| Authors and Illustrators 2018 |
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| Suzanne Bloom |
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| Drawing, painting, making things, reading and writing have always been my stepping stones. I graduated from Cooper Union, was an architectural renderer and made wooden toys. Then I jumped from the dusty, noisy workshop into my messy, sun-filled studio surrounded by pencils and ideas. Eighteen books later there are still stories and characters to explore. My favorite compliment is from a 3rd grade boy in Texas: “Ma’am, you were born to draw.” |
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| Deborah Blumenthal |
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| deborahblumenthal.com | Deborah Blumenthal is an award-winning journalist and the author of twenty books, most of them for children. She has been a regular contributor to The New York Times (including four years as the Sunday New York Times Magazine beauty columnist), and a home design columnist for Long Island Newsday. Deborah lives in New York City. |
| Heather Crow |
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| Heather Crow is a free-lance artist who lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She received her BFA from Bowling Green University and researched the model of teacher-artist for her Master’s of Art thesis. She has taught watercolor and art history at Chesapeake College and the Academy Art Museum. For 20 years Heather taught Art at St. Michaels High School. She has won numerous local and state awards, including the prestigious national Robert Rauschenburg Power of Art Award for the State of Maryland. She and her husband Roger have three grown children, all married -- each with three children. | |
| Lezlie Evans |
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| www.Lezlieevans.com Lezlie Evans – author |
Lezlie Evans is the award-winning author of numerous children’s books including Finding Christmas (Albert Whitman & Co 2017), Who Loves the Little Lamb (Disney-Hyperion 2010), and Can You Count 10 Toes; Counting to 10 in 10 Different Languages (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1999). She is a member of The Children's Book Guild of Washington D.C., the PAL (published and listed) Coordinator for the SCBWI Mid-Atlantic region, mother of six, and grandmother of seven. She lives with her husband in northern Virginia. |
| Beth Ferry |
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| Beth Ferry lives and writes by the beach in New Jersey. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Stick and Stone as well as Land Shark, Pirate’s Perfect Pet and A Small Blue Whale. You can learn more at www.bethferry.com | |
| Claudia Friddell |
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| For children’s author, Claudia Friddell, the next best thing to time travel is discovering and sharing exciting real life stories from long ago. A former elementary school teacher, Claudia loves talking to students and teachers about the magic of bringing history to life through books. | |
| Maria Gianferrari |
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| mariagianferrari.com | Maria writes both fiction and nonfiction picture books from her sunny, book-lined study in northern Virginia, with dog, Becca as her muse. She's the author of the Penny & Jelly books, Coyote Moon, an ALA Notable Book, and a Junior Library Guild Selection, Officer Katz & Houndini and Hello Goodbye Dog. She has three books releasing in 2018: Terrific Tongues (Boyds Mills Press), Hawk Rising (Roaring Brook Press) and Operation Rescue Dog (Little Bee). To learn more about Maria, visit her website: mariagianferrari.com, on Facebook and Instagram. |
| Linda Oatman High |
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| indaoatmanhigh.com | Linda Oatman High is the author of more than 30 books for children and teens, as well as a journalist/playwright. She lives in Lancaster County, PA, and presents both nationally and internationally. Linda holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. |
| Terry Catasús Jennings |
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| terrycjennings.com | Terry Catasús Jennings was born in Cuba and came to the United States at age 12. She was an active volunteer in her children’s school and began writing in 2000 once her children were grown. She now writes science-based creative non-fiction, historical fiction and non-fiction for children. She has contributed to the Smithsonian’s Science Education Center’s curriculum. Her articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Long Island News Day, Ranger Rick, and The Reston Connection for four years. Terry is a member of the Children’s Book Guild of Washington, DC, and SCBWI. She lives with her husband in Reston, VA. |
| Jackie Azúa Kramer |
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Jackie Azúa Kramer earned a Masters of Education from Queens College. She has worked as an actor, singer, and school counselor. Her award-winning picture book, The Green Umbrella (North South Books) illustrated by Maral Sassouni, won the Parents’ Choice Silver Medal and chosen 2017 Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year. In 2014, she became a member of the Bank Street Writers Lab, Bank Street College. Jackie has been a presenter at nErDyCamp Long Island since 2015. Out soon --The Boy and the Eight Hundred Pound Gorilla (Candlewick Press, 2020), If You Want to Fall Asleep (Clavis Books May 2018) That’s for Babies (Clavis, 2019) and Miles Won’t Smile Clavis, 2020). She is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers. |
