KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Kate Messner is passionately curious and writes books that encourage kids to wonder, too. Her titles include award-winning picture books like Over and Under the Snow, Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, and How to Read a Story; novels like Capture the Flag, All the Answers, The Seventh Wish, Breakout, and Chirp; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series, and the Ranger in Time historical chapter book series. Kate lives on Lake Champlain with her family and is trying to summit all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks in between book deadlines. 

Denene Millner is a six-time New York Times best-selling author, Emmy Award-nominated TV show host and award-winning journalist who has written more than 30 books. She is also the editorial director of Denene Millner Books, an award-winning imprint that publishes stories featuring Black children and families, by Black authors and illustrators. The DMB list includes two Caldecott Honor books, a Newberry Honor book, a Kirkus Prize for Children’s Literature, and a Southern Book Award. A MacDowell Fellow, Denene lives in Atlanta. 

Frank Morrison started his journey as a graffiti artist in New Jersey, tagging walls with spray paint. It wasn’t until he visited the Louvre Museum in Paris with his dancing group, that he realized painting was his true creative path. He is the illustrator of over 20 children’s books, including the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winners Standing in the Need of Prayer and R-E-S-P-E-C-T, and his debut author-illustrated picture book, Kick Push. 

Rex Ogle is the author of Free Lunch, winner of the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award; Punching Bag, a NYPL Best Book; Abuela Don’t Forget Me, finalist for the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award; and Road Home. He lives in Los Angeles.  https://www.rexogle.com/about 

Alexander Smalls is a James-Beard-Award-winning chef, cookbook author, and raconteur. He is a regular celebrity chef on “The Today Show,” “Top Chef,” and other Food Network shows, and is the founder of the first contemporary modern African Dining Hall in Dubai. Smalls is also a world-renowned opera singer and the winner of both a Grammy Award and a Tony Award for the cast recording of Porgy and Bess.

Renée Watson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Her novel Piecing Me Together received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award. Her books include the Ryan Hart series, Some Places More than Others, This Side of Home, What Momma Left Me, Betty Before X, cowritten with Ilyasah Shabazz, Watch Us Rise, cowritten with Ellen Hagan, and Love is a Revolution, a poetry anthology, Black Girl You Are Atlas, as well as several acclaimed picture books. Renée splits her time between Portland, Oregon and New York City. www.reneewatson.net  

SPEAKERS

Olivia Abtahi is a filmmaker and author. Her debut novel, Perfectly Parvin, received an SCBWI Golden Kite Honor, a YALSA Odyssey Honor, and numerous starred reviews. She is also the author of Azar on Fire and the forthcoming Rostam and the Red Dwarf. The Interpreter is her picture book debut. Olivia grew up in the DC area and now lives in Denver, Colorado, with her family. 

Sarah Albee is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 books for kids, including Troublemakers in Trousers and Accidental Archaeologists: True Stories of Unexpected Discoveries. Prior to being a full-time writer, Sarah worked at Children’s Television Workshop (producers of Sesame Street) for nine years. She played basketball in college, and then a year of semiprofessional women’s basketball in Cairo, Egypt. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. 

S. K. Ali is the author of several books, including Saints and Misfits, a finalist for the American Library Association’s 2018 William C. Morris Award and winner of the APALA Honor Award and Middle East Book Honor Award; and Love from A to Z, a Today Show Read with Jenna Book Club selection. Both novels were named best YA novels of the year by various media sources including Entertainment Weekly and Kirkus. 

Alison Ames is the author of It Looks Like Us, a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection pick, and To Break a Covenant. She lives in Colorado with a lot of animals and her almost-wife. 

Tom Angleberger, is the New York Times bestselling author of the Origami Yoda series and the Flytrap Files series, as well as many other books for kids. He lives with his family in Virginia.

Stephanie Bearce is a history detective and a science nerd who loves turning her discoveries into books for kids. She is an award-winning author of thirty-five traditionally published nonfiction books; The Secret of Moonrise Manor is her fiction debut. Stephanie frequently presents at conferences, schools, literature festivals, and libraries around the country. A winner of the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award and the SCBWI Work in Progress Grant, Stephanie’s books have also been selected for the NSTA Recommended Reading List. She lives near St. Louis, Missouri, with her family.

Matt Braly is an Annie Award winning Thai/American animator, writer, director, producer, voice actor, and storyboard artist. He is most well-known for creating and showrunning Disney's Amphibia. Matt has worked on hits such as Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Mitchels Vs The Machines, and Big City Greens. He is also the author of "Marcy's Journal - a guide to Amphibia" which was released by Tokyopop in 2022.  Born and raised in Northern California, Matt studied at California Institute of the Arts before starting his career at Dreamworks SKG in 2010.   

