Stephanie Wildman, author of five children’s books, Miri’s Moving Day (2024) (co-authored with Adam Chang, illustrated by Dream Chen); Ghost Writer (2024) (co-authored with Cecilia Pópulus-Eudave and illustrated by Estefanía Razo – available in Spanish as Escritor Fantasma); Breath by Breath (2024) (illustrated by Estefanía Razo – translated into Spanish as Respiro a Respiro by Cecilia Pópulus-Eudave); Treasure Hunt (2022) (illustrated by Estefanía Razo – translated into Spanish as Búsqueda del Tesoro by Cecilia Pópulus-Eudave); and Brave in the Water (2021) (illustrated by Jenni Feidler-Aguilar – translated into Spanish as Valiente en el Agua by Cecilia Pópulus-Eudave), became a Professor Emerita after serving as the John A. and Elizabeth H. Sutro Chair at Santa Clara Law. She directed the school’s Center for Social Justice and Public Service. Stephanie is a grandmother, mother, spouse, friend, good listener, and she can sit “criss-cross apple sauce” thanks to her yoga practice. Learn more about her at www.stephaniewildman.com.
Ghost Writer (co-authored with Cecilia Pópulus-Eudave and illustrated by Estefanía Razo – available in Spanish as Escritor Fantasma): Twins Flor and Roberto and their big brother Luis are back again, just in time for Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. But Halloween reminds them of Julio, their beloved Boston Terrier who’d passed away. From conjuring La Catrina for a Halloween costume to decorating the altar with treats that Julio loved, the twins and Luis combine holiday traditions and come back in touch with happy memories of their pet. Bonus content provides directions for creating papel picado, a Dia de Los Muertos tradition, representing the wind and fragility of life.
Connect with Stephanie via her website, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
Martha Seif Simpson grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts and now lives in Connecticut. She recently retired after 28 years as Head of Children’s Services at the Stratford Library. The best part about her job was seeing all the new books and sharing them with kids. During her library career, she wrote five resource books for librarians.
Martha’s first picture book was What NOT to Get Your Mom on Mother’s Day.
After that came Esther’s Gragger: A Toyshop Tale of Purim and The Dreidel That Wouldn’t Spin: A Toyshop Tale of Hanukkah.
Her new book, A Ring for a King, will be published in 2025.
In addition to writing and reading books, Martha loves to promote Jewish literature for children and teens. She is a past Chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries.
Martha enjoys talking about her books at conferences, libraries, schools and community centers. You can contact her via her website www.Martha-Seif-Simpson.com to arrange a visit. That’s also where you can read her monthly newsletter, The Simpsonian Muse.
Martha is on Twitter @MarthaSimpMLS and Instagram martha_kidlit_author. She has a Facebook page, too. Find her at Martha Kidlit Author and send her a message saying you saw her on the Read Your World website!
Lump Lump and the Blanket of DreamsConnect with Gwen on Facebook, Twitter, or at gwenjacksonstories.com
Afsaneh Moradian has loved writing stories, poetry, and plays since childhood. After receiving her master’s in education, she took her love of writing into the classroom where she began teaching children how to channel their creativity. Her passion for teaching has lasted for over two decades. Afsaneh now homeschools her child and coaches homeschooling parents who are struggling to homeschool their neurodiverse and high-needs children.
Afsaneh Moradian is the author of the picture books, Jamie is Jamie: A Book About Being Yourself and Playing Your Way, Jamie and Bubbie: A Book About People’s Pronouns, and Jamie’s Class Has Something to Say: A Book About Sharing with Grown-Ups (Free Spirit Publishing).
Her book Homeschooling Out of the Box: A Child-Centered Approach to Teaching Your Unique Child is available on Amazon.
Connect with Afsaneh via her website or on Instagram and Twitter.
Nívola Uyá is a Spanish illustrator and visual artist, graduate in Environmental Sciences, winner of numerous awards. She loves nature as much as illustration and, whenever she can, she combines both worlds. She creates illustrations for books, campaigns, audiovisuals and murals, as well as illustration and creativity workshops in many corners of the world.
