Samira Ahmed is the New York Times bestselling author of Love, Hate, & Other Filters and Internment. She was born in Bombay, India, and has lived in New York, Chicago, and Kauai, where she spent a year searching for the perfect mango.

Becky Albertalli is the author of the William C. Morris Award winner and National Book Award longlist title, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (now a major motion picture, Love, Simon); the acclaimed The Upside of Unrequited; and the New York Times bestsellers Leah on the Offbeat and What If It’s Us (co-written with Adam Silvera). Becky lives with her family in Atlanta. You can visit her online at www.beckyalbertalli.com.

An award-winning poet and author, Nikki Grimes is the recipient of the Children's Literature Legacy Award, the NCTE Award for Poetry, the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Award, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and five Coretta Scott King Author Honors. She lives in California.

Aisha Saeed is the New York Times-bestselling author of the critically acclaimed novel Amal Unbound, Bank Street Books Best Book Written in the Stars, Aladdin: Far from Agrabah, and Bilal Cooks Daal. Aisha is also a founding member of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and sons. You can find her online at www.aishasaeed.com.

David Almond has received numerous awards, including a Hans Christian Andersen Award, a Carnegie Medal, and a Michael L. Printz Award. He is known worldwide as the author of Skellig, Clay, and many other novels and stories, including Harry Miller’s Run, illustrated by Salvatore Rubbino; The Savage, Slog’s Dad, and Mouse Bird Snake Wolf, all illustrated by Dave McKean; and My Dad’s a Birdman and The Boy Who Climbed Into the Moon, both illustrated by Polly Dunbar. David Almond lives in England.

Daniel Barnes is a writer from Fresno, CA. After serving in the U.S. Navy for four years, he enrolled in Academy of Art University, where he currently pursues a BFA in Animation Production. When he’s not writing or procrastinating on his schoolwork, Daniel enjoys geeking out about Nintendo and being a weeb. He currently resides in San Francisco, CA.

Anita Cellucci, MEd, LMS,  is a teacher librarian at Westborough High School, Westborough, MA. and a Teaching Lecturer for Plymouth State University, NH. Anita sits on the AASL Board of Directors as the Region 1 Director. She is a Guided Inquiry Design Practitioner. For her work in relation to mental health and social - emotional learning she received the School Librarian of the Year 2016 Finalist Award and was named a 2019 LJ Mover & Shaker.

Mary H.K. Choi is a writer for The New York Times, GQ, Wired, and The Atlantic. She has written comics for Marvel and DC, as well as a collection of essays called Oh, Never Mind. Her debut novel Emergency Contact was a New York Times bestseller. She is the host of Hey, Cool Job!, a podcast about jobs and Hey, Cool Life!, a podcast about mental health and creativity. Mary grew up in Hong Kong and Texas and now lives in New York.

Brandy Colbert is the critically acclaimed author of the novels Pointe, Finding Yvonne, and Stonewall Book Award Winner Little & Lion. Born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, she now lives and writes in Los Angeles.

Julia Drake grew up outside Philadelphia. As a teenager, she played some of Shakespeare’s best heroines in her high school theater program, and their stories would stay with her forever. She received her BA in Spanish from Williams College, and her MFA in creative writing from Columbia University, where she also taught writing to first-year students. She currently works as a book coach for aspiring writers and teaches creative writing classes for Writopia, a nonprofit that fosters love of writing in young adults. She lives in San Francisco with her partner and their rescue rabbit, Ned.

Malaka Gharib is a Filipina Egyptian American journalist for NPR, a writer and artist and the author of I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Jane Gov is a Youth Services Librarian at Pasadena Public Library where she designs and implements youth programs, events, and services, manages the teen collections for the library system, oversees the volunteer program, and coordinates the Innovation Lab and STEAM Kits. She’s certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid and coordinates the Teen Mental Health Initiative with the Teen Advisory Board. She is a Board Member for the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and the Convener for the YALSA Los Angeles Area Interest Group. She tweets as @MissJaneGov

Akilah Hughes is a writer, comedian, and YouTuber residing in Brooklyn, NY. She's been a digital correspondent for MTV, Fusion, Comedy Central, Crooked Media, and more. A Sundance Labs Fellow, Akilah most recently appeared on the HBO series special Pod Save America. Her comedic YouTube channel, "It's Akilah, Obviously!" has amassed more than 150,000 subscribers. Find her on Twitter: @AkilahObviously or on Instagram: @akilahh.

