I was born in San Francisco. I'm the oldest of five children and enjoyed telling stories from an early age. I am a retired reading specialist. I was inspired to write children's books by my love of literature, by raising my son, and by teaching my students.

I'm one of America's top 100 Barts! My new book is "Time Travel Inn" from Choose Your Own Adventure. It's a funny science-fiction adventure that Jeff Kinney (author of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”) said has “mind-blowing adventure and heart-stopping thrills!” And Shannon Gilligan (Chooseco founder) says “Time Travel Inn is the funniest Choose Your Own Adventure ever written.” 🤩

I'm also part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team behind "Bad Dad Jokes: That's How Eye Roll." (Of course, the Pulitzer was won by its illustrator, Jack Ohman, but let's not get hung up on details.) I've written dozens of other books, including “The Pocket Guide to Spy Stuff” and my humorous science-fiction novel, “The Drake Equation” (from Disney-Hyperion). My essays have appeared at places like McSweeney's, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and the Oregonian. Oh, and I'm a longtime middle-school teacher.

Fun Fact: One of my books was once Amazon's bestselling kids' book for a whole day!

www.bartking.net

twitter.com/BartKing

Trudy Ludwig

Making a Difference in Kids' Lives, One Book at a Time(R)

Trudy Ludwig is an acclaimed speaker and award-winning author of numerous children’s books including THE INVISIBLE BOY, a School Library Journal Best Picture Books Selection and a recommended back-to-school book by USA Today and Scholastic Instructor. Her books and presentations help empower children to be kinder and more inclusive in their social world. Trudy has collaborated with leading experts and organizations including Sesame Workshop, International Bullying Prevention Association, Committee for Children, and ConnectSafely.org. She has received rave reviews from educators, experts, organizations, and parents for her passion and compassion in addressing peer aggression and friendship issues.

Trudy’s books have received numerous awards and citations including the M. Jerry Weiss Book Award, Victoria Soto Legacy Award, IBPA Gold Benjamin Franklin Award, Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award, NAPPA Gold Medal Award, Mom’s Choice Gold Awards, Moonbeam Children’s Books Gold Award, Comstock Read Aloud Honors and are included in the Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s Best of the Year Selection, NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Books for Young People Selections, National Crime Prevention Council’s Circle of Respect Book Club Selection, Junior Library Guild Selection, and more.

"Because the social world of today's children is very complex and difficult to navigate, I try to include in my stories the wisdom and insights of young readers so that my books resonate with the authenticity of their life experiences and views," she says. "I also have the added pleasure of tapping into my own inner child--letting her laugh, cry, and simply breathe."

For more information about Trudy, her books, virtual and in-person school visits, conference keynotes, and workshop presentations, please visit www.trudyludwig.com.

I am an award-winning book author, magazine writer, editor, writing teacher and speaker. My wide-ranging passions include current events, astronomy, volcanology, art, music, history, nature, waves, jokes, crayons, and mud — anything that catches my fancy. I am inspired by stories of exploration and discovery, stories that have been overlooked by history, and stories that grapple with persistent questions. Whether writing fiction or nonfiction for children or adults or teaching workshops, I hope my work opens doors, opens minds, opens possibilities.

Please visit my website to explore more about my books, my articles, my editing, and my school visits and writing workshops. I also offer reading and activity guides for many of my books. Enjoy!

- Taken from www.elizabethrusch.com

Addie Boswell is an artist and writer living in Portland but grown in Iowa. She specializes in murals and picture books that focus on family, community, and the creative power of children. Recent titles include The Snow Dancer, Five on the Bed, and the "In Motion" series that starts with Go, Bikes, Go! As a visiting artist at schools, libraries, and community programs around the Northwest, she knows that creativity can empower and improve the lives of every age. When not working from her home studio, she is probably building scrappy furniture, filching drawings from her five-year-old, reading when she should be sleeping, and waiting for the rain to return.

Amber J. Keyser is the author of fourteen books for teens and tweens.

Her YA novel Pointe, Claw (Carolrhoda Lab, 2017) is an explosive story about two girls claiming the territory of their own bodies. It received multiple starred reviews and was featured in Horn Book Love Stories for Pride Month and Booklist’s Top Ten Arts Books for Youth 2017.

The Way Back From Broken (Carolrhoda Lab, 2015) is a heart-wrenching YA novel of loss and survival, which was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award, received a starred review from Booklist and was an Alan Pick.

