2025 HCBF Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

Mack, Jeff

Mack, Jeff

Jeff Mack is the award-winning author and illustrator of fifty books for young readers. His titles include Good News Bad News, Hush Little Polar Bear, Duck in the Fridge, and The Dog & Pony Show.

His recent series of picture book biographies include Art is Everywhere, Marcel’s Masterpiece, and Time To Make Art.

He has also illustrated James Howe’s Bunnicula and Friends, Eve Bunting’s Hurry Hurry, and The Cryptid Club series by TV writer/producer, Michael Brumm.

He travels widely to schools and libraries sharing his love of creating books with young readers.

Visit him at www.jeffmack.com.

Awards

2024 Junior Library Guild Selections: Dog Gets A Pet, We Are Up A Tree
2013 Texas 2×2: Frog & Fly, Good News Bad News, Cindy Moo
2014 Junior Library Guild Selections: Frog & Fly
2014 NYPL Best Books: AhHa!
2015 Colorado Bell Award: The Things I Can Do

3 Fun Facts

1. My favorite children’s book author/illustrator is William Steig.
2. I named Clueless McGee after my dog McGee.
3. Clueless McGee was originally going to be about a dog who wears pajamas and solves mysteries, but I didn’t want it to be like Scooby-Doo. So I turned the dog into a fifth-grade boy.

Wan, Joyce

Joyce Wan is the author and/or illustrator of books for young children such as You Are My Cupcake, Peek-a-boo Farm, and Sleepyheads. She designed her first greeting card when she was in first grade for a city-wide greeting card design contest. The design won first place and was subsequently sold through a major department store chain. Twenty years later, that design would inspire her to launch her own design studio where she produced her own greeting card line. This led her to children’s book publishing after meeting an art director at a trade show. She has since published over 30 books for children that have sold over 1 million copies worldwide. www.wanart.com

Awards
2015 Mills-Tannenbaum Award for Children’s Literacy from Reach Out and Read of Greater New York,  Society of Illustrators Original Art Show, 2020 Amelia Bloomer Book List presented by the American Library Association.

3 Fun Facts

1. I am a self-taught artist.
2. I am a night owl whose favorite time to work is between 12am-3am.
3. I have two pet birds.

Magaziner, Lauren

Lauren Magaziner Incorruptibles author photo – Lauren Magaziner

Magaziner, Lauren

Lauren Magaziner is the internationally bestselling author of Case Closed, The Mythics, the upcoming series The Incorruptibles (June 10, 2025), and three other stand-alone books for middle grade readers. Originally from New Hope, Pennsylvania, Lauren started writing novels when she was thirteen–and never stopped. A proud graduate of Hamilton College’s creative writing program, she wrote her debut children’s book while studying abroad in Scotland. Currently, Lauren lives in Philadelphia, where she writes full-time. www.laurenmagaziner.com.

Awards:

Lauren’s books are international bestsellers, available in 12 languages, have been Junior Library Guild picks, been on the Indie Next List, and been optioned for a TV movie with Nickelodeon.

3 Fun Facts

1. The idea for The Mythics came about because Lauren always wanted to know what her animal personality would be… but could never figure it out. After much deliberation, Lauren thinks her animal companion for life would either be a cat or a baby hippo.

2. Lauren plots her interactive pick-your-own-path Case Closed books with a massive whiteboard. She uses different colored markers to keep track of each different plot, the dead ends, and the puzzles. She does a week or two of plotting on the whiteboard before she starts writing a single word!

3. Lauren once stuck her face in a faerie river of eternal youth in Scotland. That was a decade ago, and she has not aged a day since then.

Katz, Alan

Alan Katz has written 50+ highly acclaimed books for young readers. A frequent presenter at regional and national conferences/festivals, his titles include Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs, Got Your Nose!, OOPS!, Zooloween, The Funniest Joke Book Ever for Kids, and The Mysterious Missing Matzoh. Alan is the co-author (with the Today Show’s Dylan Dreyer) of Misty the Cloud, a NYT bestseller.

Alan is also a six-time Emmy-nominated writer for TV series including The Rosie O’Donnell Show, several Nickelodeon and PBS Kids series, animated shows Pinkalicious and Taz-Mania, the Grammy Awards and the Tony Awards. Visit him at alankatzbooks.com

Awards

Current nominee for Sunshine State Young Readers Award (Got Your Nose).
Utah Children’s Poetry Book Award Winner, North Carolina Children’s Book Award Winner, Colorado Grand Canyon Reader Award Winner

3 Fun Facts

1. I have a brand new granddog…a dachshund named Vinnie–the first dog anyone in my family has ever owned.
2. I have never eaten a pickle or had a cup of tea
3. I bowled on TV when I was in college

Stemple, Heidi E.Y.