With an extensive bibliography, including Bathing in the Forest (2020), Silence (2022) and The Soul of the Violin (2024) her more than 25 published titles have been translated into more than 15 languages. Her titles have been distinguished with several international awards, such as the Gold Medal for Best Illustrator at the Moonbeam Awards USA (2023); the selection of the UNESCO Chair Seal, Brazil (2017); the recent Gold Medal at the IPPY Awards, as well as the prestigious Cuatrogatos Foundation Award (2023).
Her artwork has been presented and exhibited in Spain, France, Mexico, as well as in the United Arab Emirates. With a palette of bright colours and a magical-realistic style, her career is an inspiration and reference in the textbooks for Visual, Audiovisual and Plastic Arts in Spain.
Co-founder of the Art and Nature project Trazos de Bosque. Pioneers in the Art-Nature approach, carrying out research and sharing know-how.
Connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.
Publisher: Cuento de Luz
Ziggy Hanaor is a writer and publisher living in London, UK. She has authored picture books including Fly Flies (Cicada, 2019), Alex and Alex (Cicada 2021), The Pocket Chaotic (Cicada, 2020) and the graphic novel, Alte Zachen: Old Things (Cicada, 2022), which was received to critical acclaim.
Publisher: Cicada Books
Joaquín Camp is an author and illustrator born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1987. He studied graphic design at the University of Buenos Aires. His work has been published in Argentina, France, Spain, Italy, South Korea, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia. His illustrations were selected for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2019, the Catálogo Iberoamérica Ilustra in 2016, and again in 2020 with honorary mention. In 2020, his picture book Aldo: Ghost Dog, originally published in Spain, received the award for the Best Illustrated Book from the Biblioteca Insular de Gran Canaria, 2020. He currently lives in Madrid.
Connect via his website or Instagram.
Publisher: Tapioca Stories.
Rahana Dariah is a London based digital illustrator. Her illustrations are inspired by her environment and personal relationships and are mainly a narrative of black and brown people, full of color and world building. Rahana Dariah has lived in the Caribbean and the UK. She loves to combine joy and colour to her illustration style.
Connect with her on Instagram.
Publisher: Child’s Play
Josh Funk is a software engineer and the author of books like the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, the It’s Not a Fairy Tale series, the How to Code with Pearl and Pascal series, the A Story of Patience & Fortitude series, Dear Dragon, Pirasaurs!, Albie Newton, and more.
IT’S NOT LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Little Red likes to play by the rules. So when the narrator comes along and asks her to follow the story set out in her fairy tale, she grabs the basket for Grandma and goes. After all, she loves her grandma. But unfortunately, none of the other characters are quite what they’re expecting.
As Little Red attempts to follow the narrator’s directions (which, frankly, seem kind of dangerous!), she is beset by fill-in characters, confusing instructions, and even a fierce battle! Will Little Red ever make it to Grandma’s house? And who will she find when she gets there? Complete with some unusual “guest appearances,” this laugh-out-loud Little Red Riding Hood retelling will have kids giggling all the way to Grandma’s house! Ding-dong!
Josh also has a plethora of “fun stuff” for kids, parents, and educators including Activity KitsColoring Pages Book TrailersCharacter Cards, and Book Songs.
Connect with Josh via his website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Nancy Tupper Ling is a children’s author, poet, book seller and librarian. Her latest books are Bless the Earth with co-editor, June Cotner, and Hearts in My Pocket. Along the way her work has received various honors including the Writer’s Digest Grand Prize, Delaware Diamond Award, Northern Lights Book Awards, and a Golden Scroll Award Finalist.
Connect with Nancy via her website, Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
BOOK RIOT lists THE LAST CHERRY BLOSSOM as one of “30 Fascinating Historical Fiction Books for Middle School Readers – October, 2018″
Yuriko was happy growing up in Hiroshima when it was just her and Papa. But her aunt Kimiko and her cousin Genji are living with them now, and the family is only getting bigger with talk of a double marriage! And while things are changing at home, the world beyond their doors is even more unpredictable. World War II is coming to an end, and Japan’s fate is not entirely clear, with any battle losses being hidden from its people. Yuriko is used to the sirens and the air-raid drills, but things start to feel more real when the neighbors who have left to fight stop coming home.
