Hammonds
Jas Hammonds (they/she) was raised in many cities and between the pages of many books. They have received support for their writing from the Highlights Foundation, Baldwin for the Arts and Lambda Literary. They are also a grateful recipient of the MacDowell James Baldwin Fellowship. Their debut novel, We Deserve Monuments, won the 2023 Coretta […]
Williams
Brittany N. Williams is the author of the YA historical fantasy That Self-Same Metal, Book #1 in the Forge & Fracture Saga, as well as Saint Seducing Gold and Iron Tongue of Midnight. She is a classically-trained actress who studied Musical Theatre at Howard University and Shakespearean performance at the Royal Central School of Speech […]
Tavares
New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Matt Tavares was born in Boston, and grew up surrounded by books and reading. From the time he was very young, his mother read to him every night, and his family made countless trips to the public library. Years later, as a studio art major at Bates College, he rediscovered […]
Hopkinson
Deborah Hopkinson is the award-winning author of more than eighty books for young readers including picture books, historical fiction, nonfiction, and Little Golden Books. Deborah’s nonfiction includes They Saved the Stallions and Titanic, Voices from the Disaster, which received a YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction honor and a Robert F. Sibert Honor. She is also the […]
Kurilla
Renée Kurilla is a children’s author and illustrator who loves drawing nature, animals, and working on projects that require a little bit of research. She creates art and stories that inspire kids (and grown-up kids) to spread kindness and appreciate the wonder of the world around them. Renée has illustrated many books for kids including […]
Coy
John Coy is the author of young adult novels, the 4 for 4 middle-grade series, and nonfiction and fiction picture books including Night Driving, Hoop Genius, Two Old Potatoes and Me, Their Great Gift, Dads, My Mighty Journey, and the unique collaboration Where We Come From. He has multiple books forthcoming. He has received numerous […]
Rhee
Helena Ku Rhee is an award-winning author of books for kids and the young at heart. Her book, Sora’s Seashells, won a 2024 Ezra Jack Keats Award Honor for Writing. Her bestselling book The Paper Kingdom was included on many year-end Best Books lists, including NPR, BookPage, Kirkus, Parents Magazine and the Los Angeles Public […]
Charlton-Trujillo
Described as a “force of nature” by Kirkus Reviews, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo is one of the most dynamic and inspiring speakers for youth and educators today. A Michael L. Printz Award winner for their work in The Collectors: Stories, Trujillo’s Fat Angie series is an ALA Stonewall Award winner and a Lambda Literary Finalist among other […]
Rogers
Andrea L. Rogers is an award-winning author of historical and contemporary fiction across a variety of genres. She is from Tulsa, Oklahoma and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. She graduated from the Institute of American Indian and Alaskan Arts with an MFA in Creative Writing. Currently, she is splitting time between Fayetteville, […]
Thompkins-Bigelow
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, M.S.Ed, is a Philadelphia-based, award-winning children’s book author. A former English teacher, she educated children and teens in traditional and alternative learning settings for more than 15 years. As an inaugural fellow with the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC), she also developed foundational curricular frameworks for youth and adult anti-racist programming and this work continues […]