Our Children's Authors

Harleen Gupt is a passionate storyteller with a background as vibrant as her authentic tales. Her introspective creativity is deeply influenced by her rich life experiences and a deep love of nature and all its creatures. Growing up in India, where picture books at the time were almost unheard of, Harleen was immersed in the magical world of religious sagas and real-life adventures of inspirational icons vividly recounted by family elders. She credits her son for introducing her to the fantastical world of picture books. The first board books she ever read were Goodnight Moon and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, which were baby shower gifts. Reading enchanting tales with dreamy illustrations to her son, she realized how stories could shape young minds and hearts. Her son’s early efforts at writing and illustrating books made from self-stapled pages were a delightful spark of inspiration.

Harleen holds degrees in engineering and business, and her artistic talents shine in writing, design, and painting. She has worked with the limb-loss community and the Amputee Coalition for over a decade, spoken at conferences, and written for InMotion magazine. She is the recipient of the Amputee Coalition’s Values in Action Award for her work. She also serves on the board of St. Mark’s Episcopal School. Harleen lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband AG and their son Atharv Jay. Through her writing, she strives to empower her readers to embrace differences, overcome challenges, and believe in the power of their unique voices.

A.B. Hamilton is a fantasy writer from south London. A school teacher by trade, he spends his free time crafting rich stories that explore themes of identity and belonging. His favourite authors include Ursula K. Le Guin, N.K. Jemisin, and Ted Chiang. He is an advocate for men’s mental health and supports increased inclusivity and representation across all levels of the publishing industry.

Kersten Hamilton was born in a trailer in the mountains of southern New Mexico. By their sixth birthday they knew what they wanted to be when they grew up. A writer! This would prove to be difficult, as a wayward fairy (apparently not invited to Kersten’s christening) gifted the child with dyslexia and dysgraphia topped with a dollop of autism spectrum disorder. Unaware of the academic and social trouble ahead, Kersten set off to have an exciting childhood tracking caribou and arctic wolves across in Alaska, catching tiny tree frogs in the swamps and rain forests of the Pacific Northwest, and chasing dust devils and rattlesnakes across the high desert of New Mexico. Kersten escaped electrocution when a typhoon blew power lines down over yet another trailer in a swamp in Washington state, and didn’t drown when a station wagon spun out of control onto thin lake ice in Alaska. Most of the bullets missed, none of the incidents with bears, snakes, wolves, or angry moose were fatal.

Now, Kersten is Mom to several grown children, Grimm to more than several grandchildren, a fearless defender of bugs and other beasties, and a writer! Hooray!

Brooks Hansen is a novelist, screenwriter, and illustrator. He is the author nine books, including novels both for adults and young readers. His first novel, The Chess Garden, was named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, and he won a Guggenheim Fellowship for his novel John the Baptist. His new novel, The Unknown Woman of the Seine, is forthcoming from Delphinium Books.

Tony and Emmy award-winning stage and screen performer, Neil Patrick Harris is best known for his roles as Barney Stinson in the popular CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother and as the iconic and beloved Doogie Howser, M.D. He’s been in many movies, hosted the Tonys, the Emmys, and the Oscars, and performed in several Broadway shows.

Rochelle Hassan grew up reading about dragons, quests, and unlikely heroes; now she writes about them, too. She is the author of the middle grade novel The Prince of Nowhere and young adult fantasy novel, The Buried and the Bound. She lives in New York.

Ritu Hemnani is a journalist, teacher, and storyteller, who hopes for every child to see themselves in the pages of a book and know that their stories matter. She is also a voice actor and motivational speaker. Ritu recognizes herself as ethnically Indian, a British national, and calls Hong Kong her home, where she lives with her husband and three children. 

Ritu shares the seeds of her writing journey and the inspiration behind her deep dive into her own family history in her 2019 TEDx Talk, “An Inheritance Worth Sharing.” When not writing or teaching, Ritu delights in family game nights, strumming the strings of her guitar, and paddling through Hong Kong waters on her carrot-colored kayak. 

