Aden Polydoros is an author of YA dark fantasy and gothic horror novels, and has a bachelor’s degree in English from Northern Arizona University. His…
Alexandra Villasante has always loved telling stories–though not always with words. She has a BFA in Painting and an MA in Combined Media (that’s art…
Special Guest Alicia D. Williams is the author of Genesis Begins Again, which received the Newbery and Kirkus Prize honors, was a William C. Morris…
Alisa Alering is a writer and editor living in southern Indiana. She writes fiction for children and adults and non-fiction exploring science, technology, and the…
Special Guest Alison Green Myers is the program director for the non-profit Highlights Foundation, which supports children’s book writers and illustrators. She’s served as a…
Special Guest Amber McBride is currently a professor at the University of Virginia. She received her MFA in Poetry from Emerson College in 2012. She also…
Special Guest An Na was born in South Korea and grew up in San Diego, California. She is the author of three novels: A Step from…
Special Guest Andrea Mosqueda is a Chicana writer. She was born and raised in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her…
Andrea Page (Lakota, Standing Rock Nation) is a children’s author, retired teacher, and Co-President of Rochester Area Children’s Writers and Illustrators (RACWI). Her debut book,…
Virtual Special Guest Angela Dominguez was born in Mexico City, grew up in the great state of Texas, and now resides on the east coast.…
Anna Raff is an award-winning illustrator of several books for children including The Day the Universe Exploded My Head, World Rat Day, A Big Surprise…
In spite of the adage to write what you know, Anne Marie Pace has never been a vampire, a ballerina, a groundhog, or a tow…
Antwan Eady is a children’s author and a dreamer. Originally from Garnett, South Carolina, he’s now sharing those dreams with the world. Eady is a…
Special Guest Aram Kim is a writer and illustrator as well as a designer of picture books for children. She was born in Ohio, raised…
Ashley Hope Pérez is the author of three novels: Out of Darkness (2015), The Knife and the Butterfly (2012), and What Can’t Wait (2011). Out of Darkness was described by The New York Times…
Ashley Wolff has been a visual artist since she declared herself one at the age of five. She grew up in Middlebury, Vermont, and holds…
Barbara McClintock has written and/or illustrated 47 picture books for children. Her books have received five NY Times Ten Best Illustrated Books awards, three ALA…
Brittany J. Thurman has always listened in on the stories told by her grandmother. These same stories hold space in her writing today. Brittany holds…
Special Guest C. Rowen MacCarald is the author of over forty nonfiction books for the educational market, including Cows Don’t Live in Trees! (Rourke Educational…
Special Guest Carol Hinz is Associate Publisher of Millbrook Press and Carolrhoda Books, imprints of Lerner Publishing Group. She oversees and edits a range of…
Carole Boston Weatherford is an award-winning author of children’s books, including Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America (NAACP Image Award), Voice…
Carolyn P. Yoder is the founding editor and currently the senior editor of Calkins Creek Books, the fifteen-year-old U.S. history imprint of Boyds Mills &…
Cece Bell lives in an old church in Virginia and works in a new-ish barn right next door. She met her husband, writer Tom Angleberger,…
Cheryl Willis Hudson is editorial director of Just Us Books, Inc., an independent publishing company that focuses on Black interest books for children and young…
Chris Barash is chair of the Book Selection Committee at PJ Library, a signature program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Prior to her work at…
Chris Tebbetts is the author and co-author of many books for young readers. Titles include the #1 New York Times bestselling MIDDLE SCHOOL series with…
Clare Landrigan is a staff developer who is still a teacher at heart. After years serving as an educator and administrator in elementary public schools,…
Cordelia Jensen graduated with a MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2012. Cordelia has three verse…
Author/Illustrator Courtney Pippin-Mathur creates humorous and heartfelt books for kids, including Maya was Grumpy (Flashlight, 2013), Dragons Rule, Princesses Drool (Little Simon, 2017) and Happy…