Winsome Bingham is soul food connoisseur, master cook, U.S. Army war and disabled veteran, and the author of one of the New York Times Best Books of the Year, Soul Food Sunday (illustrated by C.G. Esperanza), as well as The Walk (illustrated by E.B. Lewis), and Missing Momma (illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell). She received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education and has more than 15 years of teaching experience. She lives in Connecticut.

Mahogany L. Browne, a Kennedy Center's Next 50 fellow, is a writer, playwright, organizer, & educator. Browne received fellowships from All Arts, Arts for Justice, Air Serenbe, Baldwin for the Arts, Cave Canem, Poets House, Mellon Research, Rauschenberg, & Wesleyan University. Browne’s books include Vinyl Moon, Chlorine Sky, Black Girl Magic, and banned books Woke: A Young Poets Call to Justice and Woke Baby. Browne currently tours Chrome Valley (highlighted in Publishers Weekly and The New York Times) and is the 2024 Paterson Poetry Prize winner. 

Shane and Hannah Burcaw are authors and relationship vloggers on a mission to improve the way society understands disability. On their YouTube channel, Squirmy and Grubs, which has gained over one million subscribers, the couple shares an authentic examination of what it’s like to be in an interabled relationship. Shane and Hannah speak across the country from universities to elementary schools to Fortune 500 companies. They live in Minneapolis, MN with their fluffy labradoodle, Chloe. 

Jen Calonita has interviewed everyone from Reese Witherspoon to Justin Timberlake, but the only person she’s ever wanted to trade places with is Disney’s Cinderella. She’s the award-winning author of the Royal Academy Rebels and Fairy Tale Reform School series. Jen lives in Merrick, New York with her husband, two sons, and their two Chihuahuas, Captain Jack Sparrow and Ben Kenobi. Visit jencalonitaonline.com for more. 

Melissa Pintor Carnagey, LBSW (she/they) is a Black, Puerto Rican, and Mexican sexuality educator and licensed social worker who believes that all children deserve holistic, comprehensive, and shame-free sexuality education. Her professional experience spans 15 years in the field of sexual health. She is the creator of the Growing Into You!™ virtual puberty education program, and is based out of Austin, Texas. 

Marty Chan is an award-winning author of dozens of books for kids, including Cosplay Crime, Kung Fu Master and Haunted Hospital in the Orca Currents line, Dragon on the Loose and the award-winning Marty Chan Mystery series. He tours schools and libraries across Canada, using storytelling, stage magic and improv to ignite a passion for reading in kids. He lives in Edmonton. 

Morgan Christie is the author of four poetry chapbooks, a short story collection, and a collection of essays. She has won the Arc Poetry Poem of the Year Contest, the Prairie Fire Fiction Prize, the Digging Press Chapbook Series Prize, and the Howling Bird Press Nonfiction Book Award. 'I, Too, Am Here' is her second picture book and she continues to work towards affecting change through reading and writing. Morgan is based out of Toronto.

Zack Loran Clark is the author of The Lock-Eater and co-author of The Adventurers Guild trilogy with Nick Eliopulos. A lifelong fantasy nerd, avid Dungeons & Dragons player, and aspiring sorcerer, he lives with his husband and their dog in Brooklyn, NY. 

Lydia Corry attended the Royal College of Art and has been a devoted illustrator ever since. She specializes in watercolor, ink, and gouache. Her work includes Caroline L. Perry's The Corgi and the Queen, and the Tindims series created with her mother, Sally Gardner. 

Jen Daily is a licensed clinical social worker and director of counseling at Deerfield Academy. She has authored numerous group therapy curricula and designed professional development trainings for educators, and she is a sought-after speaker who teaches teachers about the science of emotions and effective school-based interventions. Find her at jendailylicsw.com. 

Brandon Dorman (he/him) grew up near Tacoma, Washington, and is the dad of four smiley boys and one dancing girl. He is best known for his book cover artwork on popular series like Goosebumps, Fablehaven, and The Land of Stories. With more than twenty-two picture books under his belt, he is an accomplished visual storyteller.   

Violet Duncan is Plains Cree and Taino from Kehewin Cree Nation. She has toured nationally and internationally as an author, educator, dancer, and storyteller. After becoming a mother of four and seeing the need for Native representation in literature, she wrote three picture books: I am Native, When We Dance, and Let's Hoop Dance! She is currently the Indigenous Cultural Advisor at the Tempe Center for the Arts, where she aims to create space for a permanent program of Indigenous performance and practice.