Rye Hickman is a visual storyteller based out of Denver, with an eye for dramatic compositions and strong emotion. Past work includes Hey, Mary!, The Harrowing, Bad Dream, Buzzing, and more. They get really excited about dystopian fiction, good coffee, and drawing hands.

Carter Higgins is the author of many books for young readers, including Everything You Need for a Treehouse, Some of These Are Snails, and the chapter book series, Audrey L & Audrey W. Her first book as both author and illustrator, Circle Under Berry, was named a Best Book of 2021 by Publishers Weekly, Smithsonian Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.

Carter is a creative storyteller who designs playful experiences around visual literacy and believes the wit of kids' language is the best poetry of all. She is an Emmy-winning visual effects and motion graphics artist and spent a decade as an elementary school librarian. You can find her on Instagram @carterhiggins or online at carterhiggins.com. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Maria Hinojosa’s nearly thirty-year career as a journalist includes reporting for PBS, CBS, WGBH, WNBC, CNN, NPR, and anchoring and executive producing the Peabody Award–winning show Latino USA, the longest running national Latinx news program in the country, distributed by PRX. She is also a contributor to the long-running, award-winning news program CBS Sunday Morning and an on-air contributor on MSNBC. She has won several awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, four Emmys, the Studs Terkel Community Media Award, two Robert F. Kennedy Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Overseas Press Club, and the Ruben Salazar Lifetime Achievement Award. She has also been inducted into the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2010 she founded Futuro Media, an independent nonprofit newsroom and production company with the mission of producing multimedia content from a POC perspective. Through the breadth of her work and as the founding co-anchor of the award-winning podcast In the Thick, Hinojosa has informed millions about the changing cultural and political landscape in America and abroad. Her adult memoir, ONCE I WAS YOU was an NPR Best Book of 2020. In 2022, she adapted ONCE I WAS YOU for young readers, blending her story with perspectives on history in the vein of Jason Reynolds’s Stamped. She lives with her family in Harlem, New York City.

Philip Hoelzel is the author of Planting Hope: A Portrait of Photographer Sebastião Salgado and Samba! The Heartbeat of a Community: Ailton Nunes’s Musical Journey. Philip was born and raised near Chicago, Illinois. As a child he played soccer, went camping with his parents and siblings and spent a lot of time outdoors. Today, when not writing, Philip can be found managing in an outdoor retail store, hiking local trails, doing school visits as an author and performing with a Brazilian percussion group in Austin, Texas.

Kari Anne Holt is the best-selling author of more than fifteen books for young readers, including the award-winning middle grade novels-in-verse House Arrest, Redwood & Ponytail, and the Kids Under the Stairs series. Her picture book, I Wonder, was featured in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and was nominated for a Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award. Kari Anne's writing for adults has been featured in several Best of McSweeney's collections, Publisher's Weekly, and in KUT's syndicated weekly radio news program, The Texas Standard. Kari Anne is a founding member of Typewriter Rodeo, a traveling custom-poetry collective, and she teaches in Vermont College of Fine Art's Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA program. Kari Anne lives in Austin, TX.

Dr. David Hone is a palaeontologist and zoologist at Queen Mary, University of London, where he is also Director of Biological Scienes Programmes. He has published nearly 100 academic papers on dinosaur biology and behaviour, with a particular interest in Tyrannousaurs. David includes among his writing credits the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs. He has appeared on the Discovery Channel, BBC Radio 5 Live and RTE, acted as consultant for National Geographic documentaries, and written articles for The Guardian, New Scientist, The Times, The Independent, The Telegraph, The New York Times, and many others.

Rachel attended The University of Rhode Island where she obtained her BA in English Language and Literature and later earned her Masters in Education from Northeastern University. Whether it’s reading through a great new book or exploring the world, Rachel has always loved that infinite stories surround us. She has written many stories of her own over the years from speculative fiction to contemporary. Currently, she is focused on cultivating diverse stories featuring queer leads who all hold a special place in their hearts for all things geeky. Outside writing, Rachel enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her cats, or diving into the worlds of Marvel, Star Wars, and Avatar the Last Airbender.

