Authors & Illustrators Attending the 2023  Book Festival

Maria Elizabeth Ausherman, a teacher and independent scholar, lives in Stuyvesant, New York with her husband, Steven Taylor, a photographer. She has two wonderful grown-up daughters and an awesome granddaughter. She enjoys travel, hiking, reading, and spending time with her family, friends, and neighbors.

The author of Masters of Shape: The Lives and Art of American Women Sculptors, Behind the Camera: American Women Photographers Who Shaped How We See the World, The Photographic Legacy of Frances Benjamin Johnston, and co-author with Patricia Jennings of Georgia O’Keeffe’s Hawaii, she earned her B.A. in Geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.A. in Cinema Studies from the City University of New York and an M.Ed. in Social Science Education from the University of Georgia in Athens, where she also obtained a graduate certificate in historic preservation and completed coursework and a dissertation for a Ph.D. in Art. 

Awards
– League of Women Voters Citizenship Award
– Cherokee Rose Garden Club Award
– Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist for Historical (Non-Fiction)
– Starred Reviews

3 Fun Facts

1. Maria wants people to love art history as much as she does.
2. Maria loves team work. She played wing on the Varsity Women’s Field Hockey team at the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill where she grew up.
3. Maria’s favorite job of all time was using a 1733 Danish map to find historic plantation sites on St. John, the smallest of the three main U.S. Virgin Islands.

Lauren Magaziner is the author of The Mythics series, the Case Closed series, The Only Thing Worse Than Witches, Wizardmatch, and Pilfer Academy. She is originally from New Hope, Pennsylvania, and she currently lives in Philadelphia, where she writes full-time. Lauren is also a secret undercover international detective—but don’t blow her cover. You can visit Lauren at www.laurenmagaziner.com.

Awards:
The Case Closed series is an international bestseller in Spain and Italy. Lauren’s books have been translated into ten languages, been on the Indie Next List, been a JLG selection, been featured in The Chicago Tribune, and optioned for a TV movie by Nickelodeon.

3 Fun Facts

1. My new series The Mythics is about mythical beast animal companions – If I had a mythical beast animal companion, it would be a dragon.
2. I use a giant whiteboard to draft each book in the pick-your-path Case Closed series. I write each plotline in a different color. My whiteboard holds many secrets: including where the dead ends are and who the culprit is!
3. When I lived in Scotland, I dunked my face in a fairy river of eternal youth. Legend says that if you leave your face in for exactly seven seconds, you will never age. Come find me in twenty years with the same exact face.

Torrey Maldonado was born and raised in Brooklyn’s Red Hook. He has taught in New York City public schools for over 25 years and his fast-paced, compelling stories are inspired by his and his students’ experiences. His popular young readers novels include What Lane?, which won many starred reviews and was cited by Oprah Daily and the NY Times for being essential to discuss racism and allyship; Tight won the Christopher Award, was an ALA Notable Book, and an NPR and Washington Post Best Book of the Year; and his first novel, Secret Saturdays, has stayed in print for over ten years. Learn more at torreymaldonado.com or connect on social media @torreymaldonado.

Awards
What Lane? is a Kirkus Best Book, a School Library Journal Best Book, a Washington Post Best Book, an NPR Best Book.
Tight is a Christopher Award winner, a Washington Post Best Book, and an ALA Notable Book.
Secret Saturdays is an ALA “Quick Pick”.

3 Fun Facts

1. I got hooked on comic books in the third grade. By middle school, 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 pee in the right places freeze to prevent people from losing things we love.
2. I’m pretty sure that, wherever I am, 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. Visit my table to play me and even if I lose, it will be fun to play!
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 then big ears. It didn’t work. Good thing that my skull in high school grew and caught up with my ears.

