Author Archives - Page 22 of 29 - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

Durst, Sarah Beth

Durst, Sarah Beth

Sarah Beth Durst is the award-winning author of eleven fantasy novels for kids, teens, and adults, including Drink Slay Love, the basis for the upcoming TV movie of the same name, airing on Lifetime in 2017. Her next book for kids, Journey Across the Hidden Islands, comes out in April 2017 from HMH/Clarion Books, and her first picture book, Roar and Sparkles Go to School, comes out in June 2017 from Running Press Kids. Sarah lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat. For more information, visit her at sarahbethdurst.com. www.sarahbethdurst.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was 10 years old. (Before that, I wanted to be Wonder Woman.)
2. I love pizza, hot chocolate, and Raisinets
3. I’m afraid of skunks and Frisbees

Weston, Carol

Weston, Carol

Carol Weston’s brand new novel, Speed of Life, is about Sofia, 14, who thinks her life is over when really it has just begun. Carol has been an advice columnist at Girls’ Life since 1994. Among her 16 books for kids, teens, and adults are Girltalk, which was translated into 12 languages, and seven diary novels about fifth-grade word nerd Ava Wren and fourth-grade traveler Melanie Martin. The New York Times called Ava and Pip a “love letter to language.” Carol studied literature at Yale and has an MA in Spanish from Middlebury. She lives in Manhattan. More at carolweston.com. I have written 16 books including eight novels for kids. (Ava and Pip series and Melanie Martin series. Also Girltalk, in print for 35 years…) www.carolweston.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I grew up in Armonk and my daughter was just on the Today Show because of her pancake business, Birch Benders.
2. I’m the Dear Carol advice columnist at Girls’ Life Magazine –have been since 1994!
3. I speak French and Spanish and do okay in Italian. I have zero sense of direction.

Gehl, Laura

Gehl, Laura

Laura Gehl is the author of award- winning picture books, including ONE BIG PAIR OF UNDERWEAR and the PEEP AND EGG series (PEEP AND EGG’s third adventure, I’M NOT TAKING A BATH, releases October 2017). Laura also writes about science for children and adults. She lives in Chevy Chase, MD with her husband and four children. Visit her online at www.lauragehl.com.

3 Fun Facts

1. I love to travel and have visited many different countries, including Australia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Argentina, Belgium, Morocco, Egypt, and Turkey.
2. Two of my favorite vegetables are ones that a lot of people hate—Brussels sprouts and lima beans. But my other favorite vegetable is chocolate (hey…it comes from a plant, so close enough!)
3. I have four kids, and their names go in alphabetical order from oldest to youngest (We didn’t plan it that way…it just happened!)

Castrovilla, Selene

Castrovilla, Selene

Selene Castrovilla is the award-winning author of eight books, including four picture books about the American Revolution. Her forthcoming book, Revolutionary Rogues: John André and Benedict Arnold, reveals the sinister story that took place in the Hudson Valley: Arnold’s treason! Her previous books include Revolutionary Friends: General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette and By the Sword. Selene visits with students across the country in-person and virtually, talking about the humanity in American history. She lives on Long Island with her two sons and their rescue cats. Visit www.SeleneCastrovilla.com.

3 Fun Facts

1. I love the color purple. I have a purple computer, a purple car and even a purple house!
2. I had no idea I would write about the American Revolution when I was a kid. I thought it was so boring — especially George Washington and his wooden teeth! It took me by surprise when I found out all the amazing things he did, and he became my hero.
3. My sons and I rescue cats! We have six cats right now, plus we feed a lot more every day.

Rogers, Jacqueline

Rogers, Jacqueline

Some of my notable published work is the Beverly Cleary’s backlist, including the wonderful Ramona series in 2013-14. I loved working with Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hager on the picture book, “Our Great Big Backyard” in 2016, a NY Times #1 Bestseller. Recently, I illustrated two picture books for Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. The first, “Little Ree” also a bestseller, and then “Little Ree, Best Friends Forever” came out in 2018. 2019 welcomed “Goblin Moon” published by Harper Collins. An original halloween poem I wrote and illustrated. While I still love to illustrate other authors’ manuscripts, I have found that my love for developing characters has led me to writing and illustrating my own picture books and now graphic novels. Writing for an older age group is very exciting, and I am working in photoshop and procreate to build a digital style to go with these stories. www.jacquelinerogers.com

Our Great Big Backyard written by Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hager was a #1 New York Times bestseller in 2016.
Little Ree written by The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond reached #4 on the NY Times bestselling list in 2017.