Amber created, edited, and contributed to The V-Word: True Stories of First-Time Sex (Beyond Words/SimonTeen, 2016), a nonfiction, YA anthology. Honors for this book include multiple starred reviews and New York Public Library 50 Best Books for Teens 2016, Chicago Public Library Best Nonfiction for Teens 2016, ALA Rainbow List 2017, ALA Reluctant Reader List 2017, and The Amelia Bloomer List 2017.

She is the author of multiple nonfiction titles including No More Excuses: Dismantling Rape Culture (2019), Underneath It All: A History of Women’s Underwear (2018), Tying the Knot: A World History of Marriage (2018), and Sneaker Century: A History of Athletic Shoes (2015), several of which were Junior Library Guild Selections. She is the co-author with Kiersi Burkhart of the middle grade series Quartz Creek Ranch (Darby Creek, 2017).

Dawn Babb Prochovnic is the author of WHERE DOES A PIRATE GO POTTY? and WHERE DOES A COWGIRL GO POTTY? (West Margin Press, 2019), 16 picture books in the "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" series (2009-2012 Magic Wagon/ABDO Publishing Group) and a contributor to "Oregon Reads Aloud" (SMART, 2016). She is also the founder of SmallTalk Learning, a company that specializes in providing sign language workshops for hearing infants, toddlers and young children.

Dawn's children's programs have been featured on KGW News Channel 8 as well as on television news magazines such as AM Northwest and MORE Good Day Oregon. Her work has also been covered in print media such as The Oregonian, The Columbian, Portland Metro Parent, and The Valley Times. Dawn holds a Master's Degree in Organizational Communication and is certified through Sign2Me, an internationally recognized network of infant/toddler sign language/baby sign instructors. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, two children, two cats, and a dog.

Dawn loves to visit schools! Preschools, elementary schools and home school groups are her specialty, and she offers programs that can be structured as a fund raiser for your school, library, or PTO. Here is a sampling of the programs Dawn can provide when you invite her to visit your school:

Sing, Sign, and Story Time: Incorporates stories, songs and sign language to develop and strengthen language and literacy/early literacy skills for elementary and preschool-aged children.

Young Writer's Workshop: Focuses on specific writing skills/benchmarks such as generating ideas, organizing ideas, self-critique, and revision and provides the opportunity for students to have an informal Q & A.

School Sign-A-Long Assembly: Incorporates American Sign Language (ASL) into theme-oriented learning activities. Children will sing songs, learn and review signs, listen to stories, and play signing games.

Family Story Time: A lively, interactive story time. Participants will listen to stories, sing songs, learn and practice vocabulary words in ASL, and have Q & A time.

Sign Language In-Service for Teachers: Explores the benefits of incorporating ASL into classroom activities and routines, and provides practical ideas and techniques for incorporating ASL into specific curriculum areas such as spelling, writing, & story time.

Once a Silicon Valley software engineer, Curtis C. Chen (陳致宇) now writes stories and runs puzzle games near Portland, Oregon. His debut novel Waypoint Kangaroo (a 2017 Locus Awards and Endeavour Award Finalist) is the first in a series of funny science fiction spy thrillers. He has written for the Realm originals Ninth Step Station, Machina, and Echo Park 2060 (forthcoming).

Curtis' short fiction has appeared in Playboy Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, Oregon Reads Aloud, and elsewhere. His homebrew cat feeding robot was displayed in the "Worlds Beyond Here" exhibit at Seattle's Wing Luke Museum. He is a graduate of the Clarion West and Viable Paradise writers' workshops.

Want to know a secret? There are visual clues hidden in the Kangaroo book covers that lead to online puzzle trails! Finding the rabbit holes is left as an exercise for the reader.

Learn more about Curtis at: https://curtiscchen.com

New York Times Bestselling author and self-proclaimed giraffe suspicioner, Heidi Schulz, lies to children for fun and profit. She is best known for her bestselling novel for middle grade readers, Hook’s Revenge, published by Little Brown Books, and her picture book Giraffes Ruin Everything, published by Bloomsbury Kids. When she is not writing, Heidi can be found in her Salem, Oregon home attempting to corral her two unwieldy dogs, sewing herself yet another fit-and-flare dress, or working through her bottomless stack of nightstand books.