When the bomb hits Hiroshima, it’s through Yuriko’s twelve-year-old eyes that we witness the devastation and horror.
Kathleen Burkinshaw is a Japanese American author and the daughter of a Hiroshima survivor residing in Charlotte, NC. She’s a wife, mom, and owns a dog who is a kitchen ninja. She has presented her mother’s experience in Hiroshima to middle and high schools for the past 9 years. Writing gives her an outlet for her daily struggle with chronic pain from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy(RSD). The Last Cherry Blossom (Sky Pony Press,2016), is now a United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs Resource for Teachers and Students. And is recently nominated for the NC School Library Media Association YA book award and 2019-2020 VSBA, 2018& 2016 Scholastic WNDB Reading Club selection, and Finalist for NC Sir Walter Raleigh Fiction Award, 2018 Sakura Medal, Japan, and SCBWI Crystal Kite Award(Southeast region).
In April 2020 NHK World-Japan, an international news station based in Japan did a short segment on The Last Cherry Blossom in both Japanese and English. The English segment was on its Newsroom Tokyo TV program and the Japanese segment was on its Today’s 2020 TV program. Listen to both programs HERE.
The Japanese translation from Holp Shuppan Publishing released August 12, 2022. The audiobook version (English) of The Last Cherry Blossom (Dreamscape Media) released on September 27, 2021.
Learn more about Kathleen through her Blog – Creating Through the Pain or connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.
Gea is passionate and creative, original ideas give her a jolt of energy.
A storyteller, marketeer, parent mentor, and artist with a passion and a mission. As the mother of a dyslexic son, she researched dyslexia better than an FBI agent would, and witnessed the dyslexia struggle and the gift it can be, upfront and personal. Gea volunteered as a parent mentor for the special education department of her local school district and is a dynamic dyslexia advocate. Over the years she saw many kids and their parents struggling to find out why the school wasn’t going well. Reason to write a children’s book that offers kids and families the opportunity to identify with the different characters, make visible the learning struggles some students go through, and bring dyslexia awareness to the community.
Gea grew up in the Netherlands and is now living in SoCal.
Hacking the Code. The Ziggety Zaggety Road of a Dyslexic Kid
Written by Gea Meijering and illustrated with more than 80 illustrations by Mads Johan Øgaard (he is dyslexic)
Revealing the heart of an upbeat, boisterous fifth grader working hard to hack the reading code.
Hacking the Code is a fun, friendship-centered story that shows how every brain works differently, and how we all have different strengths. This relatable, illustrated chapter book, brings to life the journey of a dyslexic kid in a story that highlights perseverance, creativity and, the power of true friendship. Hacking the Code is available as an audiobook to make it accessible to all types of learners. Targeted for children ages 6 – 12, adults also cherish the book and everyone learns from the empowering fun-to-read story. A free Lesson Plan & Activity Guide is downloadable on www.icarepress.com.
The Paperback, Hardcover and Ebook are available on Amazon. The audiobook on many apps such as Audible, Chirp, Kobo, Scribd, Audiobooks, iTunes and more.
You can follow and get in touch with Gea on @hacking.the.Code Instagram and Facebook.
Eugenia Chu is an attorney, turned stay-at-home mom, turned award-winning author. She lives on a magical beach in Miami with her husband and son, Brandon, who is the inspiration for her stories. She enjoys reading, writing, traveling, yoga, and drinking too much coffee. She has been a presenter at numerous schools, libraries, and book festivals. When her son was very little, she couldn’t find children’s storybooks to read to him that touched upon Chinese culture and included some Chinese (Mandarin) to teach and/or reinforce his Chinese vocabulary, so she started writing her own.