Heidi Stemple didn’t want to be a writer. In fact, after college, she became a probation officer. It wasn’t until she was 28 years old that she joined the family business, publishing her first story in a book called Famous Writers and Their Kids Write Spooky Stories. The famous writer was her mom, author Jane Yolen. Since then, she’s published almost 50 books.

Heidi lives and writes on a big old farm in Massachusetts that she shares with deer, bears, coyotes, bobcats, fox, tons of birds, and some very fat groundhogs. Every December she counts owls for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. heidieystemple.com

Awards

Margaret Wise Brown Honor book, NSTA Best STEM, NSTA Outstanding Science Award, Northern Lights Award, John Burroughs Riverby Award, Green Earth Book Award Honor

3 Fun Facts

1. I have written 2 books with my mom AND both my brothers.
2. I am great at grammar but terrible at spelling.
3. Some people sing in the shower, I practice owl calls.

Castaldo, Nancy

Castaldo, Nancy

Award-winning STEM author Nancy Castaldo has written dozens of books about our planet from the Hudson Valley. While the research and photography for her books have taken her worldwide, from the Galapagos to Russia, her new releases this spring focus on the Hudson River — picture book WHALES IN THE CITY and middle-grade RIVERKEEPER.

Nancy loves sharing her adventures with her readers. She believes that we all have the ability to make a difference and always instills that theme in her books. She strives to inform, empower, and inspire her readers. www.nancycastaldo.com @NCastaldoAuthor

Awards

Junior Library Guild Gold Selection, Green Earth Book Award, NSTA Outstanding Trade Book

3 Fun Facts

1. I’ve taken the photographs for many of my books, including my latest, RIVERKEEPER.
2. I was a lifeguard at a Hudson riverside park.
3. Sadly, there weren’t any whales or bald eagles to see in or near the river when I was growing up.

Dee, Barbara

Dee, Barbara

Barbara Dee is the award-winning author of fifteen middle grade novels published by Simon & Schuster, including Tear This Down, Unstuck, Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet, Violets Are Blue, My Life in the Fish Tank, Maybe He Just Likes You, Star-Crossed and Halfway Normal. Her books have been named to many best-of lists, including the Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books of the Year, the ALA Notable Children’s Books, the ALA Rise List, the ALA Rainbow List Top Ten, and SLJ’s Best Books of the Year. She lives in Chappaqua, NY. www.BarbaraDeeBooks.com.

Awards

Winner of the 2024 Rip Van Winkle Award from the School Library Media Specialists of Southeastern NY; Winner of New Jersey’s 2024 Garden State Book Award, Grades 6-8; Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books of the Year; ALA Notable Children’s Books; ALA Rainbow List Top Ten; School Library Journal Best Books of the Year: Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year

3 Fun Facts

1. I’m a diehard Yankees fan.
2. I’m obsessed with the band Radiohead.
3. When I write I have to eat a specific type of cookie. My local grocery store doesn’t always have them, so sometimes I have to order them online.

Craft, Jerry

Jerry Craft is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of the graphic novels New Kid, Class Act, and School Trip. New Kid is the only book in history to win the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature (2020); the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature (2019), and the Coretta Scott King Author Award for the most outstanding work by an African American writer (2020). His newest book, J VS. K is coauthored by fellow Newbery winner Kwame Alexander. jerrycraft.com

Awards

Winner of the 2020 Newbery Medal,Winner of the 2020 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Author Award,#1 New York Times Bestseller, Winner of the 2019 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature, Finalist for Audie Award – Middle Grade Book of the Year San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller, NEIBA, NAIBA, MPIBA, NCIBA, SCIBA and PNBA Bestseller, Indie Bestseller for Early & Middle Grade Readers, One of Publishers Weekly’s Best Middle Grade Books of 2019,New England Independent Booksellers Association Best Children’s Book of 2019, New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association 2019 Book of the Year for Middle Readers,Top 10 Spring 2019 Indie Next List Pick, Amazon Best Book of the Month, Ages 9-12, 2020 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids Nominee,2019 Harvey Award for Best Children’s Book, Nominee, One of Booklist’s 2019 Top 10 Diverse Fiction for Youth, One of Publishers Weekly’s Most Anticipated Children’s Books, Spring 2019, #1 Indie Comics & Graphic Works Bestseller, One of the Best Graphic Novels of 2019 – School Library Journal, One of the 5 Best Fiction Books of 2019 – Washington Post, One of the Best Graphic Novels of 2019 – Washington Post, 2020 Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children – Honor Book, 30 of the Most Influential Children’s Books of All Time – Bookriot.com,One of the Best Books of the Year – Time.com,Best Books of 2019 – New York Public Library, Best Fiction for Older Readers of 2019 – Chicago Public Library, 25 Best Children’s Books of 2019 – New York Times,Best Multicultural Children’s Books of 2019 – Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature,The Best New Gift Books for Kids – People, Kirkus – Best Middle Grade Graphic Novels of 2019, 100 Scope Notes Best Books of 2019, Shelf Awareness – Best Middle Grade Books of 2019, Today.com – Best Graphic Novels of 2019, 2022 Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader’s Choice, 2022 Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona),2022 Charlie May Simon Award (Arkansas), 2021 Nutmeg Book Award (Connecticut), 2020 Connecticut Book Awards (Connecticut), Sunshine State Young Readers Award 2020-2021 (Florida), 2021 Nene Award (Hawaii), 2021 Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award (Illinois), 2021 Young Hoosier Book Award (Indiana), 2020-2021 Iowa Children’s Choice Award (Iowa), 2021-2022 Louisiana Readers’ Choice Awards (Louisiana), 2021 Maine Student Book Award (Maine), 2020 – 2021 Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan), 2021 Minnesota Youth Reading Award (Minnesota), 2019 – 2020 Great Stone Face Children’s Book Award (New Hampshire), 2022 North Carolina Children’s Book Award (North Carolina), 2021 Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award (Pennsylvania),2020-2021 Volunteer State Book Award (Tennessee).

