Our Children's Authors

Penny Parker Klostermann is a retired educator who writes books for young readers. Penny loves all kinds of books but especially loves very silly picture books that make her laugh, as well as inspiring nonfiction books that tweak her curiosity. She has been known to hug her favorite picture books and seriously hopes that her books will gain huggable status too.

Penny lives in Abilene, Texas, The Storybook Capital of America, where inspiration is all around.

Laura Krantz is a founding partner of Foxtopus Ink, where she runs the audio division and oversees the creation and development of shows such as Wild Thing and The Syndicate. Laura has been in audio for well over a decade—she recently served as the interim science editor for PRX, which included editing work on the Smithsonian’s Sidedoor and Air/Space podcasts, and her writing has appeared in Popular Science, Smithsonian Magazine, Outside, High Country News and Newsweek.

Elliot Kukla (he/they) is a rabbi, author, and activist. He is a regular guest contributor to the New York Times and his activism has been featured by National Geographic, Now This News, Them, NBC, Reuters, and many other publications. In 2006 he was the first openly transgender rabbi to be ordained by a movement in Judaism. In 2019 he was named one of the 50 most influential Jews of the year by The Forward. You can find Elliot at www.elliotkukla.com

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Melanie LaBarge has a B.A. in Women’s Studies and an M.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her research includes performance art and queering memoir by contemporary female/femme/non-binary writers. Her first children’s book, Women Artists A-Z, was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in February 2020.

Kara was born and raised in Connecticut. She worked as an editor at Candlewick Press and at Scholastic Press, and via her own creative consulting firm, Bluebird Works. Among other celebrated titles, she edited Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie (winner of a Newbery Honor), The Tiger Rising (finalist for the National Book Award), The Tale of Despereaux (winner of the Newbery Medal), The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (winner of the Boston Globe Horn Book Award), and the Mercy Watson series.

She is the author of four series: Witchycakes, chapter books illustrated by Ariane Moreira; The Infamous Ratsos, chapter books illustrated by Matt Myers; The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters, a middle grade trilogy illustrated by Jen Hill; and The ZomBert Chronicles, a middle grade trilogy illustrated by Ryan Andrews. She is also the author of silly and subversive picture books like UGLY FISH, illustrated by Scott Magoon; Good Night Little Monsters, illustrated by Brian Won; and BABY CLOWN, illustrated by Matthew Cordell.

She lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her husband, daughter, and two cats.

An Academy Awards-winning actress for her roles in Tootsie and Blue Sky, Lange is also the recipient of the Triple Crown of Acting: three Emmys, five Golden Globes, and one Tony award. She currently stars on the hit FX show American Horror Story.

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.

She is the author of the novels Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better and Playing Through The Turnaround and the picture books All Of Those Babies, How To Put Your Parents To Bed, If I Were A Kangaroo and Ho Ho Homework.

Francie  Latour  is a prize-winning writer whose work explores issues of race, culture, and identity. Her work has been featured on National Public Radio, the Today  Show, The Root, Essence, and the  Boston Globe. Her writing was also anthologized in The Butterfly’s Way, edited by Edwidge Danticat. Francie is co-founder and co-director of Wee The People, a social justice project for kids. This is her first picture book.

A mother of three, Francie was born in the US to Haitian parents. Francie and her family live in Boston.

As the steward of her father’s legacy, Shannon Lee serves as the CEO of the Bruce Lee Family Company and the chairperson of the Bruce Lee Foundation. Her mission is to provide access to her father’s philosophy and life through education and entertainment. She is the author of Be Water My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee (Flatiron Books). An in-demand speaker, she has spoken at TED, TEDx, Creative Mornings, among others. Shannon is the co-creator and host of the Bruce Lee Podcast, the executive producer of Cinemax’s Warrior series also based off of a treatment written by Bruce Lee, and is now working on GUARDIAN OF THE SCROLL, aYA duology, with award winning fantasy and science fiction author, Fonda Lee.

Lyla Lee is the bestselling author of young adult novels like I’ll Be the One and Flip the Script, and the forthcoming THE CUFFING GAME. She also writes the Mindy Kim series for younger readers and Gigi Shin books for the middle school crowd. Her books have been translated into multiple languages around the world.

