Kunz
Rebecca Lee Kunz is an artist, illustrator, and the owner of Tree of Life Studio. She was awarded the 2025 Randolph Caldecott Award for her illustrations in the picture book Chooch Helped. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Rebecca’s work draws upon tribal iconography, archetypal symbolism, and mythology. A visual storyteller and folklorist, […]
Foody
Amanda Foody is the New York Times, USA Today, and indie bestselling author of the Wilderlore series, A Fate So Cold and All of Us Villains (with C. L. Herman), and more. Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice was a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, and All of Us Villains was awarded a Junior […]
Baron
Chris Baron is the award winning author of Novels for young (and young at heart) readers including ALL OF ME an NCTE Notable Book, THE MAGICAL IMPERFECT a Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book/ a SLJ Best Book of 2021 THE GRAY, a ProjectLIT Selection, SPARK a JLG Gold Standard Selection & Golden Poppy Finalist, […]
Wyman
Christina Wyman is the USA Today-bestselling author of the middle-grade novels Jawbreaker, Slouch, and Breakout. She is a teacher and writer living in Michigan with her husband and silly rescue cats named Alfred and Greta Cannoli―not to mention the raccoons, owls, and hummingbirds that occupy a tree outside their bedroom window. She grew up in […]
Upchurch
Shanna Upchurch is the award-winning author of picture books and middle grade novels that celebrate brave kids, remarkable animals, and big-hearted journeys. Raised in rural Illinois and now based in Texas, Shanna’s stories are inspired by the wonder found just outside our doors. Her book The Honeybee Highway (April 2026), is a celebration of honeybees, […]
Amato
Dr. Jarred Amato is an award-winning English teacher, the author of Just Read It: Unlocking the Magic of Independent Reading in Middle and High School Classrooms, and the co-founder of Project LIT Community, a grassroots literacy movement. Jarred is an avid reader and writer who enjoys collaborating with fellow educators to improve literacy access, attitudes, […]
Adame
Leslie Adame is a first-generation Mexican American and graduate of UCLA with a degree in political science and a minor in film, television, and digital media. She’s always enjoyed giving back and telling stories about characters not often found in books or films. Her debut Latinx middle grade fantasy is Chloe Vega and the Agents […]
Rothman
Scott Rothman is a writer of picture books, screenplays, theater, and humor pieces. Scott’s debut picture book ATTACK OF THE UNDERWEAR DRAGON (Random House) and its sequel RETURN OF THE UNDERWEAR DRAGON were both National Indie bestsellers. His most recent book KITTYBUNKPORT was featured on the Today Show and was selected by Jenna Bush Hager […]
Phan
Aimee Phan was born and raised in Orange County, California. She received her BA in English from UCLA and her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She is the author of The Lost Queen, a young adult fantasy duology, as well as two books for adults, We Should Never Meet: Stories and the novel The […]
Mann
J. Albert Mann is a disability activist and award-winning author of books for young people. Her work focuses on history, social justice, equity, disability, eugenics, gender, economics, and labor. So…all the fun stuff. Her first work of historical fiction—SCAR: A REVOLUTIONARY WAR NOVEL—highlights the large role Indigenous Nations played in the war, a conflict which they […]