3 Fun Facts

1. I met Queen Elizabeth when I was a kid.
2. LeBron James’s SpringHill Company is producing a New Kid live action movie.
3. I went on a rollercoaster for the first time ever in 2025.

Bennett, Artie

Bennett, Artie

Artie Bennett has always dreamed of being a published author. He’s the author of an inspiring, humorous biography of a hapless, though beloved, racehorse, THE TRUE STORY OF ZIPPY CHIPPY: THE LITTLE HORSE THAT COULDN’T. He’s also the author of several award-winning hilarious rhyming picture books: his classic THE BUTT BOOK, his “number two” picture book POOPENDOUS!, PETER PANDA MELTS DOWN!, the explosively funny BELCHES, BURPS, AND FARTS—OH MY!, and WHAT’S AFOOT! YOUR COMPLETE, OFFBEAT GUIDE TO FEET. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. HuffPost says: “It appears there is no topic Mr. Bennett can’t make funny and educational.” http://www.artiebennett.com/

Awards

The True Story of Zippy Chippy: The Little Horse That Couldn’t,The Magnolia Book Award (Mississippi),A CCBC Choice,A Horse Lover’s Guide to Staying Inside Children’s Book from America’s Best Racing, A Picture-Book Biography You Need to Know About Citation from Imagination Soup,
A Gift Guide Great Book for the Book Lover in Your Life from The Bookworm Sez.

The Butt Book, Reuben Award Winner for Book Illustration, Best Feel-Good Children’s Book (HuffPost), A New York State Assembly/NYPL Suggested Reading Title, A Starred Review from the Horn Book Guide.

Belches, Burps and Farts—Oh My! A World Science Festival Selection, A Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominee for Informational Text. A Pragmatic Mom Best Nonfiction Book for Kids, A HuffPost (One of) 26 Entertaining and Educational Books for Back-to-School Season.

Poopendous! A Bright Horizons Notable Book in the Humorous Books for Children Category, A Book Vine for Children Growing Green Book.

3 Fun Facts

1. I’m a lifelong Yankee fan and even taught myself to switch-hit way back in Little League, in emulation of my idol, Mickey Mantle.
2. I’m the youngest person on record to have sold a crossword puzzle to the New York Times. I was just thirteen years old. It’s been downhill ever since.
3. I find a dime a day. Should a day go by without my finding a dime, I’ll find two the next day. I can’t explain it, but it all evens out in the end.

Mojica, Barbara Ann

Mojica, Barbara Ann

Barbara Ann Mojica, M.A. S.A.S., S.D.A is a historian and retired educator. Her education career spans more than forty years serving as a teacher, special educator, principal, and school district administrator. Now retired, she provides education strategies and tips for parents and teachers through guest podcasting, book reviewing, teaching videos, and personal appearances. Barbara writes monthly historical articles for the Columbia Insider under the banner “Passages.” Using the whimsical Little Miss History character to narrate her book series, Barbara hopes to educate, entertain and inspire children to learn about historical people and places.The author teaches critical thinking skills that will empower our youth to become the leaders of tomorrow. Little Miss History’s antics make reading nonfiction a fun-filled adventure for all ages. She firmly believes, “If you don’t know your history, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” http://www.littlemisshistory.com

Awards

The Little Miss HISTORY book series has garnered more than two dozen awards including B.R.A.G. Medallions, International Book Excellence Awards, Purple Dragonfly, International Readers’ Favorite Awards, Eric Hoffer, and Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards.

3 Fun Facts

1. I have two sets of twin grandchildren!
2. I enjoy playing BoxBollen.
3. My favorite dessert is gelato.