Ralph resides in the state of Massachusetts, USA, where he lives with his daughters Alexa and Talia. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (BFA, Illustration, 1985), Ralph has illustrated for magazines, newspapers and books, created posters and prints, and shown his fine art paintings in galleries throughout the world. Since 1987, he has visited over 2,800 schools all over the world, inspiring children with his life story, humor, and art. While visiting schools, he is often inspired himself by the enthusiasm, creativity, and hard work of the students and teachers. This led him to create his unique “How to Draw” book series. In 2011, his work appeared in a strange and mysterious book called The Mystic Phyles: Beasts. Newest in the series his series of How to Draw books is the Ralph Masiello’s Unicorn Drawing Book. March 2020 is the release of his Fantastic Fruits: A Grimal Grove Coloring Book, which is about rare and unusual tropical fruits.  www.ralphmasiello.com

Society Of Illustrators Award of Merit (twice)
Charlotte Award (NYSRA 2004)
IRA/CBC Children’s Choice Award
NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book
Early Childhood News Director’s Choice Award
ABA Kids’ Pick of the Lists
Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of the Year

3 Fun Facts

1. I have an imaginary friend…ask me about him!
2. I race motocross (dirtbikes) and still jump over 90 feet in the air! I’m 58 and still a kid.
3. I was raised by dragons. Just kidding!
Alternate fact: My oldest daughter, Alexa, has Rett Syndrome. Google it!
Alternate fact 2: I have actually visited over 3300 schools since 1987.

Stacy McAnulty is an award-winning children’s book author, who used to be a mechanical engineer, and who dreams of someday being a dog therapist, a correspondent for The Daily Show, an astronaut, and a Green Bay Packer coach. She’s written over 30 books, including the middle-grade novel, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, and the popular Our Universe picture book series. Her debut middle-grade nonfiction, Save the People! Halting Human Extinction was favorably reviewed in the New York Times. Most of her books include a STEM angle or an adorable dog—some have both. Originally from upstate NY, she now lives in Kernersville, NC. www.stacymcanulty.com

Awards
– Indie Bestseller The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
– Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor Recipient for Excellent Ed
– 2019 Mathical Prize Winners for The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
– The 2021-2022 Vermont Golden Dome Book Award Winner for Millionaires for the Month

3 Fun Facts

1. I believe intelligent life exists beyond Earth, but I’d really like to know for sure!
2. I studied mechanical engineering in college and then worked designing first-class airline seats. (Yet, I’ve never sat in a first-class airline seat.)
3. Local roots! Both my parents were born and raised in Hudson, and we adopted my first dog, Mandy, from the Columbia-Greene Humane Society.

Kayla Miller is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Click graphic novel series and co-author of its spin-off series Besties. They studied at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and graduated with a BFA in Illustration. Kayla currently lives and works in New York state and when not writing or drawing they enjoy watching bad movies, trying to cook new recipes, playing board games, and reading other people’s graphic novels. www.kayla-miller.com

3 Fun Facts

1. My hair has been pink, purple, blue, black, red, and green… but it’s naturally brown.
2. I didn’t always want to be a cartoonist. Growing up, I wanted to be a paranormal investigator with a specialty in ghosts and aliens… and, presumably, ghosts of aliens.
3. My favorite meal is breakfast! I love how breakfast can combine sweet and savory and spicy all on one plate— or even inside of a single sandwich!

Sharee Miller is an acclaimed illustrator and author of many picture books including Don’t Touch My Hair. She lives in Jersey City with her spouse, son, and their two cats. Her books include Princess Hair and Don’t Touch My Hair and Michelle’s Garden published by Little Brown for Young Readers. Her most recent work can be seen in Sam’s Super Seats, written by Keah Brown. She is currently working on her debut graphic novel series Curlfriends set to debut in Fall 2023.

Sharee Miller’s books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times. Don’t Touch My Hair! was an African-American Literary Award Winner in the “Children’s Book” category and an ALA Children’s Notable Book.

She invites you to visit her website at shareemiller.com and her Instagram @coilyandcute.

