Authors 2019

Brigette and Kristin are passionate early-childhood literacy educators and love their hometown, Buffalo!

Judy Bradbury is coordinating the Expo Educator Event, a three-hour NYS-approved CTLE opportunity taking place from 8am-11am at the Expo. Judy is an author and literacy specialist who provides professional development workshops across the country. She has over twenty-five years of teaching experience ranging from Pre-K through college. Her books include Empowering Families: Practical Ways to Involve Parents in Boosting Literacy, The Read-Aloud Scaffold: Best Books to Enhance Content Area Curriculum, the Children's Book Corner series, and the Christopher Counts picture book series. Judy has penned a monthly column on character education for LibrarySparks and contributed regularly to Children's Writer and Writer's Guide.  She has received awards from the New York State Reading Association and the Niagara Frontier Reading Council, where she is CTLE/Professional Development Chair.  Follow Judy's literacy-themed posts on Instagram at judy_bradbury. Educators can learn more about the Expo Educator Event and the panel of authors who will be participating and register here. Space is limited.

Kathy Brown is the author of, Where’s Hurley? A picture book about a therapy dog who mysteriously goes missing inside the school building. Kathy was a Special Education Teacher in the Grand Island School District for over 37 years before retiring in June 2018. She believes the best years of her career were the last 6 in which she brought her dog, Hurley to school. Hurley is a “rescue dog” from the SPCA and passed tests to become a Certified Therapy dog in the Paws for Love program. She saw first hand what a positive impact having a Therapy Dog in school made for everyone in the building! Her intention for writing, Where’s Hurley? was to bring attention to the benefits of having a dog in school and also as a way to benefit the two organizations that made it possible for Kathy to have such an outstanding dog go to work with her making students feel happier. Therefore, all profits from the book sales get split between the SPCA serving Erie County and her former school’s Playground Fund. When she’s not volunteering with the Paws for Love organization, she loves to read, write and travel. Retirement has given her time to share Hurley with many more organizations and to work on writing future children’s books. Look for Hurley’s blog – Hurleyonthego@blogspot.com

Peter has always loved telling stories. Growing up in New Jersey, he told stories by drawing whimsical characters and scenes from his imagination. As a teenager, he fell in love with writing and began telling his tales with words. While studying illustration at Art Center College of Design, Peter’s love of both words and pictures led him to take several courses on children’s books, and before long he knew he’d found his calling. After graduating from Art Center Peter moved to New York City to be closer to the publishing industry. He was working on animated TV shows when he signed a book deal to write and illustrate his first picture book, Flight of the Dodo. Peter quickly signed up his second and third books, and his career as an author and illustrator of children’s books was under way. Since then Peter has written and illustrated many books for children and earned numerous honors, including a Caldecott Honor, a Horn Book Award, two E.B. White Awards, two E.B. White Honors, a Children’s Choice Award for Illustrator of the Year, two Irma Black Honors, a Golden Kite Award, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award and multiple New York Times bestsellers. Peter lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Nick Bruel is the author and illustrator of the New York Times Bestselling series "Bad Kitty" books, among others.  He lives in Pleasantville, NY with his wife Carina, their daughter Izzy, a grumpy old man shaped like a brown, one-eyed dachshund, and a sometimes-good, sometimes-bad cat named Rose.

Former teacher. Wannabe chef. Tami Charles writes picture books, middle grade, young adult, and nonfiction. Her middle grade novel, Like Vanessa, earned Top 10 spots on the Indies Introduce and Spring Kids' Next lists, three starred reviews, and a Junior Library Guild selection. Her recent titles include a humorous middle grade novel, Definitely Daphne, picture book biography, Fearless Mary, and young adult novel, Becoming Beatriz. When Tami is not writing, she can be found presenting at schools both stateside and abroad. (Or sneaking in a nap...because sleep is LIFE!) Website: www.tamiwrites.com

