EPIC EIGHTEEN
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Fall 2018 

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Beth Anderson, AN INCONVENIENT ALPHABET, BEN FRANKLIN & NOAH WEBSTER’S SPELLING REVOLUTION, Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley

Beth Anderson, a former English as a Second Language teacher, has always marveled at the power of books. Armed with linguistics and reading degrees, a fascination with language, and penchant for untold tales, she strives for accidental learning in the midst of a great story. Beth lives in Colorado where she laughs, wonders, thinks, and questions; and hopes to inspire kids to do the same.Visit her online at: https://bethandersonwriter.com/ or on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
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Keith Calabrese, LENA'S SHOES ARE NERVOUS: A FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL DILEMMA, Atheneum
illustrated by Juana Medina

Keith Calabrese is a writer living in Los Angeles with his wife, kids, and a dog who thinks he's a mountain goat. LENA'S SHOES ARE NERVOUS is his first children's book.



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Viviane Elbee, TEACH YOUR GIRAFFE TO SKI, Albert Whitman & Company
Illustrated by 
Danni Gowdy 
Viviane Elbee is a children’s author. When not writing, she loves to travel, hike, eat, bike, dance, play tennis, ski, garden, do arts & crafts, read, take pictures and hang out with friends and family. Her work has appeared in Highlights High Five magazine. She is represented by Natascha Morris at Bookends Literary Agency. Visit her online at www.VivianeElbee.com Follow her on Twitter: @VivianeElbee
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Margaret Chiu Greanias, MAXIMILLIAN VILLAINOUS, Hachette/Perseus Books/Running Press Kids 
Margaret Greanias writes books for children. Her favorite childhood memories include catching minnows and frogs in the “bayou” with her two older brothers, tooling around the neighborhood on her banana-seat bike, and reading piles of picture books at the cool, cool library during the hot summers. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, three children, and dust bunnies of varying shapes and sizes. Visit her on the web at www.margaretgreanias.com
Twitter: @margaretgreania 
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Zara Gonzalez Hoang (Illustrator), THREAD OF LOVE, Beach Lane Books / Simon & Schuster
written by Kabir & Surishtha Sehgal

Zara Gonzalez Hoang grew up in a colorful house in the frozen Midwest where it was never quiet and doodling was encouraged. After a number of years of nomadic living, she settled just outside of DC where she lives with her Mad Man husband, tiny demon son and curly-coated corgi in a little mid-century house stuffed with books and art supplies deep in the suburban woods. THREAD OF LOVE is the first picture book she’s illustrated. Visit her online at http://zaralikestodraw.com/ and follow her on twitter: @zarprey and instagram: @zarprey
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Hannah Holt, THE DIAMOND AND THE BOY, HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray
illustrated by Jay Fleck

As a child, Hannah Holt loved building forts and telling stories. She majored in engineering, so she could build grown up forts, like houses. And she writes children’s stories, so she can keep telling stories in them. Her first picture book, Diamond|Man, tells the story of her inventor grandfather—who built a machine that turns graphite into diamond. Hannah lives in Oregon with her husband, four children, and their pet fish named Moon. She likes hiking, science, and chocolate chip cookies. Visit her online at www.hannahholt.com ​
Twitter: @hannahwholt 

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Jessie Oliveros, THE REMEMBER BALLOONS,  Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte (another Epic 18 debut!)
Jessie Oliveros was raised in Kansas but now calls the hill country of Texas home. She graduated from BYU where she obtained her RN degree. After six years in cardiac nursing, she hung up her stethoscope to raise her family. She found this a perfect time to pursue her first passion—writing. She has four children and is expecting one book—The Remember Balloons, due in Fall 2018 from Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. She also enjoys running about once a year, cleaning about once a month, and eating chocolate daily. She is represented by Mike Hoogland of Dystel, Goderich and Bourret LLC. Twitter: @jessieoliveros

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​Traci Sorell, WE ARE GRATEFUL: OTSALIGELIGA, Charlesbridge
illustrated by Frané Lessac 
Traci grew up rural northeastern Oklahoma, immersed in stories. The ones her mother told at bedtime and the accounts of her ancestors’ lives that reflected her Cherokee heritage. As an adult, Traci has lived in four U.S. time zones and abroad in Madrid, Spain. Now she lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and young son, but spends a fair amount of time with family in Oklahoma participating in Cherokee Nation events. Prior to writing, Traci served as a national nonprofit executive director, a legislative director and a tribal law attorney. Traci is represented by Emily Mitchell of Wernick & Pratt. Find her online at www.tracisorell.com
Twitter and Instagram: @tracisorell 

