Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is a National Book Award-winning author of books for adults and children, including New York Times bestsellers like Stamped from the Beginning, Stamped for Kids, How to Raise an Anti-Racist, and Goodnight Racism. Dr. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in Humanities at Boston University, and the director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.
 

Nina LaCour is the bestselling and award-winning author of the young adult novels We Are Okay, which received the Printz Award, Hold Still, The Disenchantments, and Everything Leads to You, as well as the adult novel Yerba Buena. Born and raised in the East Bay, LaCour crossed the bridge to receive her undergraduate degree from San Francisco State University and then crossed back to Oakland to receive an MFA in Creative Writing at Mills College. She now lives in San Francisco with her wife and their daughter.

Paul Tremblay has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, Sheridan Le Fanu, and Massachusetts Book Awards and is the New York Times bestselling author of Horror Movie: A Novel, The Beast You Are, The Pallbearers Club, Survivor Song, Growing Things and Other Stories, Disappearance at Devil's Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts, and the crime novels The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland. His essays and short fiction have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and numerous anthologies. He lives outside of Boston with his family and has a master's degree in mathematics.

Katherine Applegate is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of beloved and award-winning books for young readers, including Odder, Home of the Brave, Crenshaw, Wishtree, Willodeen, and The One and Only Ivan, for which she won the Newbery Medal. She is also the author of the Animorphs series, and a beginning reader series, Doggo and Pupper, illustrated by Charlie Alder. Katherine Applegate lives in Southern California with her family.

Andrea Beatriz Arango is the author of Newbery Honor Book Iveliz Explains It All and the Pura Belpré Honor Book Something Like Home. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where she first became a teacher. She then spent a decade in the United States working in public schools and nonprofits. When she’s not busy writing about middle schoolers and their families, you can find her hoping to spot manatees at the beach. Andrea lives in Puerto Rico with her family and two dogs.

Taylor Banks is a graduate of the New Writers Project at UT Austin where she received her MFA and worked under the tutelage of Elizabeth McCracken and Claire Vaye Watkins. Her short fiction has received honorable mentions from both the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest and Glimmer Train’s Fiction Open Contest. She currently lives in Virginia with her husband and her two cats.

Derrick Barnes is a National Book Award Finalist for his graphic novel Victory. Stand!-Raising My Fist For Justice, and is also the author of the critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning picture book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut which received a Newbery Honor, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award, and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers. He is a native of Kansas City, MO, but currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his enchanting wife, Dr. Tinka Barnes, and their four sons, the Mighty Barnes Brothers.

James Bird's debut middle-grade novel, The Brave, was a Book Riot Best Book of 2020. He is also a screenwriter and director at the independent film company, Zombot Pictures; his films include We Are Boats and Honeyglue. Originally from California, James Bird is of Ojibwe descent, and now lives in Massachusetts with his wife, the author and actor Adriana Mather, and their son.

Jeanne Birdsall grew up in the suburbs west of Philadelphia, where she spent most of her time reading and daydreaming. She decided to be a writer when she was ten years old, though she didn’t circle back to that idea until she was all grown up and then some. Her first book was The Penderwicks, which won the National Book Award and was a New York Times bestseller. Four other Penderwicks novels followed to round out the series. She is also the author of several picture books and a chapter book. Jeanne's days involve plenty of time writing, gardening, and chasing around her two mischievous dogs.

Dusti Bowling is the award-winning, bestselling author of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, 24 Hours in Nowhere, The Canyon’s Edge, Across the Desert, Dust, and the Aven Green chapter book series. Dusti's books have won the Reading the West award, the Sakura Medal, a Golden Kite Honor, and the William Allen White Children’s Book Award. Dusti lives in Arizona with her husband, three daughters, a dozen tarantulas, a gopher snake named Burrito, a king snake named Death Noodle, and a cockatiel named Gandalf the Grey. Dustibowling.com.

Pablo Cartaya is a sought-after speaker, actor, educator, and the award-winning author of The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish, Each Tiny Spark, The Last Beekeeper, and Curveball.

Steph Cherrywell is an author and librarian in the Milwaukee area. Their previous works include the science fiction middle grade Unboxing Libby and several graphic novels and games for older audiences. Steph’s favorite things are books, comics, video games, biking, and exploring. They’re not a witch, but they do play one named Radish in their weekly D&D game.

Karen Cushman is the Newbery Award-winning author of The Midwife's Apprentice, Catherine, Called Birdy, and War and Millie McGonigle, among many other popular novels for young readers.  She was inspired to write about a girl making her way west after many years of visiting Cannon Beach, a small town on the Oregon coast with a long history, with her family.