Jerry Craft is an author and illustrator who has worked on numerous picture books, graphic novels, and middle grade novels. His newest book, New Kid, is a middle grade graphic novel that has earned four starred reviews, including one from Booklist Magazine that called it "Possibly one of the most important graphic novels of the year." Kirkus Reviews called it "An engrossing, humorous, and vitally important graphic novel that should be required reading in every middle school in America." Jerry's books have been Junior Library Guild selections, and he has won five African American Literary Awards. He is the creator of Mama's Boyz, an award-winning comic strip that was distributed by King Features Syndicate from 1995 - 2013. He is a co-founder and co-producer of the Schomburg's Annual Black Comic Book Festival which has drawn close to 50,000 fans since its inception in 2013. Jerry was born in Harlem and grew up in nearby Washington Heights. He is a graduate of The Fieldston School and received his B.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts. Visit Jerry's website at www.jerrycraft.com

Amy is an American Sign Language professor, teaching in several colleges across Western New York. One of her inspirations for writing is to celebrate deaf awareness.  She earned her M.Ed in Student Affairs Administration from the University of Buffalo and her B.A. in Communication from the Rochester Institute of Technology.  She lives with her husband Dan, two boys Dylan and Noah, and her dog Shiloh in a farmhouse in rural Western New York.

Three-time Pura Belpré Award honoree Lulu Delacre has been writing and illustrating children's books since 1980. The New York Times Bestselling artist was born and raised in Puerto Rico to Argentinean parents. Delacre says her Latino heritage and her life experiences inform her work. Her 39 titles include Arroz con Leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America, a Horn Book Fanfare Book in print for almost 30 years. Her bilingual picture book ¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z! Descubriendo el bosque nublado; Olinguito, from A to Z! Unveiling the Cloud Forest  and her story collection  Us, in Progress: Short Stories About Young Latinos have received multiple starred reviews and awards. Her latest work is the art of Turning Pages by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Delacre has lectured internationally and served as a juror for the National Book Awards. She has exhibited at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art; The Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators in New York; the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico and the Zimmerli Art Museum; among other venues. Most recently Reading is Fundamental has honored her with a Champion of Children’s Literacy Award. For more visit her at www.luludelacre.com.

Rachel DiNunzio is a local author, illustrator and publisher.  She has written several books in the Forsynthia series. Her latest project involves students in elementary school to college, its called: My Thoughts Can Change the World. Rachel believes that what you do outwardly and what we think internally, impacts everything around us. The project’s goal is to make a positive impact for people, animals, plants, and our environment, through the sharing of thoughts and ideas. Rachel loves working with schools to empower the students into not only believing that they can make a difference, but also works with them to write down their thoughts.

Annette Dunn is a scientist, author, successful entrepreneur, and mother who is passionate about increasing science literacy. Science Rocks! Annette co-founded Jumbo Minds, Inc., whose ambition is to introduce the language of science in a simple and engaging way. She often shares her love of science by educating children through hands-on activities at schools and community events. Annette and her sister write and publish science books for young learners under pen name A. C. Lemonwood. Books include the original Science ABC books with ABCs of Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Physics. Visit JumboMinds.com to learn how to inspire future scientists and innovators!

Elizabeth grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduating from Massachusetts College of Art, she moved to Rochester, New York to earn her MFA degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She settled happily in Upstate New York and worked as an art instructor, graphic designer and artist, first in Rochester and then in Buffalo. There she experienced the awesome power of a blizzard, and immediately knew she wanted to create a storm story for the children of Buffalo. Buffalo Snow proved to be very popular and copies are now in hands around the world. Elizabeth is also the illustrator of Max Meets the Mayor, by Mark Goldman, and has several other books in the works. She can be reached at Studio 507 at the Tri-Main Center, 2495 Main Street, Buffalo, NY and online through www.elizabethleader.com.

When Reem Faruqi taught second grade, her favorite time was “Read Aloud” time. Now, her favorite time at home is “Read Aloud” time to her daughters. Of Pakistani origin, she moved to Peachtree City, Georgia, from Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, when she was 13 years old. Reem based her first award-winning children’s book “Lailah’s Lunchbox” on her own experiences as a young Muslim girl immigrating to the United States. She has two new books projected for 2019, “Amira’s Picture Day”(Holiday House 2019) and “Let Me Show You The Way.” (Eerdmans 2019). Reem also works as a photographer at ReemFaruqi Photography and a Scheduler for the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta. She loves to doodle, write, and take photos. Check out her photoblog at www.ReemFaruqi.com! Currently, she lives with her husband and three daughters in Atlanta. website: www.ReemFaruqi.com

Debbi Michiko Florence, author of the chapter book series Jasmine Toguchi, about a spunky Japanese American 8-year-old girl, has been chosen as Junior Library Guild selections and placed on select “best of” lists. Debbi is also the author of the two early chapter book series Dorothy and Toto and My Furry Foster Family. She has spoken on panels and taught workshops at conferences and book festivals, and presented at numerous schools. Follow Debbie at her website: http://debbimichikoflorence.com.