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| London Ladd |
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| londonladd.com | London has illustrated numerous critically acclaimed children’s books including March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World, written by Christine King Farris, the older sister of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Under the Freedom Tree and Frederick's Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass. London’s subtly textured acrylic paintings combine thick and thin layers with touches of pastel and colored pencil to bring his diverse subjects to life. Each unique image is steeped in intensity and emotion, a reflection of the artist himself. London's varied influences range from comic books and graphic novels to classic and contemporary artists. London is represented by Lori Nowicki of Painted-Words. |
| Jia Liu |
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| Jia Liu is an author and illustrator for children’s picture books. She her MFA in Illustration from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her enthusiasm is to create work for children. She likes to bring playfulness and humor into her work. She is very interested in the relationship between children’s psychology and their behavior, most of her stories come from her teaching experience and focus on real problems children face in real life. Terrific Tongues is her debut book in the US. | |
| Barbara Lockhart |
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Eastern Shore writer and graduate of the MFA Program at Vermont College, Barbara Lockhart has received 2 Individual Artist Awards in Fiction from the Maryland State Arts Council. As a teacher of early childhood for twenty-five years, she wrote a program and manual for children’s literature for teachers and parents, Read to me, talk with me, which was in use nationwide. Two of her children’s books, Rambling Raft and Once a Pony Time, were written in collaboration with her daughter, Lynne Lockhart, who was also the illustrator. Her latest children’s book, Mosey’s Field, is illustrated by Easton resident Heather Crow. |
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| David Lubar |
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| davidlubar.com | David Lubar has written forty books for young readers. His novels are on reading lists across the country, saving countless students from a close encounter with Madame Bovary. His Weenies short-story collections have sold more than three million copies. My Rotten Life, the first book in his Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series, is in development for an animated series. In a previous century, he designed video games. David lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and online at www.davidlubar.com. In his spare time, he takes naps on the couch. |
| Laura Krauss Melmed |
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| laurakraussmelmed.com | Laura Krauss Melmed is the author of many award-winning picture books, including the NY Times bestsellers, The Rainbabies and I Love You as Much, and the popular Capital!. In the recent Before We Met, an expectant mommy describes her hopes and dreams while waiting for her child to be born. In Daddy, Me and the Magic Hour, coming in May, a little boy and his father take a neighborhood walk at twilight. Laura holds an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education and has taught kindergarten. She loves connecting with students and teachers face-to-face through school visits and workshops. She tutors with Reading Partners, a national organization dedicated to helping children achieve literacy. |
| Marcia Moore |
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| In childhood, I wrote stories. In college I majored in journalism, and I worked for newspapers and magazines. My freelance essays have appeared in SAIL magazine, The New York Times, "We Are One: The Battles for St. Michaels, 1814" and other publications. Now I'm back to writing stories, some sheer whimsy -- like "Wind" and some with historical gravitas, like "1776." I've always liked to explore the nexus of the real and imagined. I think children do, too. | |
| David Neilsen |
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| david-neilsen.com | David Neilsen is the author of two Middle Grade horror/comic/fantasies published by Crown Books for Young Readers: Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom (2016) and Beyond the Doors (2017). A classically trained actor, David works as a professional storyteller based in Sleepy Hollow, NY and spends much of October spooking the bejeebers out of people or performing one of his one-man shows based on and inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft. He lives with his wife, son, daughter, and two very domineering cats. |
| Robin Newman |
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robinnewmanbooks.com blog:robinnewmanbooks twitter: @robinnewmanbook |
Raised in New York and Paris, Robin was a practicing attorney and legal editor, but she now prefers to write about witches, mice, pigs and peacocks. She lives in New York with her husband, son, goldfish, and two spoiled English Cocker Spaniels. |
| Courtney Pippin-Mathur |