Hà Dinh was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States with her family when she was 5 years old. She graduated from the University of Louisville with a bachelor’s degree in English and Humanities and a Master’s of Art in Teaching in Early Elementary Education. She is married to her high school sweetheart, is a mother of two, the founder of Happy Days in First Grade teaching blog, and a former elementary teacher of 16 years. Hà seeks to inspire kids to share their own stories and make a positive impact in the world.

H.E. Edgmon did not sleep for several years and is now the author of copious novels and short works for tweens, teens, and adults. Their line-up includes The Witch King duology, the Ouroboros duology, and The Flicker, and their writing has been described as “monstrously thrilling, deeply emotional” by School Library Journal. In their laughably limited free time, they’re likely hosting themed parties for no reason or trying to predict the future. They live in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by chosen family and giant dogs.

María José Fitzgerald is a teacher and children’s author. Her favorite stories usually include animals, friendship, family, and magic. She grew up snorkeling and hiking in her homeland of Honduras, where nature and culture nourished her soul. Her debut novel, Turtles of the Midnight Moon won the Green Earth Book Award and was named a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, among other honors. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, walking her dogs, or maybe out on a family mountain-bike ride.

Author of the New York Times bestselling Inkheart series, Cornelia Funke has been published in 53 languages and her books have sold well over 22 million copies worldwide. The Green Kingdom was first published in German by Dressler in April 2023, has sold 25,000+ copies, and spent five months in the Der Spiegel Top Ten. Now, it will publish in the United States in April. Cornelia lives with her two dogs in Tuscany, Italy, where she regularly hosts artists from around the world.

Anastasia Garcia is a Mexican-American writer of horror and speculative fiction. Her short fiction appears in online publications, podcasts, and print anthologies from Flame Tree Press and Hex Publishers. In 2022, Anastasia joined the Horror Writers Association and in 2020 Anastasia was awarded the Ladies of Horror Fiction writer’s grant. Originally from Texas, Anastasia is heavily influenced by the local myths and legends. She now lives in New York City.

Stuart Gibbs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Charlie Thorne series, FunJungle series, Moon Base Alpha series, Once Upon a Tim series, and Spy School series. He has written screenplays, worked on a whole bunch of animated films, developed TV shows, been a newspaper columnist, and researched capybaras (the world’s largest rodents). Stuart lives with his family in Los Angeles. You can learn more about what he’s up to at StuartGibbs.com.

Shannon Hale is the Newbery Honor–winning and New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Academy series, The Books of Bayern, Book of a Thousand Days, Dangerous, and the graphic novels Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack, as well as the Ever After High and Princess in Black series, and the upcoming The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl for Marvel. She also wrote three novels for adults, including Austenland, now a major motion picture starring Keri Russell. She and her husband, the author Dean Hale, have four children and live near Salt Lake City, Utah.

Aubrey Hartman grew up in Virginia just before the technology boom, when exciting weekend plans consisted of a library card and a few dozen ice pops. After high school, she studied at Brigham Young University, earning a B.A. in advertising and a minor in art history. She lives in California with her husband and three young children. She's lived many lives, and is currently in her medical-mom era—learning how to be an advocate for her youngest child, an objectively delightful baby with a trach and a feeding tube. She invites you to visit her at aubreyhartman.com.

Bev Johnson is a California-based illustrator with a passion for characters. Her work includes the Adventures in Fosterland series, the Max Einstein series, the Best Babysitters Ever series, as well as Rea and the Blood of the Nectar, Pippa Park Raises Her Game, and Bingo Love. She has also worked on games such as Placebo Love and The Shivers.

Brendan Kiely is the award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of the novels All American Boys (with Jason Reynolds), Tradition, The Last True Love Story, and The Gospel of Winter, and the critically acclaimed nonfiction book, The Other Talk: Reckoning with Our White Privilege. He is the Distinguished Writer in Residence at Seton Hall University and he lives with his family in New York City.

Mikaela Loach is a British Jamaican former medical student, climate justice organizer and Director of the AWETHU School of Organising. Her first book, It’s Not That Radical: Climate Action to Transform Our World, was an instant indie bestseller. Mikaela has boldly challenged powerful entities, calling out billionaires at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s annual event, taking the UK government to court in the landmark "Paid to Pollute" case in 2021, and challenging Shell’s CEO and board at their AGM for their human rights abuses to people of the Niger Delta in Nigeria.

Marz Jr. has been an illustrator for over twenty years. He has worked with clients from the New York Observer to Yokohama tires. He has worked as a storyboard artist on variety of projects including Emmy-award winning series Tumble Leaf. His paintings have hung in galleries in New York, Los Angeles and Singapore. Once, he hit two homeruns in a little league game! He lives in Seal Beach, CA where he has seen a seal but never on the beach.