Mike is an author-illustrator of fiction and nonfiction graphic novels, including the Star Scouts series for First Second. He has also illustrated a middle grade novel. In addition to making comics, Mike has created several pieces of public art for his hometown of Portland, Oregon. When he’s not hard at work on a new book project, he’s playing D&D with his kids and listening to their nonstop stream of book pitches.

Brian grew up in Alaska, then Mississippi, and has always been in love with storytelling in every medium. Literature, movies, art, you name it! He earned a BFA in graphic design & illustration and an MA in writing & publishing. He worked as a graphic designer and illustrator for almost 15 years in music publishing, corporate marketing, and sports/entertainment.

Today, Brian spends his days working in youth publishing (so cool, right?) through his company, Believe In Wonder, which he co-owns with his wife. He enjoys teaching about the creative process, and is always trying to learn and grow in his craft - finding that he is happiest when striving to bring the works of imagination to life.

He currently lives in Oregon with his lovely (and very patient) wife, Josie, his changeling and sloth-ninja sons, Victor and Kamari, a self-impressed orange cat named Peanut, and one easily excitable Yorkie named Shaft.

Cathy Camper is the author of the estellar Lowriders in Space graphic novel series. Her award winning picture book Ten Ways to Hear Snow celebrates an Arab American girl taking a walk in the snow, and listening, instead of looking. The Spanish translation, Diez Maneras de Escuchar la Nieve, will be available November 2022. Arab Arab All Year Long (2022) celebrates Arab American kids and their activities. Cathy is also the creator of Bugs Before Time: Prehistoric Insects and Their Relatives. Her seed art mosaics have been featured in Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People, by Amy Sedaris. Her zines include Sugar Needle and The Lou Reeder, and she's a founding member of the Portland Women of Color Zine Collective. Cathy’s a skilled presenter, and her background as a librarian, zinester, artist and author provides a unique connection to kids, educators, librarians and parents.

I've been creating stories and illustrating them since the first grade. I currently write picture book biographies. I love the research and finding hidden gems about a person's life that will appeal to young readers.

I received a biology degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a masters degree in writing for children from Hamline University. I studied art and art history at Oregon State University, and I've taught art appreciation at local schools. I live on the wet and windy Oregon coast with my family. I also spend creative time in a log house in central Oregon.

Heléna Macalino loves to explore her dreams.

She wanders along lovely garden paths with magical gates and finds her way into enchanted forests with animals who hide huge wishes in their hearts.

As a member of a family of writers, she records these adventures to share with fellow wanderers. Heléna wrote her first book when she was in 2nd grade, THE REFLECTION, an Alice in Wonderland style picture book about a little girl who falls through the reflection of a puddle. Now a 4th grader, Heléna has released her second and third book, an early reader titled THE MOUSE BIRD (Book 1) and THE CHIPMUNK KING (Book 2) from her series THE WISH FISH.

Want to follow Heléna in her wanderings? When she’s not cuddling with her bunny Cotton, or cats or doodling in her drawing notebook, she can be found on her family’s website http://www.macalino.com/.

Join her Reader's Group on the website and get a FREE activity book and also be the first to know when the next edition of THE WISH FISH appears!

Damien Macalino is a professional builder of wacky worlds. As a member of a family of writers, he published his first book in 3rd grade, WHAT IF AN ALLIGATOR ATE AN AVALANCHE, an alphabet book for kids with a sense of humor! Now in 5th grade, Damien steps into even wilder territory with his first children’s graphic novel, SUPER MOO: BOOM, BOOM, SPLAT!

Want to learn more? If you can’t find Damien in the jungle of his stacks of books and graphic novels, in the wild wood exploring with his family, or on the open plains of the soccer field with his friends, you can probably find him on his family’s website at http://www.macalino.com/.

Subscribe to his newsletter on the website and be the first to know when the next edition of SUPER MOO hits the shelves!

Sonja Thomas (she/her) writes stories for readers of all ages, often featuring brave, everyday girls doing extraordinary things. Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence is her debut middle grade novel. She's also a contributing author for Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic. Raised in Central Florida—home of the wonderful world of Disney, humidity, and hurricanes—and a Washington, DC, transplant for eleven years (go Nats!), she’s now “keeping it weird” in the Pacific Northwest with her roommate and four pawesome cats.

Visit her website at www.bysonjathomas.com or connect with her at @bysonjathomas on Twitter and Instagram.

