Lesa Cline-Ransome’s books have received numerous honors and awards including NAACP Awards, Kirkus Best Books, School Library Journal Best Book, New York Public Library Best Book, ALA Notable, an NCTE Notable, CBC Choice Awards, two Top 10 Sports Books for Youth, an Orbis Pictus Recommended Book, an ILA Teacher’s Choice, a Jane Addams Award and a Christopher Award. She frequently collaborates with her husband, illustrator James Ransome.
Kate Messner is passionately curious and writes books that encourage kids to wonder, too. Her titles include award-winning picture books like Over and Under the Rainforest, Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, and The Next President; novels like Chirp, Breakout, All the Answers, and The Seventh Wish; high-interest nonfiction like the History Smashers series; the popular Ranger in Time chapter book adventures; and the Fergus and Zeke easy readers.
K.L. began her career working at Curtis Brown, Ltd., one of the oldest literary agencies in New York City. She has written short stories for several anthologies and currently has published multiple picture books in addition to her novels. She also leads professional workshops at the Highlights Foundation and teaches Language Arts at the Homestead Montessori School in Glen Spey, NY. Finally, KL Going is a mom to a truly awesome kid!
Andrea Pyros is the author of the middle-grade novels MY YEAR OF EPIC ROCK (Sourcebooks) and PINK HAIR AND OTHER TERRIBLE IDEAS (Capstone) and a contributor to the popular #kidlit blog, FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MIDDLE-GRADE AUTHORS.
"Sarah LuAnn Perkins is an illustrator-author of whimsical stories for the children's publishing market. Steampunk, folk, and fairy tales are common sources of inspiration, though any good story will do. She enjoys creating work full of wit, wonder, and whimsy.
Sarah received a BFA in illustration from Brigham Young University. She now lives in Upstate NY with her husband and two kids. In addition to illustration and storytelling, she enjoys dancing Lindy Hop, playing violin, and baking."
Nancy Castaldo has written books about our planet for over 20 years including, THE STORY OF SEEDS, which earned the Green Earth Book Award, Junior Library Guild Selection, and other honors.
Alysa Wishingrad used to have a whole other career in theater, film and TV, but nothing is better than weaving stories for middle-grade readers. Alysa lives in the Hudson Valley of NY with her family and a passel of pets. She is repped by Victoria Marini at The Irene Goodman Agency. You can visit her at: www.AlysaWishingrad.com
Emma Kress (she/her) is a writer and educator living with her family in Saratoga Springs, NY. She is a graduate of Vassar College, Columbia University’s Teachers College, and the Vermont College of Fine Arts’ Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA program. She is a long-time teacher and was one of four finalists for New York State Teacher of the Year. DANGEROUS PLAY is her debut novel. She is represented by Roseanne Wells of the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. You can find out more at www.emmakress.com.
Jen Doll is the author of the forthcoming young adult novel That's Debatable, out from FSG Books for Young Readers in March 2022. Unclaimed Baggage, her first young adult novel, was a New York Times Staff Pick, an NPR Best Book of 2018, a Buzzfeed Best YA Book, and a Cosmo Best New Book of 2018. She is also the author of the memoir Save the Date: The Occasional Mortifications of a Serial Wedding Guest. She's written for The Atlantic, Elle, Esquire, Glamour, GQ, New York Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, Vice, The Village Voice, The Week, and many other publications. She grew up in Alabama and lives in upstate New York. Find out more at jendoll.com.
Maya is an author, educator, environmentalist, and long-time Buddhist practitioner. She has taught preschool through high school students using progressive and contemplative methods for the past 15 years in a variety of settings. She also works at Bard College and lives with her life partner and their children in New York’s magical Catskill Mountains. Ensconced in their cozy cabin, Maya is currently writing her second children’s book and a historical novel based on her Polish grandmother’s memoirs.
"Amy Guglielmo is co-author of the Christopher award-winning POCKET FULL OF COLORS: The Magical World of Mary Blair Disney Artist Extraordinaire (Atheneum 2017) and How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine (Atheneum 2018) with co-author Jacqueline Tourville, and GOODNIGHT, STARRY NIGHT (Cartwheel 2019), LOVE (Cartwheel 2020), and the TOUCH THE ART series (Sterling 2006, 2010) with Julie Appel!
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Melissa Hurt is a certified yoga instructor and teaches acting, voice, speech, and movement. She holds an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and a PhD from the University of Oregon. Melissa lives in upstate New York. Learn more at melissahurt.com.
