We Are Story Jammers
Ana Siqueira
Ana Siqueira is a Spanish-language elementary teacher, an award-winning Portuguese children’s author, and is published in the Foreign Language educational market. Her debut picture book is BELLA’S RECIPE FOR DISASTER/SUCCESS (Beaming Books, 2021) and her forthcoming books are IF YOUR BABYSITTER IS A BRUJA/CUANDO TU NIÑERA ES UNA BRUJA (SimonKids, 2022), ABUELA'S SUPER CAPA/LA CAPA DE SUPER ABUELA (HarperCollins) and other books that can’t be announced yet. Besides writing, Ana loves to read, teach, and play with her Cuban-Brazilian-American grandchildren. Find out more about Ana by going to her website anafiction.com Twitter: @SraSiqueira1307 |
Anne Wynter
Originally from Houston, Anne is an author and playwright who currently lives in Austin, TX with her husband, her two children, and her cat. Her debut picture book, EVERYBODY IN THE RED BRICK BUILDING - illustrated by Oge Mora - was named a Boston Globe Best Book of 2021 and a Booklist 2021 Editors' Choice Book. Her new board books - HANDS ON! and ONE BIG DAY - are both illustrated by Alea Marley and were released in January 2022. Her fourth book - NELL PLANTS A TREE - is illustrated by Daniel Miyares and will be published in early 2023. To learn more or say hi, follow Anne on Instagram (@anne_wynter) or visit annewynter.com. |
Candy Wellins
Candy Wellins is a lifelong writer and book lover. A former elementary school teacher, Candy has a BA in journalism and an M.Ed. in literacy education. She’s now a full-time mom to three wonderful children who keep her up-to-date and immersed in kid’s literature. When she’s not reading, writing or mothering, Candy loves running, traveling and naps! Her debut picture book Saturdays Are for Stella (Illustrated by Charlie Eve Ryan, PAGE STREET KIDS) was named a Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2020. Publishers Weekly called her debut picture book biography The Stars Beckoned: Edward White’s Amazing Walk in Space (Illustrated by Courtney Dawson, PHILOMEL) “an introduction to a space pioneer that’s ideal for the youngest nonfiction readers.” Her next book Mabel’s Topsy-Turvy Homes releases in 2022. Candy and her family make their home in Driftwood, Texas. You can follow her at www.candywellins.com, on Instagram @candywellins, on Twitter @candy_wellins or on Facebook @candywellins. |
Debbie Zapata
Debbie Zapata grew up in a multi-cultural family in Austin, Texas. As a girl, she loved the places that brought people together—public parks, community rec centers, and the local libraries. After earning her Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, Debbie worked as an international student immigration advisor. In 2001, she moved to New York City and worked in international human resources. She received her Master in Social Work from New York University and works as a counselor. Debbie also writes books for children. She was a winner of the Austin SCBWI’s Creator of Diverse Worlds Scholarship in 2018 and 2020. Her debut picture book UP AND ADAM is illustrated by Yong Ling Kang and will be published May 3, 2022 by Kids Can Press. Debbie lives in Austin with her husband and two kids. To learn more about Debbie please visit her website debbiezapata.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @debbiezapata.author, or on Twitter @debbieazapata. |
Jilanne Hoffmann
Jilanne Hoffmann has been a zoo train engineer, a waitress, a “real” engineer, a fitness trainer, a tai chi instructor, a freelance writer for nonprofit organizations, and now writes stories for kids and adults. She has a BS in Engineering and an MFA in Creative Writing. She's a co-producer of Kidquake, the elementary school program of Litquake, San Francisco's premier annual literary festival. Jilanne's debut picture book, RIVER OF DUST: How Wind-borne Nutrients from the North African Sahel Nourish the Amazon Rainforest, will be published by Chronicle Books in March 2023. Jilanne lives in San Francisco with her punny, STEM-focused family. For perfect picture book recommendations and to learn more about Jilanne, please visit her website at www.jilannehoffmann.com. You can also connect with her on Twitter @Jill_SF and Instagram @Jilanne2694. |
Karen M. Greenwald
Karen M. Greenwald published her first poem at five. Seeing her words in print hooked Karen on writing (even though the school paper credited her older sister)! Today, she is a non-practicing attorney, international award-winning brand strategist, and co-creator of #SunWriteFun—a popular NF contest raising money for We Need Diverse Books. Thanks to her debut, A VOTE FOR SUSANNA: THE FIRST WOMAN MAYOR (Albert Whitman, Fall ’21), Karen can add “baker” to the mix…maybe! Most of all, she considers herself an “historic detective” of unsung heroes and loves sharing their stories. If you hear a dog barking while reading this—that’s her office mate! Learn more at www.karenmgreenwald.com or on Twitter @karenmgreenwald. |
Kari Lavelle
As a writer and speech pathologist, Kari Lavelle loves words! Her debut picture book with illustrator Nabi H. Ali, WE MOVE THE WORLD, published by HarperCollins, released in May 2021. She lives in Austin, Texas with her two children, two dogs, and one husband. Learn more about Kari and her books at karilavelle.com. |
Lindsay Leslie
A diary keeper, a journalism major, a public relations executive, now a children’s author—Lindsay Leslie has always operated in a world of written words. She likes to bring her unique outlook on life, quirky humor, and play with words to the page in picture books. Lindsay is the award-winning author of SO YOU WANT TO BUILD A LIBRARY (Capstone), DUSK EXPLORERS, THIS BOOK IS SPINELESS, and NOVA THE STAR EATER (Page Street Kids). She lives in Austin, Texas, with her novelist husband, Ryan Leslie, two boys, two fur-beasts, and a guinea pig. Connect with Lindsay on Twitter, Instagram, and her website, lindsayleslie.com. |
Lisa Katzenberger