Crystal Allen is the author of five middle-grade books, all published by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins. Her accolades include the 2018 SCBWI Sid Fleischman Humor Award…
Dana Meachen Rau has written more than 350 books for children in a variety of genres—early readers, picture-books, historical fiction, cookbooks, and nonfiction on scientific,…
Dante Medema is an author of books for young readers. Her debut novel, The Truth Project (HarperTeen / Quill Tree Books) was an Indies Introduce…
Children’s book author and indie publisher Darcy Pattison writes award-winning fiction and non-fiction books for children. Five books have received starred PW, Kirkus, or BCCB…
Daria Peoples’ first job was at nine years old in the children’s section of her hometown library in Paso Robles, California. She worked a little,…
David Bowles is a Mexican-American author from south Texas, where he teaches at the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. He has written several titles,…
Debbi Michiko Florence is the author of the Jasmine Toguchi chapter book series (JLG selections, the Amelia Bloomer and CCBC Choices lists, and a Cybils Award…
Deborah Stein art/illustration www.deborahjstein.com www.instagram.com/deborah.j.stein Storycamp Disco Visual Storytelling Workshops + Creative Residencies www.instagram.com/storycamp_disco
Don Tate is an award-winning author, and the illustrator of numerous critically acclaimed books for children. Books he’s illustrated include Roto and Roy: Helicopter Heroes…
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas taught in public schools for several years after graduating from Florida A&M, a historically Black…
Edith Campbell is an Associate Education Librarian in the Cunningham Memorial Library at Indiana State University. She is a founding member of the We Are…
Eileen Robinson has worked with children’s writers all over the world for over twenty years. Former Executive Editor at Scholastic and Editorial Director at Harcourt,…
Elise Broach is the author of nearly thirty books for children, ranging from picture books to young adult novels. Her picture book When Dinosaurs Came…
Special Guest After earning her master’s degrees in Children’s Literature and English Literature from Simmons College in Boston, Emily joined the editorial team at Roaring…
Emily Jenkins’ picture books include A Greyhound, A Groundhog, Toys Meet Snow, Lemonade in Winter, and most recently, All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah, winner of the Sydney Taylor Award. That New…
Special Guest Emily Rosenthal (she/her) is an illustrator and writer. Originally from New York, she currently calls Baltimore her home. Emily brings eye catching world-building…
Emma D. Dryden founded drydenbks LLC (www.drydenbks.com), a premiere children’s editorial & publishing consultancy firm, after 25 years experience as editor and publisher of Margaret…
Emma Otheguy is the author of the bilingual picture book Martí’s Song for Freedom (Lee & Low, 2017) about Cuban poet and national hero José…
Eric Bell is the author of ALAN COLE IS NOT A COWARD (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, 2017) and ALAN COLE DOESN’T DANCE (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, 2018),…
Erin Dionne’s latest book for tweens is Secrets of a Fangirl (2019). She’s the author of 6 other books for young readers, including the 2014…
Erin Entrada Kelly received the 2018 Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe, a 2021 Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space, and the 2017 APALA Award…
Ernesto Cisneros is the award-winning author of EFRÉN DIVIDED. He was born and raised in Santa Ana, California, where he still teaches. As an author,…
Felicia Rose Chavez is an award-winning educator with an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Iowa. She is author of The Anti-Racist Writing…
Franki Sibberson is a literacy consultant with 33 years of classroom experience in Dublin, Ohio. She is past-president of the National Council of Teachers of…
Gail Carson Levine is well-known for her children’s books such as the Newbury-Honor winning Ella Enchanted and Forgive Me, I Meant To Do It, Gail’s…
Georgia Heard received her M.F.A. in poetry writing from Columbia University and is a founding member of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project in…
