Claribel Ortega

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Claribel A. Ortega is a former reporter who writes middle-grade and young adult fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage. When she's not busy turning her obsession with eighties pop culture, magic, and video games into books, she’s co-hosting her podcast Bad Author Book Club. Claribel is a Marvel contributor and has been featured on Buzzfeed, Bustle, Good Morning America, and Deadline.​

Claribel’s NYT Bestselling debut middle grade novel Ghost Squad is being made into a feature film. Her latest book Witchlings (Scholastic) was an Instant NYT and #1 Indie Bestseller. Her graphic novel Frizzy with Rose Bousamra was winner of the 2023 Pura Belpré Award for Children's Text and an Indie Bestseller.

Brian Selznick

Brian Selznick is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies, garnered countless awards worldwide, and been translated into more than 35 languages. His novel, Big Tree (April 4, 2023 worldwide publication), which began as an original idea from film legend Steven Spielberg, is a trailblazing adventure with nearly 300 pages of illustrations. Selznick broke open the novel form with his innovative and genre-defying thematic trilogy, beginning with the Caldecott Medal-winning and bestselling book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, adapted into Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning movie Hugo. He followed that with the #1 New York Times bestseller, Wonderstruck, adapted into the eponymous movie by celebrated filmmaker Todd Haynes, with a screenplay by Selznick, and the New York Times bestseller, The Marvels.

Selznick’s two most recent books for young people, Baby Monkey, Private Eye, co-written with his husband David Serlin, and Kaleidoscope, a New York Times Notable Children’s Book of 2021, were both New York Times bestsellers. He also illustrated the 20th anniversary edition covers of the Harry Potter series. In praising his body of work, The Washington Post said, "Brian Selznick proves to be that rare creator capable of following one masterpiece with another." The Associated Press called Selznick "one of publishing's most imaginative storytellers." His recent collaborations include a reimagined Nutcracker at the Joffrey Ballet with Christopher Wheeldon and a screenplay of the forthcoming animated version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby with William Joyce as director.

Lauren Tarshis

Lauren Tarshis's New York Times best-selling I Survived series tells stories of young people and their resilience and strength in the midst of unimaginable disasters and times of turmoil.

Tarshis has brought her signature warmth and exhaustive research to topics such as the battle of D-Day, the American Revolution Hurricane Katrina, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and other world events.

She lives in Connecticut with her family, and can be found online at laurentarshis.com.