Eugenia has published SIX beautiful diverse books for young readers – a picture book: Brandon Makes Jiǎo Zi (餃子); two chapter books Brandon Goes to Beijing (北京) and Brandon Goes to Hong Kong (香港); and three holiday books: Celebrating Chinese New Year, Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival, and Celebrating Dragon Boat Festival. Eugenia has also collaborated on a cookbook with several other children’s book authors: Once Upon a Plate: a culinary journey through stories for little chefs.
You can learn more about Eugenia’s books and follow her here: https://linktr.ee/eugeniachu
Be the hero of your own story with Dorktales Storytime, the multi-award winning podcast for kids and their pop culture loving grownups. Enter their Once Upon a Time world where hosts, Jonathan Cormur and Mr. Reginald T. Hedgehog, take you on a journey of curiosity and acceptance. You’ll explore reimagined fairytales and fables with social emotional themes, discover inspiring stories of history’s hidden heroes, and experience imaginary tales of boundless possibilities.
Recognized by Common Sense Media as outstanding entertainment with an official seal for quality and impact. Common Sense Selections include age-appropriate media with the potential to spark family conversations, entertain families of all kinds, and have a positive, lasting effect on society.
Selected by Apple Podcasts for being the best of the best in the Kids & Family category. We are consistently selected for curated lists and featured collections.
Connect with Dorktales Storytime Podcast via their website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett, known as “Miss Panda,” is an award-winning author and bilingual educator dedicated to inspiring a love for language and culture in children.
Her books include Little Bun: A Bilingual Storybook About Feelings, co-authored with her daughter, which won the 2024 Purple Dragonfly Book Award in three categories: Family Matters, Cultural Diversity, and Picture Books for 5 and Younger. Another notable work is First Mandarin Sounds: An Awesome Chinese Word Book, designed to make learning Chinese fun and accessible.
As the Chinese language consultant for Netflix’s educational show Word Party, Amanda enhances bilingual learning experiences for young audiences. She also produces the popular Let’s Learn Mandarin Chinese with Miss Panda! streaming album on Spotify and hosts the Playful Chinese podcast. With extensive teaching experience across diverse audiences—from young learners to business professionals—she transforms language education into a joyful adventure.
Explore her engaging resources at MissPandaChinese.com. Follow and connect with her @MissPandaChinese on social media.
Miss Panda Chinese | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Thread
“The writing flows, the story moves, and the characters will win your heart.”
Mother and Yonsei daughter pair up to tell this middle-grade story of a girl’s survival in a Wyoming concentration camp during WWII. Fueled by their family’s long silence about their experiences in camp, J.C. and J.C² use actual events to introduce young readers to a hard time in history with delicate prose.
FINDING MOON RABBIT is recipient of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for best Young Reader’s Novel of 2022, and a recommended read by The Historical Novel Society.
J.C. Kato Kato is recipient of the SCBWI Karen and Philip Cushman Award for Finding Moon Rabbit, a member of The Historical Novel Society, and participating activist for the Florida Chapter of Make Us Visible.
J.C.² is Yonsei and the proud daughter of hakujin, J.C. She is recipient of both the 2022 IPBA Benjamin Franklin Book Award for Young Readers, and Finalist in the Eric Hoffer Award for her debut novel, Finding Moon Rabbit. Aside from her fulltime gig of counting beans, she devours sci-fi books and devotes time to the study of Yoga, which works out when you’re really twisted.
Connect with these two amazing authors via their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Cynthia Levinson, winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal and many other accolades, is the author of numerous nonfiction books for young readers, including the highly praised Fault Lines in the Constitution, cowritten with her husband, constitutional scholar Sanford Levinson. A former teacher and educational policy consultant, Cynthia is drawn to topics in history, law, policy, and, especially, social justice. Who Owns the Moon? grew out of her curiosity about the laws governing our activities in space and concern for international cooperation and equity.