Gina Maccoby is a New York literary agent representing authors of literary and commercial fiction and nonfiction for adults and children, including New York Times…
Before Grace Lin was an award-winning and NY Times bestselling author/illustrator of picturebooks, early readers and middle grade novels, she was the only Asian girl…
Harold is an executive editor at Kane Press. He is also the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Children’s Book Publishing, a comprehensive guide…
Special Guest Harold is an executive editor at Kane Press. He is also the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Children’s Book Publishing, a…
Heather L. Montgomery writes for kids who are wild about animals. An award-winning author and educator, Heather uses yuck appeal to engage young minds. She…
Heidi didn’t want to be a writer when she grew up. In fact, after she graduated from college, she became a probation officer in Florida.…
Hilda Eunice Burgos is the author of the middle-grade novel Ana María Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle, which was recognized as an ALA…
IW Gregorio is a practicing urologist by day, masked avenging YA writer by night. She is author of the Schneider Award-winning THIS IS MY BRAIN…
Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. She has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of…
Isabel Roxas is the author and illustrator of The Adventures of Team Pom: Squid Happens. The first book in a series, it features three questing…
Special Guest Jacqueline Alcántara is a freelance illustrator and educator spending her days drawing, rehabbing houses and adventuring with her dogs. She is fueled by…
Special Guest Jaime Adoff is an award-winning author of children’s poetry and young adult novels. The original poetry collection, “The Song Shoots Out of My…
Jalissa Corrie is a Marketing and Publicity Manager at Lee & Low Books, the largest multicultural children’s book publisher in the United States, and a…
Jan Fields had her first brush with educational publishing when an editor happened upon her webpage and asked if she’d write a book for their…
Virtual Special Guest Janet Wong is a graduate of Yale Law School and a former lawyer who switched careers to become a children’s author. Her…
Jennie Dunham has been a literary agent in New York, New York for 8 years before she founded Dunham Literary, Inc. in 2000. She represents…
Jennifer Baker was named the 2019 Publishers Weekly Star Watch “SuperStar” because her “varied work championing diversity in publishing has made her an indispensable fixture…
Jennifer Gennari is the author of Muffled (Simon & Schuster, 2020), a Junior Library Guild selection, and a Georgia Children’s Book Award finalist, and My…
Jennifer, a graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Education, is the author of over a dozen award-winning children’s books including SMALL AS AN ELEPHANT (IRA…
Special Guest Jennifer Robin Barr is a Philadelphia-area writer focusing little-known nuggets of history. Her debut novel, Goodbye, Mr. Spalding (Calkins Creek; Astra Publishing House,…
Special Guest Jennifer Rofé works primarily in the middle grade and picture book spaces, and she especially loves working with author-illustrators and illustrators. Overall, she…
Jennifer Swanson is the award-winning author of over 40+ nonfiction books for children, mostly about science and technology. Jennifer’s love of STEM began when she…
Preferring grace over style, insight and message over technique, and story over extravagance, Joe seeks to create work with integrity and authenticity at its core.…
John Hazard co-creates the popular diary comic, BACKGROUND NOISE, with his partner in life and love, Lisa Burdige. John spent over a decade creating art…
K. X. Song is a Highlights Foundation Diversity fellow and a HG Wells Turnill Prize honoree. Her picture book, My Elastical Fantastical Bubble, was chosen as…
Kashmira Sheth writes picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, and young adult fiction. Her books have received many awards and honors, including the Asian/Pacific…
Kat Brzozowski is a senior editor at Swoon Reads/Feiwel & Friends. She has edited a wide range of young adult fiction, including Anna-Marie McLemore’s When…
Special Guest Kathryn Williams is an Associate Editor at National Geographic Kids Books.