As the youngest of eight siblings, Lisa Katzenberger has been making up stories to entertain herself since she was a child. She loves to write books that make children laugh, escape, and dream. Lisa lives near Chicago with her family in a 100-year old Victorian house with sloping hardwood floors and the tiniest bathroom you’ve ever seen. She is the author of IT WILL BE OK (Sourcebooks 2021) and NATIONAL REGULAR AVERAGE ORDINARY DAY (Penguin Workshop 2020). Find out more about Lisa at www.lisakatzenberger.com. |
Meghan P. Browne
Meghan lives in South Austin, Texas with her husband, Greg, their three children, and a menagerie of honeybees, goats, chickens, a barn kitty, and their beloved dog. She is the author INDELIBLE ANN (with Carlynn Whitt, Random House Studio 2021), DOROTHY THE BRAVE (with Brooke Smart, Viking Children’s 2022), and the forthcoming BEES OF NOTRE DAME (with E.B. Goodale, Random House Studio, 2023). Find Meghan on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and her website www.meghanpbrowne.com. |
Nancy Churnin
Nancy Churnin is the author of ten nonfiction picture books about athletes, an artist, a songwriter, a poet, a golfer, a queen, and a man who moved a mountain. What do they have in common? Like the heroines of her 2021 books, DEAR MR. DICKENS and A QUEEN TO THE RESCUE, THE STORY OF HENRIETTA SZOLD, they are people with a dream, perseverance, and a passion to make the world better. Nancy’s books have won the South Asia Book Award and Anne Izard Storyteller's Choice Award, been a finalist for the Sakura Medal, were honored as a Junior Library Guild pick, Silver Eureka selections, NCSS Notables, and a Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable and a Notable Book for a Global Society. She lives in North Texas with her husband, a dog named Dog and two cantankerous cats. |
Nicholas Solis
Nicholas Solis has been writing all of his life, starting with knock off Encyclopedia Brown mysteries and oddly deep poetry for an 8-year-old. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Grant from We Need Diverse Books, and in 2020 he was nominated for the 2020 Austin SCBWI Cynthia Leitich Smith Writing Mentor Award and was the winner of the Austin SCBWI’s 2020 Creators of Diverse Worlds Scholarship. His debut author/illustrated book THE STARING CONTEST (Peter Pauper Press) released September 2020. THE COLOR COLLECTOR (Sleeping Bear Press) released in 2021. BORDERTOWN (Nancy Paulsen Books) will release in August 2022. Nicholas is also an award-winning elementary teacher and has traveled the world and taught students in Tanzania, India, and Morocco. When he’s not traveling, he enjoys spending time with his wife, their dog, and his brand new baby boy in Austin, Texas. |
Robyn McGrath
Robyn McGrath writes fiction and nonfiction picture books for children. When she is not writing she works as a Play Therapist helping children and parents regulate BIG emotions. She believes that books help us navigate life experiences by allowing us to feel seen and heard. Robyn hopes her stories excite and inspire you, while fostering an understanding of self and others. She lives in Austin, TX with her husband, two children, a Labrador retriever, and a friendly cat they found camping. To learn more about Robyn and her books, visit robynmcgrathwrites.com. |
Laura Gehl
Laura Gehl is the author of more than two dozen board books, picture books, and early readers, including One Big Pair of Underwear, the Peep and Egg series, I Got a Chicken for My Birthday, My Pillow Keeps Moving, Always Looking Up: Nancy Grace Roman, Astronomer, and the Baby Scientist series. Her work has won awards, appeared on state and national reading lists, and been translated into numerous languages. For information about new books and free downloadable teacher's guides, please visit www.lauragehl.com. |
Nelly Buchet
Nelly Buchet is the author of ALA Notable Book CAT DOG DOG: The Story of a Blended Family (Random House Studio, 2020), the four-boardbook CAN'T DO series (Bonnier UK, 2021 & 2022) and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR PET BRAIN (Beaming Books, 2022). Born in Paris, Nelly has lived in Montreal, New York City, and Los Angeles. She holds a degree in philosophy from McGill University, where she created a nonprofit project that brings picture books to refugee children in orphanages and libraries. For her work she was awarded a Dalai Lama Fellowship and Quebec’s most generous grant recognizing youth entrepreneurship and social justice. Nelly has taught nonviolent conflict resolution in schools and spoken at the Bologna International Book Fair. She splits her time between New York and Berlin. Visit nellybuchet.com for free educational guides and activities! |
Carmen Oliver
Carmen Oliver is the author of the picture book series Bears Make the Best Buddies (Reading, Math, Writing, and Science) as well as the nonfiction picture book biography A Voice for the Spirit Bears: How One Boy Inspired Millions to Save a Rare Animal, a Junior Library Guild spring 2019 pick. She’s also the author of the forthcoming picture books The Twilight Library (NorthSouth Books, Fall 2022) and The Favio Chavez Story (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2022). Carmen’s work has been shortlisted for the Rainforest of Reading Award, The Writers’ League of Texas Awards and the CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards for Early Literacy. In 2014, she founded the Booking Biz, a boutique style agency that brings award-winning children’s authors and illustrators to schools, libraries, and special events. In 2020, she co-wrote a script for WordPlay with Kwame Alexander, a video series under the Adventure Academy platform, and is the show’s talent booker. She also teaches writing at the Writing Barn and The Highlights Foundation and loves speaking at schools, conferences, and festivals. To connect or learn more about Carmen and her books, visit www.carmenoliver.com. |