Shannon Smith
Nikki Shannon Smith is an educator, presenter, and the award-winning author of nearly 30 published and forthcoming books, ranging from board books to young adult novels. Her middle grade novel STRANDED (Scholastic) is a nominee for both the 2026 Georgia Children’s Book Award and the Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award. She also wrote the Azaleah […]
Toalson
R.L. (Rachel) Toalson is the award-winning author of multiple prose and poetry novels for young people, including the middle grade books The Colors of the Rain, The Woods, The First Magnificent Summer, Something Maybe Magnificent, The Unforgettable Leta “Lightning” Laurel, and My Brother Oliver, (Simon & Schuster, May 2026), as well as several poetry and […]
Sawyerr
Hannah V. Sawyerr is a Sierra Leonean-American writer with a passion for people and storytelling. For Hannah’s literary and community involvement, she was recognized as the 2016 Youth Poet Laureate of Baltimore. Her spoken word poetry has been featured on the British Broadcasting Channel’s (BBC) “World Have Your Say” program, as well as the National […]
Mendez
Jasminne Mendez is a Pura Belpré Honor award author and best-selling Dominican-American poet, educator, translator, and playwright of several books for children and adults. Born and raised all over the country due to her father’s military service, She is the daughter of immigrants and considers herself an Afro-Latina of The South since she was raised […]
Bowen Cohen
Emily Bowen Cohen creates comics that explore intersectional identity. She is Jewish and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She uses personal experience to tell stories that examine contemporary American and Jewish culture. Emily grew up in rural Oklahoma. Her father was the Chief of Staff at their tribal hospital and her mother is […]
Abed
Omar Abed writes children’s books, poetry, and computer code. While studying computer engineering in college, Omar turned to spoken-word poetry as a creative outlet for self-expression. His passion for rhyme and rhythm set him on an unplanned path to writing picture books. He self-published his first book, You, Me, and a Tree, in order to […]
Graves
Byron Graves is Ojibwe and Lakota. They were born and raised on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. When they aren’t writing, they can be found playing retro video games or skateboarding. Rez Ball, Byron’s debut novel won the William C Morris Young Adult debut award, the American Indian Youth Literature award for Best Young Adult […]
Mora
Oge Mora is a collage artist and storyteller. Her picture book, Thank You, Omu!, was a Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, and Ezra Jack Keats Book Award recipient. Her second book, Saturday won the 2020 Boston Globe—Horn Book Picture Book Award. Oge’s artwork has been applauded by The Washington Post, […]
Detlefsen
Lisl H. Detlefsen is the author of a growing number of picture books. Her first, TIME FOR CRANBERRIES (Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press, illustrated by Jed Henry) was a Junior Library Guild selection, a 2016 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People (K–2), and the 2017 Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Book of the Year. IF […]
Kuyatt
Meg Eden Kuyatt is an award-winning autistic novelist and poet based in the DC area. She is the author of six poetry chapbooks, the novel Post-High School Reality Quest (2017), the 2021 Towson Prize for Literature winning poetry collection Drowning in the Floating World and children’s novels including a 2024 ALA Schneider Family Book Award […]