -
Deeba Zargarpur
DEEBA ZARGARPUR is an Afghan-Uzbek American. She credits her love of literature across various languages to her immigrant parents, whose eerie tales haunted her well into the night. If given the choice, Deeba would spend her days getting lost in spooky towns with nothing but a notebook and eye for adventure to guide her.
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Her debut YA novel, House of Yesterday, releases from FSG BYR in Fall 2022.
Her debut MG novel, Farrah Noorzad and the Ring of Fate, releases from Labyrinth Road in Summer 2023. -
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. -
Yxavel Magno Diño
Yxavel Magno Diño was born in the Philippines before moving to Australia at a young age, where she soon discovered that almost nobody there knew how to say her name. To make up for it, she spent her time daydreaming about fantasy worlds filled with characters who had more unusual names than she did.
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Now, she writes stories about her Filipino heritage and its fantastical folklore. When she's not writing, you can find her drinking copious amounts of black tea, or getting lost in the pages of a book.