S Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

Schmidt, Tiffany

Tiffany Schmidt is the author of ten acclaimed books for young readers. Most recently, All is Found – Frozen Anthology, and Once Bitten Twice Dead (7/2024)—set in the original Monster High world. She’s also written I’m Dreaming of a Wyatt Christmas and the four book YA rom com series: Bookish Boyfriends, as well as several other YA novels. A former sixth grade teacher, she currently lives in Pennsylvania with her impish twin sons, their rascally little brother, a spoiled pup, and her very saintly husband. Follow her online at TiffanySchmidt.com or on Twitter and Instagram @TiffanySchmidt.

Awards

YALSA Teen Top Ten nominee, Indie Next List, and Romantic Times Top Pick.

3 Fun Facts

1. I have run three half-marathons at Disney World.
2. I cannot whistle, snap, or wink.
3. When I get stuck writing a scene, I switch to writing by hand.

Stark, Hannah

Stark, Hannah

Hannah Stark is an author and public school teacher in New York City. She loves teachings kids to write, as well as, making and sharing resources with fellow educators. Hannah was inspired to write her debut book, TRUCKER AND TRAIN, while playing with her son. When not writing or teaching, she can be found taking road trips and train rides to unfamiliar places. www.hannahcarinastark.com

Amazon Editor’s Pick August 2019
Participant and author reader at Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival and Brooklyn Museum of Art Children’s Book Fair 2019

3 Fun Facts

1. I’ve never driven a truck or a train but I used to drive taxi cabs.
2. When I was a kid I was a sock model.
3. I played soccer for 30 years.

Stephens, Dr. Cynthia

Dr. Cynthia Stephens, a recent Hudson resident, earned a doctorate in Deafness Rehabilitation from New York University, and worked as a Speech and Language Pathologist for NYS, as well as various early childhood education settings in NYC. She studied and performed with dance greats such as Shawneequa Baker-Scott, Chuck Davis, LaRoque Bey, and the esteemed Babatunde Olatunji. Cynthia founded The Hear Me Now Project, Inc., an arts program for youth with disabilities, based in Bridgehampton, N.Y. A career in playwriting developed from her work with the children. Since then, Dr. Stephens has expanded her authorship to children’s fiction. www.sacredgroundproductions.com

I received the (2004) Professional of the Year award from the International Association of Black Women in Business, for my work in the arts.

I was the recipient of the (2012) Lab Award from the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center for my play titled “Painted Red”, which chronicles the life of Henrietta Lacks, the woman from whom the first immortal human cell line was taken.

3 Fun Facts

1. I began my artistic life as a dancer and traveled the country with several African and Afro-Caribbean dance companies.
2. After earning a Ph.D., I began a cultural program for students with disabilities on the east end of Long Island.
3. After retiring from my work with the New York State Office of Developmental Disabilities, I realized a dream and became a playwright (with two off-Broadway performances) and author of 3 children’s books-soon to be 5!

Sibson, Laura

After a career in undergraduate counseling, Laura Sibson pursued an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing in a local coffee shop, you can find her running the neighborhood streets or hiking with her dog. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband. Edie In Between, is her latest book following her debut novel, The Art of Breaking Things. www.laurasibson.com

3 Fun Facts

1. My happy place is our cabin in the Adirondacks where I can cross-country ski in the winter and kayak in the summer
2. I have a fierce and abiding love for strong coffee. And chocolate.
3. I become grouchy when I go too long without working on a story.

Stamper, Vesper

Stamper, Vesper

Vesper Stamper’s debut novel, What the Night Sings, has been longlisted for the National Book Award and received numerous accolades for recounting the seldom-told story of what happened to Holocaust survivors in the aftermath of World War 2. For twenty years, Author-Illustrator Vesper Stamper has created work through which asks the central question: how do people, especially children, who suffer trauma, go on to rise above their experiences as victims and go beyond surviving to flourishing? She believes in the dignity of every human being as made in the image of God, and in the resilience of the human spirit. www.vesperillustration.com

Sales, Leila

Sales, Leila

Leila Sales is the author of six young adult and middle grade novels, including This Song Will Save Your Life, Once Was a Time, and, most recently, If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say. Leila grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Chicago. Her hobbies include riding her bike, eating chocolate, and sleeping. Leila lives in Brooklyn, New York, and works in children’s book publishing. Follow her @LeilaSalesBooks or at leilasales.com.

3 Fun Facts

1.I type using only two fingers.
2. I did gymnastics for eight years.
3. I can recite the names of every student in my high school class in alphabetical order.

Stewart, Melissa

Stewart, Melissa

Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 180 nonfiction books for children, including Can an Aardvark Bark?; No Monkeys, No Chocolate; and Feathers: Not Just for Flying. She holds a degree in biology from Union College in Schenectady, NY, and a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. Melissa believes that nothing brings nonfiction writing to life like firsthand research. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. www.melissa-stewart.com

3 Fun Facts

1. My favorite research experience was observing hippos from a hot air balloon floating over the African savannah.
2. I often write in my pajamas.
3. My favorite punctuation mark is the question mark because I’m so curious.

Sadlowski, Dan

Dan Sadlowski is the author of the newly released children’s book, The Universe Is Rooting for You! An awe-inspiring tale that reminds us to appreciate the natural world around us, connect with nature, and give back. His first book, Finding Brooklyn – And The Next Great Superhero boasts your first original female superhero in a children’s book. This resilient children’s book encourages readers to feel empowered, be different, and believe they have superpowers within. Dan Sadlowski is dedicated to spreading uplifting messages through storytelling, empowering school visits, and inspiring readers everywhere. #gofindingbrooklyn http://dansadlowski.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I love all movies by Laika Studios. One of my favorite characters of all time is Coraline Jones.
2. I spent most all of my time as a child playing basketball. Challenge me to a game of 1 on 1!
3. I love superheroes. Come say hi and tell me who your favorite superheroes are?

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.

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.