Author Archives - Page 10 of 32 - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

Terese, Ali

Ali Terese Author Photo for Application – Alexis Gorton

Terese, Ali

Ali Terese is a middle grade and YA author who writes funny and heartfelt stories including FREE PERIOD (Scholastic – 2024) and VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. (Aladdin / Simon & Schuster – 2025). Her work has been longlisted for the National Book Award, received starred reviews in School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, an Audiofile Magazine Earphones Award, a Kids’ Indie Next selection, and spots on the American Library Association’s RISE list, the Chicago Public Schools Battle of the Books, Texas Lone Star Reading List, Garden State Teen Book Award List, and DC Three Stars Book Award List. Visit Ali online for book bonuses, giveaways, and resources like discussion guides, recipes, and craftivism projects at aliterese.com.

Awards

National Book Award Longlist; Judy Lopez Memorial Award Honor Book; Texas, New Jersey, & DC state reading lists; YALSA Amazing Audio Books, ALA Rise Feminist Booklist; SLJ’s Teen Librarian Toolbox Favorite; starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal; Audiofile Earphones Award.

3 Fun Facts

1. My dream is to find a fossil some day.
2. Crochet is my favorite craft.
3. I love audiobooks.

Rafer, Angeli

Angeli Rafer is a Filipino-American illustrator and comic artist based in the diner capital of the world (AKA New Jersey). She is a self-taught digital artist, with a passion for telling stories about everyday magic — from cooking and first crushes to cute animals and bad puns. Her first graphic novels include Ghosts Don’t Eat Potato Chips (The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids #3) and Dragons Don’t Cook Pizza (The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids #4). Her work also appears in several anthologies: Hellcat Press’ Screams Heard Round the World, Dark Lady Returns, and the Sequential Artist Workshop’s Rhythms. https://angelirafer.com/

3 Fun Facts

1. I love to draw cute dogs and have drawn over 200 daily dog doodles as an art challenge from 2016 to 2017.
2. I practiced kendo–the modern Japanese martial art based on kenjutsu that uses shinai (bamboo swords) and bogu (protective armor)—for 6 years, and now practice archery for fun.
3. I worked on an archeology dig site in Italy and learned how to reconstruct Roman vases for a museum display.

Rogers, Shannon C.F.

Rogers, Shannon C.F.

Shannon C.F. Rogers is an award-winning multiracial American writer of Filipinx and European descent. She studied writing at the University of New Mexico and Antioch University Los Angeles while serving as an educator, after-school program director, and lost mitten finder at schools in Albuquerque, Chicago, and NYC. She lives in Brooklyn, NY. https://www.shannoncfrogers.com/

Awards

2024 Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature, NYPL’s Best Books for Teens 2023, A Junior Library Gold Standard Selection

3 Fun Facts

1. I have a red belt in Tae Kwon Do.
2. I’m a Saggitarius.
3. I love karaoke.

Wishingrad, Alysa

Alysa Wishingrad writes fantastical stories for young readers, tales that ask; is the truth really true? Her favorite stories are those that meld the historical with the fantastic, and that find ways to shine a light on both the things that divide and unite us all. She is the author of Between Monsters and Marvels and The Verdigris Pawn, which was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Alysa lives in the Hudson Valley with her family and two demanding rescue dogs and a cat-shaped dog, who are either monsters or marvels, depending on the day. www.alysawishingrad.com

Awards

Starred Review SLJ, JLG GOld Standard Selection, DogEarred Book Box

3 Fun Facts

1. I’ve played a zombie in a horror movie.
2. My dogs are from Egypt.
3. I’ve lived in a haunted house.

Lazar, Tara

Tara Lazar- Street magic performer. Hog-calling champion. Award-winning ice sculptor. These are all things Tara Lazar has never been. Instead, she writes quirky, humorous picture books where anything is possible! taralazar.com

Awards

SCBWI Crystal Kite, SCBWI Golden Kite, Irma Black Book Award

3 Fun Facts

1. My wheelchair is “sky blue”.
2. I used to be a competitive figure skater.
3. My favorite food is tacos!

Ko, Christine

Ko, Christine

Christine J. Ko is an author, mother, practicing physician, and a Professor of Dermatology and Pathology at Yale University. Her debut children’s book, Sound Switch Wonder, was inspired by her son, Owen Whang, and was written to include more representation of deaf people and the spectrum and range of deafness. Christine lives with her husband and their daughter and son in New Haven, Connecticut. https://soundswitchwonder.com