Karen Jensen is the creator and administrator for Teen Librarian Toolbox. She currently works as the Collection Development Librarian focusing on fiction for youth at the Fort Worth Public Library.

Brigid Kemmerer is the New York Times bestselling author More Than We Can Tell, Letters to the Lost, and the Elementals series. She was born in Omaha, Nebraska, though her parents quickly moved her all over the United States, from the desert in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the lakeside in Cleveland, Ohio, and several stops in between, eventually settling near Annapolis, Maryland.

D.J. Kirkland is a comic book artist from Charlotte, NC. He graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2009 with a BFA in Sequential Art, which is just a fancy word for comic books. When he’s not drawing comics, D.J. spends his time doing MORE drawing, playing fighting games, watching anime and talking about all of those things on a podcast with one of his best friends called Magical Boys.

Maia Kobabe is a graduate of the first ever class in the MFA in Comics program at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. E is the illustrator of Tom O’Bedlam, a single issue which was accepted into the Society of Illustrator's Comic and Cartoon Art annual and nominated for an Ignatz Award in 2016. Maia's short comics have been included in the anthologies Alphabet (2015), Tabula Idem (2017), Mine! (2018), Gothic Tales of Haunted Love (2018), The Secret Loves of Geeks (2018), and the forthcoming Advanced Death Saves and Faster Than Light Y’all. Before setting out to work freelance full-time, e worked for over ten years in libraries and now writes book reviews for Publisher's Weekly. E has been self-publishing comics and zines since 2010, and has attended over fifty comic conventions in that time. More of eir work, including the origins of Gender Queer, can be found on tumblr and instagram @redgoldsparks. Eir work is heavily influenced by fairy tales, homesickness, and the search for identity.

Cassy Lee has been a teacher librarian for seven years, the last four at a middle school and was awarded the School Library Journal 2018 Champion of Student Voice for her work there. Her passions include championing equity, empathy, engagement and youth empowerment in the library and beyond.

When she isn’t challenging kids to Read Woke, Cicely Lewis hosts Book Fashion Shows with her students. Follow her on Twitter @Cicelythegreat and check out her blog, "CicelytheGreat." She welcomes your book suggestions for her bi-monthly Read Woke column in School Library Journal.

Tatanisha "Tiki" Love, realized her love for learning once she began her undergraduate studies at Norfolk State University. Upon receiving her B.A., she went on to complete several Master's programs at UMASS Amherst and Towson University. She continued her educational quest at Notre Dame of Maryland and realized her passion for project based learning. 
A 24-year veteran of the Baltimore County Public School System and a library media specialist for over 14 years, her passion for school libraries led to her to connect her interest in project based learning to the research and inquiry process while looking at student and teacher engagement. A proponent for libraries of all forms, her other passions include music, tapas and Vietnamese coffee.  

Jennifer Mathieu is the author of Devoted, Afterward, and The Truth About Alice, the winner of the Children's Choice Teen Debut Author Award. Her 2017 novel Moxie is being developed into a film directed by Amy Poehler for Netflix. Jennifer teaches high school English in Texas, where she lives in the Houston area with her husband and son.

Sarah Miller is the author of The Borden Murders, a School Library Journal Best Book and an ALA-YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. She is also the author of two historical fiction novels for young adults, Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller and The Lost Crown, about the Romanovs, both ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. In addition to her work for young readers, she is the author of the USA Today-bestselling Caroline: Little House, Revisited, which was named a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection, among other accolades. Visit her on the web at sarahmillerbooks.com or on Facebook at @SarahMillerwritesbooks.

Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite are self-professed bookworms who have been devouring YA for years. They grew up in Miami with two more Moulite sisters, a large extended family, a love for the ocean and their own Haitian culture. The character Alaine is an amalgamation of their experiences (to a certain degree) and their goal is to make Haitian culture and history more accessible through a fun, fast-paced, but also introspective story line that anyone can relate to.

