N. WEST MOSS is the author of the story collection The Subway Stops at Bryant Park. Her essays and short stories have appeared in the New York Times, Salon, McSweeney’s, and many other publications. The recipient of three William Faulkner–William Wisdom gold medals and winner of the Saturday Evening Post ’s Great American Fiction Contest, she holds an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in narrative medicine from Columbia University. She works in New Jersey, where she lives with her husband.Learn more at https://nwestmoss.com/

Lynn Becker has been a reader and creator all her life. After growing up in New York, Lynn spent many years in the Southern California desert with her husband, children, cats, dog, and lots and lots of chickens. She now lives in Colorado. The chickens stayed behind, but a few mythical beasties may have followed her to her new home…!These days, when she’s not writing picture books or children’s book reviews, you can find her hiking, gardening, and tending to her Wee Free Library.Her debut picture book, MONSTERS IN THE BRINY, illustrated by Scott Brundage (Sleeping Bear Press), is the winner of the 2024 Colorado Authors League Award in the Children’s category. It was also was named a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of 2022 and a School Library Journal Best Readaloud. JUNE MOON, illustrated by Nate Carvalho (Familius), came out in May of 2024.GHOST TOWN IN THE MOUNTAINS, illustrated by Roland Garrigue (Sleeping Bear Press), was published in June of 2026.Learn more at https://lynnbeckerbooks.com/

Maureen Johnson is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several YA novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Suite Scarlett, The Name of the Star, and Truly Devious. She has also done collaborative works, such as Let It Snow with John Green and Lauren Myracle (now on Netflix), and several works in the Shadowhunter universe with Cassandra Clare. Her work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Buzzfeed, and The Guardian, and she has also served as a scriptwriter for EA Games. She has an MFA in Writing from Columbia University and lives in New York City.Learn more at https://maureenjohnsonbooks.com/

Beth Anderson has always been fascinated with words and language—from sound and meaning, to figurative language and point of view, to cultural and scientific aspects of language. After earning a B.A. in linguistics and a M.Ed. in reading, she taught English language learners for more than 20 years. That classroom community taught her valuable lessons as she advocated for students and encouraged them to share their voices. Surrounded by young people from all over the world, with literature as her favorite tool, Beth used the power of story to teach, connect, and inspire.Beth’s itch to write began in elementary school and grew with the encouragement of her teachers. In 2013, she began her journey writing for children. Combining her love of writing with the joys of discovery and learning, she found her niche with narrative nonfiction and historical fiction picture books.To Beth, writing is mining. It’s digging deep inside for special memories, emotions, and meaning. It’s burrowing into history for inspiring characters and moments that change the course of events. It’s delving into the how and why and what if, and connecting the past to the present. Then the search for just the right words begins – words that will create voice, bring characters to life, and reveal the heart of the story. Shine the light. Discover the gems. Shape and polish, polish, polish.When she’s not writing, she might be weaving, gardening, exploring nature, or playing with her grandkids. Born and raised in Illinois, she now lives near the mountains in Colorado. Beth believes in laughter, learning, and investing in young minds. And…that truth really can be stranger than fiction.Learn more at https://bethandersonwriter.com/

Romina Garber is a New York Times and international bestselling author whose books include The Last Vampire, Castle of the Cursed, Lobizona, Cazadora, & the ZODIAC quartet. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and raised in Miami, Florida, Romina landed her first writing gig as a teen—College She Wrote, a weekly Sunday column for the Miami Herald that was later picked up for national syndication—and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She is a graduate of Harvard College and a Virgo to the core.Romina Garber nació en Buenos Aires, Argentina, y está radicada en Los Estados Unidos. Siendo adolescente, obtuvo su primer trabajo como escritora en una columna dominical para el Miami Herald (College She Wrote), que luego tuvo distribución nacional. Desde entonces no ha dejado de escribir. Graduada de Harvard y virginiana hasta la médula, es la autora de El corazón de los malditos, Lobizona, Cazadora y la saga Zodíaco.Learn more at https://rominagarber.com/

Charlotte Lillie Balogh is an author, a screenwriter, and a comic book writer born and raised outside Boston. She self-published her first book at sixteen years old and later graduated as a Remembrance Scholar from Syracuse University. CLB is a lifelong superhero fanatic, and she launched into the television and film industry by working at DC Entertainment on projects including Wonder Woman 1984 and the CW’s Stargirl. When she’s not writing, CLB mentors young women through RowLA and WriteGirl, helping to create the next generation of real-life superheroes. She is the author of KILL THE LAX BRO (available now), CAPSIZED (available September 8, 2026), and is currently adapting the CAPSIZED pilot for Hulu.Learn more at https://www.charlottelillie.com/

Lina Chopra Haldar is a math educator, a woman of color in STEM, and a children’s book author. She began her career in New York City, where she completed a B.S. in Operations Research and an M.A. in Mathematics Education at Columbia University. As she soaked up the vibrant culture and stories of New York City, she worked as an investment banker and then as a high school math teacher. Lina’s passion for math education grew as she spent time in the classroom and worked with a diverse student population. She especially enjoyed conducting cognitive interviews with students to gain insights into their thinking. That passion brought her to California, where she completed her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley.Since completing her Ph.D. in 2014, Lina has worked as a postdoctoral scholar at UC Berkeley and held various research, evaluation, and curriculum development positions. She is particularly passionate about writing fiction and nonfiction children’s books that engage young learners with STEM in imaginative ways. She focuses on math and believes that educators, parents, and kids alike need more books that introduce mathematical ideas in silly and engaging ways. Math is a beautiful and universal language that all children can engage with, and she writes stories that highlight the wonders of math in meaningful and accessible ways, while easing some of the math anxiety many kids face.Lina used to consider herself a New Yorker, but after 18 years in the Bay Area, she now calls Berkeley her home. She lives there with her husband, two children, and Elvis, their parti poodle and king of the pack. Though she still misses a good New York slice, she finds comfort at The Cheese Board, where she can linger outside with a delicious treat as she dreams up her next story. Learn more at https://www.linahaldar.com/

Heather Brockman Lee is an illustrator specializing in children's illustration and images for licensing.Her publishing clients include Harper Collins, Penguin Random House, Simon and Schuster, Beaming Books, and The Innovation Press.She is a winner of the Grand Prize Portfolio Showcase, 2021 SCBWI Big Five-Oh! as well as the 2020 Letters and Lines at the Rocky Mountain chapter of SCBWI. She is an adjunct professor of Illustration at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design and a mentor with the Michelle Begley Mentorship Program. When she's not in her studio painting, she's in her garden, hanging out with bees, whistling at birds, hiking, or climbing trees. Her dog can read her mind. She lives with her husband and two kids in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where she is slowly making the inside of her house resemble a library. Yoga, meditation, and running or biking keep her brain happy. She loves drawing people, nature, animals, and finding the magic in everyday moments. Learn more at https://www.heatherbrockmanlee.com/