The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class Books

Kate Messner is the award-winning author of Over and Under the Snow, Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, Over and Under the Pond, Tree of Wonder, and How to Read a Story, as well as more than a dozen other books for young readers. Kate lives on Lake Champlain in New York

Karina Glaser is the NYT best-selling author of The Vanderbeekers series. A former teacher and now a contributor to Book Riot, Karina lives in Harlem, New York City with her husband, two daughters, and assortment of rescued animals. One of her proudest achievements is raising two kids who can’t go anywhere without a book. www.karinaglaser.com Twitter: @KarinaYanGlaser Instagram: @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting

William Alexander won the National Book Award for his debut novel, Goblin Secrets, and won the Earphones Award for his narration of the audiobook. His other novels include A Festival of Ghosts, A Properly Unhaunted Place, Ghoulish Song, Nomad, and Ambassador. William studied theater and folklore at Oberlin College, English at the University of Vermont, and creative writing at the Clarion workshop. He teaches in the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Like the protagonist of Nomad and Ambassador, William is the son of a Latino immigrant to the US. Visit him online at WillAlex.net and GoblinSecrets.com, and on Twitter via @WillieAlex.

Kekla Magoon is the author of the Robyn Hoodlum series as well as several young adult novels, including the Coretta Scott King Honor Book How It Went Down and The Rock and the River, for which she received the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award and an NAACP Image Award nomination. She also coauthored X: A Novel (with Ilyasah Shabazz), which was longlisted for the National Book Award and received an NAACP Image Award and a Coretta Scott King Honor. In addition to writing fiction, Kekla visits schools and libraries nationwide and teaches writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Visit her online at www.keklamagoon.com and on Twitter at @KeklaMagoon.

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the author of 8th Grade Superzero, a Notable Book for a Global Society, as well as a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. She is a co-author of the NAACP Image Award nominated Two Naomis and the forthcoming Naomis Too and is the editor of The Hero Next Door, an anthology from We Need Diverse Books. A member of The Brown Bookshelf and the Advisory Board of We Need Diverse Books, Olugbemisola holds a master of arts in education and writes frequently on literacy and parenting topics. She lives with her family in New York City. Visit her online at olugbemisolabooks.com.

Linda Urban has written several award-winning novels and picture books for young readers. She lives in East Montpelier, Vermont.

Martha Brockenbrough is the acclaimed author of two books for adults and 10 books for young readers, including Unpresidented;The Game of Love and Death; Love, Santa; The Dinosaur Tooth Fairy; Devine Intervention; and Cheerful Chick. Martha teaches in the master’s program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband, their two daughters, and their wonderful old dog. Visit her online at marthabrockenbrough.com.Brian Won is an illustrator and art director. His debut picture book, Hooray for Hat!, was a Children’s Choice Award Finalist and an NPR Best Book. A Chicago native, Brian currently lives in Southern California with his wife and their son. You can visit him online at brianwon.com.

Kyle Lukoff has worked at the intersection of books and people for more than half his life, first as a bookseller and later as a school librarian, reviewer, awards juror and contributor to professional publications. His first picture book, A Storytelling of Ravens, illustrated by Natalie Nelson, received two starred reviews and his second, When Aidan Became a Brother was described as “joyful and affirming” in a Kirkus starred review and has received three other starred reviews. A confirmed bachelor, Kyle lives in a Brooklyn apartment filled with books.