3 Fun Facts

1. I love to make all kinds of art, including pottery, sculpture,and mosaics, as well as painting and drawing.
2. Monsters are my favorite things to draw.
3. Ramona and Beezus are exactly like my daughters.

Gordon, David

Gordon, David

David Gordon has art directed and/or worked on visual development, layout, and character design for numerous production companies from Lucasfilm to Pixar, including such movies as Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., A Bug’s Life, and Cars; BlueSky’s Robots and Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants. He has also written and illustrated many children’s books, among them Hansel and Diesel, The Three Little Rigs, The Ugly Truckling, and Smitten. He is one of the illustrators of Jon Scieszka’s 52-book, NY Times best-selling series, Trucktown. His newest book is Extremely Cute Animals Operating Heavy Machinery, also a NY Times Bestseller. www.davidgordonbooks.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I LOVE all kinds of machines, especially heavy ones!
2. I started drawing when I was three and never stopped.
3. I’m lactose intolerant.

Miller, Daniel Jude

Miller, Daniel Jude

Daniel Jude Miller is the author and illustrator of the children’s picture book series Monsters in Manhattan, as well as Everybody Wake Up, Earclaw and Eddie and the upcoming Halloween Boy and the Christmas Kid. Growing up in Queens, NY and going to college and working in Manhattan for many years inspired him to write and draw all the creatures and goblins he came across on a daily basis. He now lives upstate, far from the clutches of those monsters. www.djudemiller.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I met my wife while working up in the clouds on the 65th floor of the Empire State Building.
2. I have a baseball hat collection, 279 and counting…
3. My middle name is Jude. It’s also the middle name of my brother, two sisters and son. And I donate a dollar from every book to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Zunon, Elizabeth

Zunon, Elizabeth

I was born in Albany, NY and spent my childhood in hot, sunny, tropical Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa, where people speak French (and many other languages). My Mom read my little brother and me a lot of bedtime stories in English after we came home from speaking French at school.
After returning to the United States, I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2006. My work is largely influenced by the people, places, and things from my childhood in Côte d’Ivoire as the product of two cultures. www.lizzunon.com

Awards

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection: Through Sand and Salt, Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books: Bedtime for Sweet Creatures, Children’s Africana Book Award: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

3 Fun Facts

1. I speak French.
2. I love to bake.
3. I cannot paint without music!

Collier, Bryan

Collier, Bryan

In 1989, Bryan Collier received a B.F.A from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. He then became the assistant director then director of a self- taught painting studio for children called the Harlem Horizon Art Studio located at the Harlem Hospital Center, NYC.

After a seven year persuit to make children’s books,Collier published, “Uptown” in which he both wrote and illustrated and won the coretta Scott King Award and the Ezra Jack Keats Award. Bryan Collier went on to win four Caldecott Honors for, Martin’s Big Words, Rosa, Dave the Potter, and Tromebone Shorty as well as winning nine CSK Awards and Honors for such books as Visiting Langston, Freedom River, Rosa, Martin;’s Big Words’ Knock, Knock, Uptown, I, too,am America, Dave the Potter and Tromebone Shorty. In 2014, Bryan Collier was the U.S nominee for the Hans Christian Anderson Award. www.bryancollier.com

Udell, Dan

New York State author Dan Udell has that kind of life that embraces all things of the mind and soul — music, writing, photography, science, technology and the wonders of nature. He earned degrees in physics and mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, offered his talent as a writer with IBM (science, technology and photoessays and videography presentations for historic events), and curated art exhibitions as well as being the featured artist in many solo photographic exhibitions.