Michael Hall is the author/illustrator of The New York Times bestseller, My Heart Is Like a Zoo, as well as the critically acclaimed Perfect Square, Red: A Crayon’s Story, and Monkey Time. Before becoming a children’s author, Michael was an award-winning graphic designer whose work—including graphic identities for the City of Saint Paul, Macalester College, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Hennepin County Medical Center—has been widely recognized for its simple and engaging approach. Michael lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Website URL: https://www.michaelhallstudio.com/

Veera Hiranandani is the author of The Night Diary (Kokila), which received the 2019 Newbery Honor Award, the 2019 Walter Dean Myers Honor Award and the 2018 Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature. The Night Diary has been featured on NPR's Weekend Edition, is a New York Times Editor's Choice Pick, and was chosen as a 2018 Best Children's Book of the Year byThe New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, School Library Journal, and Kirkus Rewiews, among others. She is also the author of The Whole Story of Half a Girl (Yearling), which was named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book and a South Asian Book Award Finalist, and the chapter book series, Phoebe G. Green (Grosset & Dunlap). She earned her MFA in fiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College. A former book editor at Simon & Schuster, she now teaches creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College's Writing Institute and is working on her next novel.

Jacqueline Jules is the award-winning author of 40 children’s books, including theZapato Power series, the Sofia Martinez series, Unite or Die: How Thirteen  States Became a Nation, Duck for Turkey Day, Never Say a Mean Word Again, Feathers for Peacock, The Hardest Word, and Pluto is Peeved. Also a poet, Jacqueline is the author of three poetry chapbooks. Her poems have appeared in over 100 publications, includingCricket, Cicada, Germ Magazine, YARN, The Poetry Friday Anthologies, and One Minute Till Bedtime. Visit www.jacquelinejules.com or connect on Twitter @jacquelinejules

DAVID A. KELLY is a former Little League right fielder and the author of the BALLPARK MYSTERIES and MVP sports book series from Random House, as well as BABE RUTH AND THE BASEBALL CURSE, and the picture book MIRACLE MUD. He lives outside Boston with his family. For more information, visit davidakellybooks.com.

Gordon Korman is the #1 NY Times bestselling author of more than ninety novels for kids and young adults, most recently THE UNTEACHABLES, and LEVEL 13, the sequel to SLACKER. His writing career began at the age of twelve when his seventh grade English assignment became his first published novel. Now, four decades later, he is a full-time writer and speaker, with over thirty million copies of his novels in print in thirty-three languages. Each year he travels extensively, visiting schools, libraries, and book festivals, bringing his trademark humor and adventure styles to readers everywhere. A native of Ontario, Canada, he lives with his family in Long Island, New York.

A graduate of Syracuse University with a BFA in Illustration. London has illustrated numerous critically acclaimed children’s books including March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World (Scholastic), written by Christine King Farris, the older sister of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Under the Freedom Tree (Charlesbridge) and Frederick's Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass (Disney/Jump at the Sun).

Adam Lehrhaupt is the award-winning picture book author of Warning: Do Not Open This Book! (2013), Please: Open This Book! (2015), Chicken in Space (A six book HarperCollins series continuing with Chicken in School June 20, 2017), and I Will Not Eat You ( 2016), as well as the upcoming I Don’t Draw, I Color (2017), Wordplay (Scholastic, July 25, 2017), This is a Good Story (September 12, 2017), Idea Jar (Spring 2018) and several more he is not yet at liberty to discuss. He has traveled to six continents, performed on Broadway, and lived on a communal farm. Adam firmly believes that opening a book is a good thing, even if there are monkeys in it. He currently lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA, with his wife, two sons, and two bizarre dogs. Follow Adam on Twitter, Instagram and Google+ @Lehrhaupt for the occasional brilliant thought or picture, and at adamlehrhaupt.com.