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| www.pippinmathur.com | Courtney Pippin-Mathur ia an author and illustrator of picture books. She moved from Texas to a suburb outside of Washington, DC. She shares her home with a knight, a princess, and two unruly dragons, which leads to many exciting and loud adventures. |
| Mary Quattlebaum |
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| maryquattlebaum.com |
Mary Quattlebaum has authored 25 children's books, including picture books (Pirate vs. Pirate, Jo MacDonald Had a Garden), chapter books, (Jackson Jones series) and nonfiction (Hero Dogs, Together Forever: True Stories of Amazing Animal Friendships). Awards include Marguerite de Angeli Prize, Parenting Reading Magic Award, SIBA picture book award, NAPPA Gold Medal, Bank Street Best Book, and selection for state children's choice lists. Mary teaches creative writing at the Vermont College of Fine Arts and enjoys speaking at schools and conferences. She reviews children's books for the Washington Post and Washington Parent, and writes frequently for KidsPost. |
| Laura Rankin |
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| laurarankin.blogspot.com | Laura Rankin has been a children's book author and illustrator since she was five. Stories with animals, tiny things, and nature are her favorites to write and illustrate. She feels fortunate to be able to create whole worlds for young readers because kids are the best audience in the universe. Laura's first book as an author/illustrator was The Handmade Alphabet, inspired by her older stepson who is deaf. Among her other books are: Fluffy and Baron, Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie, A Balloon for Isabel, and My Turn!, published in Nov. 2016. Laura lives in Easton and has helped organize the Chesapeake Children's Book Festival. |
| Colleen Rowan Kosinski |
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| colleenrowankosinski.com | Colleen has always found joy in creating. She received her B.A. from Rutgers University in visual art, and is an alumna of Moore College of Art. She rediscovered her passion for writing after many years as a successful, freelance fine artist. She’s written middle grade novels, young adult novels, and picture books. Sky Pony Press published her debut picture book, Lilla’s Sunflowers. Her upcoming books include her middle grade novel, A Promise Stitched In Time (Schiffer Publishing, Sept. 2018) and picture book, Love Made Me More (Two Lions, 2019.) As a lover of nature and animals, in the spring you can usually find her nursing a sick rabbit or robin back to health. Colleen resides in Cherry Hill, NJ with her husband. |
| Chris Robertson |
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| chrisrobertsonbooks.com | Chris Robertson is just a big kid at heart who happens to write and draw Children's Picture Books. His first Little Golden Book, The Tickle Book by Heidi Kilgras debuted in May '17. Giraffes Ruin Everything from Bloomsbury Publishing and Where Do Pants Go? from Sterling both were released in Spring '16. |
| Jonathan Roth |
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| beepandbob.com | Author-illustrator Jonathan Roth is a public elementary school art teacher in Maryland who likes reading, writing, drawing, cycling, and napping. Though he has never left the Earth, he has met four of the astronauts who have gone to the moon. Beep and Bob is his first series. |
| Julie Segal-Walters |
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| juliesegalwalters.com | Julie Segal Walters is the author of This Is Not a Normal Animal Book. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, son, and pesky cat. Before writing for children, Julie was a lawyer and advocate for civil rights and civil liberties, and an international democracy and civil society development specialist. These days, she can be found advocating for her many favorite children’s books to anyone who will listen. Julie is fluent in Spanish and loves to cook, but not bake. She thinks baking has too many rules. This Is Not a Normal Animal Book is her first picture book. |
| Laura Shovan |
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| laurashovan.com blog:laurashovan.com/blog twitter: @LauraShovan |
Laura Shovan's debut middle grade novel, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, was a NCTE 2017 Notable Verse Novel, a Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the year, and won a Cybils Award for poetry. It was named the Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for New Voices honor book in 2018. Laura's second children's novel, Takedown, launches in Summer, 2018. She lives with her family in Maryland, where she is a longtime poet-in-the-schools for the Maryland State Arts Council. |
| Susan Stockdale |
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| www.susanstockdale.com | Susan Stockdale is the author and illustrator of picture books including Fabulous Fishes, Stripes of All Types and Bring On the Birds. Her books celebrate nature with exuberance and charm and have won awards including the ALA Notable, NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children and Parents’ Choice Silver Honor. Susan’s engaging rhymes and illustrations win praise. The Washington Post wrote “If the paintings are the feast, Stockdale’s words are the dessert.” Artwork from her 2017 book, Fantastic Flowers, was selected for the Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibition. Susan lives with her husband in Chevy Chase, Maryland. |
| Lois Szymanski |