Born in South Korea, she’s since then lived in various cities throughout the United States. Inspired by her English teacher, she started writing her own stories in fourth grade and finished her first novel at the age of fourteen. After working various jobs in Hollywood and studying Psychology and Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California, she now lives in Dallas, Texas.

A former educator, Cynthia Levinson writes (mostly) nonfiction books for young readers ages 5 and up that focus on history, law, policy, and social justice. Her books have received the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, the Carter G. Woodson and Jane Addams Book Awards, the IRA Nonfiction Book Award, the National Jewish Book Award Finalist, and NAACP and Golden Kite Honors, among others. She divides her time between Austin, Texas and Boston, Massachusetts.

Erika Lewis is an award-winning author of novels for children and young adults. Her books have been published around the world and have appeared on national lists, including The Children’s BookCouncil Teacher’s Favorite Pick, Sunshine State Young Readers Award Books, Publisher’s Weekly Notables, Nerd Daily Most Anticipated, and Book Riot’s Must Reads. After graduating from Vanderbilt University, an internship at CNN led to exciting years working in television, developing scripted and reality shows for various studios and networks. Fifteen years later, her first book was optioned by Macmillan, and she’s been writing ever since. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Her work is represented by Tricia Lawrence at ACM.

Brian Lies is the author/illustrator of over 30 children’s books, including his NY Times best-selling bat series (Bats at the Beach, etc.), his 2019 Caldecott Honor-winning The Rough Patch, and 2025’s Cat Nap. His work in book and editorial illustration has won many awards, and he is acclaimed as a visiting author, working with elementary schools throughout the United States.  

He was the featured artist at the 2023 Abilene CALF Festival (www.abileneCALF.org). A graduate of Brown University, Brian lives with his family and two cats in Duxbury, Massachusetts, where he works, tends a large vegetable garden, and enjoys reading, cooking, and woodworking.

Bruce Littlefield, national television personality and author of numerous lifestyle books, including Merry Christmas, America and Airstream Living, has most recently written The Bedtime Book for Dogs, an illustrated read-aloud book for the canine community (Grand Central). He is the co-author of Bravo TV star Fredrik Eklund’s The Sell (Avery).

Megan Wagner Lloyd is the writer of the kids' graphic novels ALLERGIC,  SQUISHED, and WINGING IT, co-created with illustrator Michelle Mee Nutter, and the SUPER PANCAKE series, co-created with illustrator Abhi Alwar. She's also the author of HAVEN: A SMALL CAT'S BIG ADVENTURE, and several picture books. She lives with her family in the Washington, D.C. area.

Sign up for her newsletter: meganwagnerlloyd.com

Find her on Instagram: @meganwagnerlloyd

Azul López (FKA Andrés López) is a Mexican author and illustrator of picture books. Her books have been published in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Italy, France, Spain, South Korea, The Netherlands, USA, Germany, Greece and Sweden. Her stories and drawings have received multiple international awards. Most recently, she received the International Award for Illustration from the Bologna Children's Book Fair and the Green Island award from the Nami Island International Picture Book Illustration Concours in South-Korea.

Azul uses emotions, memories, and metaphors to tell the stories she imagines.  She is happy to collaborate on stories that others imagine, too. When she’s not working at her studio, she likes to walk among flowers, and to spend a lot of time looking at the sky, enjoying how, by just paying attention, we can witness the beautiful wonder of seeing things change.

Vicky Lorencen loves to write for children, not because she’s trying to recapture her childhood, but because she’s never quite left it. Her sense of humor—and the age of her inner child—lend themselves to contemporary MG fiction and non-fiction. Vicky has been in healthcare communication for 16 years, writing about everything from allergies to Zika virus. Vicky’s work for young readers has appeared in Highlights for Children, Ladybug and Girls’ Life. Her first nonfiction book, THE BIG BOOK OF BARF: A Spewnami of Sick Science, Hurled History, and Body Oddities, was published by Bright Matter Books/Random House Children's Books in 2025.

Violet Lumani was raised in a family of superstitious omen-watchers, absorbing the stories and myths her family brought to America with them. She holds a BA from Barnard College of Columbia University, and an MBA from UCONN and lives in Connecticut with her husband, two kids, and forever-dieting chihuahua named Kiwi. Foretold, part of the Scryer series, is her YA debut.