Thomas McDade is television producer, director, and editor who has traveled throughout the world over the past 20 years. He is the owner of Honey + Punch LLC, a Buffalo-based media production company. Melanie Morse is a mother of three boys, an experienced educator, a daydreamer, a traveler and a storyteller. When she’s not wrapped up in an adventure with her super awesome boys, or with Seymour & Hau, she is the Producer for commercial storytelling company Honey + Punch.

Connie Schofield-Morrison is a mother, author, and entrepreneur.  She spent most of her childhood reading and writing poetry, songs, and fairy tales. At the age of 19, Connie married her high school sweetheart Frank D. Morrison, a professional dancer. In 1999 Frank & Connie started their online art gallery, Morrison Graphics, which opened as a physical gallery in 2005 in the Old Fourth Ward of Atlanta, GA.  Frank painted and illustrated, while Connie continued to take care of the business, their home, and their children, while writing children’s books in her spare time. Her debut Bloomsbury Press title, I Got The Rhythm, is her first collaboration with husband and illustrator, Frank Morrison. The book is a rhythmic, soulful affirmation that a dream can become a reality, a belief that Connie has seen play out in her own life.

Juana Martinez-Neal is the recipient of the 2018 Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration for La Princesa and the Pea (written by Susan M. Elya, Putnam/Penguin). Alma and How She Got Her Name (Candlewick 2018), her debut picture book as author-illustrator, was awarded the 2019 Caldecott Honor. Juana is the illustrator of La Madre Goose (written by Susan M. Elya, Putnam/Penguin 2016), Babymoon (written by Hayley Barrett, Candlewick 2019), Fry Bread (written by Kevin Noble, Roaring Brook Press 2019), and Swashby and the Sea (written by Beth Ferry, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2020). Juana was named to the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor list in 2014, and was awarded the SCBWI Portfolio Showcase Grand Prize in 2012. She was born in Lima, the capital of Peru, and now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband and three children.

Stephanie Parwulski, a Buffalo, NY native, is the author of the children’s book, Beatrice and the Sunflower Gift. She received a B.A. in English from Daemen College in May 2016, further nurturing her love for literature and composition. She enjoys writing poems, children’s books, and short stories and contributes articles about her anxiety to a website called The Mighty to raise awareness about mental health. She also loves spending time with her family and friends and working as a preschool teacher aide. Her second book, Gloria’s Hope Tree, will be published by Belle Isle Books in summer 2019.

Greg Pizzoli is an author, illustrator and screen printer from Philadelphia. His first picture book, The Watermelon Seed, was published by Disney*Hyperion Books and was the 2014 recipient of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award. In 2015, his nonfiction picture book Tricky Vic was selected by the New York Times as one of the Ten Best Illustrated Books of the Year. In 2017, he won a Geisel Honor award for the picture book, Good Night Owl. Greg's work has been featured in The New York Times, Communication Arts, 3x3 Magazine and he's won two Portfolio Honor Awards from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, artist Kay Healy, their dog, and two cats.

Dee Romito is a middle-grade author and former elementary school teacher, Dee lives in her hometown of Buffalo, New York, where she and her family are steadily checking items off their own bucket list of adventures. You're likely to find her at the local ice cream shop, writing at a cafe, or curled up on the couch with her cats. And while she does her best to be a grown-up most of the time, giggling with her BFFs is still one of Dee's all-time favorite things. To join the fun and create your own bucket list, visit TheBFFBucketList.com.

Shelley Rotner is the author and photo-illustrator of 50 award-winning children’s books. Her books are mostly about diversity and the environment. It is her hope that they will lead children and their parents and/or teachers to engage in conversations and inspire observations and curiosity about the world they live in. Some of her recent books include: Colors, Hello Autumn! Grow! Raise! Catch! How We Get Our Food, Whose Eye am I?, Families, Body Actions, Body Bones and All Kinds of Friends. Some of her awards and acknowledgements include:University of Maine Correll Book Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Informational text- Families.- “packed with photographs of families of many different sizes, shapes, ages and colors.” Grow, Raise, Catch! Subaru nonfiction finalist and Green Earth Book Award. Garbage Helps our Gardens Grow- Green Earth Book Award- Hello, Spring! Starred Kirkus review: “Among the vibrant plants and baby animalsare children whose appearances are diverse in skin, hair, and eye color but alike in their exuberance at being outdoors in the spring.”