Ame Dyckman is the award-winning author of the New York Times bestselling Wolfie the Bunny, as well as Campingland, You Don’t Want a Unicorn!, How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide, Don’t Blow Your Top!, the Misunderstood Shark series, and many other books for children. Ame lives in central New Jersey with her husband, daughter, and a yard full of silly birds. (But no boobies…yet.) Learn more at www.amedyckman.com 

M. K. England grew up on the Space Coast of Florida watching shuttle launches from the backyard. These days, they live on a micro-farm in rural Virginia packed with video games, plants, D&D books, Star Wars memorabilia, and their preschooler's giant personality. They're probably covered in dirt right now. M. K. is the author of ten novels for kids, teens, and adults, with more on the way. You can find them at mkengland.com.

Andrea Fritz is a Coast Salish artist and storyteller from the Lyackson First Nation of the Hul’q'umi’num'-speaking Peoples on the West Coast of Canada. She studied West Coast Native art with Victor Newman, a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw master artist. Andrea strives to express her People’s history and all our futures using her art. She focuses on animals and places of the West Coast and our intricate relationships with them. Andrea works in the mediums of acrylic on canvas and wood, serigraph, vector art and murals. Andrea lives in Victoria, British Columbia.  

Kami Garcia is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and international bestselling author and comic book writer, and an award-winning young adult novelist. Her best-known works include Beautiful Creatures, Unbreakable, and Teen Titans: Raven. Kami was a teacher and reading specialist for seventeen years before co-writing her first novel. Kami lives in Maryland with her family and their dogs, Spike and Oz.

Kathleen Glasgow is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces, How to Make Friends with the Dark, and You'd Be Home Now, as well as The Agathas and its sequel The Night in Question, cowritten with Liz Lawson. She lives and writes in Tucson, Arizona 

A lover of words, Whitney D. Grandison has been writing since as far back as she can remember. Outside of writing, she is a lover of Asian dramas, all things John Hughes, and horror films. Whitney currently lives in Akron, Ohio, with her cats. Visit Whitney’s website, www.whitneydgrandison.com, and follow her on Instagram, @wheadee.  

Brooke Hartman is an Alaskan mom who seriously loves to write not-so-serious books for kids. Her writing has garnered multiple awards, including honors from The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Writer’s Digest, Pacific Northwest Writers Association, and the Alaska Writers Guild.

Cheryl Willis Hudson is an author, editor, publisher, and respected member of the children’s book community. She is co-founder of Just Us Books, publisher and packager of books that celebrate African American children, as well as co-author of Bright Eyes, Brown Skin, a ground-breaking picture book. Her next picture book When I Hear Spirituals comes out in January. Cheryl enjoys singing spirituals a cappella and creating handmade story quilts. She lives in New Jersey with her husband Wade Hudson. 

Emily Jenkins is the New York Times bestselling author of many books for children, including Harry Versus the First 100 Days of School, the fairy-tale collection Brave Red, Smart Frog, and the Toys Go Out series.  She coauthors the Upside-Down Magic series, which is also a movie on Disney Plus. Her picture books include the Sydney Taylor Award–winning All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah, The Kitten Story, Toys Meet Snow, Lemonade in Winter, and Water in the Park.

Sita Jit is a children’s book author and elementary school teacher. Just like her character, Divya Dubey, she grew up close with her extended family in Canada and India. In her free time, Sita loves to read, listen to music, and play board games. She lives in Ontario with her husband and three children.

Lita Judge is the award-winning author-illustrator of many children’s books, including Dogs: A History of Our Best Friends, The Wisdom of Trees, Born in the Wild, Flight School, Red Sled, and her illustrated young adult novel, Mary’s Monster, as well as the illustrator of Forty Winks: A Bedtime Adventure, written by Kelly DiPucchio. She lives with her husband, three cats, and a parrot in New Hampshire. 

Katherine Jumbe is a first-time author who loves to read, travel, sing, play volleyball, and hike. She is a proud Malawian by birth and a bona fide Minnesotan by survival of many winters. Picture books were her first window into the world, the inspiration for countless adventures and imaginings, and a wellspring of beautiful memories with her late mom. 

Erin Entrada Kelly is a New York Times bestselling author and has won a multitude of awards for her work including the Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe and a Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space. She is a professor of children’s literature in the graduate fiction and publishing programs at Rosemont College, where she earned her MFA, and is on the faculty at Hamline University. She lives in Philadelphia, PA.  