Connect with her via her website, Facebook, BlueSky, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Diana Huang was born in Southern California to Chinese-American immigrant parents, she struggled academically and socially in her k-6 years. But ever since kindergarten, she had developed a strong interest and passion for the visual arts. Eventually, she went on to study at the University of Southern California with a BFA in Fine Art (2001) & MAT Multiple Subject (2015), and OTIS College of Art and Design with a BFA in Digital Media (2007). She has been working in various art and non-art industries while also creating her own story worlds. She is also the author and illustrator of multiple books including Intrepids: A Sci-fi Fantasy Novel for 5-8th graders (2020), Cooking the Books: A Cartoon Humor Book About Idioms (2019), and The Elemental Horses book series (2012-2023).
An urgent call for help came to Chang. The other animals are out with their riders taking on all kinds of adventures. So he takes off on his own across the ocean to give aid. What will he see? Who will he meet? Let’s go!
Book 5 in the Elemental Horses series introduces the 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac as a new carousel. It introduces two stories in the realm of the Jade Emperor’s mythological world. This book is also about the history of Chinese writing by using oracle bone, small seal script, traditional, and simplified styles of Chinese writing for the names of each animal.
Connect with Diana via her website, Facebook, Twitter, DeviantArt, Instagram, and YouTube
Rochelle Melander wrote her first book at seven and has published 11 books for adults, including Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (and Live to Tell About It) and Level Up: Quests to Master Mindset, Overcome Procrastination and Increase Productivity. She’s a professional certified coach, an artist-educator, and the founder of Dream Keepers, a writing workshop for young people. Mightier Than the Sword: Rebels, Reformers, and Revolutionaries Who Changed the World through Writing is her debut book for children.
Throughout history, people have picked up their pens and wielded their words–transforming their lives, their communities, and beyond. Now it’s your turn! Representing a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, Mightier Than the Sword connects over forty inspiring biographies with life-changing writing activities and tips, showing readers just how much their own words can make a difference. Readers will explore nature with Rachel Carson, experience the beginning of the Reformation with Martin Luther, champion women’s rights with Sojourner Truth, and many more. These richly illustrated stories of inspiring speechmakers, scientists, explorers, authors, poets, activists, and even other kids and young adults will engage and encourage young people to pay attention to their world, honor their own ideas and dreams, and embrace the transformative power of words to bring good to the world.
Rochelle lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband, children, and two dogs. Visit her online at writenowcoach.com or rochellemelander.com. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Lisa Chong grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area where she still lives today. She is a mom who spent many years interacting with kids as a parent volunteer in her son’s charter school when he was growing up. She introduced a program, Reading with Animals, which encouraged less–proficient and reluctant readers to practice and strengthen their desire to read. She enjoys creativity and made year end slide shows for the school as well as lead a class each year to create the yearbook.
When Words Have Power is her first traditionally published book. It explores the power of words while dealing with sensitive topics such as bullying, race, culture and microaggressions. When Words Have Power helps children learn about this complex issue in an easily digestible and relatable way.
Through beautiful full-page illustrations and vignettes, Henry, our protagonist, learns a valuable lesson about the effects that microaggressions and undesired nicknames can have on people. Henry and his classmates would frequently call one of their peers a nickname based on his physical appearance. Because he wasn’t using insulting words, he’s under the impression that it’s all a game. However, following a similar encounter in which his Chinese-American mother is now on the receiving end of such commentary, he begins to understand that words have power and can be harmful when used carelessly. Even if they aren’t explicitly said with the intention of hurting someone, they can affect someone’s feelings. – Youth Services Book Review
She is also the author of the self-published book, I am NOT a Bear, which was featured at the San Francisco Zoo’s Teddy Bear Festival in 2013. Illustrated by a 13 year old student, this story helps you learn some interesting facts about different animals while appreciating the importance of not making premature assumptions about others.
Connect with her on her website: lisachongbooks.com
Lisa Stringfellow writes middle grade fiction and is an educator integrating literacy and social justice. She is the author of two books for young readers, Kingdom of Dust and A Comb of Wishes, HarperCollins/QuillTree Books. Rep @lindsaydauld. Connect with Lisa on her website, Bookshop.org, and on Instagram.
