Carver
Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. is an advocate, a Kentucky Teacher of the Year, and the author of a bestselling collection of narrative poetry about his childhood growing up queer in Appalachia, Gay Poems for Red States (University Press of Kentucky), which was named a Book Riot Best Book of 2023, a Top Ten Best […]
Neri
G. Neri is the Michael L. Printz and Coretta Scott King award-winning author of such books as the bestselling Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty and Ghetto Cowboy, which was made into the movie, Concrete Cowboy, starring Idris Elba. His books have been translated into multiple languages in over 25 countries. They include […]
Liu
Ken Liu is an American author of speculative fiction. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards for his fiction, he has also won top genre honors abroad in Japan, Spain, and France. Liu’s most characteristic work is the four-volume epic fantasy series, THE DANDELION DYNASTY, in which engineers, not wizards, are the […]
Sriram
Meera draws from her life straddling the East and West to tell stories. She grew up in India and moved to the United States at the turn of the millennium. An electrical engineer in the past, she now writes for children and advocates for diversifying bookshelves. Meera felt compelled to tell her stories when she […]
Mo
Cherry Mo is the Caldecott-Honor winning author-illustrator of her debut picture book, Home In A Lunchbox (June 2024), from Penguin Workshop. This book is inspired by Cherry’s personal experience of moving from Hong Kong to America at the age of ten. Through writing and illustrating, she hopes to bring young readers a sense of comfort […]
Faruqi
When Reem Faruqi taught second grade, her favorite time was “Read Aloud” time. Now, her favorite time at home is reading with her daughters. Reem Faruqi is the award-winning author of Lailah’s Lunchbox, a picture book based on her own experiences as a young Muslim girl immigrating to the United States. Of Pakistani origin, Reem […]
Rum
Etaf Rum is a Palestinian-American New York Times Bestselling author. Her debut novel, A Woman Is Man, garnered attention as a Today Show Read with Jenna Pick, marking the beginning of her literary acclaim. With her latest novel, Evil Eye, recognized as an NPR Best Book of the Year, Etaf Rum solidifies her position as […]
Nijhuis
Michelle Nijhuis is the author of Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction, a history of the modern conservation movement that was named one of the best books of 2021 by The Chicago Tribune, Smithsonian Magazine, Booklist, and other publications. Michelle writes about conservation and climate change for publications including National Geographic, […]
Rogers
Kim Rogers is the author of Just Like Grandma, winner of the 2024 Charlotte Zolotow Award, 2024 Ezra Jack Keats Award Honor for Writer, illustrated by Julie Flett; A Letter for Bob, winner of the 2024 American Indian Youth Award (AIYA), 2024 Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title, illustrated by Jonathan Nelson; and I Am Osage: […]
Leali
Michael Leali (he/him) is an author and educator born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and currently living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When Michael isn’t writing, he enjoys reading, playing board games, and a nice long […]