SUZANNE BLOOM
Suzanne is the author and illustrator of several books for children, including A Splendid Friend, Indeed–chosen as the 2007 PA One Book; Treasure;No Place for a Pig; and We Keep a Pig in the Parlor. She is also the illustrator of Melissa Parkington's Beautiful, Beautiful Hair; My Special Day at Third Street School; and Girls A to Z. She lives in McDonough, New York. You can visit Suzanne's website at www.suzannebloom.com.

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KENT L. BROWN JR.
Kent is the executive director of the Highlights Foundation, Inc. He is editor in chief emeritus of Highlights for Children, Inc., and the former publisher of Boyds Mills Press, the trade division of Highlights which he co founded in 1990. He serves Highlights for Children, Inc. as a director. A past president of the Educational Press Association of America, Kent has served on the publications committee of the International Reading Association and is a member of the National Council of Teachers of English, the American Society of Magazine Editors, and the National Press Club.

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JUDY BURKE
Judy is the managing editor of Highlights for Children magazine, where she has worked since 1995. She edits the popular "Ask Arizona" stories for advanced readers, writes “Goofus and Gallant,” and edits the nonfiction sports articles. Judy also selects material and writes several monthly features for HighlightsKids.com. She has edited a craft book, Look What You Can Make with Paper Bags, and three children’s journals for Boyds Mills Press.

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MARY CASANOVA
From picture books to novels, Mary Casanova has often taken inspiration from her home along the Minnesota Canadian border, but she has also set stories in faraway places. Mary is a pro at speaking in schools and at conferences. Her book awards include Parents' "Gold" award, Booklist Editors Choice, and multiple recognition lists compiled from the choices of readers. She grew up in St. Paul and says of writing, "Words were my paintbrush—my way of exploring the world around me." Mary was a conferee at the annual Highlights Writers Workshop at Chautauqua in 1992. You can visit Mary's website at www.marycasanova.com.

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CHRISTINE FRENCH CLARK
Chris is the editor in chief of Highlights and Highlights High Five, responsible for the magazines in all their formats, including HighlightsKids.com, an award-winning Web site for kids. Her twenty-plus-year career in children’s publishing includes stints as editor of Humpty Dumpty’s Magazine, Turtle, Jack and Jill, and Children’s Digest. She has also written more than one hundred stories, poems, and lesson segments.

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FLOYD COOPER
Floyd has illustrated more than fifty books, many of them for such award-winning authors as Virginia Hamilton, Eloise Greenfield, and Patricia McKissack. His illustrations have won a number of honors, including the Coretta Scott King Honor Book recognition for Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea (1994), Meet Danitra Brown (1995), and I Have Heard of a Land (1999). His most recent books include Jump!: from the Life of Michael Jordan (Philomel Books, 2004), Miss Crandall's School for Young Ladies & Little Misses of Color (Wordsong, 2007). The Blacker the Berry, written by Joyce Carol Thomas, is due out in July, 2008 (Amistad). Read more about Floyd at www.floydcooper.com.

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JOY COWLEY
Joy's love for children's literature is "a commitment that borders on obsession." Her novels and picture books regularly receive top honors. Countless children know her classic Mrs. Wishy-Washy. Among her recent titles are The Rusty, Trusty Tractor; Big Moon Tortilla; Agapanthus Hum and the Eyeglasses; Red-Eyed Tree Frog; Starbright and the Dream Eater; Mrs. Goodstory; and Where Horses Run Free. Her book The Silent One received the New Zealand Children's Book of the Year award and has been made into a film shown on the Disney Channel. Hunter, published by Patti Gauch for Philomel, was named New Zealand’s Children's Book of the Year for 2006. In 1990, New Zealand awarded its Commemorative Medal to Joy for her service to Children's Literature. In 1992, she received the Order of the British Empire, which acknowledges her distinguished service to the arts and sciences. Check out Joy's website at www.joycowley.com.

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MARY DALHEIM
Mary is the editorial director of three children’s nature magazines published by the National Wildlife Federation: Ranger Rick, Your Big Backyard, and Wild Animal Baby. Mary has had more than twenty-five years of experience in educational publishing. During this time, she has held top editorial positions at the National Geographic Society; Scholastic Inc.; the National Education Association; and In2Books, a nonprofit literacy program for primary schoolchildren. Before entering educational publishing, Mary taught second grade and middle school. She has a bachelor of arts in elementary education and a master of arts in journalism.