Eliza Kinkz is a Tejana illustrator whose debut picture book was Goldie's Guide to Grandchilding, written by Clint McElroy. Eliza has worked on TV shows, music videos, and most happily on her own award-winning animated films.

Adina King is a Maine girl through and through. She received her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, a magical realm where she met her second family. When she isn’t writing or covered in dirt from Olympic yard work, she can either be found hanging out in her classroom with amazing humans, or wandering the forest and talking to inanimate objects. Her natural habitat includes one or more of the following: roller skates, big dogs, mountains, chickadees, and really excellent food. She longs for the day book censorship is no longer a thing. 

Richard Ashley Hamilton is a Cuban-American writer best known for his storytelling across DreamWorks Animation’s How To Train Your Dragon and Guillermo Del Toro’s Tales of Arcadia franchises.  But in his heart, Richard remains a lifelong comic book fan. He currently writes two YA graphic novel series, SCOOP and TECTIV, for Mad Cave/Maverick, and his middle-grade horror title, FEARBOOK CLUB, was named a 2022 Junior Library Guild Official Selection. Richard lives in Glendale, CA, with his wife, their two sons, and a Husky named Lulu.      

Brian Hawkins is an educator and freelance writer. He is the co-creator and co-writer of Black Cotton, a comic book series published by Scout Comics, and the creator and writer of the mythical horror comic book series, The Vineyard, published by AfterShock Comics. Brian is also the owner of the comic book studio, BlaX Trauma Productions. Brian is married and has three children, so when he’s not playing air hockey with his oldest daughter, doing basketball training with his son, or watching his youngest daughter’s dance performances, he tries to get some writing done.

Veera Hiranandani, author of the Newbery Honor–winning The Night Diary, earned her MFA in creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She is the author of The Whole Story of Half a Girl, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book and a South Asia Book Award finalist, and How to Find What You're Not Looking For, winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award and the New York Historical Society Children's History Book Prize. A former editor at Simon & Schuster, she now teaches in the Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA Program at The Vermont College of Fine Arts. 

Mavasta Honyouti, Iswungwa (Coyote clan), is from Hotevilla, Arizona on the Hopi Reservation. The son of Ronald Honyouti and the grandson of Clyde Honyouti, he is a Hopi katsina carver who has won Best of Classification three years running at the Sante Fe Indian Market and three Innovation Awards at the Heard Museum. Mavasta also carves scenes in low-relief as part of his plaque collection. His art features figures shown in Hopi environments wearing traditional attire, as well as references to movies, music, and popular culture. During the day, Mavasta works as a middle school teacher and enjoys spending time traveling with his wife and children. 

Hope Larson is a New York Times bestselling, multi–Eisner Award–winning cartoonist and comics writer. Over a lengthy career as a middle grade author, she has created contemporary middle grade graphic novels like All Summer Long, dabbled in fantasy with Salt Magic (illustrated by Rebecca Mock), adapted Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time into a graphic novel, written Batgirl for DC Comics, and cocreated the Goldie Vance series for BOOM! Studios. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her family and an orange tabby, Popcorn.

Karen Levine was a prizewinning producer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Radio. Karen has won awards for her radio work, including two Peabody Awards - the Oscars of radio. She originally produced her multiple award-winning children's book, Hana’s Suitcase, as a radio documentary before making it into a book. Though she travels widely to talk about the book, she makes her home in Toronto with her partner.

Eric Lide is an African American cartoonist. He created the ongoing webcomics Station Square (2009) and Ozzie the Vampire (2013), and he worked as an inker on The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom (First Second, 2021). His work has also been featured in multiple comics anthologies, he is a cover artist for IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog series, and in 2018 he began contributing comics to The New Yorker’s “Daily Shouts” column. Eric graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2008 

Vikram Madan grew up in India where, despite spending his childhood rhyming and doodling, he ended up an engineer. After many years of tech work, he followed his heart back to being creative and is now the author/illustrator of over a dozen books, including the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor winning Owl & Penguin series, the acclaimed funny poetry collections Beware the Dragon And the Nozzlewock, A Hatful Of Dragons, The Bubble Collector, and Lord Of The Bubbles, the early reader chapter series Bobo & Pup-pup, and the graphic-novel-in-rhyme series Zooni Tales. 

Kerry Madden-Lunsford is a regular contributor to the LA Times OpEd page. She directs the creative writing program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and teaches in the Antioch MFA Program in Los Angeles. She is the author of the picture book Ernestine’s Milky Way. She also wrote the Maggie Valley Trilogy, which includes Gentle’s Holler, Louisiana’s Song, and Jessie’s Mountain. Her first novel, Offsides, was a New York Public Library Pick for the Teen Age. Kerry is the mother of three adult children, and she now lives full-time in Birmingham, Alabama.