Deborah K. Niblick is a Senior Librarian for Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library who specializes in Adult and Teen Services. She holds an MLS degree and is certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid. She is a 2009 ALA Spectrum and 2010 CLA Edna Yelland scholar. She served as the 2015–2017 Social Media Co-Chair for the California Library Association (CLA) Youth Services Interest Group and was a member of the Mental Health Advisory Committee for the 2016-2017 California State Library (CSL) Mental Health Initiative. She writes for ALA’s Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) blog and recently published her first book, Serving Teens with Mental Illness in the Library: A Practical Guide.

Keith O'Brien is a journalist who has written for the New York Times and Politico, and he's a longtime contributor to National Public Radio. His work has appeared on shows such as All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and This American Life. He is a former staff writer for the Boston Globe and the author of Outside Shot: Big Dreams, Hard Times, and One County's Quest for Basketball Greatness. He lives in New Hampshire.

Victoria Ortiz graduated from Barnard College and the City University of New York Law School. She has worked as a high school teacher, as a college teacher, as an attorney, and as dean of students at several law schools. Her published work includes Spanish for Lawyers (2012), a unique manual for law students and lawyers who need to discuss legal matters in this useful language. Now retired, Ms. Ortiz lives in the Bay Area with her wife.

Gabby Rivera is a Bronx-born queer Latinx babe on a mission to create the wildest, most fun stories ever. She's the first Latina to write for Marvel comics, penning the solo series AMERICA about America Chavez, a portal-punching queer Latina powerhouse. In 2017, Gabby was named one of the top comic creators by the SyFy network, and one of NBC's #Pride30 Innovators. Gabby now makes magic on both coasts, currently residing in California. She writes for all the sweet baby queers and her mom.

Laura Ruby is the author of some of the most acclaimed novels for children and teens in recent memory, including the Printz Award-winning and National Book Award finalist Bone Gap, the ALA BFYA York series, the Edgar-nominated mystery Lily's Ghosts, and the Book Sense Pick Good Girls, among others. She is on the faculty of Hamline University’s MFA in writing for children and young adults program and lives in the Chicago area. You can visit her online at www.lauraruby.com.

Karol Ruth Silverstein is from Philadelphia and attended the American Film Institute and works as a writer and screenwriter in Los Angeles. Cursed is her debut novel.

Stephanie C. Stargardt is the librarian at G.W. Carver Middle School in Chesterfield, Virginia. After completing her undergraduate degree at Virginia Commonwealth University, she served as a middle school English teacher for 15 years. Combining her love of YA literature and teaching, she received an endorsement in library media (PreK-12) and a Master of Education at Longwood University. Over the past 12 years, she has continued her career in Chesterfield County Public Schools as a middle school librarian. Along with her library team, she has been recognized nationally as a recipient of the AASL Collaborative School Library Award. In addition, the library program was honored as the state’s Library Program of the Year by the Virginia Association of School Librarians and received the Outstanding Secondary PBL Lesson Award within the school system. Always being an advocate for school library programs, she has presented at conferences, has written for blogs, and has reached beyond the walls of the library to promote literacy and to promote community involvement. Aside from reading YA literature, her passions include spending time with her family, being at the beach, and making specialty cookies.

Angel Tucker has worked in Youth Services at Johnson County Library for 16 years and currently serves as the Youth Services Manager - overseeing programming and outreach for ages birth to 18, parents, and educators. She is the founder of elementia Johnson County Library’s nationally recognized visual and literary arts magazine for young adults and currently coordinates Race Project KC – an equity initiative that aims to bring students and educators together to discuss the history of race, equity, and inclusion in the United States. Angel was awarded a Library Journal Mover and Shaker award in 2018 for her work on Race Project KC with nationally recognized author Tanner Colby. Angel received her Master’s in Library Science from Emporia State University and her undergraduate degree in Language, Literature, and Writing from the University of Kansas. Angel lives in Kansas City, Missouri with her husband and two children.

Suzanne Walker is a Chicago-based writer and editor. She is co-creator of the graphic novel Mooncakes (Lion Forge, October 2019) with artist Wendy Xu. Part of it can be read on mooncakescomic.tumblr.com. Her short fiction has been published in Clarkesworld, and she has published nonfiction articles with Uncanny Magazine, Women Write About Comics and the anthology Barriers and Belonging: Personal Narratives of Disability. She has spoken at numerous conventions on a variety of topics ranging from disability representation in sci-fi/fantasy to the importance of fair compensation for marginalized SF/F creators. You can find her posting pictures of her cat and occasionally yelling about baseball on Twitter: @suzusaur.

