Georgia Conference on Children's Literature

Elana is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children's books, including the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. Elana teaches in Hamline University's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and lives in Southern California with her family and menagerie of pets.

Angela was born in Mexico City and grew up in the great state of Texas. She is the author and illustrator of several books for children, including Stella Díaz Has Something To Say; Mango, Abuela, and Me; and Galápogos Girl. She is a two-time recipient of the Pura Belpré Illustration Honor. When Angela is not in her studio or visiting schools, she teaches at the Academy of Art University, which honored her with their Distinguished Alumni Award in 2013.

Alex is author of middle grade novels Rick, You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! and the Stonewall Award-winning George, which they now call Melissa's Story. They love glitter, ice cream, gardening, awe-ful puns, and stories that reflect the complexity of being alive.

Minh is the author of award-winning picture books Lift and Drawn Together, as well as Let Me Finish! and The Perfect Seat. He also wrote Green Lantern: Legacy, a middle-grade graphic novel. In addition to writing books, he serves on the Board of We Need Diverse Books and has written for a variety of publications, including the New York Times, The Horn Book, NPR, and HuffPost. Outside of spending time with his wonderful wife and children at their home in San Diego, his favorite place to be is in the middle of a good book.

Leigh is the Lead Librarian for the IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities and is a working children's librarian at Toronto Public Library's (TPL) North York Central branch where the collection resides. Leigh, who previously worked in the therapeutic recreation field with people with disabilities, considers this her dream job.