Kwame Mbalia is a husband, father, writer, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a former pharmaceutical metrologist, and the publisher of Freedom Fire—an imprint from Disney-Hyperion, featuring stories of Black resilience and joy. His debut middle grade novel, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, was a New York Times bestseller and awarded a Coretta Scott King Author Honor. A Howard University graduate and a Midwesterner now in North Carolina, he survives on Dad jokes and Cheezits.   

Joy McCullough is a playwright and the New York Times bestselling author of several books for children and young adults, including Blood Water Paint, which was longlisted for the National Book Award and was a finalist for the William C. Morris Award. She studied theater at Northwestern Univer­sity, fell in love with her husband atop a Guatemalan volcano, and writes books and plays from her home in the Seattle area.

Leland Melvin is an engineer, educator, author, former NASA astronaut and NFL wide receiver. He served on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis as a mission specialist on mission STS-122 (2008) and STS-129 (2009), helping to construct the International Space Station. After 24 years with NASA as a researcher, astronaut and Senior Executive Service leader, he shares his life story as an athlete, astronaut, scientist, engineer, photographer, and musician to help inspire the next generation of explorers to pursue STEAM careers.

Brandon Mull is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Fablehaven, Dragonwatch, Beyonders, Five Kingdoms, and The Candy Shop War series. A kinetic thinker, Brandon enjoys bouncy balls, squeezable stress toys, and popping bubble wrap. He lives in Utah in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife, Erlyn, their eleven children, three mischievous cats, and a brood of chickens. Brandon loves meeting his readers and hearing about their experiences with his books.

Julie Murphy lives in north Texas with her husband who loves her, her dog who adores her, and her cats who tolerate her. When she’s not writing or reliving her reference desk glory days, she can be found watching made-for-TV movies, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, and planning her next great travel adventure. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels Dumplin', Puddin', Ramona Blue, and Side Effects May Vary. Dear Sweet Pea was her debut middle grade novel, and her picture book debut is Chubby Bunny.

Carla Naumburg, PhD, LICSW, is a clinical social worker and the author of four parenting books, including one about how parents can freak out less. Carla's favorite hobbies are reading (especially mysteries!), cross-stitching, hiking, and hanging out with her cats, Gittel and Gertie. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and daughters.    

Thai Nguyen learned to sew at the age of nine sitting in on classes at his parents’ sewing school in Saigon, Vietnam. In 1993, the family immigrated to the United States, where Thai is now a fashion designer, based in Orange County, California. His designs have been featured in top publications and have graced the red carpets of the Met Gala, the Oscars, the Grammys, and film and television premieres. Thai’s love of the áo dài, this iconic symbol of Vietnam, has been and will continue to be the wellspring for all his creations. Mai’s Áo Dài is his debut picture book.

Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medal winner for A Single Shard and #1 New York Times bestseller for A Long Walk to Water, is the renowned author of picture books and novels for young readers. She lives in Western New York. Learn more at lindasuepark.com. 

Jose Pimienta was raised in Mexicali, Baja California and now resides in Los Angeles, CA where they work on comics and storyboards for animation and film. Suncatcher was their debut YA graphic novel and ended on many 'Best of' lists. Their second graphic novel, Twin Cities received four starred reviews and Jose's work with students, in both English and Spanish, has made they a great guest at many school across the US. In their stories, they focus on the importance of Latinx culture and the experience of growing up on the border. 

Nadine Pinede is the daughter of Haitian exiles from the Duvalier dictatorship. She created her own interdisciplinary major at Harvard and then continued on to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. She also has an MFA in fiction and poetry and holds a PhD from Indiana University. 

Trina Rathgeber is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and grew up in the northern community of Thompson, Manitoba, where she did all the things that northern kids do, from playing hockey and fishing to building forts in the woods. She enjoys writing for children and is the author of French Fries Are Potatoes: A Food Poem and Little Cookbook and The Bunnies Talk Money. Trina lives in Calgary with her family.  

Scott Reintgen is a former public school teacher from North Carolina. When he’s not writing, he uses his imagination to entertain his wife, Katie, and their three children. Scott is the New York Times bestselling author of the Waxways series, the Nyxia trilogy, the Dragonships series, and the Celia Cleary series for younger readers. 

Emmy-winning director Oz Rodriguez has written and directed video shorts since he got his start at Funny or Die. As a creative force in the sketch comedy world, Oz worked his way up to segment director and producer at Saturday Night Live and has been with the show for nearly a decade. He also wrote and directed the Netflix original film Vampires vs. the Bronx. This is his debut novel. 

