Authors & Illustrators

The  celebrated Newbery Medal-winning author shares thoughts on the new wave of censorship in schools, her deep respect for librarians, and dancing hamburgers in The Giver.

American Indian storytelling has enjoyed a major resurgence over the last 20 years. In this guest essay, author Dan SaSuWeh Jones (Ponca), shares some of the incredible difficulties it's been through in the past 100 years or more, followed by a closer look at some of the traditions of American Indian storytelling.

The Front Desk author tweeted a call to action to her colleagues, as she tries to "motivate and mobilize" people to fight coordinated efforts to remove books from schools and libraries.

A Twitter campaign organized by #FReadom prompted authors—including Cynthia Leitich Smith, Laurie Halse Anderson, Alex Gino, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, and others—to share the heartfelt messages they have received from young people who connected with their books.

Author Terry Farish reflects on the collaboration process for A Feast for Joseph with writing partner OD Bonny and gets insights from other authors and illustrators who have also collaborated on children's books.

Picture books editor Kimberly Fakih chats with SLJ Best Books cover artist Duncan Tonatiuh, the illustrator of the 2021 Best Book, Gloria Amescua’s Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua.

Authors Jerry Craft, Grace Lin, and others discuss the personal and professional impact of having parents call to remove their books from schools and libraries.

With the release of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot this week, Jeff Kinney gives young readers the comfort of familiar characters and a little bit of normal in these continued chaotic times.

When a video of a woman speaking out against the book Out of Darkness at a school board meeting went viral, author Ashley Hope Pérez responded with a video of her own.