Brunella Costagliola is an award-winning author, best-selling editor, and translator. Raised in Bacoli, a small coastal town west of Naples, Southern Italy, Brunella is passionate about sharing her home country’s culture, traditions, and history through her stories. A cultural accuracy reader, Brunella believes in the importance of representation in children’s books, as well as in championing diversity through the written word. Founder and owner of The Military Editor®Agency, LLC, a ghostwriting and editing agency catering to military authors and military-related manuscripts, Brunella helps fellow writers tell their stories and achieve their publishing dreams. A proud Mamma of her two Italian American children, who are an endless source of inspiration for her stories, and devoted Air Force wife to her now-retired husband, Brunella lives in Florida with her family and their three dogs. Connect with Brunella on her author website.
Do you know a kid who likes to wiggle? 1 in 6 children struggles daily with sensory processing challenges. You probably know one or two! Maybe that is even you?
Get ready for a heartwarming journey through the world of sensory differences with the highly anticipated second installment of the award-winning picture book series, “Wiggles, Stomps, and Squeezes: Calming My Jitters at School.” Written by Lindsey Rowe Parker, a neurodivergent mom, and beautifully illustrated by Rebecca Burgess, an autistic illustrator and advocate, this book offers a unique and profound understanding of sensory experiences.
Parents, educators, and children with sensory processing challenges will find this book an invaluable resource, empowering them to embrace their unique selves and embrace neurodiversity. This inclusive and heartwarming tale is a must-have addition to any library, school, or home bookshelf, providing a safe and loving space for children to feel seen, known, and loved just as they are.
Books in the Series:
Wiggles, Stomps and Squeezes Calm My Jitters Down
Also available in Spanish: Meneos, Pisotones, Y Apretones Para Calmar Mi Cosquilleo
Wiggles, Stomps and Squeezes: Calming My Jitters at School NEW in 2024!
Wiggles, Stomps and Squeezes: Sensory Activity Book
About the Author
Lindsey Rowe Parker is the author of the award-winning book series about sensory differences, Wiggles, Stomps, and Squeezes Calm My Jitters Down. A mom with a home full of neurodivergent minds, she is embracing the next phase of parenting while learning to navigate and advocate for her autistic daughter. With a recent adult diagnosis of ADHD, and a new deeper understanding of her own sensory experiences, she has begun to delve into the neurodiversity community, learning all she can from neurodivergent voices.
Connect with her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Terry Catasús Jennings is dedicated to writing stories for young readers that elevate our common humanity and sing the praises of Cuban food. The Definitely Dominguita series was named SLJ, Kirkus, and Parents Latina Best Books of 2021. Her biography in verse, Pauli Murray, The Life of a Pioneering Feminist and Civil Rights Activist released in February. In The Little House of Hope, a Junior Library Guild Selection illustrated by Pura Belpré medalist Raúl Colón, Jennings portrays her immigrant experience, showing how a helping hand in a new land can make a life-saving difference for a family. She encourages us all to embrace our common humanity. She lives in Reston, Virginia with her husband, and enjoys visiting with her five grandchildren, often encouraging them to bring their parents along. She is a member of SCBWI, Las Musas Latinx Collaborative and the Children’s Book Guild of Washington, DC.
Rachel C. Katz has not started any revolutions . . . yet. Rachel is a writer and an educator who loves making American history accessible to young readers. She lives in Massachusetts with her family. Rise Up!: Powerful Protests in American History is her debut picture book.
Written by Rachel C. Katz and illustrated by Sophie Bass, Rise Up! is coming March 11, 2025, from Barefoot Books. Protest is as American as apple pie. This bold, energetic nonfiction picture book introduces budding activists to 25 moments of resistance and revolution in American history through rhythmic, lyrical text and vibrant illustrations inspired by protest art. Includes info boxes, educational endnotes, timeline, and more to support learning.
Connect with Rachel via Instagram and pre-order her book from Bookshop.org or wherever you get your books.