Nicole Melleby, a New Jersey native, is the author of highly praised middle-grade books, including the Lambda Literary finalist Hurricane Season, ALA Notable book How to Become a Planet, Camp QUILTBAG (co-written with A. J. Sass), and The House on Sunrise Lagoon series. She lives with her wife and their cats, whose need for attention oddly aligns with Nicole’s writing schedule. Visit her online at nicolemelleby.com.

Daniel Miyares is the critically acclaimed author-illustrator of Night Out, which was called a “pleasure” by Publishers Weekly in a starred review, and Float, which The Boston Globe called a “perfect wordless picture book.” He is also the illustrator of Night Walk to the Sea, written by Deborah Wiles, described as “majestic” by The Bulletin Center for Children’s Books, and That is My Dream a picture book version of Langston Hughes’ Dream Variation hailed as “a must-read” in a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. He lives in Kansas with his family.

Nnedi Okorafor is an award-winning, New York Times-bestselling writer of mostly science fiction and fantasy for both children and adults. Her debut novel, Zahrah the Windseeker, won the prestigious Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa. Nnedi has since won World Fantasy, Nebula, Locus, Eisner, Hugo, Lodestar, and Nommo Awards, amongst others, for her work. She holds a PhD in literature, master’s degrees in journalism and literature, and lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her daughter, Anyaugo. Learn more at nnedi.com.

Norman Ollestad is the New York Times-bestselling author of Crazy for the Storm, an Amazon Best Book of the Year published in 15 countries; Gravity; French Girl with Mother; and Formentera, an Audible Original short story. His work has appeared in TIME, Outside, and Men’s Journal. He lives in Ojai, California with his family.

Jasminne Paulino is a Spanish teacher who has participated in workshops and mentorships with Highlights, Las Musas, and holds an MFA in writing for young people from Lesley University. The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez is her debut.

Jason Platt grew up in Durham, North Carolina and is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. He is a member of the National Cartoonists Society and is the author/illustrator for the graphic novel series, Middle School Misadventures. When he isn't writing or cartooning, Jason loves to travel, hike and play board games. He and his family live in Davenport, Iowa.

Danny Ramadan is an award-winning Syrian-Canadian author, activist, and public speaker. His work as an activist has helped provide a safe passage to dozens of Syrian LGBTQ+ refugees to Canada. He is the author of two novels for adults, The Clothesline Swing and The Foghorn Echoes (winner of a Lambda Literary Award), and a memoir, Crooked Teeth. Danny lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Amy Schneider is a former American software engineer, writer, and recent Jeopardy! champion. Following an impressive 40-game winning streak, she became the most successful woman ever to compete on Jeopardy! Having been raised in a Catholic family, Amy suppressed her gender identity well into adulthood. She has since stressed the importance of trans representation and shifting the focus from their suffering to their accomplishments. Since her transition in 2017, she has made a point to say yes to new experiences, from trying stand-up comedy to piercing her nose.

Sara Sinclair is an oral historian of Cree-Ojibwa, German/Jewish, and British descent. Sara teaches in the Oral History Masters Program at Columbia University. She is the editor of How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America and gave a TEDx talk on "Why We Need to Amplify Indigenous Voices" in 2021. She lives in New York, New York. 

Stephanie Sinclair is Publisher of McClelland & Stewart, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada. She is a Cree, Ojibwe, and German/Jewish settler. She is a fierce advocate and activist, serving as a mentor and curator, and organizing publishing events to challenge colonial practices in publishing and to advance the work of reconciliation. She lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with her two children. 

Brian "Smitty" Smith is a former Marvel Comics and DC Comics editor. He is the co-creator and writer behind the New York Times bestselling graphic novel The Stuff of Legend, the author/illustrator of the Pea, Bee, and Jay series of graphic novels. He's also the creator and writer of the Officer Clawsome series of OGNs, and the author/illustrator of the BAND CAMP! series of graphic chapter books. Smitty's illustration client list includes SpongeBob Comics, Time Out New York, Highlights for Kids, MAD Kids, and Dark Horse Comics. Smitty lives in Greensboro, NC.

Rebecca Stead is the New York Times bestselling author of When You Reach Me, Liar & Spy, First Light, Goodbye Stranger, Bob, and, most recently, The List of Things That Will Not Change. Her books have been awarded the Newbery Medal, the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Fiction and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. Rebecca lives in New York City, where she is always on the lookout for her next story idea.