Barb Rosenstock combines playful language and deep research into books that bring history to life for today’s kids. Her books have won multiple awards including a Caldecott Honor, Golden Kite, Orbis Pictus Honor and Sydney Taylor Honor and have received over 20 starred reviews, shortlisted for over 20 state awards and regularly appear on best book lists. Barb loves to visit schools and share ideas about reading and writing with students. She was born, raised and grew up in Chicago where she lives with her family. 

Katherine Rundell is the author of Rooftoppers (winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize), Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms (a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner), The Wolf Wilder, The Explorer (winner of the Costa Children's Book Prize), and The Good Thieves. She grew up in Zimbabwe, Brussels, and London, and is currently a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. Her books for adults include Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne and Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise. 

J Scott Savage (he/him) is the author of twenty published novels, including the Graysen Foxx series, Case File 13 series, and Farworld series. He has been a teacher and presenter at writing conferences for adults and youth, and has developed Common Core–aligned projects for elementary school writing curricula. Scott lives in Utah with his wife of thirty-five years, Jennifer. He enjoys reading, watching movies, camping, traveling, and spending time with his family. 

Nessa Bellido Schwarz is a Latina author who writes about history, science, nature, and the joys and perils of growing up. She lives in Southern California with her husband, son, and a tortoise named Leonardo Da Vinci. Nessa is a longtime member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and her work has been published in Highlights magazine. GEORGE the Flybot is her debut chapter-book series for children. 

Ben Sears has lived in Kentucky his whole life. He played drums in punk bands until he realized he would rather spend all his time drawing pictures and making comics. He has three cats: Harper, Kiwi, and Junior, who likes to stand by the door waiting to go out for a walk on a leash. Like Tim, Ben loves going around his neighborhood to record the sounds of nature—the creek by his house, the wind shaking the trees, or the insects buzzing away. He goes to sleep every night reading the adventures of Charlie Brown in Charles Schulz’s Peanuts. 

Lora Senf is the author of The Clackity, the first book in the Blight Harbor Novels, with Bram Stoker Award winning novel, The Nighthouse Keeper and The Loneliest Place to follow. The Clackity is a Junior Library Guild selection, a Cybils Award finalist in the Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction category, is on the New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids 2022 list, was the only middle grade title on Esquire’s list of the 22 Best Horror Books of 2022, and is a nominee for the inaugural Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Middle Grade Novel.

Suzanne Slade is a mechanical engineer who worked on Delta IV rockets for NASA. She has written more than 150 children's books, including Friends for Freedom: The Story of Susan B. Anthony & Frederick Douglass and the Sibert Honor Book Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks. Her many picture books about space include Daring Dozen: The Twelve Who Walked on the Moon and Mars Is: Stark Slopes, Silvery Snow, and Startling Surprises. Suzanne lives near Chicago. 

Brad Sneed grew up in Newton, Kansas, where he spent his childhood drawing and painting. He later studied illustration at Kansas University, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Brad’s work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, product packaging, and numerous books. His first picture book, Grandpa’s Song, was published in 1990, followed by Lucky Russell. His other books include When the Wind Blows and Johnny Kaw – A Tall Tale. He and his wife, Dena, live in Prairie Village, Kansas. 

Rebecca Stead is an acclaimed author of novels for young people, including The List of Things That Will Not Change, Liar & Spy, and When You Reach Me, which won the Newbery Medal. Anything is her first picture book. Rebecca lives in New York City. Find out more at rebeccastead.com. 

Kon Tan was raised in the Bronx, and from an early age he was obsessed with dinosaurs, monster movies, and superheroes. Unfortunately, one day he grew up, but he was lucky to find work as a teacher, bookseller, and animator. He is afraid of the ocean but proud to have conquered his fear of heights and riding a bike. He lives and dreams in Los Angeles with his wife and their Chihuahua mix. You can see more of his art on his website www.KonsComics.com or follow him on Instagram @KonsComics. 

As the mother of one child with brain cancer and another with ADHD, Shannon Stocker is passionate about advocating for children with disabilities. She’s authored the picture books Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion and Warrior: A Patient’s Courageous Quest, among others. Shannon lives in Louisville, KY with her husband Greg, her children Cassidy and Tye, way too many critters, and a hidden stash of dark chocolate. Stronger at the Seams is her debut YA novel. 