Katura J. Hudson is a children’s book author, editor, and a communication strategist. A native of New Jersey and graduate of Rutgers University, she got…
Special Guest Kelly Dyksterhouse is a literary agent with Raven Quill Literary Agency. She specializes in fiction and non-fiction from PB to YA. Kelly has…
Special Guest Kelly Light lives in New York but grew up down the shore in New Jersey surrounded by giant pink dinosaurs, cotton candy colors,…
Kelly Starling Lyons is a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf, teaching artist and award-winning children’s book author. Her mission is to center Black heroes,…
Dr. Kimberly N. Parker currently prepares preservice teachers as the Assistant Director of the Teacher Training Center at the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA.…
Kyle Lukoff writes books for kids and other people. Right now you can pre-order his debut middle grade novel TOO BRIGHT TO SEE, due out…
Laura M. Jiménez is the Department Chair for Language & Literacy Education at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. She teaches children’s…
Laura Pegram is the founding editor and publisher of the award winning literary magazine, Kweli Journal, and the director of the Kweli Color of Children’s…
Laura Shovan is a children’s author, educator, and poet. Her chapbook, Mountain, Log, Salt and Stone, won the Harriss Poetry Prize. Her work appears in journals…
Special Guest Lauren MacLeod is a literary agent at The Strothman Agency. She works on both adult nonfiction and young adult and middle-grade books. She…
Special Guest Laurie Calkhoven is the author of more than 50 books for young readers ranging from award-winning nonfiction early readers to YA adaptations of…
Leah Henderson is the author of several critically acclaimed books for young readers including Daddy Speaks Love, A Day for Rememberin’, and Together We March.…
Leeza Hernandez illustrates children’s books in between working full time as an art director and freelance surface pattern designer. Her latest books include Did You…
Lesléa Newman is the author of 75 books for readers of all ages including the children’s classic, Heather Has Two Mommies, the middle-grade novel Hachiko…
Leslie’s award-winning books are known for their humor and word play. Woolbur (HarperCollins) was nominated for book awards in 13 states, winning honors in Florida…
Special Guest Linda Camacho is an agent with Gallt & Zacker Literary. After graduating from Cornell University, Linda interned at Simon & Schuster and Writers…
Linda Epstein is a senior agent at Emerald City Literary Agency, in the east coast office. She represents novels for children and teens as well…
Lisa Burdige co-creates the popular diary comic, BACKGROUND NOISE, with her partner in life and love, John Hazard. In the advertising world, she’s an award-winning…
Lorian is an author and Illustrator of children’s Books, living in New England with her Family. She loves creating art for children, because she knows…
Lyn Miller-Lachmann is the former editor in chief of Multicultural Review. Her young adult novel Gringolandia was a 2010 ALA Best Book for Young Adults…
Lynsey Burkins is a proud educator who has worked for children for the past 18 years. She works towards creating anti-racist spaces where children feel…
Special Guest M.O. Yuksel is the author of the critically acclaimed picture book, IN MY MOSQUE, illustrated by Hatem Aly (HarperCollins, 2021). IN MY MOSQUE…
Special Guest Mae Respicio writes middle grade novels full of heart and hope including THE HOUSE THAT LOU BUILT, which won an Asian/Pacific American Libraries…
Special Guest Maika Moulite is a Miami native and the daughter of Haitian immigrants. She loves writing: books, think pieces, journal entries, neverending lists, you…
Mallory is the Senior Art Director at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group where she’s had the pleasure of working on Mike Curato’s graphic novel, Flamer, Katy Rose Pool’s…
Special Guest Maritza Moulite graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s in women’s studies and the University of Southern California with a master’s…
Special Guest Meera Trehan read as much as she could as a child, memorized poems, and ate enough cookies to earn the nickname “Monster” after…
Meg Medina is a Newbery and Pura Belpré award-winning author of picture books, middle grade, and YA fiction. She is the author of Merci Suárez Changes…
Special Guest Mekisha Telfer is an editor at Roaring Brook Press (Macmillian), where she is building a list of picture books, middle-grade, and young adult…
