Author Archives - Page 22 of 25 - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

Wenzel, Brendan

Brendan_wenzel_Headshot_square – Brendan Wenzel

Wenzel, Brendan

Brendan Wenzel is a NY Times bestselling author and illustrator, with great affection for all things furred, feathered and scaly. When not creating books for children, he is a proud collaborator with many groups working to protect and conserve wild places and creatures. Brendan’s book They All Saw a Cat received a 2017 Caldecott honor. www.brendanwenzel.info

3 Fun Facts

1. I had a pet pig growing up.
2. Both my parents, my brother and my uncle all like to make art as well.
3. When i’m not making books I like watching wildlife.

Chappell, Crissa-Jean

Chappell, Crissa-Jean

Crissa-Jean Chappell was born in Miami and now lives in Brooklyn, New York. Her debut young adult novel, TOTAL CONSTANT ORDER (HarperTeen) is a NYPL Book For The Teen Age and a VOYA Perfect Ten. Chappell’s second novel, NARC (Flux Books) is currently optioned for film. MORE THAN GOOD ENOUGH (Flux Books) is a Florida Book Awards medalist, which Kirkus calls, “compelling and emotionally nuanced.” Chappell’s newest YA novel is SNOWBIRDS (Merit Press, F+W Media, winter 2017). She holds a PhD and MFA from the University of Miami and has taught creative writing and cinema studies for over ten years. www.crissajeanchappell.com

3 Fun Fact

1. When I hear music, I can taste colors and shapes.
2. I grew up in Miami, Florida and lived through several big hurricanes (including Andrew, a category 5 storm).
3. If I feel homesick, I talk to the wild parrots in Prospect Park.

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.

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

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

3 Fun Facts

1. When I was a boy, I had a metal detector and would spend my days digging up city parks (and neighbors’ yards!), looking for pirates’ gold.
2. I swim every weekday morning and get some of my best book ideas while doing the crawl.
3. I have a serious, three-scoop-a-day ice cream habit, but I’m trying to break it.

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 love the water but I can’t swim.
2. I can’t draw but I enjoy visiting art museums and collecting art.
3. I am super organized in my work, but my desk is messy!

Mojica, Victor Ramon

Mojica, Victor Ramon

Illustrator, cartoonist, writer and publisher, Victor has produced comic strips, comic books, coloring books, children’s books, authored websites, written poetry and screenplays. He is mostly self-taught in all these endeavors. “I’ve been writing and drawing since the age of five. I love producing art and stories so much I started my own publishing company in 1992. www.eugenus.com

Awards
The Cecil Hemley Memorial Award for poem “Friend or Foe.”
The BRAG Medallion Award for Captain CROSSBONES in The Treasure Hunt.
Hollywood Book Festival’s Award for Best Graphic Novel eugenus, The Next Step in Human Evolution!

Fun Facts

1. I once broke into my own office after locking myself out.
2. I was mistaken for Tony Danza in a casino he frequented.
3. I beat at chess a Columbia University Chess Champion 3 times in a row and left undefeated.

Gantos, Jack

Gantos, Jack

JACK GANTOS is the author of forty-nine books for children from the “ROTTEN RALPH” picture books, collections of “JACK HENRY” short stories, upper elementary and middle school “JOEY PIGZA” and “NORVELT” novels, young adult books—LOVE CURSE OF THE RUMBAUGHS, DESIRE LINES, HOLE IN MY LIFE and THE TROUBLE IN ME. His work can lead readers from the cradle to the grave.

Mr. Gantos was a professor at Emerson College where he developed the Master’s Degree Program in Children’s Literature, Writing and Publishing. He now spends his time writing and is an active speaker at book and literacy conferences, schools and libraries. His works have received a Newbery Award, Scott O’Dell Award, Newbery Honor, Printz Honor, Sibert Honor, National Book Award Finalist nomination, and he is the 2010 recipient of the NCTE/ALAN AWARD for his contribution to the field of Young Adult and Children’s Literature. DEAD END IN NORVELT received both the 2012 John Newbery Award and the Scott O’Dell award for Historic Fiction. This was followed by the companion novel, FROM NORVELT TO NOWHERE. THE KEY THAT SWALLOWED JOEY PIGZA, the final book in the “Joey Pigza” series was released in 2014 and nominated for the Kirkus Prize. His most recent book, THE TROUBLE IN ME, is now available. www.jackgantos.com

Maldonado, Torrey

Torrey Maldonado, born and raised in Brooklyn’s Red Hook, approaches 30 years of teaching in NYC public schools. His fast-paced stories draw from his and his students’ lives. His popular Hands, Tight, and What Lane? are Junior Library Guild Gold Selections, won multiple awards, earned starred reviews, and are on “Best Book of the Year” and states’ lists. Hands is this year’s Global Read Aloud. His debut, Secret Saturdays, remains popular over a decade later. Oprah and the New York Times praised What Lane? as essential in showing friendship and allyship. Discover more at torreymaldonado.com or on social media @torreymaldonado

3 Fun Facts

1. By third grade, I was hooked on comic books. By fourteen, I had almost two hundred collectibles. I also had a cat named Snow White and she peed on and scratched my collection down to fifty comics. So I secretly wish I had the super power of pausing and redirecting pets to prevent them from damaging things we love.
2. I love Scrabble and word games. No one in a five mile radius can beat me in Scrabble OR no one in a five mile radius would enjoy losing as much as me in Scrabble. Stop by my table for a Scrabble match!
3. As a teen, for about a month, I taped my ears to my head with black electrical tape because I thought that would flatten my big ears. Did it work? Visit and let me know if my head has caught up with my ears.

MacCready, Robin Merrow

MacCready, Robin Merrow

Robin Merrow MacCready, is the author of two YA novels, A Lie For A Lie and the Edgar Award Winning, “Buried.” She lives in midcoast Maine where she teaches and writes. Robin lives with her husband, two boys and numerous pets. When she’s not teaching she can be found making art, writing books, and playing outdoors. www.robinmerrowmaccready.com

3 Fun Facts

1. She loves to forage for wild food, especially mushrooms.
2. She lived in Norway for a year.
3. As a teenager she wanted to be a rock and roll singer, but never told anyone.

Henry, April

Henry, April

April Henry is the New York Times-bestselling author of 20 mysteries and thrillers for teens and adults. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family. www.aprilhenrymysteries.com

3 Fun Facts

1. In 1656, one of my ancestors was charged with “pig bewitchment.” Luckily, he was found not guilty.
2. When Kettle Chips discontinued their Loaded Baked Potato flavor I bought every bag in the store.
3. I hold a purple belt in kung fu, an orange belt in kajukenbo, and am a two-stripe belt in Brazilian jiujitsu.

Grabenstein, Chris

Grabenstein, Chris

CHRIS GRABENSTEIN is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose books include the LEMONCELLO LIBRARY series, the WONDERLAND series, and THE ISLAND OF DR. LIBRIS. He is also the coauthor of fun and funny page-turners with James Patterson, including I FUNNY, TREASURE HUNTERS, and WORD OF MOUSE. www.chrisgrabenstein.com

Fun Facts:

1. Chris used to vacation every summer in St. Petersburg, Florida, the location where WELCOME TO WONDERLAND: HOME SWEET MOTEL takes place.
2. Chris had mice in his first New York City apartment who used to stand on his alarm clock, just like they do in WORD OF MOUSE (coauthored with James Patterson).
3. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library will be a TV movie on Nickelodeon in the Fall of 2017.