Raj Tawney is a writer and journalist whose work largely reflects his mixed-race upbringing in suburban Long Island, NY. Born to an Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian American family, Tawney has explored his identity through personal essays published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and other outlets throughout the country. His debut memoir Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience (Fordham University Press) was published in 2023 to much acclaim. He is based in Miami, Florida. 

Catherine Thimmesh is an author, speaker, and creativity educator. Her children’s nonfiction titles have won numerous awards, including the prestigious Sibert Medal for TEAM MOON: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon, as well as a Sibert Honor for Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild. Her most recent book is Girls Solve Everything: Stories of Women Entrepreneurs Building a Better World. You can watch her TEDx talk: Creativity in the Classroom (in 5 minutes or less) on YouTube. Catherine lives near Minneapolis, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.  

A cubicle-bound office worker by day and illustrator by night, Dac Trung Tran (Trung) specializes in visual storytelling for children, many about Asian folklore and culture, and his books have been published in US, UK, Singapore, Vietnam, and China. He is based in Vietnam. 

When Monique Truong was six years old, she came to the United States as a refugee from S. Vietnam. She is the bestselling author of The Book of Salt. She is also the author of Bitter in the Mouth, which received the American Academy of Arts and Letters Rosenthal Family Foundation Award, and The Sweetest Fruits, named a best fiction of 2019 by Publishers Weekly. Her home is now in Brooklyn, New York, where she writes novels and libretti, always cooks enough to have leftovers, and takes long afternoon naps. Mai’s Áo Dài is her debut picture book. 

Young Vo learned to draw before he could write. He drew a lot of characters, then began to write stories for them. There were not many job choices that he could make, so he decided to be an animator, illustrator, and author. Now he writes and draws his stories before the sun rises, then during the day, he animates. Follow him @youngvoart.  

Tillie Walden is a cartoonist and illustrator from Austin, TX. She is the creator of six graphic novels, including the Eisner award winning books Spinning and Are You Listening?  She has been awarded an LA Times Book Prize as well as multiple Ignatz awards for her work. She graduated from the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont where she now teaches during the school year and summers 

Rebecca Walker is a writer, producer, and full-time Mama who believes the discovery of beauty, compassion, and resilience is at the heart of the parenting journey. With her son now in college, she looks forward to creating many more children’s books inspired by the magical time they spent together before he left home—and the closeness possible when parents and children make time to connect. 

Jule Wellerdiek was born in Bielefeld, Germany. After studying design at Münster University of Applied Sciences, she now works as a freelance illustrator. Most days she can be found doing what she loves most: dreaming up stories and turning them into pictures— preferably with lots of weird characters and details. Her debut, Holgers Haus, was released in 2022. Worm’s Lost & Found is her first book published in the US. Jule lives in Bochum, Germany. 

Justine Pucella Winans (they/she) is a queer and nonbinary writer who lives in Los Angeles with their husband and incredible cats. They are the author of Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything and the Stonewall Honor Book The Otherwoods. When not writing queer, creepy, and fun fiction for kids and teens, they can be found training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, reading manga and webcomics, and actively avoiding real life scary situations. Find them at @justinepwinans on Instagram and www.justinepucellawinans.com. 

Amélie Wen Zhao was born in Paris and grew up in Beijing, where she spent her days reenacting tales of legendary heroes, ancient kingdoms, and lost magic at her grandmother’s courtyard house. She attended college in the United States and now resides in New York City, working as a finance professional by day and fantasy author by night. Amélie is the author of the Blood Heir trilogy: Blood Heir, Red Tigress, and Crimson Reign; Song of Silver, Flame Like Night and its sequel, Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White; and The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. 

MODERATORS

Jessica Agudelo is the Youth Collections Coordinator at BookOps, the technical services organization serving the New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library. Most recently, she served on the award committee for the 2023 John Newbery Medal and was chair of the 2021 Pura Belpré Award committee. Jessica contributes book reviews to several professional publications for Children's and Young Adult titles published in both English and Spanish. She comes from a large and vibrant Colombian family and was born and raised in Queens, New York. 

Dr. Amina Chaudhri is a Professor at Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, where she teaches courses in children’s literature, literacy, and social studies in the department of Teacher Education. 

Denise Dávila is an assistant professor of children's literature and literacy education at the University of Texas at Austin who has served on multiple book award committees. Her research agenda focuses on families' engagement with children's books by/for/and about members of marginalized communities to support early literacy development.  

Kimberly Olson Fakih is SLJ's executive editor of reviews. Previously she was the children's editor at Kirkus Reviews. Her first book for adults, Little Miseries, was published last year, and she has written several books for children.