Patricia MacLachlan, the bestselling author of beloved books for young readers, was best known for her Newbery Medal-winning novel SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL, and its sequels SKYLARK, CALEB’S STORY, and MORE PERFECT THATN THE MOON.

Born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Patty graduated from the University of Connecticut and lived with her husband on a mountain top in Williamsburg, Massachusetts where she wrote and welcomed visits by her children and grandchildren.

Jeff Mack has written and illustrated more than forty picture books, chapter books, early readers, and graphic novels. Some of his books have been awarded Junior Library Guild Selections, New York Public Library Best Books of the Year, Bank Street Books of the Year, and various state awards.

From his home in Western Massachusetts, he travels both nationally and internationally visiting schools and libraries where he shares his passion for creating books with young readers, writers and artists.

Sangu Mandanna lives in the UK. She is the award winning author of the YA SFF Celestial Series, and will make her MG debut with the Kiki Kallira series.

Amanda Marrone has authored four books for teens, Uninvited, Revealers, Devoured, and Slayed and the middle-grade series The Magic Repair Shop Books: The Multiplying Menace, The Shape-Shifter’s Curse and Master of Mirrors.

Claudia Guadalupe Martínez’s debut novel, The Smell of Old Lady Perfume, received the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, the Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult Book Award, and an Americas Award Commendation.  Her sophomore novel Pig Park won the Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult Book and the NACCS Tejas Foco Young Adult Fiction Award. Her debut picture book, Not A Bean, illustrated by Laura González received multiple starred reviews and was named a Best Book of the Year by Bank Street College of Education. Her next picture book, Still Dreaming, illustrated by Magdalena Mora, received a Pura Belpré Honor for Illustration. Claudia’s latest picture book, Not A Monster, illustrated by Laura Gonzalez, received a starred review from Kirkus and a Blueberry Honor Award. Claudia also authored The Movie Novel for Dream Works’ animated film, Spirit Untamed.  Forthcoming titles include Spanish editions of Not A Bean and Not A Monster, and the latest installment in Claudia’s Not A series, titled, Not A Dog, which will be published in English and Spanish simultaneously (Charlesbridge).

Claudia grew up in sunny El Paso, Texas, where she learned that letters form words from reading the subtitles of old westerns with her father. She now lives and writes in Chicago.

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Lina Maslo is a Ukrainian American author, illustrator and designer. Her published books include Free as a Bird: The Story of Malala (Balzer+Bray), a Library Guild Selection, CCBC Choice, and the winner of the Living the Dream Book Award; and Through the Wardrobe: How C. S. Lewis Created Narnia (Balzer+Bray). Of her newest release, Threads: Zlata’s Ukrainian Shirt (FSG)., a Kirkus starred review praised: ""A poignant yet accessible entry into Ukraine’s ongoing suffering—and survival. ""

Lina loves to explore different media such as acrylics, gouache, and pen and ink. She has a Degree of Art from New College of Florida, and currently resides in South Carolina with her husband and four kids.

At some point in the exuberance of his youth, Joshua's mother nicknamed him "Sunshine." Then he hit third grade, started writing books about WWIII (complete w/ pics). By 5th grade, his wars had expanded to the universe. His mother was worried. Over the years, he's continued to worry her, but at least the writing's improved a skosh (the drawing sure hasn't. Wanna good laugh, invite him to a game of Pictionary).

Joshua lives in San Antonio, TX with his wonderful rapscallion daughter. You can call him Joshua, Josh, J... He's working on that Sunshine.​

Robyn McGrath has spent her career working with children as a dance and yoga instructor, reading teacher, school counselor, and now children’s author. Whether she’s writing fiction or nonfiction, Robyn believes that books help us navigate life experiences while fostering an understanding of self and others. When Robyn is not writing she works as a Play Therapist helping children and parents regulate BIG emotions. Robyn lives in Austin, TX with her husband, two children, a Labrador retriever, and a friendly cat they found camping. You can find out more about her work at robynmcgrathwrites.com.

An actress best known for her roles on The Wonder Years and The West Wing, McKellar is also an internationally recognized mathematician and advocate for math education. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Mathematics from UCLA.

Juliet McKenna started reading folk tales and Greek myths at the age of five, and written more over 15 books of epic fantasy. She has been a judge for the Arthur C. Clarke and World Fantasy Awards. A mother and Black Belt in Aikido, she lives in Oxford, England.