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| loisszymanski.com | Lois Szymanski has authored 29 books for children, many of them about the wild ponies who reside on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. For over 30 years she’s researched the ponies and their habitat. A former Regional Advisor for the MD/DE/WV chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, she also works with the Feather Fund (www.featherfund.org), a nonprofit created in memory of her friend Carollynn Suplee, who – for the eight years she survived cancer – purchased a wild pony foal for a child annually. Szymanski lives in Westminster, MD with her husband Dan and two lovable ponies. |
| Erin Teagan |
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| erinteagan.com | Erin Teagan is the author of the Luciana series (American Girl, Girl of the Year 2018) and The Friendship Experiment. Erin worked in science for more than ten years before becoming a writer and she uses many of her experiences from the lab in her books. She loves sharing the best and most interesting (and most dangerous and disgusting) parts of science with kids. Erin lives in Virginia with her family, a puppy named Beaker, and a bunny that thinks he’s a cat. www.erinteagan.com |
| Nancy Viau |
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| nancyviau.com | Nancy Viau is the author of the picture books City Street Beat, Storm Song, Look What I Can Do!, First Snow (Sept. 2018), and Pruitt and Soo (2019). Her middle-grade titles include Just One Thing!, Beauty and Bernice (Sept. 2018), Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head (2008, reissued in 2019), and Something is Bugging Samantha Hansen (2019). Nancy is employed by the Cape May County Library System (NJ) as a seasonal assistant librarian, and when not reading or writing, she hikes, bikes, and travels wherever her frequent flyer miles take her. |
| Megan Wagner Lloyd |
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| Megan Wagner Lloyd is the author of Finding Wild and Fort-Building Time, as well as the upcoming picture books Building Books, Paper Mice., and The ABCs of Catching Zs. She lives with her family in the Washington, D.C. area. | |
| Laurie Wallmark |
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| lauriewallmark.com | Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark’s debut picture book, Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (Creston Books, 2015), received four starred trade reviews (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and School Library Journal) and many national awards including Outstanding Science Trade Book and Cook Prize Honor Book. Her latest picture book biography, Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code (Sterling Children’s Books, 2017), earned a Kirkus star and is on several public library’s best of lists. Laurie has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from VCFA. When not writing, she teaches computer science at Raritan Valley Community College. |
| Carole Boston Weatherford |
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| cbweatherford.com | Carole Boston Weatherford is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of 40-plus books, mostly for young people. Her books have won two NAACP Image Awards and multiple awards from the American Library Association. Her most popular titles include Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom; Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement; Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-ins; and Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America. She is an English professor at Fayetteville State University. |
| Susan Yaruta-Young |
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| syyoung.wixsite.com | Susan Yaruta-Young is a published poet and short story crafter who enjoys writing for all ages in all genres. The Great Snapping Turtle Adventure, a mystery story for young teens set on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in the mid-1980s, is her second published novel. Susan’s roots in Maryland soil are deep. In 1634 her ancestor, Richard Nevitt, sailed into St. Mary’s City on the Ark and Dove expedition. She was a Maryland State Arts Council Poet in the Schools from 1974-1996, often conducting workshops in Talbot, Dorchester, and Wicomico counties. In 1996, Susan and her husband, Luther Young, left their small farm in Baltimore County to move their family to Downeast Maine. A graduate of Bangor Theological Seminary, she has served as a United Methodist pastor at several small Maine churches. |
| Timothy Young |
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| Timothy Young has had a long career doing all kinds of interesting and fun stuff. He's been an animator, puppet maker, toy designer, sculptor, art director and graphic designer. His career highlights include being Head Model-Maker for the Penny. cartoons on Pee-Wee's Playhouse, designing and building Muppets for Jim Henson Productions and sculpting the very first Simpsons toys. Tim is the author/illustrator of 12 picture books including The Angry Little Puffin and the highly acclaimed I Hate Picture Books!. His latest books are I'm Going to Outer Space! and the how-to-draw book Creatures and Characters: Drawing Amazing Monsters, Aliens and Other Weird Things. He lives with his family in Easton and has been pleased to be a part of organizing the Chesapeake Children's Book Festival. |
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