2016 Conference Authors & Illustrators
“WORDS AND PICTURES: THE ART OF THE MATTER” | JUNE 20 -24, 2016
Click on an author/illustrator below to learn more about them:
MATT DE LA PEÑA (2016 Newbery Winner)Matt de la Peña is the recipient of the 2016 Newberry Medal for his book Last Stop on Market Street illustrated by Christian Robinson. He is the author of six young adult novels including Ball Don’t Lie, Mexican White Boy, We Were Here, and I Will Save You, all of which were named ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. His novel, The Living, was named a 2014 ALA Pura Belpré Author Honor Book. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed picture book A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis illustrated by Kadir Nelson.
ERIC LITWIN
Eric Litwin is a song-singing, guitar-strumming, New York Times Best Selling, award winning author who brings early literacy and music together. He is the author of the beloved first four Pete the Cat picture books and the exciting musical series The Nuts and Groovy Joe. Eric’s books have sold over seven million copies, been translated into eight languages, and won many literacy awards including a Theodor Geisel Seuss Honor Award.
Adam Rubin is the New York Times best-selling author of seven children’s books illustrated by Daniel Salmieri. His books include Dragons Love Tacos,Secret Pizza Party, Big Bad Bubble, Robo-Sauce, and the Darn Squirrels Trilogy. Those Darn Squirrels received a 2009 Borders Original Voices Award. He spent ten years working as a creative director in the advertising industry before leaving his day job to write full time. He teaches improve to grown ups, showing them how to be more like children, and he loves magic tricks.
PETER SÍS
Peter Sís is an internationally acclaimed illustrator, author, and filmmaker with more than twenty books to his credit. His vast body of work, including the celebrated titles Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei, Tibet Through the Red Box, and The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, have earned him a MacArthur Fellowship, Hans Christian Anderson Award, Sibert Award, and three Caldecott Honors. He is also the illustrator of Pam Muñoz Ryan’s The Dreamer, a Pura Belpré Award winner, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, and ALA Notable.
E.B. LEWIS
E. B. Lewis calls himself an “artistrator” to encompass his beautiful pieces of art and illustrators. Over 70 books have been graced with his exquisitely detailed paintings including Nikki Grimes’ Talkin’ About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman, the 2003 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner; Alice Schertle’s Dawn the Road, an ALA Notable Book; Tolowa M. Mollel’s My Rows and Piles of Coins, an ALA Notable Book and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and Bat Boy and His Violin by Garvin Curtis, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book. He was awarded a 2005 Caldecott Honor for Coming on Home Soon written by Jacqueline Woodson.
SARA PENNYPACKER
Sara Pennypacker is the author of the award-winning New York Times bestselling Clementine series. She has received numerous awards for her books including the Christopher Award for Clementine’s Letter and the Golden Kite Award for Pierre in Love. Her other books include Summer of the Gypsy Moths,Sparrow Girl and The Amazing World of Stuart. Her latest books include the first book in a new series, Waylon! One Awesome Thing, illustrated by Marla Frazee and the novel PAX illustrated by Jon Klassen. She is the founder of the ShareOurBooks.org program which lends books provided by authors for community reads.
DANIEL SALMIERI
Daniel Salmieri grew up in Brooklyn, NY, making drawings of fighter jets and Ninja Turtles. He is the illustrator of the best-selling picture books written by Adam Rubin. He has also illustrated Meet the Dullards written by Sara Pennypacker and Around the World on Eighty Legs written by Amy Gibson. His artwork has been awarded the Borders Original Voices Award and the NAIBA 2013 Book of the Year Award. His work has been recognized by The Society of Illustrators and American Illustration.
JARRETT KROSOCZKA
Jarret Krosoczka’s love of fun shines through in each of the books he has written and illustrated. His books include Punk Farm, Baghead, Peanut Butter and Jellyfish, Ollie, the popular graphic novels in the Lunch Lady series and his chapter book series, Platypus Police Squad. His imaginative books are beloved by children everywhere. He travels to schools where he is embraced by children and lunch ladies. He has received numerous state awards and has won the Children’s Choice Book of the Year twice for the Lunch Lady series, which is being made into a movie featuring Amy Poehler.
GREG PIZZOLI
Greg Pizzoli’s first picture book, The Watermelon Seed, was published in 2013 and won the 2014 Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers. His next book, Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower, was selected for the New York Times ten Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2015. Some of his other titles include Number One Sam, Templeton Gets His Wish and Good Night Owl
Christian Robinson creatively blends mediums such as collage and paint to illustrate picture books. His unique style has won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, the Robert F. Sibert Honor and Boston Globe-Horn Book Nonfiction Honor for Josephine written by Patricia Hruby Powell. He was honored with the 2014 Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator award for Rain! Some of his other titles include Gaston, written by Kelly Dipucchio, Leo a Ghost Story by Mac Barnett and the Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade written by Justin Roberts. His latest creation, Last Stop on Market Street, by Matt de la Peña was named a 2016 Caldecott Honor winner.
PAM MUÑOZ RYAN
Pam Muñoz Ryan is the author of the 2016 Newbery Honor winner and New York Times bestseller, Echo, as well as the recipient of the Kirkus Prize, the NEA’s Human and Civil Rights Award, and the Virginia Hamilton Literacy Award for multicultural literature. She has written more than forty books for young readers. Her celebrated novels, Esperanza Rising, Riding Freedom, Becoming Naomi Léon, Paint the Wind, and The Dreamer, have received numerous accolades, among them two Pura Belpré Awards, a NAPPA Gold Award, a Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and an Americas Award. Her picture books include Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride and When Marian Sang, both illustrated by Brian Selznick, as well as the beginning reader series Tony Baloney.
Wendelin Van Draanen is the author of numerous young adult and middle grade novels and mysteries. Now in its tenth installment, The Sammy Keyes Mysteries have been nominated for the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Juvenile Mystery five times, with Sammy Keys and the Hotel Thief winning the award. Before becoming a full time writer, Van Draanen was a math and computer science teacher. Her first book, How I survived Being a Girl, was met with acclaim and praise, and her insightful book, Flipped, was made into a movie directed by Rob Reiner. She also runs a literacy/fitness campaign called “Exercise the Right to Read.”
PAT MORA
Pat Mora founded Children’s Day, Book Day, El día de los niños, El día de los libros often known as Día, in 1996 to promote family literacy. Pat’s Book Fiestacaptures the Día spirit. She has won numerous awards including the coveted Pura Belpré Honor Award for Doña Flor: A Tall Tale about a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart in 1996. Some of her other titles include Agua, Agua, Agua, Abuelos, Bravo, Chico Canta! Bravo! and The Desert is My Mother/El Desierto es Mi Madre. Many of her books are bilingual, presenting topics affecting Mexican-American families and culture.
Matt Tavares is the author-illustrator of Growing Up Pedro which was named a 2016 Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Honor Book. Some of his other books include Becoming Babe Ruth, Henry Aaron’s Dream and Mudball. He is also the illustrator of Jack’s Path of Courage, Helen’s Big World and Lady Liberty by Doreen Rappaport; The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristen Kladstrup; and Jubilee! by Alicia Potter. His books have won numerous awards, including three Parents’ Choice Gold Awards, six Oppenheim Gold Seal Awards, an Oppenheim Platinum Award, and an International Reading Association Children’s Book Award.
And More!
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