Lisa Ann Scott is a former TV news anchor, who now works as a voice actor and children's author. She write middle grade, chapter books and picture books. She lives in Western New York with her husband, children, cats, dog, and koi fish!

Jennifer Silvestri lives in Buffalo, New York and is a healer.  When she is not at home tending to her practice, she is traveling the world and expanding her horizons by exploring other cultures.  She particularly enjoys humanitarian trips and has been to Africa twice, where she has demonstrated self-healing techniques and proper oral health to many Ugandan women and children.  Her journey as an author is just beginning…

Meteorologist and Mom Jennifer Stanonis has covered and forecasted tornadoes, major snowstorms, forest fires, floods, arctic blasts and more during her decades as a television meteorologist. The seeds that grew into Willy and Lilly’s Adventures with Weather were sown while taking her twins on walks in all sorts of weather. A native of northern California, Stanonis has a degree in meteorology from SUNY at Brockport and a degree in broadcasting from San Francisco State University. She now resides in Buffalo, New York, with her husband and three young children. When Bill Blenk isn’t drawing, he enjoys activities in all kinds of weather. He creates art and animation for local and national clients for print, broadcast and video game use, and also teaches visual and digital media arts and animation at area high schools and colleges. Whether riding his bike around Buffalo or heading down the slope on skis, he enjoys all four seasons in Western New York.

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is an author, poet and writing teacher whose work has appeared in several magazines and children’s publications.  A writing teacher and journalist, Amy has a Master of Arts degree from Teacher’s College, Columbia University.  She has taught 5th grade and a directed a summer writing program for many years.  Amy lives on a farm in Holland, NY, with her husband, three children, lots of animals, and plenty of books.

Susan Verde grew up in a brownstone in the heart of Greenwich Village in New York City with her older brother Michael. She spent much of her time as a child clad in bell bottoms and rainbow suspenders, roller skating up and down her block with a skate key around her neck and a piece of chalk in her pocket (for spontaneous hopscotch).

Susan’s household was filled with books, music and the smell of mocha chip pies, which her mother made for their neighborhood restaurant. Susan could always be found writing stories and poetry and even a song or two. Susan moved to the Hamptons where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s in reading remediation and become an elementary school teacher at a private school in Bridgehampton.

Susan is an award-wining children’s book author capturing and celebrating the unique experience of children. Her titles include, The Museum, The Water Princess, Rock N roll Soul and her latest Hey, Wall a Story of Art and community. Her books have been translated into many different languages spreading her messages worldwide. Her books, I Am Yoga and I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness and the forthcoming, I AM Human: A Book of Empathy are part of a best selling series inspiring children, teachers and yoga practitioners alike.

In addition to writing having her own personal yoga practice led Susan to became an RYT 200hr and RCYT certified teacher bringing yoga and mindfulness to children and adults with an emphasis on self-care and mindful parenting. Susan is also a reiki practitioner and an essential oils advocate.

Susan is currently living in East Hampton, New York with her twin boys Joshua and Gabriel and her daughter Sophia where she writes children’s books and teaches kid’s yoga and mindfulness. Her children, her practice and the ocean at her doorstep keep her constantly connected and inspired.

Jennifer Ward is a bonafide bird stalker, wildlife whisperer, and authoress who writes books for children and adults.With over 800,000 books in print and translations in many languages, her work has been the recipient of numerous awards including state awards, New York Public Library's Best Informational Book of the Year, ALA Notable recognition, the International Literacy Association/Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice Award, the Giverny Award for Best Nonfiction Picture Book, among many other honors. Jennifer is also the recipient of the Judy Goddard/Libraries Limited Award for her body of work and contribution to Southwestern children's literature. Her book, There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea, has also been integrated into the architecture at the Buckeye Public Library in Arizona. Jennifer lives with her husband and two dogs  high in the treetops within a canopy of old growth oaks in Southern Illinois, where she writes full time. Her neighbors include deer, fox, and lots of squirrels. She wakes up each morning to bird song.

Brian Yanish has held many jobs from working with the Muppets to special effects mold-maker, bail-bondsman, comedian and product designer. He is the creator of ScrapKins, a Recycled Arts program that inspires kids to see creative potential in everyday junk and has presented workshops at schools around the world and appeared on Sesame Street. He lives in Rochester, New York.