Author Archives - Page 24 of 29 - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

Kelly, David A.

Kelly, David A.

David A. Kelly gets to go to the moon, baseball stadiums, and football games for his job. David is the author of over thirty children’s books that have sold over 1.5 million copies, including his bestselling Ballpark Mysteries series in which cousins Kate and Mike visit MLB ballparks to solve mysteries, and the Football Mysteries series, in which they visit NFL stadiums. David’s latest picture book, Tee Time on the Moon, takes readers to the Moon with Alan Shepard as he hits two golf balls. For more information, visit www.davidakellybooks.com, or find him on X/Bluesky at @DavidAKelly, Instagram/Facebook at @DavidAKellyBooks .

Awards

New York Public Library Best Books for Kids, Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year, Booklist Top 10 Sports Books for Youth, Library Media Connection Editor’s Choice, Maine Chickadee Award, Maryland Blue Crab Award, Missouri State Teacher’s Association Reading Circle selection.

3 Fun Facts

1. I once met baseball superstar Hank Aaron.
2. I used to wear a cowboy hat for my job.
3. I watched the last Space Shuttle take off in person.

Kowitt, Holly

Kowitt, Holly

Holly Kowitt has written and/or illustrated over 50 titles for young readers, and has sold over five million books. Her hit series for Scholastic, The Loser List, won many awards, and was translated into twelve languages. In her latest series, The Principal’s Underwear is Missing, she continues the same funny, reader-friendly, cartoon-stuffed style of storytelling. www.kowittbooks.com

She lives in New York City, where she enjoys cycling, theatre, and swing-dancing.

3 Fun Facts

1. My husband is a Broadway actor
2. I live in New York City where I like to read, cycle and go to flea markets
3. My book was inspired by a British book series about an aristocratic party boy and his very smart butler

Sattler, Jennifer

Jennifer Sattler is the award-winning author and illustrator of many children’s books, including Sylvie , the Chick ‘N’ Pug and Pig Kahuna series, The Jennifer Sattler Board Book series (Dirty Birdies, Jungle Gym, Bundle Up, Oink Oink Moo Cock-a-doodle doo) Bully and One Red Sock. She grew up outside of Philadelphia and then went on to study painting and drawing at the University of New Hampshire, followed by the Hope School of Fine Arts at Indiana University in Bloomington. In 1996, she won a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Her books have won The Mockingbird Award for Picture Books and The Georgia Children’s Book Award. Jennifer lives in upstate New York. www.jennifersattlerbooks.com

3 Fun Facts

1. The person I talk to most all day is not a person at all… it’s my dog Matilda.
2. I wear yellow tinted glasses around the house in winter to trick myself into thinking it’s sunny out.
3. When I dance, I plant my feet and move the rest of my body. My family says I look like a tree.

Donnelly, Jennifer

Jennifer Donnelly is an award-winning, bestselling author who writes for middle-graders, young adults and grown-ups. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband, daughter and their two chiweenies. www.jenniferdonnelly.com

3 Fun Facts

1. Halloween in my favorite holiday.
2. Vultures are my favorite birds.
3. Bats are my favorite animals.

Ladd, London

Ladd, London

London started his career painting murals. His big break came when he illustrated March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World (Scholastic), written by Christine King Farris, the older sister of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Since then London has illustrated numerous titles including Frederick’s Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass, an ALA Notable Children’s Book for Middle Readers. London is represented by Lori Nowicki of Painted-Words. www.londonladd.com

3 Fun Facts

1. My favorite snack while working is eating various favors of M&M’s like dark chocolate, peanut, almond, peanut butter and pretzel mixed into fresh buttery popcorn. Many artistic problems were solved chewing on it.
2. I really enjoy going to the gym, especially after eating my popcorn 😉
3. I love shopping at thrift stores and used bookstores. Not many things are better than spending days going to multiple stores.

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

LaMonica, Lisa

LaMonica, Lisa

Lisa LaMonica is an author and illustrator in upstate New York who has received awards for her art and books including a grant from the Kaplan Fund. She was nominated for Artist of the Year in 2002 by the Columbia County Council on the Arts. Lisa currently writes for WMHT and the Times Union. www.lisalamonica.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I have been to several places in the Caribbean where pirates roamed.
2. I have twice been featured on PBS/WMHT
3. I buy, fix up and sell old houses.

LaReau, Kara

LaReau, Kara

Kara LaReau was born and raised in Connecticut. She received her Masters in Fine Arts in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts and later worked as an editor at Candlewick Press and at Scholastic Press. She is the author of picture books such as UGLY FISH, illustrated by Scott Magoon, and NO SLURPING, NO BURPING! A Tale of Table Manners, illustrated by Lorelay Bové; a chapter book series called The Infamous Ratsos, illustrated by Matt Myers; and a middle-grade trilogy called The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters, illustrated by Jen Hill. Kara lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her husband and son and their cat. www.karalareau.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I am a bit like the Bland Sisters in that I can be a bit of a homebody (and, like Kale, I tend to part my hair on the side).
2. I am NOT like the Bland Sisters in that I don’t like cheese sandwiches or darning other people’s socks. (I don’t even like darning my own socks.)
3. I’m working on the final story in the Bland Sisters trilogy right now!

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!

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.