Barry Jackson is a prolific production designer, director of storyboard teams, writer, and children's book author/illustrator. Jackson's screen credits include The Prince of Egypt, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Titan AE, and Ron Howard's The Grinch. He was one of several production designers on the Dreamwork's production, Shrek.

Naseem Jamnia is a 2019 Lambda Literary Emerging Writers Retreat Fellow and freelance writer and editor, with an MS in Biological Sciences. Their nonfiction has appeared in The Rumpus, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan and other sites, and they were the 2018 Bitch Media Fellow in Technology. A native Chicagoan and child to Iranian immigrants, Naseem lives with their husband, dog, and two cats in Reno, Nevada, where they're getting their MFA in Fiction.

Kristin Kemper is a Missouri native who grew up reading library books and writing and illustrating her own stories. Now residing in Brooklyn, Kristin is a freelance illustrator and author of the webcomic Sylvania, as well as a graphic noveling instructor at Writopia Lab NYC.

Lars is a cartoonist and illustrator best known for his work in The New Yorker, where he has been a contributor since 2017. "Lars Kenseth's drawings and writing work perfectly together," says Roz Chast, "His hapless, clueless, neckless people inhabit a specific Kensethian universe that always makes me laugh." His writings and drawings have also been featured in Esquire, MAD, Barron's, WIRED, Playboy and ALTA Journal.

A talented comedy writer, Lars's credits include Norm Macdonald Has A Show (Netflix) and Chuck Deuce (Adult Swim). He has developed TV shows with FOX, MTV, TBS and Amazon just to name a few. In 2016, he was selected as a Sundance Institute Fellow, participating in their New Voices Lab. He currently lives in Santa Monica with his wife Liz and their two cats, Mucho and Honeybear.

Darshana Khiani is an author, engineer, and an advocate for South Asian children’s literature. She is infinitely curious about the world and enjoys sharing her findings with young readers. If she can make a child laugh even better. She enjoys hiking, solving jigsaw puzzles, and traveling. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Open to work for hire and IP work in board books, picture books, and chapter books.

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of the NYT Bestseller Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants and Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses, was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing, and her other work has appeared in Orion, Whole Terrain, and numerous scientific journals.

She is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, whose mission is to create programs which draw on the wisdom of both indigenous and scientific knowledge for our shared goals of sustainability.

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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.

Carrie Kruck is the author of books for young readers including Iggy Who Breathes Fire (illustrated by Erika Meza) and Alfred Blooms (illustrated by Carmen Mok). She was born and raised in Canada, studied and worked as a psychologist in Australia, and now lives in the woods of New Hampshire with her husband, two kids, and a delightful assortment of foxes, owls, and bears.

Erin Kubo is an illustrator and comic artist whose work features subtly expressive characters, lush environments, and dreamy details rendered in a mixture of watercolor, ink, and digital painting. She was born and raised in New Jersey before moving to Baltimore to study at Maryland Institute College of Art. After earning her B.F.A in Illustration in 2016, she moved to Seattle where she now resides. She spends her time reading horror stories, petting neighborhood cats, and yearning for perfectly ripe tomatoes.

She has brought a wide range of stories to life, including a comic written by NYT-bestselling author Jordan Ifueko for Jim Henson's STORYTELLERS anthology published by BOOM! Studios. Erin's darkly humorous illustrated poem, THE CHRISTMAS CREATURE, was narrated in a video by NYT-bestselling author Hank Green. Her upcoming graphic novel, THE EMPTY HOUSE, based on a script by Eisner-nominated author Megan Wagner Lloyd, is slated for publication in the Fall of 2028.

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.

Kary Lee is a Bank Street and Mom’s Choice Award-winning author-illustrator whose stories welcome readers with lively expression and a warm, enchanting style. Whether layering traditional watercolor washes on paper, crafting whimsical gestures on her iPad, or capturing real-world inspiration through urban sketching, Kary brings visually captivating, emotionally resonant stories to life. Her background in graphic design and art direction bring insight and understanding to publishing’s big picture, to create organic and deeply engaging narratives.