Jodi Meadows wants to be a ferret when she grows up and she has no self-control when it comes to yarn, ink, or outer space. Still, she manages to write books. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy, the ORPHAN QUEEN Duology, the FALLEN ISLES Trilogy (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen), and the NIGHTRENDER duology (Holiday House). She is also a coauthor of  New York Times bestsellers MY LADY JANE, MY PLAIN JANE, and other books in the Lady Janies series (HarperTeen). She lives in rural Virginia. Visit her at her website or subscribe to her substack for more!

Aaron Meshon illustrates and designs for magazines, advertisements, children's products, murals, and books that can be found all over the world. Aaron's first children's book: TAKE ME OUT TO THE YAKYU was on the New York Times top 100 of 2013 and received 4 starred reviews. Aaron has also written and illustrated TOOLS RULE!, THE BEST DAYS ARE DOG DAYS, DELIVERY and NOW THAT I'M HERE. Aaron also illustrated TOMORROW IS WATING written by Kiley Frank.

Aaron teaches illustration at The School of Visual Arts in New York City, and has also been a guest illustration lecturer at RISD, MICA, UArts, SVA, FIT and NHIA. Aaron currently lives with his wife, and son in the lovely Berkshires in Western Massachusetts.

Amelia Meyer takes silliness seriously. Her work is a world of kooky imagination, populated by oddballs and charming characters alike. In creating fun and humor, she prioritizes great care for artistry and thoughtful design. As an author and illustrator, she strives to create approachable, lovable books that entice even the most hesitant reader.

Amelia studied Illustration: Entertainment Design at ArtCenter College of Design. There she discovered her passion for storytelling and children’s books. When she is not in the studio, she loves to catch a baseball game, host elaborate theme parties, or putter around a flea market, all the while sketching everyone around her.

Rhett Miller is a critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter known for fronting the popular alternative country band Old 97’s and as a solo artist who has released six albums. Miller has authored short stories, essays and articles that have appeared in a range of publications including Rolling Stone, Bookforum, Sports Illustrated, McSweeny’s, The Atlantic, and Salon. His first book, No More Poems!, was published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers.

Pat Zietlow Miller has published more than 20 picture books and has more on the way. Her first book, SOPHIE’S SQUASH, won the Golden Kite Award, an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor, and a Charlotte Zolotow Honor. BE KIND was on the New York Times bestseller list for 10 weeks, and IN OUR GARDEN is a two-time Dolly Parton Imagination Library selection. Pat lives in Wisconsin. Find her at www.patzietlowmiller.com. Or, visit her on X, Blue Sky and TikTok at @PatZMiller, or on Instagram at @patzmill.

^{Born and raised in Aurora, Illinois, Wendell Minor has created over sixty award-winning children’s books. He is also the cover artist and designer for books by David McCullough and Pat Conroy. Among the many authors he has collaborated with are Jean Craighead George, Charlotte Zolotow, Robert Burleigh, Mary Higgins Clark, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and his wife Florence Minor.} 

^{Wendell has twice spoken and signed his books at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC.  His work has been exhibited widely throughout the country in various venues including the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, Art Institute of Chicago, New Britain Museum of American Art, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport, Boston Public Library, and Chautauqua Institution’s Center for the Visual Arts. He has received Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from the University of Connecticut and Aurora University in Illinois. Wendell lives and works with his wife Florence, and their cat Cinder,  in Washington, Connecticut.} 

Malcolm Mitchell is a star rookie for Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots and founder of "Malcolm Reads"—a charitable organization focuses on building readers in disadvantaged homes.

Yesenia Moises is an Afro-Latina Author, Illustrator, and Toy Designer. She uses her colorful illustrations and whimsical designs to create wonder and magic for young readers. Kirkus described her debut picture book, Stella’s Stellar Hair (Imprint, 2021) as “an innovative, refreshing, out-of-this-world tale about the incredible versatility of afro hair” in their starred review, and it was an Amazon Editor’s Pick, as well as one of Parents magazine’s Best Children’s Books of 2021. Yesenia also serves as illustrator for Tennis Olympian Serena Williams’ The Adventures of Qai Qai (Feiwel & Friends, 2022), which received praise from Booklist as “[f]illed with richly colored illustrations that see a preponderance of velvety purples and pinks, this book will particularly catch the eye of dancers and the Fancy Nancy set.” Her work has been featured on Buzzfeed, SyFy, MSNBC, CNN, WNYC, and on the pages of publishers like DC and Image. In a time when the world can be a scary place, she wants it to be filled with big hair, bright colors, and lots of sazón from the heart!