Misti Werle is the Library Media Systems Innovator for Bismarck Public Schools with a passion for  technology integration and Project Based Learning. She holds a NBPST teaching certificate for the elementary grades, a master’s in Library and Information Science from Florida State University, a LILEAD fellow, project based learning capacity builder, and has been an educator for over 18 years.

Wendy Xu is a Brooklyn-based illustrator and comics artist. She is co-creator of Mooncakes, a graphic novel out in 2019 from Lion Forge Comics. Her work has been featured on Catapult, Barnes & Noble Sci-fi/Fantasy Blog, and Tor.com, among other places. She currently works as an assistant editor curating young adult and children's books. You can find her on twitter @angrygirlcomics or on instagram as @artofwendyxu.

David Yoon grew up in Orange County, California, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, novelist Nicola Yoon, and their daughter. He drew the illustrations for Nicola's #1 New York Times bestseller Everything, Everything. Frankly in Love is his first novel. You can visit him at davidyoon.com.

Jessica Anne Bratt always brings a high level of passion and enthusiasm to her job as Youth Services Manager at the Grand Rapids Public Library. During her first years as a librarian in Grand Rapids, she began the DigiBridge partnership between Grand Rapids Public Schools and the Library, which resulted in her winning national recognition as a Library Journal Mover and Shaker. While she could tell you all the ways she is involved in the libraryland from writing reviews for library trade publications, to serving on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Library Association, or finishing up being on the 2019 Coretta Scott King Book Award Jury Committee---she will tell you that the coolest millennial thing for her was when MTV once reached out for an interview and wrote an article entitled, “In Trump’s America, Activist Librarians who won’t be shushed.” When not on the local news trying to convince the world to give libraries a try, she presents nationwide on ‘Let’s Talk About Race in Storytimes.’ Her newest adventure revolves around trying to balance her gaming life with motherhood.

Janet Damon is the Library Services Specialist for Denver Public Schools supporting library programs around the city. She is the founder of Afros and Books, a collective of librarians of color & LGBTQ+ staff who promote liberation through libraries. The team advocates for equitable access to libraries in historically marginalized communities and designs professional development for schools and community organizations. In her free time, she writes a festival blog called MixMomma and she is a City Captain for Black Girls Hike Global.

Mahnaz Dar is School Library Journal’s Graphic Novels Editor.

Susannah Goldstein is a school librarian at the Brearley School in New York City. She has previously worked in both public and independent schools, at all grade levels.  She is an active book reviewer at School Library Journal and Booklist, and served on the 2017 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers committee. Find her on Twitter at @SusInTheLibrary.

Hannah Gómez is a former school librarian and current doctoral student in critical theory of children's literature at the University of Arizona. She is the author of two books in the Jake Maddox JV series from Capstone Publishing. Find her on Twitter/Instagram @shgmclicious or shgmclicious.com.

Syntychia Kendrick-Samuel has been working in the field of public librarianship since 2001 and was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2016. She is currently the Head of Teen Services at Uniondale Public Library. She’s authored several articles and essays about young adult programming, Junior Friends’ groups and her experiences as an African-American Librarian.

Regina Townsend is a teen services specialist, health blogger and community advocate. She is passionate about advocating for under-served populations, providing opportunities and resources for teens and young adults that motivate and empower them, and encouraging community involvement and service. Her Players 2 & 3 are husband Jahbari, and their toddler, Judah.

Vanessa Willoughby is School Library Journal’s Nonfiction Editor.

AKJ Education is a national provider of books, classroom libraries, STEM resources, and digital subscriptions.  We serve educators in schools, school libraries, and literacy programs across all grades, from the early stages of reading through Grade 12.

Candlewick Press is an independent children’s book publisher based in Somerville, Massachusetts. For twenty-five years, Candlewick has published award-winning children’s books for readers of all ages, including board books, picture books, beginning readers, chapter books, novels for middle grade and young adult readers, and e-books. Our imprints include Big Picture Press, Candlewick Entertainment, Candlewick Studio, Nosy Crow, and Templar Books.

