2024 HCBF Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

Hiranandani, Veera

Hiranandani, Veera

Veera Hiranandani is the award-winning author of several books for young people. Her most recent book, a companion to her Newbery Honor-winning THE NIGHT DIARY, is called AMIL AND THE AFTER. She’s also the author of HOW TO FIND WHAT YOU’RE NOT LOOKING FOR, which received the 2022 Sydney Taylor Book Award among other accolades. She earned her MFA in fiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College. A former editor at Simon & Schuster, she’s now a faculty member with the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program at The Vermont College of Fine Arts. www.veerahiranandani.com

Awards

A Newbery Honor, A Sydney Taylor Award, A National Jewish Book Award Finalist, The Jane Addams Award, the New York Historical Society Children’s History Book Prize, a Walter Dean Myers Honor, and the Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children’s Literature.

3 Fun Facts

1. I’m from Fairfield County, CT.
2. I LOVE cats.
3. I used to think I’d grow up to be a painter or an actor.

Michelson, Richard

Michelson, Richard

RICHARD MICHELSON’s children’s books have been named among the Ten Best of the Year by The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and The New Yorker; and among the Best Dozen of the Decade by Amazon.com. Michelson has received a National Jewish Book Award, and two Sydney Taylor Gold Medals from the Association of Jewish Libraries. Other credits include two Massachusetts Book Award Honors, three Skipping Stones Multicultural Book Awards, three Junior Library Guild Gold Medals, and an International Reading Association Teacher’s Choice Award. Michelson owns R. Michelson Galleries which represents many of the country’s premier illustrators. www.RichardMichelson.com

Awards

National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor Gold Medal, New York Times Ten Best Books of the Year, Publishers Weekly Ten Best Books of the Year, Amazon.com Best Dozen Books of the Decade

3 Fun Facts

1. I founded R. Michelson Galleries which was the first fine art gallery in the country to feature children’s book illustrations.
2. When I was having dinner with my good friend Leonard Nimoy (who I wrote a picture book about) someone approached our table and asked for MY autograph.
3. I wrote the libretto for a forthcoming off-Broadway musical on the life of artist Edvard Munch

Roy, Jennifer

Jennifer Roy is the best-selling, multiple award-winning author of YELLOW STAR. Her books MINDBLIND, JARS OF HOPE and PLAYING ATARI WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN also won numerous awards. Roy also co-authored the TRADING FACES series with her twin sister Julia DeVillers. Jennifer‘s latest books are for American Girl, where she and her twin wrote the books for the first historical twin dolls – NICKI and ISABEL! Roy’s books, NICKI’S JOURNAL and MEET ISABEL AND NICKI, were published in February and August 2023, along with the dolls and merchandise they helped envision. Roy lives in Saratoga Springs, New York with her family.

Awards

YELLOW STAR – Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award, New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, National Jewish Book Awards Finalist, School Library Journal Best Book, Sydney Taylor Book Awards Honor Book, ALA Notable Children’s Book, William Allen White Award (Kansas State), Lamplighter Award AudioFiles “Headphones Award” (Recorded Books), and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and School Library Journal. MINDBLIND received a starred review from Booklist and was a ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults. It was also on numerous state book lists. JARS OF HOPE – Magnolia Book Award. PLAYING ATARI WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN – Sunshine State Young Readers Award Books 2019-2020 List for Grades 6-8 and Bank Street Books Best Children’s Books of the Year.

3 Fun Facts

1. I’m a twin author!
2. I have a rescue pug named Bridget!
3. I love to paint!

Kimmelman, Leslie

Leslie Kimmelman is the author of more than fifty popular books for children, whose subjects range from the rainforest adventures of a bat and sloth, to a hot dog picnic Eleanor Roosevelt hosted for the king and queen of England, to the New York City marathon. lesliekimmelman.com

Awards

Five Sydney Taylor Honor and Notable Titles. Many state awards, such as the Charlotte award, given by the New York State Reading Association.

3 Fun Facts

1. I know the way to Sesame Street; I worked there for almost 25 years.
2. If I hadn’t been a children’s book author, I would’ve loved to be a wildlife photographer.
3. My cure for writer’s block (and everything else) is dark chocolate.