Serena Molloy is a secondary school teacher living in Galway, West Ireland. She takes inspiration for her writing from her colourful classroom experience and her own children, who educate her daily. Serena particularly enjoys writing for young adults.

A former writer and producer at NBC News and The Today Show, Montalbano is the author of the middle-grade novel Breakaway. She is a longtime soccer player and coach, and her writing has been featured on the New York Times’s Motherlode blog and elsewhere

Heather L. Montgomery writes for kids who are wild about animals. The weirder, the wackier, the better. An award-winning science educator, Heather uses yuck appeal to engage young minds. During presentations, petrified animal parts and tree guts inspire reluctant readers and motivate reticent writers.  

Heather has a BS in biology and an MS in environmental education, she lives on the border of Alabama and Tennessee, and she has published seventeen nonfiction books.  

Roadkill changed her life.

Zewlan Moor is an author, doctor, and bibliotherapist who writes playful books for today’s savvy kids. Now living on the land of the Yugambeh people at the Gold Coast, Australia, with her husband and two children, Zewlan loves to read, practice medicine and combine the two through her private practice, Byron Bibliotherapy. Her books are sometimes multi-layered, with a quirky sense of humor and light touch that belies their serious intent. Other times they're just fun. In her reading and writing, Zewlan is preoccupied with themes of identity, language, power and social justice. Which sounds very dry but isn't. Especially when wrapped in a picture book/cozy mystery/dark academia/romcom package.

Oscar-winning actress, Moore won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild award for her portrayal of Sarah Palin in the HBO film Game Change. Her Freckleface Strawberry books are the basis for an Off Broadway show that opened in 2010. Her book Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully was a New York Times Bestseller.

Maria Ingrande Mora (they/she) is a content strategist and brunch enthusiast. Their love languages are snacks, queer joy, and live music. A graduate of the University of Florida, Maria lives near a wetlands preserve with two cats, two children, and two billion mosquitoes. They can often be found writing at their stand-up desk, surrounded by house plants. Unless the cats have destroyed them.

Heidi Moreno is a Mexican American author, illustrator, designer, and community cat advocate living in Los Angeles, California. Her work has been featured in galleries across the United States, and she frequently participates in group shows at Gallery Nucleus in Portland, Oregon. She has collaborated with Facebook, Papyrus, the OC Fair, and several cat rescues such as Kitten Rescue LA.

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Heidi is constantly chasing the feeling that Halloween brought her as a child, when she ran through streets with only the warm, dim streetlamps guiding her way to the next orange-lit home with a jack-o-lantern calling. Her textures and use of watercolors, gouache, and colored pencils are inspired by her favorite childhood tools. She loves to create eccentric characters, and to imagine what their quirks and days might be like. Her debut illustrated book, Working from Home with a Cat (Chronicle Books), started out as a zine she printed at home. Luna Oscura (Lil’ Libros) is her first bilingual children’s book. On most days you can find her hanging out with her husband Danny and their neighborhood's community cats.

Andrea Mosqueda is a Chicana writer, born and raised in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley.

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Jenny (McKissack) Moss writes for children and teens. She’s released four novels (Sanctuary, Taking Off, Shadow, and Winnie’s War) and three Capstone books under two author names. In between writing books, she’s trained NASA astronauts, taught writing to college students, worked as a bookseller, and raised money for cancer research. She also raised two kids, who are great travel partners for trips to faraway places.

EBONY LYNN MUDD is a storyteller who writes stories that center underrepresented kids as main characters, highlighting the rich diversity within the Black community.

Ebony’s stories are an act of love, literary activism, and a safe space for every person who opens her books. She is also a member of Authors Against Book Bans and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the creator of picture book revision courses through The PB Retreat and the empowering literacy program Dance-N-Read, and the co-founder of PB Rising Stars, a picture book mentorship program.

As a former professional dancer and owner of a tuition-free dance company, Ebony is a bridge for underprivileged kids who hope to work in the arts. Now, as an Author, Ebony reaches those kids through stories.Ebony lives (and dances) in North Carolina but is always seeking the next plane, train, bus, car, scooter, or boat to whisk her away on a new adventure. Her other interests include all-you-can-eat sushi, quoting Phoebe from the T.V. show FRIENDS, and eating anything edible that she didn't have to cook.