Diamond Book Distributors (DBD) is a division of Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., and is dedicated to making a wide selection of its graphic novels and other pop-culture merchandise available to bookstores, libraries, schools, mass merchants and more worldwide.

Junior Library Guild is the book review and collection development service that helps more than 23,000 libraries acquire the best new children's, young adult, and adult crossover titles for their collections.

Oni Press is a premier comic book and graphic novel publisher located in Portland, Oregon. Established in 1997, Oni Press’s curated line includes a variety of award-winning original and licensed comic books and graphic novels such as Scott Pilgrim, The Tea Dragon Society and Rick and Morty™.

Penguin Young Readers Group is a global leader in children's publishing, with preeminent imprints such as Dial Books, Dutton, Grosset & Dunlap, Philomel, Puffin, Speak, Firebird, G. P. Putnam's Sons, Razorbill, Viking, Nancy Paulsen books, Kathy Dawson books, Price Stern Sloan, and Frederick Warner. Penguin Young Readers Group publishes books in all formats for children of all ages, including award-winning board books, picture books, novels, and nonfiction.

Random House Children’s Book publishes quality paperbacks and hardcovers for preschool through young adult readers. Visit RHTeachersLibrarians.com for free classroom resources, videos, author appearance information, and more. Follow us on Twitter @RHCBEducators.

Bloomsbury Children’s Books publishes a full range of trade books from picture book through teen, including informational texts.

Boyds Mills & Kane has five distinct imprints—Boyds Mills Press, Calkins Creek, Kane Press, StarBerry Books, and WordSong—and a library that comprises nearly one thousand titles in print. Many titles are recipients of starred reviews and prestigious awards and honors, including the Sibert Medal as well as Newbery, Printz, Coretta Scott King, and Geisel honors.

Charlesbridge Teen features storytelling that presents new ideas and an evolving world. Our carefully curated stories give voice to unforgettable characters with unique perspectives. We publish books that inspire teens to cheer or sigh, laugh or reflect, reread or share with a friend, and ultimately, pick up another book. Our mission—to make reading irresistible!

Disney Book Group publishes award-winning children's books for all ages, featuring several formats: board books, picture books, chapter books, novels, and paperback originals. Imprints include: Disney-Hyperion, Disney-Jump at the Sun, Rick Riordan Presents, Disney Press, Marvel Press, and Disney Lucasfilm Press.

HarperCollins Children's Books is one of the leading publishers of children's books. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality books for children, HarperCollins is home to many of the classics of children's literature, including Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, The Giving Tree, Charlotte's Web, Ramona, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, the "I Can Read" beginning reader series, and countless award-winning titles. Imprints include Balzer + Bray, Greenwillow Books, Katherine Tegen Books and HarperTeen. HarperCollins Children's Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books believes in the engaging and inspiring power of stories that offer new and diverse perspectives. Our mission is to publish authors and illustrators across all platforms to entertain, inform, and connect with readers everywhere. We are storytellers, innovators, creators, and brand-builders, responding to the ever-changing interests and demands of our world. We inspire learning every day.

Inkyard Press brings fresh visions of popular themes to young adult readers across a variety of genres—from contemporary and mainstream to genre fiction, including horror, fantasy, mystery, romance and thriller. With an exciting selection of stories from diverse voices, including established authors and emerging talent, Inkyard Press is the home of exhilarating and thought-provoking YA fiction.

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers began publishing books for children in 1926. We publish a diverse, carefully curated list of the finest books for young readers of all ages and backgrounds. LBYR has the distinct honor of being the first and only publishing division to have won the Caldecott Medal, the annual award for the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children, three years in a row. We have four imprints: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers publishes our core list of literary and commercial books, LB Kids produces novelty and licensed titles, Poppy is comprised of commercial titles for teens, and NOVL spans original digital content for teens. Our mission is to inspire a lifelong love of reading. Follow LBYR on Twitter.

Macmillan Children's Publishing Group is home to some of the most highly acclaimed and noteworthy children's/young adult imprints in the publishing industry. MCPG comprises Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, Feiwel and Friends, First Second, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, Imprint, Odd Dot, Priddy Books, Roaring Brook Press, Square Fish, and Swoon Reads.

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, is one of the leading children’s book publishers in the world. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and bestselling books for children of all ages.