Brandi Grant has 12 years experience as a school librarian and currently is a middle school librarian at Pearson Middle School in Frisco ISD. The mission statement that guides her professionally is to strive to educate, prepare, and inspire all students to achieve their highest potential with various resources, a contagious love of reading and a positive and fun environment. What she holds tight is to provide a safe, inclusive, and flexible learning environment where whoever enters through the doors feels that they are free to COLLABORATE, INNOVATE, and ESCAPE.

Marva Hinton is the articles development editor for The Horn Book. She is also a freelance writer who frequently covers topics related to education, literacy, and equity. Marva hosts the ReadMore Podcast, an interview show that primarily features writers of color. She holds an MFA in fiction from Antioch University Los Angeles and a BA in journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill. She lives in South Florida.

Sara Kocahasan is an Assistant Branch Manager at Brooklyn Public Library in New York City. Before earning her MLIS and joining BPL, she served as an elementary school librarian in Brooklyn and taught adult literacy on a volunteer basis. She now serves on several BPL committees to bring inspired and Innovative service to children and families throughout the borough. 

Lisa Kropp spent the majority of her career as an early learning librarian, and misses the unconditional happiness of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers that surround you in storytime. She served as the early learning columnist for SLJ from 2013-2017. 

Louie Lauer is an elementary library media specialist for Fargo Public Schools, with 13 years of experience in this role. An avid reader, Louie is also a frequent presenter at regional and state conventions, a reviewer for SLJ, and has just finished his participation as a member of the 2024 Seuss Geisel Committee. When he doesn’t have his nose in a book, he can be found enjoying lake life in central MN, finding new regions of the globe to explore and spending time with his nine-year old dog, Truly.  

Ashley Leffel is a librarian in Frisco, TX, a reviewer for SLJ, and a member of the SLJ YA Best Books Committee. Before becoming a librarian, she taught music for many years. She loves reading all types of books and fangirling for her favorite authors. When not reading, she enjoys Broadway musicals and can quote just about every episode of Bob’s Burgers. 

Elizabeth Libberton is the library media specialist at St. Charles East High School in St. Charles Illinois. She currently writes book reviews for School Library Journal, and is a monthly blog for AASL Knowledgequest Journal. She is a member of the ALA Awards Selection Committee. Also, she is a member of the steering committee for the AISLE Lincoln Book Award. 

Sabrina "Bina" Ponce is Children's Services Librarian at West Hollywood Library, part of LA County Library. She has provided library services to families as well as probation and at-promise youth for six years. When she's not reading middle grade or YA novels, you can find her watching horror movies, watering plants, or eating ramen at one of Los Angeles' many restaurants.  

Clair Quaintance has been working with tweens and teens in school libraries since 2010 and loving every minute of it. 

Ruth E. Quiroa, Ph.D., is an associate professor at National Louis University where she teaches graduate courses in youth literature and in literacy. A former kindergarten, bilingual second-grade educator, she completed her doctoral degree at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Ruth’s current research focuses on the history of Latinx youth literature. She has served on several youth literature award selection committees. 

Jesse Sanders is the Branch Manager of the Fairview Park Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library, and has worked in Library Management and Supervision for over 10 years. A lifelong advocate of Public Libraries, Jesse specializes in collaborative, organic approaches to finding solutions that meet the needs of every library customer. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and gardening and can usually be found doing both while listening to an audiobook. 

Desiree Thomas is a Youth Services Librarian in Worthington Ohio. She has worked in libraries for the past 22 years and believes that our lives are made better when we share stories and learn about each other. She is an avid gardener, yogi, and reader’s advisory enthusiast.   

Allison Tran is a Library & Cultural Services Supervisor for the City of Mission Viejo in California. She's dedicated to fostering self-expression, curiosity, and empathy in the community through art and literature. Before earning her Masters of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University in 2006, Allison taught English in Japan. 

Sylvia Vardell is Professor Emerita in the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman’s University and the author of Children’s Literature in Action, Poetry Aloud Here, and editor of A World Full of Poems. She has collaborated with Janet Wong on multiple poetry anthologies for teachers and young readers. She has served on committees including the ALA Caldecott, Odyssey, Sibert, and Legacy committees, the NCTE Poetry Award Committee, taught at the University of Zimbabwe as a Fulbright scholar, and currently serves as President of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). 

With over a decade of experience in library leadership, most recently as the Youth Services Department Head at Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Sue Yang-Peace remains actively engaged in the library community. Her ongoing contributions include moderating author panels for Penguin Random House since 2021 and participating in key industry programs such as the American Library Association's Emerging Leaders Program, Spectrum Scholars and Association for Library Services to Children.