Virtual Special Guest Mélina Mangal is the author of short stories and biographies for youth, including The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett…
Special Guest Melissa Manlove is an Executive Editor at Chronicle Books in San Francisco. She has been with Chronicle for 18 years. Her acquisitions encompass…
Growing up, Merrill Rainey spent most of his Saturday afternoons watching monster movies, drawing superheroes, and going on imaginary adventures with his brothers. Today, he…
M. García Peña / Mia García (she/her) was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She got her MFA at The New School and…
Special Guest Mike Curato loves drawing and writing almost as much as he loves cupcakes and ice cream (and that’s a LOT!). He is the…
Miranda Paul is an award-winning children’s author of more than a dozen picture books including One Plastic Bag, Water is Water, I Am Farmer and Are We…
Mitali Perkins has written many novels for young readers, including Rickshaw Girl (chosen by the New York Public Library as one of the top 100 books for…
A proud product of the Detroit Public Schools, Dr. Nancy D. Tolson received her Masters and PhD from the University of Iowa, researching the history…
Nancy Werlin is the author of eleven young-adult novels that range from contemporary realism to mystery to fantasy, but her twelfth and latest novel is Healer…
Special Guest Nicole Valentine (www.nicolevalentinebooks.com) is an author of middle grade fiction. She earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the…
New York Times bestselling author Nikki Grimes is the recipient of the 2022 CSK Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2020 ALAN Award for significant…
Nikki Shannon Smith is the author of eleven books, ranging from picture books to young adult. Her work includes the Azaleah Lane chapter book series…
Nisha Sharma is the author of the critically acclaimed YA novel My So-Called Bollywood Life and the follow up, Radha and Jai’s Recipe for Romance.…
NoNieqa Ramos is an educator who wrote THE DISTURBED GIRL’S DICTIONARY, a 2018 New York Public Library Best Book for Teens and a 2019 YALSA…
Nora Shalaway Carpenter (she/her) is the author of THE EDGE OF ANYTHING (a Bank Street Best Book of the Year; a Kirkus Reviews Best Book;…
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the author of 8th Grade Superzero, a Notable Book for a Global Society and Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People.…
Padma Venkatraman is the author of THE BRIDGE HOME which has garnered 8 stars, and has been honored as one of the best books of…
Pamela Bobowicz has worked for numerous publishers on fiction, non-fiction and licensed projects for all ages. In her current role at Workman Publishing, she looks…
Special Guest Pat Cummings is the author and/or illustrator of over 40 books for young readers. Along with teaching children’s book classes at Pratt and…
Former vice president and editor at large of Philomel Books, Patti is now a fulltime writer and lecturer. She has authored more than 40 picture…
Paula Chase-Hyman doesn’t mind being known as a Jane of all trades, Queen of none. But a single theme has followed throughout her career in…
Paula has been writing for the educational market since 2012, and each new assignment is still an enjoyable surprise. She has also served as an…
Phoebe knows a thing or two about finishing a manuscript. She and her team of editors are responsible for the estate programs of C.S. Lewis, Maurice…
Rachel Orr is celebrating her fifteenth year at Prospect Agency, where she represents both authors and illustrators in projects ranging from picture books through YA.…
Rebecca M. Davis is Editorial Director of Astra Young Readers and Wordsong, imprints of Astra Books for Young Readers, a division of Astra Publishing House.…
Rebecca is the author of a diverse range of picture books and poetry collections for children, including Lemonade Sun, One Day, The End, The Knowing…
Regina Brooks is the founder and president of Serendipity Literary Agency LLC, based in Brooklyn, New York. Her agency has represented and established a diverse…
Rob Costello (he/him) is a queer man who writes contemporary and dark speculative fiction with a queer bent for and about young people. An alumnus…
Rob Sanders is a teacher who writes and a writer who teaches. He is known for his funny and fierce fiction and nonfiction picture books…
Special Guest Rona Shirdan is living her best life as a writer, freelance copy editor, and proofreader. She is the mother of two adult sons…