Awards

SCBWI Virtual ShopTalk

3 Fun Facts

1. I read books out of page order.
2. I LOVE chocolate!
3. I also love the endorphin-rush of exercise.

Saks, Dan

Dan Saks is an acclaimed author, music therapist, and creator of Noodle Loaf, an award-winning music podcast for kids. His board books celebrate the beauty of diverse family experiences (Families Belong, Families Can, Families Grow) and highlight the importance of community and connection (We Share This School, We Share This Earth, We Share This Neighborhood). His first picture book, On Our Bikes, will be published in June 2026. Through all his work, Dan fosters creativity, inclusivity, and a sense of belonging for readers and listeners of all ages. www.noodleloaf.com

Awards

Books – ALA Reading Pick, Amazon Editor’s Pick, NCTE Notable Social Studies Book, SLJ and Kirkus Starred Reviews // Noodle Loaf – Webby Honor and Common Sense Media Seal of Approval.

3 Fun Facts

1. I prefer to get there by bike.
2. I’m always trying to get people to make music with me.
3. I’m working on a creating a card game that I hope you’ll try.

Green, John Patrick

John-Patrick-Green-with-books-2—Gina-Gagliano

Green, John Patrick

John Patrick Green is a human with the human job of making books about animals with human jobs, notably the smash-hit graphic novel series InvestiGators. John is definitely a multiple New York Times-bestselling human author and not just a bunch of animals in a trench coat pretending to have a human job. With over a million copies of InvestiGators in print, John is a successful human being with only two hands and a normal amount of fur. He lives in a Brooklyn apartment that doesn’t allow animals other than the ones living in his head. https://investigatorsbooks.com

Awards

The InvestiGators are a New York Times best-selling series. His graphic novel Hippopotamister has won the Children’s Crown Gallery Award, and InvestiGators received the Denise McCoy Literacy Award 2022.

3 Fun Facts

1. I got my start making comics as a little kid, by selling drawings of Garfield in third grade.
2. I went to School of Visual Arts in NYC for graphic design, but while I was there I started self-publishing comics with a friend, Dave Roman, starting a fantasy series called Jax Epoch.
3. I work traditionally, meaning that I draw my comics with pencils and pens on paper.

Balouch, Kristen

Balouch, Kristen

Kristen Balouch has created almost a dozen books for children. She has collaborated on projects from exclusive designed toys and furniture for the Guggenheim Museum, fabric collections for Little House Cottons, fine art shows in New York City, and teamed with various licensing partners. Kristen splits her time between the Adirondacks and a tiny top-floor apartment in Brooklyn, New York. She likes cooking for friends and family, wandering to scout out good food, and being outside. www.kristenbalouch.com

Awards

Ezra Jack Keats Award, Charlotte Zolotow Commended, CCBC Best Book of the Year, Middle East Book Award, Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, The Golden Kite Honor Award, Illustration Category.

3 Fun Facts

1. Kristen has a new puppy named Porter.
2. Kristen likes Chocolate.
3. Kristen does not like marshmallows.

Conklin, Melanie

MelanieConklin_AuthorPhoto_square—Melanie-Conklin

Conklin, Melanie

Melanie Conklin grew up in North Carolina and worked as a product designer before she began her writing career. She is the author of Counting Thyme, Every Missing Piece, A Perfect Mistake, Crushed (2024), and her debut picture book, When You Have to Wait (2024). Her books have won awards such as the International Literacy Association Teacher’s Choice Award, Bank Street Best Children’s Book, and nominations to six state reading lists. When she’s not writing, Melanie spends her time doodling and dreaming up new ways to be creative. She lives in New Jersey with her family. https://www.melanieconklin.com/

Awards

The International Literacy Association Teacher’s Choice Award, Bank Street Best Children’s Book, and nominations to six state reading lists.

3 Fun Facts

1. Before I started writing, I was a product designer. I’ve designed some strange things: eye-wash stations, label makers, baby incubators, and pencil cups.
2. I didn’t always want to be a writer! I’ve always loved books, but it took me a long time to write one of my own.
3. I hated middle school. My hair never cooperated, no matter how much hairspray I used!