Leah Stecher was born and raised in Southern California and currently lives in coastal Maine. By day, she edits policy papers for an environmental nonprofit; by night, she writes middle grade fiction. She has strong opinions on tea blends, chocolate chip cookie recipes, and action movies. She is the author of A Field Guide to Broken Promises, publishing in May 2025, and The Things We Miss.

Heidi E. Y. Stemple is a writer who has published over thirty-five books and numerous stories and poems, mostly for children. She is the co-author of You Nest Here with Me, which she wrote with her mother, Jane Yolen. Visit heidieystemple.com.

Jamie Sumner is the author of the bestselling Roll with It series, Tune It Out, One Kid’s Trash, The Summer of June, Maid for It, Deep Water, Please Pay Attention, and Schooled as well as the forthcoming picture book A Fish Like Me. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She is also the mother of a son with cerebral palsy and has written extensively about parenting a child with special needs. Visit her at Jamie-Sumner.com. 

Tori Tadiar is a Filipino comic artist based in sunny Metro Manila. She is an IT professional by day and works on comics and stories every chance she can get. Her goal is to tell stories that introduce and immerse readers in alternate worlds based on the culture of the land she calls home. When she’s not hunched over her workstation, Tori can be found playing videogames with her husband Miko, taking long walks with her beloved dog Macchi, or getting lost while exploring new places.

Jill Tew was destined for speculative fiction nerddom from childhood. She grew up watching Farscape and Xena and always had the latest copy of Animorphs tucked in her backpack. Now she writes the kinds of stories she loved as a kid, with characters she wanted to see more of— Black heroes asking big questions and saving the world (or at least, their little corner of it). A recovering business school graduate, Jill enjoys belting showtunes and baking in her spare time. She lives in Atlanta with her family.

Lauren Wolk is an award–winning poet, artist, and novelist. She is the author of Echo Mountain, My Own Lightning, Newbery Honor–winner Wolf Hollow, and Scott O’Dell Award-winner Beyond the Bright Sea. Lauren was born in Baltimore and has since lived in California, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Canada, and Ohio. She now lives with her family on Cape Cod.

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.

Monisha Blair is the head librarian at Key Middle School in Springfield, VA. She earned her Masters of Information from Rutgers University in December 2020, with a concentration in School Library Media. She achieved a B.A. in Journalism from George Washington University in 2005. Since January 2020, Monisha has reviewed middle grade fiction, picture books, and young adult fiction for School Library Journal. She served on the SLJ Best Books Committees for 2020-2022.

Roxanne Feldman is an immigrant from Taiwan who came to the U.S to study children's literature. She holds a Master's in Children's Literature from Simmons University and an MLS from The Palmer School at Long Island University. After 26 years as the middle school librarian at the Dalton School, Roxanne transitioned to the High School Library in 2023 and is working closely with students on research projects. Roxanne served on the Newbery Award, Boston Globe-Horn Book award, and Kirkus Award selection committees, and other notable children's and YA book selection committees. 

Grace D. Gipson, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of African American Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. As a Black future feminist/pop culture scholar, Dr. G's area of research interest centers on Black popular culture, digital humanities, representations of race and gender within comic books, Afrofuturism, and race and new media. Outside of the classroom, you can find Dr. G working in the community and on her social networks: Instagram- @lovejones20 and Twitter- @GBreezy20.

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. 

Ashley Leffel is the librarian in Frisco, TX. 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

Alea Perez has been a Youth and Young Adult Services manager in the Chicago suburbs since June 2015. She aims to help children, teens, and their caregivers discover the many services libraries provide. Alea is dedicated to advocacy for youth and teen services, youth and teen services management, graphic novels for youth and teens, and equity and inclusion in the field at large. 

Ashley Rayner is a research librarian at NORC at the University of Chicago. She has been an academic and public librarian as well, all within the Chicagoland area. Ashley loves reading any genre but she has a special love for speculative fiction, historical fiction, and thrillers. She started writing book reviews for Booklist in 2020 and they help her stay connected to fiction as a librarian at a social science research organization. When she's not reading or researching, Ashley can be found playing video games, cooking, planning her next karaoke debut song, tweeting at @ashley_rayner, or hanging out with her husband and two kids. 

Maegen Rose is the Director of Library Program and Upper School Librarian at Brooklyn Friends School (NY). She received a bachelor’s degree from Pitzer College, a master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago, and a master’s degree in library science from Dominican University. Maegen is an active member of many local and national library organizations. She reviews books for School Library Journal and served on the 2019-2021 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Jury. Maegen is a member of Library Journal’s 2021 class of Movers & Shakers and currently chairs the 2023 Children’s Literature Legacy Committee.

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