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TRACY GATES
Tracy has worked in the editorial departments of Philomel, Crown, and Alfred A. Knopf before joining Viking Children's Books as an executive editor. She edits picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, and young-adult fiction, and works with well-established authors, including Rich Wallace, Sally Warner, David Adler, and Elisa Carbone, and newer ones including Ron Woods and Jarrett Krosoczka.

Recent books include The Hero by Ron Woods, Girl Coming in for a Landing by April Halprin Wayland, and Restless by Rich Wallace.

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PATRICIA LEE GAUCH
Patti is vice president and editor at large of Philomel Books as well as a respected author in her own right. She holds a doctorate in English literature, and has taught children's literature on the college level and reviewed for The New York Times. Patti has edited three Caldecott books, including Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and John Schoenherr, and So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George and David Small. She has worked with many well-known authors, including Jane Yolen, Andrew Clements, and Brian Jacques.

Patti has written thirty-nine books for young readers, among them the highly acclaimed Thunder at Gettysburg and This Time, Tempe Wick? Her most recent title, Tanya and the Red Shoes, part of the celebrated Tanya ballet series, was published in spring 2002.

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KIM T. GRISWELL
Kim is the coordinating editor of Highlights and Highlights High Five. Her service has spanned the worlds of publishing and teaching, leading her to positions as senior editor, book development manager, a university instructor, and a teacher with the Institute of Children’s Literature. She holds master’s degrees in teaching writing and in literature. A prolific writer and committed editor, Kim has published more than two hundred short stories, articles, and columns. Her children’s book, Carnivorous Plants, was published by Kidhaven Press in 2002.

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ANDREW GUTELLE
Andrew is a writer, editor, and editorial consultant who has participated in the development of many publishing projects for children. He has written non-fiction books for many publishers, including Random House, Putnam, Workman, and Time-Life Books for Children. Andy received five Emmy nominations for his work on the television show Reading Rainbow.

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MARK HAVERSTOCK
Mark is the author of more than five hundred fiction and nonfiction articles for Boys’ Life, Guideposts for Kids, Guideposts for Teens, Highlights for Children, National Geographic Kids, Cobblestone, Hopscotch, Children’s Writer, Parenting Teens, and numerous others. He has also contributed to several published books, including Science Anytime (Harcourt Brace, 1995), The Best of the Magazine Markets (Long Ridge Writers Group), Children’s Writer Guides to 1997–2008, Children’s Magazine Market and Best of the Magazine Markets (Institute of Children’s Literature); and he is the author of Science and Technology Clubs: Ideas and Inventions (Mason Crest, 2005). Mark is an educator with thirty-four years of middle-school classroom experience and is a member of SCBWI, the International Reading Association, and the National Education Association. Read more about Mark at www.markhaverstock.com.

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PETER P. JACOBI
Peter is professor emeritus of journalism at Indiana University and a consultant with magazines and corporations, helping CEOs, writers, and editors learn to express their ideas more effectively. His articles have appeared in World Book, The New York Times, Highlights, and others. His two guidebooks, The Magazine Article: How to Think It, Plan It, Write It and Writing with Style: The News Story and the Feature, are standard reference sources for journalists.

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ANNA McQUINN
Anna wears many hats, has a finger in many pies, and a number of irons in the fire; but she never puts all her eggs in one basket or counts her chickens before they’re hatched! Anna qualified as a teacher, specializing in children’s literature before moving to work in publishing, first as an editor and later as a publisher, founding her own small company in 1998. She now runs parent and toddler groups, baby rhyme times, and family book clubs in a library in West London two days a week. The remainder of the time she spends writing, developing ideas, and packaging projects, as well as doing free-lance consultancy and occasional work in schools. Most recently, she has published Wanda’s Washing Machine, Lola at the Library, and My Friend Jamal. You can visit Anna’s Web site at www.annamcquinn.com.

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RANDI RIVERS
In the early 1990s, Randi worked for a magazine publisher based in the Los Angeles area. While in L.A., she coauthored the play, Heart of the Matter, which was later produced by the Dunwoody Stage Door Players in Atlanta, Georgia. After returning to Massachusetts, she joined Charlesbridge Publishing. Currently an editor, Randi acquires and edits eight to ten children's books per year.

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EILEEN SPINELLI
Eileen is an award-winning author and poet whose work includes the 1991 Christopher Award winner, Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch. Eileen has published over 30 books for children. Some of her recent titles include Bathtime, Rise the Moon, Moe McTooth, Three Pebbles and a Song, The Perfect Thanksgiving, and City Angel. Read more about Eileen at www.eileenspinelli.com.