Here are the authors and artists that participated in this project:

Dale Basye,

Estela Bernal,

Carmen Bernier-Grand,

Kate Berube,

Suan Blackaby,

Susan Boase,

Addie Boswell,

Cathy Camper,

Curtis Chen,

Nancy Coffelt,

Carolyn Conahan,

Judy Cox,

Mark Fearing,

Carolyn Garcia,

Elizabeth Goss,

Kim Griswell,

Barbara Herkert,

Robin Herrera,

Debbie Hocking,

David Hohn,

Barb Kerley,

Robin Kerr,

Amber Keyser,

Eric Kimmel,

Bart King,

Jane Kirkpatrick,

Gesine Kratzner,

Mike Lawrence,

Trudy Ludwig,

Damien Macalino,

Helena Macalino,

Abigail Marble,

Natalie Metzger,

Lisa Munroff,

Wendy Myers,

Gina Ochsner,

Brian Parker,

Valarie Pearce,

Dawn Prochovnic,

Doug Roy,

Elizabeth Rusch,

Linda Dalal Sawaya,

Heidi Schulz,

Stephanie Shaw,

Cathy Stever,

Sonja Thomas,

Katy Towell,

Zoey Abbot Wagner, and

Johanna Wright.

SMART is a nationally recognized, statewide nonprofit organization with a network of volunteers, educators, donors, and advocates across Oregon working together to empower children for more successful futures through books and reading. Since 1992, SMART has engaged more than 118,000 volunteers to help 180,000 Oregon students build their reading skills and self-confidence, and has given these children 2.3 million books to keep and read with their families. Learn more at: http://www.getsmartoregon.org/25-years/

Graphic Arts Books connects readers with exceptional authors and artists in an array of books that nourish curious minds. Learn more at: http://www.graphicartsbooks.com/

Elizabeth Goss is an illustrator, author, and papercutter based in the Pacific Northwest. Her first picture book My Way West: Real Kids Traveling the Oregon and California Trails won the 2022 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People.

Elizabeth creates her vivid illustrations by delicately slicing and stacking layers of paper. She makes most of her art by hand using a simple craft knife, but sometimes she uses scissors, paint, digital tools, and even laser beams to get a piece just right. Elizabeth is an honors graduate of Syracuse University’s illustration program and a proud member of the Guild of American Papercutters.

As a writer, she specializes in stories that are unusual or unexpected. Unlikely heroes, new takes on classic stories, and the secret worlds of children are her forte. Whether she is writing a whimsical fantasy or a piece of vivid nonfiction, she loves to surprise her readers. You can learn more about Liz and her work at www.lizabethgoss.com. To peek inside her studio, follow her on Instagram @lizabethgoss

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Zoey Abbott is a children's book author-illustrator living in Portland, Oregon.

She is the author/illustrator of I Do Not Like Yolanda (Tundra Books), Pig & Horse and the Something Scary (Abrams, 2022), Clementine & the Lion (Kidscan Press, 2022), and Banana (Tundra Books).

Zoey is the illustrator of Over the Moon by James Proimos, Twindergarten by Nicki Ehrlich and Finn's Feather and Marty (both by Rachel Noble). Her art is also featured in the anthology, Velocity of Being; Letter's to Young Reader, edited by Maria Popova and Claudia Zoe Bedrick.

Visit Zoey online at: www.zoeyabbott.com

Praise:

“The delightful, soft line-and-color illustrations show a diverse contemporary California community ... This offbeat, intergenerational story celebrates connection."

—Kirkus Reviews

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“ I Do Not Like Yolanda is stamped with quirky details within recognizable experiences. It’s a true original."

—Imaginary Elevators Review

“[In Over the Moon,] a girl raised by wolves sets out on her own. In addition to being beautiful, the pictures are often hilarious… The text is stark and lyrical, and Proimos is particularly adept at using poetic devices like repetition to make the words sing. A weird and wonderful tale.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Abbott’s soft, cartoon illustrations perfectly match and set the tone. [Over the Moon] is a zany twist on an age-old tale of growing up and realizing that family means the ones who choose, love, and raise you.”

—School Library Journal

"With calm white space, but feathery but orderly lines, Abbott's lovely colored-pencil art [in Twindergarten] makes the school day seem like a breeze." - Maria Russo, The New York Times

"Working in soft colored pencil, debut illustrator Abbott’s understated images feel airy and open, and she emphasizes not just the closeness between the twins but also the way they seem to trade off feeling confident and nervous about school." - Publisher's Weekly