Tonya Duncan Ellis is the author of They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park (HarperCollins, May 2024), which tells the history of Houston’s Emancipation Park, site of the first Juneteenth celebration. It has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal.
She is also the award-winning author of the Sophie Washington children’s chapter book series; multicultural kid’s books that entertain, educate, and inspire. The Sophie Washington series presents modern-day middle school issues like dealing with bullies, managing social media and video games, fitting in, and handling peer pressure and that first crush, with a Texas twist. Sophie, her family, and her diverse group of friends live in the suburbs of Houston, and experience hurricanes, alligators in their neighborhood, rodeo muttin’ bustin,’ and wild boar, opening up an exciting new world to readers. Each book teaches valuable lessons about friendship, responsibility, and being truthful that children of all ages and backgrounds can relate to. Also available in ebook and audiobook forms, this series is best for ages 8-12.
Shifa Saltagi Safadi is the author of the Middle Grade verse novel KAREEM BETWEEN (Putnam 2024, winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature), the AMINA BANANA chapter books (Putnam 2025), picture book THE GIFT OF EID (Holiday House 2025), and three published picture books (SPELL IT LIKE SAMAR, HEAVEN AT MAMA’S FEET, and PEPPERONI, PITCHES, and OTHER PROBLEMS) with indie Muslim publisher Ruqaya’s Bookshelf. Shifa is a Syrian American Muslim author and ELA teacher with a passion for reading and writing and reviews books on her bookstagram @muslimmommyblog. She can be found online at www.shifasafadi.com.
Lisa Rogers is a school librarian and the award-winning author of the picture book biographies Beautiful Noise: The Music of John Cage, illustrated by Il Sung Na (Random House/Anne Schwartz Books); 16 Words: William Carlos And “The Red Wheelbarrow,” illustrated by Chuck Groenink (Random House/Schwartz & Wade), and the rhyming picture book Hound Won’t Go, illustrated by Meg Ishihara (Albert Whitman), inspired by her rescue dog.
Connect with her on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Sylvia Liu grew up with books and daydreams in Caracas, Venezuela. Once an environmental attorney, she now spins stories about nature, strong girls, and the intricacies of family and friendship. Her books include Near and Deer (Scholastic 2024), Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation (Razorbill 2022), Manatee’s Best Friend (Scholastic 2021), and A Morning with Grandpa, illustrated by Christina Forshay (Lee & Low New Voices Award winner 2016). Sylvia lives in Virginia with her family and a very fluffy cat.
Connect with her on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and X.
I’ve always enjoyed picture books and am excited to have published Be Well City as my first children’s book. It’s an homage to a picture book classic and a celebration of the spaces that we build and cultivate for community well-being.
Additionally, I love and am developing table-top games that build skills and promote interaction. My background is in community economic development, asset management of affordable housing and pastoral ministry. I live in Boston, MA with my husband. We’ve been blessed with two children, their spouses and five grandchildren.
East West Discovery Press is an independent publisher and distributor of multicultural and bilingual books in 60+ languages with an emphasis on history, culture and social justice.
Connect via their website or Facebook.
Although Teddi Ahrens has a professional background in sociology and education, she has been writing since she was in grade school. She loves history, but her favorite stories and activities are with children–writing about them, reading with them, or creating arts and crafts with them. Her other love is traveling, especially exploring ancient sites wherever she goes and learning about the people and cultures found there.
Nadine Presley is a Syrian Canadian author and literacy educator. Her debut The City of Jasmine (Harper 25’) is inspired by the beauty of her hometown, that she’s held in heart ever since she left Damascus over a decade ago, and now she gets to share it with the world. She is also the author of forthcoming picture books: A Ramadan Night (S&S 26’), and Where There is Love (Harper 26’) and more. Nadine now resides with her husband and three boys in Canada. With a passion for anti racism work and promoting pride for Arab Muslim heritage, she is also a speaker for children, youth and adults. Her favorite things in the world are big hugs, kind words, and delicious Syrian food.
Connect with her via her website, Instagram, and Bluesky.