To connect with Ebony, check out her website at www.ebonylynnmudd.com.

Luma Mufleh, immigrant, Muslim, gay, entrepreneur, mother, introvert, leader, and speaker, is best known as "Coach" by the students and families for whom she founded the first network of middle and high schools for refugee kids in the United States. She writes from her own experiences of both struggle and privilege, with a combination of humor, humility, and inspiration.

Bethanie Murguia is an author and illustrator. She has created eighteen picture books, and she is currently working on middle grade graphic novels for Macmillan and Candlewick Press. She received her MFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York and worked as an art director for various publishers, design firms, and marketing agencies before dedicating herself to children’s writing and illustration. Her books have received many accolades, including starred reviews from Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard, ALSC Summer Reading List, IndieNext List, Amazon Best Books of the Year, BCCB Best Books of the Year, and Bank Street College Best Books of the Year.

Bethanie lives north of the Golden Gate Bridge with her family and two forty-pound lap dogs. When she’s not creating stories, she’s most likely hiking, biking, or snuggling up with her dogs and a book.

Cole Nagamatsu's fiction has appeared online and in print at Tin House, cream city review, West Branch, Bartleby Snopes, PodCastle, Gingerbread House Literary Magazine, Timber Journal, and other publications. She is the editor-in-chief of Psychopomp Magazine and is a visiting assistant professor of Creative Writing at St. Olaf College in Minnesota.

Beth is an author, screenwriter, essayist, and published picture book writer living in Los Angeles, California with her daughters and husband. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Beth grew up surrounded by a family of dancers, actors, singers, teachers, and writers. She is a recipient of several Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator (SCBWI) awards for her young adult novel writing. She gets critiqued by her writing mentor, award-winning writer and Los Angeles cult hero, Francesca Lia Block. Beth also leans into service journalism with her newsletter, The Little Things that Save Me.

Beth is also a passionate women's health advocate, a believer that the act of writing heals, and needs a good dose of live music every month or so to stay sane.

Catherine Newman is a beloved and widely read parenting blogger and author of Waiting for Birdy (Penguin) and Field Guide to Catastrophic Happiness (Little, Brown). Her work has been published in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Real Simple, O Magazine, and Whole Living.

Maya Soetoro-Ng is the Director of Community Outreach and Global Learning for the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Hawaii in Manoa. She holds a Masters degree in Secondary Education from NYU and a PhD in Multicultural Education from the University of Hawaii. Her first picture book, The New York Times bestselling Ladder to the Moon (Candlewick), was inspired by her young daughter Suhaila’s questions about her grandmother Ann Dunham, the mother of Maya and of our forty-fourth president, Barack Obama. Maya is an advocate for community service and peace education. Her debut young adult novel is being published by Candlewick.

Sara Nickerson began her writing career working in television and film. Her first novel, HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY AND NEVER BE FOUND (HarperCollins) started out as a screenplay that she adapted for middle grade readers. Her second novel, THE SECRETS OF BLUEBERRIES, BROTHERS, MOOSE & ME (Dutton Children’s Books), earned a BCCB Blue Ribbon Award and was called a “classic summer adventure” by the New York Times. And LAST MEETING OF THE GORILLA CLUB (Dutton Children’s Books) was a Washington State Book Award finalist. Her work has been translated into several languages and selected for State Reading Lists. She lives in Seattle.

Jennifer A. Nielsen is the #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of more than 25 books for young readers. Her work has garnered multiple awards, among them, the Sydney Taylor Notable Book Award (RESISTANCE, 2019), multiple Whitney Awards, including the Outstanding Achievement Award (2023), and several state book awards. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages worldwide.

Jennifer is a frequent speaker in schools and at writing conferences around the country. She lives in northern Utah with her family.

Kristin Wolden Nitz is the author of Suspect, Saving the Griffin, and Defending Irene. After growing up in Duluth, Minnesota, she graduated with an electrical engineering degree from Michigan Tech. Since then, she has moved 15 times with stops in the Northeast, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, and the Italian Alps. A chronic tourist, Kristin enjoys visiting mountains and museums, pyramids and pagodas, tombs and temples. She currently lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan with her husband.

