G.
Award Winning Author for All Ages
Multiple National Science Foundation Grantee
Travels from: Tampa, FL

“If there’s one thing Neri does well it’s tell a tale that needs to be told. There’s an honesty to Neri’s writing that kids are going to respond to. They’ll discover a book that speaks to them.” — Elizabeth Bird, School Library Journal

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 My Antarctica, Safe Passage, The Collectors, Tru & Nelle, Grand Theft Horse, Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrap the World, Hello, I’m Johnny Cash, and Chess Rumble. In 2017, he was awarded the first of two National Science Foundation grants that sent him to Antarctica; he is currently co-chair of the Antarctic Artists and Writers Collective. In 2023, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from SUNY for his literary and Antarctic output. He writes full-time while living on the Gulf Coast of Florida with his wife and daughter.

G.'s Featured Titles

Safe Passage

Tu Books |
Middle Grade/Young Adult Graphic Novel

In this companion to bestselling and highly acclaimed Yummy, Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author G. Neri returns with an epic journey across the South Side of Chicago for Darius, his little sister Cissy, and his best friend Booger as they set out to find an armored truck that has lost a payload of cash.

Thirteen-year-old Darius is going through a rough time. It’s almost been a year since a terrible act of violence took the life of his mother and left him with a wound both in his leg and in his heart. With his stepdad out of work; his little sister, Cissy, always on his case; and the looming prospect of foreclosure on their house, he feels his world closing in on him.

But Darius’s best friend, Booger, has a plan. A Brinks armored truck has crashed on a nearby highway and money is blowing everywhere. If they can get across town and back safely, they just might get rich! But to do it, they need to cross through some of the most dangerous streets in Chicago, staying ahead of the gangs that rule those neighborhoods.

Before long, their adventures blow up on social media as Booger documents their search for riches, and everyone is after them. Can they get home without falling victim to the violence of the streets? Sometimes, on the streets of Chicago, there is no Safe Passage.

My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and So Much More

Candlewick |
Children’s/Middle Grade Travel Memoir

Follow Coretta Scott King Honor–winning author G. Neri to the end of the world in a captivating travel memoir that explores Antarctica through the curiosity and wonder of his inner child—the kid who dreamed of one day becoming an explorer.

Antarctica is a land of extremes—the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest place on the planet. It’s a world where the sun stays hidden half of the year and where visitors must undergo a week of special training before it’s safe to go outside (watch out for lava bombs!). It’s also a place of stark beauty, history, and endless scientific research. Join beloved author G. Neri on his long-dreamed-of voyage to the ice, where he taps into his inner child and encounters sea angels, mummified seals, space robots, inquisitive penguins, and so much more. Abundant full-color photographs (many by the author) and annotated comics and illustrations from Corban Wilkin depict an unforgettable stay in a land of baffling mysteries to uncover, epic questions to ponder, and bigger-than-life stories to tell. Robust back matter includes more facts and history, recommended source material, and answers to questions about everything from logistics (how do you sleep?) to cool science (why is Blood Falls red?). This eye-opening, information-packed memoir—shaped by the author’s visits with school groups upon his return—sparkles with his heartfelt journey of discovery.

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty

Lee & Low Books |
Teen Biography Comic

Eleven-year old Roger is trying to make sense of his classmate Robert “Yummy” Sandifer’s death, but first he has to make sense of Yummy’s life. Yummy could be as tough as a pit bull sometimes. Other times he was as sweet as the sugary treats he loved to eat. Was Yummy some sort of monster, or just another kid? As Roger searches for the truth, he finds more and more questions. How did Yummy end up in so much trouble? Did he really kill someone? And why do all the answers seem to lead back to a gang-the same gang to which Roger’s older brother belongs? Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty is a compelling graphic dramatization based on events that occurred in Chicago in 1994. This gritty exploration of youth gang life will force readers to question their own understandings of good and bad, right and wrong.

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My Antarctica: a children's author explores the most extreme continent on Earth

Join author G. Neri on his 2-month STEAM expedition to the end of the world, Antarctica. Mummified seals? Space Robots? Sea Angels? Dinosaurs? It’s all true as G explores above and below the ice in this epic STEAM adventure. Grades 2-6.

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From Concrete Cowboys to Antarctic Robots: True adventures with author/explorer G. Neri

Award-winning author takes us on his journey as a writer for young people, which has taken him from the inner cities of Southside Chicago and North Philly to snowy Siberia, wild South Africa and the end of the world in Antarctica–all in search of story. Grades 5-12

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Yummy and Safe Passage: Urban graphic novels come to life

Neri tells the true stories of a neighborhood in the southside of Chicago, 30 years apart. Yummy has been hailed as one of the top 25 most essential graphic novels of all-time, while Safe Passage was called “an amazing achievement.” The books explore how gang violence change the lives of young people and how these young people learn to survive. Grades 7-12.

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Ghetto Cowboy: From real-life to book to movie

Join author G. Neri as he explores the hidden world of North Philadelphia, a world filled with Black urban cowboys. Turning a spotlight on this modern-day western, G first writes the novel, Ghetto Cowboy, then makes the movie, Concrete Cowboy, starring Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin. A sequel, Polo Cowboy explores the first African American Polo team! Real stories for real teens. Grades 5-12.

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Books Save Lives: author G. Neri spreads the word

Through his books, Neri has helped to transform lives. His words have reached reluctant and non-readers, from inner city schools to juvenile detention facilities. He has helped turn dropouts into PhD students and give voice to students struggling with issues from gang violence to depression. Can a book save a life. The answer is yes. Grades 5-12.

Greg’s Events Link

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Greg’s Media Link

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Michael L. Printz Award
Coretta Scott King Honor Award
Will Eisner Award Finalist
Horace Mann Award
Simon Wiesenthal/ Museum of Tolerance Honoree
Bestselling author (Yummy, Ghetto Cowboy, Tru & Nelle)
Cybil Award/ Jefferson Cup Award/ Florida Book Award
Honorary Doctorate (SUNY)
Co-chair of Antarctic Artists and Writers Collective

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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