Early recognition with an SCBWI LA Portfolio Award ignited her passion for kid lit. Her work gained national attention when she and her teammate won the Emory Global Health Institute (EGHI) competition, creating the Covid-19 Helpers e-book. This led to her 2020 Bank Street Best Book Award and its companion book, Covid Vaccines for Kids (Blair Press, 2021). Kary has illustrated several picture books, various editorial projects and now also writes her own stories. She lives in Seattle with her husband, Charles, and a backyard bunny. Visit her at karylee.com.

Sara Levine is an award-winning author, veterinarian, and a science educator.  Her titles have received the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science, Animal Behavior Society Children's Book Award, Bank Street College Best Book of the Year, Beehive Book Award, Cook Prize, Junior Library Guild Selection, and the Mathical Book Prize.

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.

Lydia Lukidis is an award-winning author of 60+ trade and educational books for children. Her titles include UP, UP HIGH: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere (Capstone, 2025), DANCING THROUGH SPACE: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights (Albert Whitman, 2024), and DEEP, DEEP, DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone, 2023) which was a Crystal Kite winner for the Canada and North America division, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Express Honor, a Cybils Award nominee, and winner of the Dogwood Readers Award. A science enthusiast from a young age, Lydia now incorporates her studies in science and her everlasting curiosity into her books.

Lydia is very involved in the kidlit community. She volunteers as a judge on Rate your Story, co-hosts the annual Fall Writing Frenzy competition, and is an active member of SCBWI, CANSCAIP, 12 x 12, and The Authors Guild. Another passion of hers is fostering a love for children’s literacy through the writing workshops she regularly offers in elementary schools across Quebec with the Culture in the Schools program.

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.

Mrs. & Mr. MacLeod are an award-winning, critically acclaimed Picture Book author and illustrator, husband and wife team. Their debut, HOW TO EAT A BOOK won the Barnes & Noble Picture Book of the Year Award in 2023, and was hailed by the New York Times as “ A time-warping joyride of graphic delight.” THE DOOR THAT HAD NEVER BEEN OPENED BEFORE, and the soon to be released BIRTHDAY BEAR are the next books in the series that follows the curiously twisted adventures of Sheila, Gerald and Gerald's twin sister Geraldine. Mrs. & Mr. MacLeod’s picture books are being devoured by children around the world.

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.

Mélina Mangal writes picture books, biographies, and short stories that focus on connections with nature and culture. Titles include The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just, winner of the Carter G. Woodson Award, Jayden’s Impossible Garden, named One of the Best Children's Books of the Year by Bank Street Center for Children’s Literature, and the sequel, Jayden’s Secret Ingredient. She is the author of the nature-based board book series Outside Our Window. Mélina also works as a school library teacher, spreading book love daily. Visit her online at www.melinamangal.com.

Curtis knows that books are doors to special places. Finding just the right book can help reveal where you most belong. Curtis’ background in both science and poetry helps him combine nonfiction elements into fictional stories that entertain while making the Universe a little more understandable.

His picture books span the range from fiction to nonfiction to retold folktale to poetry. They have won a variety of awards, including a Golden Kite Honor, an Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award, the Freeman Book Award for East and Southeast Asian Children’s Literature, the Washington State Book Award, a Nautilus Award Gold, the Blueberry Award Changemaker, a Blueberry Honor, and a Science Communication Award from the American Institute of Physics. Visit him at CurtisManley.com.

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.

Heather L. Montgomery is the author of award-winning books for kids who are wild about animals. The weirder, the wackier, the better. An educator of 30 years, Heather uses yuck appeal to engage young minds. She has a BS in biology and an MS in environmental education, she lives on the border of Alabama and Tennessee, and she has published eighteen nonfiction books for young readers.

Roadkill changed her life.

Su Moon is a professional character designer and storyteller. She has drawn and developed original animated projects for many studios, including Netflix, Nickelodeon, Disney, Cartoon Network, and Warner Bros.

She spends a lot of time in Southern California beach parking lots and libraries, doodling and writing words of whimsy, woe, and walruses for children’s books and tv. She likes quirky characters and diverse voices.

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.