Barbara O’Connor is the author of award-winning novels for children, including Halfway to Harmony, How to Steal a Dog, and the New York Times bestseller, Wish. Drawing on her South Carolina roots, Barbara’s books are known for their strong Southern settings and quirky characters.

In addition to seven Parents Choice Awards, Barbara’s distinctions include School Library Journal Best Books, Kirkus Best Books, Bank Street College Best Books, American Booksellers Association Best Books and ALA Notables. She has had books nominated for children’s choice awards in 38 states and been voted the winner by children in ten states. Barbara is a popular visiting author at schools and a frequent speaker at conferences around the country.

Dr. Eucabeth Odhiambo is a professor of Teacher Education at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. She has served the education community in a variety of positions during the past 25 years. As a classroom teacher, she has taught all grades between kindergarten and middle school. She currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Early Childhood and Curriculum and Instruction programs. She teaches child development and social studies methods and has made numerous professional presentations at local, state, national, and international conferences. In addition to her writing for children, she has authored publications on teaching, pre-service training, and diversity.

David Opie grew up in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where he spent a lot of time roaming around the woods. He went on to earn his BFA in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and his MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His illustrations have appeared in many magazines and newspapers and he has worked for educational publishers including Heinemann/Houghton Mifflin, Macmillan, Learning A-Z, McGraw-Hill, National Geographic School Publishing, Scholastic, and Soundprints/Smithsonian.

David has taught at the Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago and the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, and was a full-time instructor in the illustration department of the American Academy of Art in downtown Chicago. He currently teaches at the University of New Haven. David and his wife live with their dog in Connecticut.

Emma Otheguy is the creator of HarperCollins’ award winning Reina Ramos (I Can Read) early reader series, and the author of the picture books Martí’s Song for Freedom/ Martí y sus versos por la libertad, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal (Lee and Low), which received five starred reviews, was named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, and the New York Public Library, and was the recipient of the International Literacy Association’s Children’s and Young Adult Book Award in Intermediate Nonfiction, A Sled for Gabo (Atheneum), illustrated by Ana Ramirez Gonzalez, which was an NCTE Charlotte Huck Recommended Book and a Best Book of the Year by the Chicago and New York Public Libraries and Parents Latina magazine, and her latest, Martina Has Too Many Tías, illustrated by Pura Belpré Honor illustrator Sara Palacios (Atheneum),which is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection and has received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal. Emma’s middle-grade novels include Silver Meadows Summer, which was called “a magnificent contribution to the diversity of the new American literature for young readers” by Pura Belpré-winning author Ruth Behar; Secrets of the Silver Lion: A Carmen Sandiego Novel; and Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene, which received the International Latino Book Award Silver Medal for Best Youth Latino Focused Chapter Book. Emma also co-authored The Madre de Aguas of Cuba: Unicorn Rescue Society middle grade fantasy with Newbery Honor-winner Adam Gidwitz. Her forthcoming books include the third and fourth installments in the Reina Ramos series, Reina Ramos: Tour Guide, and Reina Ramos: Neighborhood Helper, and the first two titles in a new magic fantasy-adventure series titled Cousins in the Time of Magic, published by Atheneum.

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Andrea M. Page (Hunkpapa Lakota) writes middle grade, picture books, and educator guides for children’s books by Native authors. She is the author of SIOUX CODE TALKERS OF WORLD WAR II (Pelican Publishing), which won a 2019 Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) Gold Medal. She serves as a board member for the Children’s Literature Assembly (CLA) of the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE), where she recently became one of the vice-chairs of CLA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. In addition, Andrea is an instructor at the Highlights Foundation, where she mentors other children’s writers.

Her upcoming projects include a contribution to the bestselling “Who Was…?” series titled WHO WAS WILMA MANKILLER? (Penguin Workshop). Andrea is a long-time member of the Rochester Area Children’s Writers and Illustrators (RACWI) group and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

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Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan loves exploring history and science. She's written a dozen fiction and nonfiction books and graphic novels. She has been a science educator on stage and a historical re-enactor at museums. She loves board games, birding, and baking. She's a lifelong runner, avid community scientist, and can usually deliver the punchline. When Elizabeth isn’t writing, she’s out birding. Her spark bird is a red-tailed hawk. She completed the Master Birder program with the Audubon Society of Western PA. Elizabeth lives with her family and pet schnoodle in Pittsburgh, PA.