Verde, Susan

Susan Verde is a #1 New York Times bestselling children’s book author. She is a former elementary educator, kid’s yoga and mindfulness teacher and mother of 3. Her books celebrate careful attention to ourselves and the world around us. They support the emotional lives of kids in a fun and engaging way. Her bestselling books include I Am Human and I Am Love from her I Am series with Peter H Reynolds, the latest of which is Who I Am. She has just released Are You Listening?, the second in the Sensing Your World Series illustrated by Juliana Perdomo. Find out more at www.susanverde.com

Awards

NY Times bestsellers list, Starred Kirkus reviews, library honors

3 Fun Facts

1. I love yoga.
2. I have a pet tarantula named cuddles.
3. My favorite flavor of ice cream is Heath Bar Crunch!

Bruel, Nick

Nick Bruel is the creator of the New York Times Bestselling “Bad Kitty” series. He lives in Pleasantville, NY with his wife Carina, their son Carson, their dog Skyler, and their sometimes-good-sometimes-bad cats Rose and Noodles. www.nickbruelbooks.com

Awards

Bad Kitty Meets The Baby
2012 Third and Fourth Grade Book of the Year—Children’s Book Council
Bad Kitty For President
2013 Third and Fourth Grade Book of the Year—Children’s Book Council

3 Fun Facts

1. Uncle Murray is based on my own real life Uncle Murray.
2. Toby in “Bad Kitty: Camp Daze” is based on my real life dog named Toby.
3. Baby is based on my real life daughter named Izzy from when she was a baby. She’s 11 years old now.

Talbott, Hudson

Hudson Talbott is the author/illustrator of 27 books for young readers. His first book, “We’re Back”, was made into a feature length film by Steven Spielberg. His second book,”Into the Woods” was a collaboration w/ composer Stephen Sondheim, based on his Broadway musical. His book with author Jacqueline Woodson, “Show Way”, also became a musical, premiering at the Kennedy Center and now touring the country. His most recent book,”A Walk In the Words”, his memoir of how he overcame his dyslexia through art, won the ALA Schneider Award for books addressing learning challenges. www.hudsontalbott.com

Awards

“Show Way” – Newbury Honor Book, “Leonardo’s Horse” – ALA Notable, “A Walk In The Words” – ALA Schneider Family Award.

3 Fun Facts

1. I was in an elephant stampede in Africa while doing research for my book “Safari Journal”.
2. I was traveling with a jungle doctor in the Amazon Rainforest doing research for my book “Amazon Diary” when the motor on our dugout canoe lost power and we had to drift through headhunter territory.
3. I was on the original album cover of the Village People, creating the role of the cowboy.

Ferry, Beth

Beth Ferry is the author of numerous picture books for children including The Scarecrow, Swashby and the Sea, and the New York Times bestseller, Stick and Stone. She lives with her family by the beach in New Jersey where she finds inspiration in the salty air. In addition to writing picture books, Beth also writes graphic novels for emerging readers. You can learn more at bethferry.com.

Awards

NY Times Bestseller, Amazon Best Book of the Year

3 Fun Facts

1. I have a pet cactus named Henry
2. I only grow pumpkins in my garden
3. I have a bulldog named Chaucer who eats all the pumpkins I grow.

Czajak, Paul

Czajak, Paul

Writing was never Paul’s thing. In fact written on the top of his college writing paper, in bold red, was “F get a tutor”. So Paul went into science. Though his love for writing creative stories never went away and after having kids ideas for stories flooded his brain. When one of those ideas became a book his writing career was born! With books like Monster Needs A Costume, Trees Make Perfect Pets, The Book Tree and his newest tile, The Peculiar Haunted House to be released August 2024, look for Paul to keep doing what he loves, writing stories for awesome readers! www.paulczajak.com

Awards

“The Book Tree” is the Winner of Premio Canpoy-Ada

3 Fun Facts

1. I’m a chemist.
2. I am currently learning how to forge metal.
3. My family owns a Newfoundland named Seamus who is 130lb!

Yolen, Jane

Yolen, Jane

Jane Yolen, often called “the Hans Christian Andersen of America,” celebrated her 365^th published book in 2018. She is now up to somewhere in the 430 range, with her eye on 500. Her works, which range from very young rhymed picture books to novels for adults and every genre in between. She lives in Massachusetts in the winter and Scotland in the summer. She writes every day. www.janeyolen.com

Awards

Two Nebulas, a World Fantasy Award, the Caldecott, the Golden Kite, three Mythopoeic awards, two Christopher Medals, the Jewish Book Award, the Kerlan Award, the Sophie Brodie Medal, MA Book Honors, and the Catholic Library’s Regina Medal, as well as six honorary doctorates.

3 Fun Facts

1. All three of her children and two of her grands have published books.
2. In 1963, her first picture book (though not her first book) SEE THIS LITTLE LINE was published. This year, her book SEE THIS LITTLE DOT was published.
3. One of her awards set her good coat on fire.