Virginia Euwer Wolff is a mother, grandmother, lapsed schoolteacher, summer swimmer, winter snow shoveler, lifelong amateur second violinist, and author of books for young readers. She has lived in the extremes of rural, unnelectrified Oregon and Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen. A Smith College graduate, she’s attended graduate school in four states but has no advanced degree. She now lives in New York State’s Hudson Valley and had been playing some chamber music before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. She tries to obey a writing adviser who said, “You must up the ante with every story you write.” Virginia believes that her position as the slowest kids’ author in the USA is, at this time, unchallenged. She’s won two Golden Kites (SCBWI), two Oregon Book Awards, a Jane Addams Book Award and Honor, a Printz Honor, the Phoenix Award (Children’s Literature Association), the NSK Neustadt Award, and the National Book Award.
Her agent is Elizabeth Harding of Curtis Brown, Ltd. Contact Virginia at www.virginiaeuwerwolff.com
Kathy Ceceri (kathyceceri.com) is an award-winning writer, instructional designer, and Maker, with a focus on science, technology, history, and art. The author of more than a dozen books featuring hands-on STEAM activities, Kathy has presented in-person and online workshops throughout the Northeast and around the country for students, teachers, and families. She also helped create robotics badges for the Girl Scouts of the USA and writes tutorials for kids and beginners for Adafruit Industries
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Della Ross Ferreri is a teacher and children's writer. She is the author of picture books, board books and early readers. Della has four recently published children's books: PRECIOUS BABY - a sweet board book for new parents to share with their baby, BEEP! BEEP! SPECIAL DELIVERY, an action-packed, imaginative picture book for truck-loving kids, HUGGLE WUGGLE, BEDTIME SNUGGLE, a silly-sweet bedtime board book (a 2019 CYBILS finalist), and GOD BLESSES ME, an engaging lift-the-flap board book for toddlers that reinforces gratitude in a child’s daily life. Della’s stories, poems, and action rhymes have appeared in children's magazines such as Highlights High Five, Highlights Hello, Ladybug, Babybug and Clubhouse Jr. Della is a member of SCBWI, and, as a co-founder of CWHV - Children's Writers of the Hudson Valley - she helps organize local writing workshops and conferences.
Linda MacRitchie Graf has been an Art Teacher in NYS public schools for 30 plus years. She lives in upstate NYS with her husband. Linda is the author/illustrator of Treasure in the Trunk, a wordless picture book. She enjoys working in many kinds of media including fibers, watercolor, acrylics, graphite, and pastel. She is inspired by nature’s ever-changing light, color, line, and texture. To see more of her work please go to her website at: https://lindamacritchiegraf.com
John has been a professional writer for 25 years. He even spent three years as a children's TV critic. Yes, they paid him to watch children's television! But eventually, he returned to his first love, books, and is now thrilled to be writing funny stories for young readers, including picture books and joke books. A Philadelphia native, John now lives in New York's Capital District with his three children -- a high-schooler, a middle-schooler, and a preschooler) because he thinks it's important to have one in each kidlit demographic. For more about John and his books, please visit https://johnbriggsbooks.net/.
As a science writer, Anita Sanchez is especially fascinated by plants and animals that no one loves. Her award-winning books sing the praises of unappreciated plants and animals: dandelions, poison ivy, bats, tarantulas. Many years of fieldwork and teaching outdoor classes have given her firsthand experience in introducing students to the terrors and joys of nature. Her books are intended to get readers excited about science and the wonders of the natural world.
Karen Kaufman Orloff is the author of 12 books for children, including the popular "I Wanna" books from G.P. Putnam ("I Wanna Iguana," "I Wanna New Room," "I Wanna Go Home") used by teachers nationwide for persuasive writing. Her most recent books include "Dudley's Day At Home" (Flashlight Press, 2020), "Some Days," (Sterling Publishing, 2019), "Goodnight, Little Bot" (Sterling, 2017) and "Miles of Smiles" (Sterling, 2016.) She frequently visits schools and libraries and lives in New York's Hudson Valley.
Leanne Pankuch writes stories about young people who dream big and break rules. Born in Canada, she grew up exploring and continues to be inspired by the natural world. She also reads and collects good books of all kinds and is a student of history, classic literature, ghost stories, and the origins of legends and fairy tales.
Meg Sodano is fascinated with changes in the natural world – lifecycles, migrations, seasons, tides, weather – and with interactions among species and their environments. She uses her first-hand experiences, knowledge of biology, and training in science illustration to make picture books about ecology and conservation.
Represented by Christa Heschke of McIntosh & Otis, Linda Elovitz Marshall writes board books through middle grade, fiction and non-fiction.
Kimberly Sabatini is a former Special Education Teacher who is an author and busy Domestic Engineer. Kimberly grew up in Beacon, NY and after college, traveled to Germany, Arizona and North Carolina as a military spouse.
