Amazing Places

Lee Bennett Hopkins, acclaimed poet and writer, created numerous poetry anthologies for young readers. He received the 2009 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, which honors his body of work, and three poetry awards have been established in his name to recognize the best in poetry for children and young adults. Hopkins's books have won many honors, including ALA Notable Children's Books, Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, Children's Choices, American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, Christopher Award, and New York Public Library Best Children's Books. Lee Bennett Hopkins passed away in 2019. His website is maintained in his memory: leebennetthopkins.com.

Chris Soentpiet is the illustrator of several highly praised picture books. He has won many awards for his work, including the NAACP Image Award, Society of Illustrators Original Art Show Gold Medal, ALA Notable Books, IRA Children’s Book of the Year, Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, Parents’ Choice Award, and Notable Books for a Global Society. Soentpiet has also received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators, an honor bestowed on an artist by fellow illustrators. He lives in Flushing, New York, with his wife and their children.

Christy Haleis the author and illustrator of several acclaimed children's books, including four published by Lee & Low, and she has illustrated numerous other award-winning picture books as well. Hale also works in the children's book field as an art director, a designer, and an educator, offering programs at schools, libraries, and museums. She lives with her husband in Palo Alto, California. You can learn more about her at christyhale.com.

Alma Flor Ada is an award-winning children’s book author, a gifted translator, and one of the leaders in the field of bilingual education in the United States. Born in Cuba, Alma Flor received her PhD at the Pontifical Catholic University of Lima, Perú, did her post-doctoral research at Harvard University as a Fellow of the Radcliffe Institute, and is a Fulbright Research Scholar. A Professor Emerita at the University of San Francisco, Alma Flor currently lives in Northern California’s Marin County.

Joseph Bruchac, a citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, is the author of more than 100 books for children and teens, including multiple picture books published by Lee & Low Books, and the young adult Killer of Enemies trilogy, which received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. A Rockefeller Fellow and an NEA Poetry Writing Fellow, Bruchac has received numerous recognitions and awards over his long-standing career. In addition to writing, Bruchac is an editor at Greenfield Review Press, a literary publishing house he co-founded with his wife. He lives in Greenfield Center, New York. To find out more about him, visit josephbruchac.com.

Nikki Grimes, New York Times bestselling author of more than one hundred books for young people, is well-known for the poetry that appears in both her picture books and novels. Grimes is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Children's Literature Legacy Award, and the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Grimes lives in Corona, California. To learn more, visit nikkigrimes.com.