Author Bios

Katherine Applegate was born on October 9, 1956, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and grew up with a passion for animals and storytelling that would define her literary career. She attended the University of Michigan and Florida State University before launching a career in writing that has taken her from mass-market series fiction to Newbery Medal-winning…

Gary Paulsen was born on May 17, 1939, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and grew up in difficult circumstances — his father was a military officer often absent overseas, and his childhood was marked by instability, frequent moves, and a troubled home life. Books became his sanctuary; he credits a librarian who gave him a library card…

Ann Clare LeZotte is an American author and poet who writes fiction and poetry for young readers. LeZotte, who is Deaf, brings a unique and invaluable perspective to her work, drawing on her experience and identity to create literature that centers Deaf culture and the lived experience of Deaf individuals in ways that are both…

Tyrell Johnson is a Canadian author of young adult fiction whose debut novel marked him as a compelling new voice in the post-apocalyptic and survival fiction genre. Raised in British Columbia, Johnson developed a love of wild landscapes and outdoor adventure that infuses his writing with an authentic sense of the natural world. His background…

Thanhha Lai was born in 1965 in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam and spent her early childhood in a country torn by war. When Saigon fell in April 1975, Lai’s family fled Vietnam as refugees, eventually making their way to the United States and settling in Alabama. This experience of displacement, loss, and the…

F.T. Lukens is an American author of young adult fantasy fiction known for writing inclusive, character-driven stories that blend magic, adventure, and heartfelt emotion. Lukens’s work is particularly celebrated within LGBTQ+ young adult literature for featuring queer protagonists and relationships as central, affirming elements of the narrative rather than side plots or afterthoughts. This commitment…

Sara Loyster is an author whose work has found a dedicated audience among readers of young adult and middle grade fiction. Drawing on personal experience and a genuine love of storytelling, Loyster brings a distinctive voice to her writing that resonates with young readers navigating the complexities of growing up, identity, and belonging. Her approach…

Christopher Paul Curtis was born on May 10, 1953, in Flint, Michigan, the city that would serve as both backdrop and inspiration for much of his celebrated fiction. Growing up in Flint during a time of industrial prosperity and racial tension, Curtis absorbed the rhythms, humor, and heartache of African American family life in the…

Sarah J. Maas was born on March 5, 1986, in New York City, and grew up with a deep passion for storytelling that manifested early in her teenage years. She began writing what would become her debut novel, Throne of Glass, at the age of sixteen, originally posting chapters on the fan fiction website FictionPress….

Clive Staples Lewis was born on November 29, 1898, in Belfast, Ireland (now Northern Ireland), to Albert Lewis, a solicitor, and Florence Augusta Hamilton Lewis. Known to family and friends as “Jack,” Lewis displayed an extraordinary imagination from childhood, collaborating with his brother Warren to create an elaborate fantasy world called Boxen. Tragedy struck early…