Special Guest Ruth Horowitz’s most recent picture book Saving Eli’s Library, was released in October 2020. Her other six books for young children include Are…
Special Guest Sandra K. Athans is a National Board Certified practicing Literacy Specialist with 20 years of classroom teaching experience, a featured speaker, and a…
Saraciea J. Fennell is the founder of The Bronx is Reading—Bronx Book Festival. She is also a book publicist who has worked with many award-winning…
Sarah Aronson began writing for kids and teens when someone in an exercise class dared her to try. Since then, she has earned an MFA…
Special Guest Sarah Suk (pronounced like soup with a K) lives in Vancouver, Canada where she writes stories and admires mountains. When she’s not writing,…
Sera Rivers (she/her) is a Senior Literary Manager at Martin Literary & Media Management and is currently accepting queries for middle grade and young adult…
Shadra Strickland studied, design, writing, and illustration at Syracuse University and later went on to complete her M.F.A. at the School of Visual Arts in…
Special Guest Shannon C.F. Rogers is a writer of young adult novels, short fiction, and plays. She is the author of I’D RATHER BURN THAN…
Shannon Gibney is a writer, educator, activist, and the author of See No Color (Carolrhoda Lab, 2015), and Dream Country (Dutton, 2018) young adult novels…
Special Guest Shelley Evans-Marshall, MA comes from a professional background of both classroom teaching and educational publishing. She began her career in the classroom, where…
Special Guest Shelly Romero (she/her) is an associate editor at Scholastic. She graduated from Stephens College with a bachelor’s degree in English and attended the…
The author of the YA doc dramedy Symptoms of a Heartbreak, Sona Charaipotra is not a doctor — much to her pediatrician parents’ chagrin. They…
Steve Light grew up in an enchanted place known as New Jersey. He went on to study Illustration at Pratt Institute, he also had the…
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen is an award-winning children’s book author whose books include Chicks Rule, The United States vs. Jackie Robinson (2019 ALSC Notable Children’s Books List),…
Special Guest Sunita Apte is an editor at Reycraft Books/Benchmark. She is the half-Indian, half-Hungarian child of immigrants. She has lived and traveled in Asia,…
Special Guest Susan Campbell Bartoletti’s picture books, novels, and nonfiction have received dozens of awards, including the Newbery Honor, the Sibert Award and honor, the…
Susan Kusel is an author, synagogue library director, an independent bookstore buyer, and children’s book consultant. She has served on multiple book award committees including…
Tasha Flagg supports PJ Library’s Book Selection Committee in North America and coordinates with global book selection teams to ensure that all PJ communities receive…
Teresa Robeson (teresarobeson.com) draws upon her Chinese heritage, immigrant sensibilities, as well as her background in science and love of nature when she writes. Her…
Special Guest Torrey Maldonado: Praised by two NYC Chancellors for being a top culturally responsive educator who has taught for nearly 25 years, Torrey Maldonado…
Tracey Baptiste is the New York Times bestselling author of Minecraft: The Crash, as well as the creepy Caribbean series The Jumbies which includes The…
Traci Chee is a best-selling and award-winning author of books for young people, including the instant New York Times best seller and Kirkus Prize Finalist The Reader and Printz Honor…
Trisha de Guzman is an Editor at Farrar, Straus, Giroux Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan. She has the privilege of editing picture…
Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a self-taught illustrator, doll maker, and crafter who studied fashion illustration at FIT and children’s book illustration at the School of Visual…
Veera Hiranandani is the award-winning author of several books for young people. Her most recent middle-grade novel, How to Find What You’re Not Looking For,…
Special Guest Vicky Fang is a product designer who spent 5 years designing kids’ technology experiences for both Google and Intel, often to inspire and…
Wade Hudson’s career as a writer spans more than three decades. A native of Mansfield, Louisiana, he majored in political science at Southern University. After…
Special Guest Yvonne Wakim Dennis is an award winning author of nonfiction books for children and adults including A Kid’s Guide to Native American History…
Intimate and inspiring workshops for children's authors and illustrators.