Dan’s writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Philadelphia Inquirer, McSweeney’s, Ladybug, and Ranger Rick, among other publications. He studied Geography and City Planning at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and Science Writing at Johns Hopkins University. Dan is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the National Association of Science Writers (NASW).

Dan’s recent books include LOVE IS HARD WORK, THEY HOLD THE LINE: WILDFIRES, WILDLANDS, AND THE FIREFIGHTERS WHO BRAVE THEM.

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Edith Pattou is the author of three award-winning fantasy novels for young adults as well as the New York Times bestselling picture book, MRS. SPITZER’S GARDEN. 

She was born in Evanston, Illinois, grew up in Winnetka, and was a teenager in the city of Chicago. She completed her B.A. at Scripps College in Claremont, California where she won the Crombie Allen Award for creative writing. She later completed a Master’s degree in English Literature at Claremont Graduate School followed by a Masters of Library and Information Science at UCLA. She currently resides with her husband, Charles, in Columbus, Ohio.

Miranda Paul is the award-winning author of many fiction and nonfiction books for children including One Plastic Bag, Speak Up, and Water is Water, illustrated by Caldecott-medalist Jason Chin. She presents and speaks at schools and libraries around the world, and teaches writing to both kids and adults. Learn more at www.MirandaPaul.com.

Lisa Varchol Perron is the author of several books and over seventy poems for kids. Awards and recognition for her books include state lists and being named a JLG Gold Standard Selection, NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book, Golden Kite Award Finalist, and Best Science Book for Kids (NPR's Science Friday). She lives with her family outside of Boston, Massachusetts, where she also works as a psychotherapist. To learn more about Lisa's books and poetry, please visit her website: lisaperronbooks.com. She can also be found on Instagram and Bluesky: @lisavperron.

Shawn Peters has spent more than two decades writing professionally for television and advertising.

Nadine Pinede is the daughter of Haitian exiles from the Duvalier dictatorship. She earned her literature degree from Harvard (magna cum laude) and studied French and English at Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar. Her MFA is in Fiction and Poetry. Her PhD in Philosophy of Education focused on literature and the moral imagination. Pinede, twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize and shortlisted for a Hurston-Wright award, has to her credit fiction and poetry published in Haiti Noir (edited by Edwidge Danticat) and An Invisible Geography, a poetry chapbook. She is the author of two nonfiction works Sexism & Race, and Women in Film. As a member of the Authors Guild and Women Writers of Haitian Descent, and a We Need Diverse Books mentee and grantee, her poetry has been widely anthologized.  Nadine lives and works in Belgium and is an editor for Enchanted Lion Books.

Passionate about creating thoughtful representation for kids and teens, Maya Prasad is a South Asian American author, a Caltech graduate, and a former software engineer. She currently resides in the Pacific Northwest, where she enjoys hiking, kayaking, and raising her budding bookworm kiddo. She’s the author of two YA contemporary romances: Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things (Disney 2022); Wild Wishes and Windswept Kisses (Disney 2023), and also the author of the Sejal Sinha chapter book series (S&S/Aladdin).

Elvis Presley is one of the most influential pop culture figures of the 20th century. Often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", Elvis’ commanding voice and charismatic stage presence unleashed a musical and cultural revolution that changed the world forever. Over the course of his career, Elvis was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards (3 wins), sold over 1 billion records world-wide, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and was named One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation by the United States Jaycees. In addition to his musical accolades, Elvis starred in 33 films and made numerous television appearances. Today Elvis continues to inspire musicians, fashion designers, and social influencers and captivate audiences around the world.

Nicki Pau Preto is the author of YA fantasy trilogy Crown of Feathers and the forthcoming YA duology, Bonesmith. Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents is her MG debut.

Nick Pyenson is a paleontologist at the Smithsonian Institution where he studies the evolution and ecology of whales. Along with his scientific collaborators, he has named over a dozen new fossil species, discovered the richest fossil whale graveyard on the planet, and described an entirely new sensory organ in living whales. He has received the highest research awards from the Smithsonian for his work, including the Secretary’s Research Prize and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from President Barack Obama’s Administration. Pyenson is also a member of the Young Scientists community at the World Economic Forum, and the father of two young kids.