3 Fun Facts

1. Sharee can wiggle her ears
2. She was born in Athens, Greece.
3. She has two cats whose names are Pumpkin and Spice.

Florence Minor is an animal lover of the highest order, but how could she not be, having grown up in a family of animal lovers. From childhood on, dogs, cats, birds, and turtles have always shared her home.

Her books with her husband Wendell – If You Were a Penguin, If You Were a Panda Bear, How To Be a Bigger Bunny – all feature animals of various species, and she loves sharing that connection with children. Her new book, Smitten with Kittens, pays homage to all the entertaining felines, past and present, who have brought so much love, joy and laughter to her life.

Visit Florence at minorart.com and on Facebook and Instagram.

FEATURED BOOK 2023

Get smitten with kittens in this rhyming picture book perfect for read-alouds. There’s so much to love about kittens–from their cute little mews to their unstoppable mischief-making! Turn to the back of the book for fascinating facts. Perfect for kitty loving kiddos everywhere!

“The cuddle factor is high as the animals’ smudgy heads peek around the edges of the book’s opening pages…. A final close-up of one fuzzy feline ‘all curled up in a cozy lap’ is practically pettable.” —Publishers Weekly

AWARDS:

Pennsylvania One Book Every Young Child selection, Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of the Year, and with Wendell: New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) President’s Award for lifetime achievement in arts and letters; Honoree of the Boston Public Library’s 27th annual Literary Light, which recognizes outstanding writers from the Northeast for their inspiring work.

3 Fun Facts

1. I just discovered that swimming with dogs is almost as much fun as swimming with dolphins!
2. I feed the chipmunks around my house on a teeny-tiny picnic table that a friend made for me.
3. I’ve always been a cloud watcher and love it when I see a cloud that looks like an animal.

Wendell Minor began his career as a book cover designer, creating iconic covers for noted authors David McCullough and Pat Conroy among many others. His transition to children’s book illustrator and author of over 60 award winning books continues to be very rewarding.

As a nature lover and history buff, Wendell loves sharing those interests with children through the books he has authored or co-authored with Jean Craighead George, Tony Johnston, Robert Burleigh, Charlotte Zolotow, Margaret Wise Brown, Buzz Aldrin, Mary Higgins Clark, and last but not least, his wife Florence.

His work has been exhibited in various museums and galleries throughout the country.

Visit Wendell at www.minorart.com and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

FEATURED BOOK 2023

CROWBAR: The Smartest Bird in the World

A young boy finds a baby crow, abandoned, cold, and hungry. He takes him home, hoping to nurse him back to health. His grandpa disapproves — he thinks that crows are pests and thieves! The boy knows that the crow he names Crowbar is capable of learning more than how to eat, caw, and fly. But can he prove it?

“Minor’s art, done in graphite and gouache and enhanced digitally, offers realistic, meticulous snapshots of the crow and family, forming a tender interspecies familial portrait. Back matter includes more about crows, with a list of additional resources.” —Publishers Weekly

AWARDS:

The Cook Prize, Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of the Year, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library selection, Pennsylvania One Book Every Young Child selection, ALA Notable Book, John Burroughs List of Nature Books for Young Readers, Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young Children, Outstanding Science Trade Books, the 2018-2019 Artist Laureate of the Norman Rockwell Museum, New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) President’s Award for lifetime achievement in arts and letters; Honoree of the Boston Public Library’s 27th annual Literary Light (with Florence Minor) which recognizes outstanding writers from the Northeast for their inspiring work.

3 Fun Facts

1. I like green bananas
2. I love crows.
3. I love dolphins

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. 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 entertain, inspire, and empower children to become tomorrow’s leaders. 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.”  LittleMissHISTORY.com

The Little Miss HISTORY book series has garnered over two dozen awards including B.R.A.G. Medallions, International Book Excellence Awards, International Readers’ Favorite Awards, Eric Hoffer, Purple Dragonfly, and Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards.

3 Fun Facts

1. I once got locked inside my elementary school.
2. I nearly got thrown out of the Moscow Circus.
3. I am still teaching with TWO-MINUTE TEACHER lessons on my you tube channel

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.