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JERRY SPINELLI
With titles like Do the Funky Pickle, There’s A Girl in My Hammerlock, and Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush?, Jerry Spinelli has won the hearts of many young readers. His 1991 release Maniac Magee won the Newbery Medal, and his eighteenth book, Wringer, received a Newbery Honor. Jerry's latest, Milkweed (Knopf), has been called "stunning" by Kirkus Reviews. Check out Jerry's website at www.jerryspinelli.com.

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STEPHEN SWINBURNE
Writer, photographer, and naturalist Stephen R. Swinburne is the author of many nature books for children, including Safe, Warm, and Snug, illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey; Once a Wolf: How Wildlife Biologists Fought to Bring Back the Gray Wolf, photographed by Jim Brandenburg; and Swallows in the Birdhouse, illustrated by Robin Brickman.

Born in London, Steve loves to travel and observe nature. A safari in Africa, hiking in Scotland, monitoring sea turtles on a Georgia island, and a winter trek through Yellowstone National Park have all led to book projects. To learn more about Steve, visit his Web site at www.steveswinburne.com

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NEIL WALDMAN
Neil's paintings and prints are included in prestigious collections around the world. His works have garnered him many honors, including a gold medal from the United Nations. Neil has also designed postage stamps for thirteen nations. He has illustrated nearly 50 books, and is also the writer of many of the most recent books. His books for children have won many awards, including the Washington Irving Award (Bring Back the Deer, The Highwayman), the Parents Choice Award (Nessa's Story), the Christopher Award (The Gold Coin), and the National Jewish Book Award (Next Year in Jerusalem). His illustrations and designs have graced the covers of a number of Newbery winners, including Hatchet, The Winter Room, and A Fine White Dust. Neil's recent memoir, Out of the Shadows: An Artist's Journey, was published by Boyds Mills Press in 2006. Neil holds a B.F.A. and an M.S. from Rochester Institute of Technology. He is currently an art instructor for the State University of New York at the Westchester Art Workshop. www.thestarrynight.com

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SALLY WALKER
Sally M. Walker is the author of more than fifty nonfiction books for children, including the 2006 Robert F. Sibert Medal winner, Secrets of a Civil War Submarine, and the ALA Notable book Fossil Fish Found Alive. Many of her books deal with unusual subjects: a goose and a sack of English pennies, a lost submarine and its long dead crew, a strange fish called the coelacanth, and hunting for fossils on Earth’s coldest continent. Walker says, “Research is fun. I enjoy finding odd snippets of information that get children ‘turned on’ to science! "

Sally has taught “Evaluating Children’s Literature for Use in the Elementary School” at Northern Illinois University. Her short fiction has been published in Highlights magazine, and she has written articles for Book Links and Booklist magazines.

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RICH WALLACE
Rich is the author of four acclaimed novels for young adults: Playing Without the Ball, Wrestling Sturbridge, Shots on Goal, and Restless. He has also authored a short-story collection called Losing Is Not an Option, and a series of sports novels for middle-grade readers called Winning Season. His columns, profiles, and other features have been published in Highlights, Track and Field News, Runner’s World, and other publications. Rich is a former senior editor at Highlights. His most recent YA, One Good Punch (Knopf) was released in October, 2007.

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SANDRA NEIL WALLACE
Sandra has been a writer and TV host for travel magazines, ESPN, Fox Sports, and Canadian Television News. She has been a ghost writer for a Running Press imprint and has a monthly lifestyle column in Connections magazine. Her sports articles have appeared in MH-18 (a teen version of Men’s Health), and Highlights published her story “Sandra on Sports,” a profile of her career as a female sportscaster.

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CLAY WINTERS
Clay, president of Boyds Mills Press, has been in publishing since 1960. Before coming to Boyds Mills Press, he was president of Putnam/Grosset Books for Young Readers, the children's book group of G.P. Putnam & Sons. Clay has taught the rudiments of publishing to aspiring writers and an entrepreneurial course in marketing for several different institutions.

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CAROLYN P. YODER
Carolyn is the senior editor of history and world cultures for Highlights for Children and has written numerous articles on research and writing history for children. She spent a decade serving as the award-winning editor in chief of Cobblestone: The History Magazine for Young People; Calliope; Faces; and Odyssey, which led to her position as assistant publisher of Cobblestone Publishing, Inc., overseeing development of its book division.

Carolyn is currently editor of Calkins Creek Books—the history and historical fiction imprint of Boyds Mills Press, publisher of her book George Washington: The Writer and her most recent work, John Adams: The Writer, released in October 2007. She also reviews juvenile history books for the Civil War Book Review and has been a writer and editor for the New Jersey Historical Society.

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