Summer 2018 

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Jen Betton, HEDGEHOG NEEDS A HUG! Penguin/Putnam
Jen Betton lives in Boston with her husband and two children – who all give excellent hugs. She writes and illustrates books for children, and teaches grown-ups how to draw. This is her debut book as an author-illustrator. Visit her online at: www.jenbetton.com
@jenbetton on Twitter and Instagram


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Tina Cho, RICE FROM HEAVEN, Little Bee Books/Bonnier Publishing USA
Tina Cho is the author of The Girl’s Guide to Manners published by Legacy Press Kids 2014 and forthcoming books: Her first picture book, Rice from Heaven (Little Bee Books 2018) and Korean Celebrations (Tuttle 2018). Tina writes for the educational and children’s markets. She lives in South Korea with her husband and two children while teaching at an international school. She is represented by Adria Goetz of Martin Literary Agency. Visit her online at www.tinamcho.com and follow her on twitter @TinaMCho
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Michelle Cusolito, FLYING DEEP, Charlesbridge
illustrated by Nicole Wong
Michelle spent her childhood mucking about in the fields, forests, and swamps around the farm where she grew up in southeastern Massachusetts. As an exchange student in high school, she temporarily traded rural living for city life in Cebu, Philippines. She spent 10 wonderful years as a grade 4 teacher. Now, when she is not mucking around in the world, she is usually in her office or local coffee shop weaving her experiences in nature into stories for children. Michelle is represented by Jill Corcoran of Jill Corcoran Literary Agency. Visit her online at www.michellecusolito.com
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Cindy Chambers Johnson, RUSSELL WRESTLES THE RELATIVES, Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
illustrated by Daniel Duncan

Cindy Chambers Johnson grew up in Hutchinson, Kansas, where she received her fair share of Kansas Crusher hugs and visits from far-flung relatives. Cindy’s interest in family ties and inherited traits led her to a career as a genetic counselor, but a love of reading and writing passed down from her mother led to her career as an author. Cindy now lives with her husband and two children in Iowa and only administers the Texas Tickle Hold when absolutely necessary. Visit her online at cindychambersjohnson.com.  Follow her on twitter @c1ndyj0hns0n

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Christy Mihaly. HEY, HEY, HAY!, Holiday House
Christy Mihaly has published nonfiction books for young readers on topics from moose to apps to cosplay. She also loves poetry and writes magazine articles and stories. After more than two decades working as an environmental lawyer in California, she moved with her family to rural Vermont. There, she enjoys writing under the supervision of her dog and cat, at a cluttered desk overlooking a beautiful hayfield. She is represented by Erzsi Deak of Hen & Ink Literary Studio. Visit her on the web at: www.christymihaly.com 

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Kate Narita, 100 BUGS! A COUNTING BOOK, Macmillan FSG 
Kate Narita is a writer and a fourth-grade teacher. She lives and hikes on a small mountain in central Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and dog. During the summer days, she marvels at the dragonflies darting around her and carefully checks cut flowers for katydids, posing as stems, before bringing bouquets into her house. Instead of waiting for shooting stars, she cups lightning bugs in her hands, makes wishes, and lets them go. Learn more at katenarita.com Twitter: @Kate Narita

Winter 2018 

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 Jeanette Bradley, LOVE, MAMA,  Macmillan/Roaring Brook
Jeanette Bradley studied painting at Indiana University and Children’s Book Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. Along the way she also acquired a degree in urban planning and spent a summer as the artist-in-residence for a traveling art museum on a train. Jeanette lives in Rhode Island, where she loves to walk along the shoreline with her family. Jeanette is represented by Emily Mitchell of Wernick & Pratt. You can visit her on the web at www.jeanettebradley.com or on Twitter: @jeanettebradley       
​Preorder LOVE, MAMA on IndieBound

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Monica Clark-Robinson, LET THE CHILDREN MARCH, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, illustrated by Frank Morrison
​Monica Clark-Robinson is passionate about stories--writing them, acting them out on stage, and reading them. She believes that the stories of our past can help us create the story for our future. She lives in a yurt in the country with her husband, too many cats, and just the right amount of daughters
Follow her on twitter: @MonicaClarkRob or Facebook: Monica Clark-Robinson

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Kerri Kokias, SNOW SISTERS, Knopf
illustrated by Teagan White

Kerri Kokias credits most of her story ideas to her “fly on the wall” personality. This means she’s both a keen observer of social interactions and a nosey eavesdropper. Kerri lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband, two children, and three dogs. Learn more about Kerri and her writing on her website www.kerrikokias.com, or connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @kerrikokias.
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​Stephanie Ledyard, PIE IS FOR SHARING,  Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook Press, illustrated by Jason Chin
Stephanie Ledyard grew up in Wichita Falls, Texas, unsupervised and sunburned, exploring fields with her best friend and writing occasional poems for her grandparents. Stephanie earned her MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Having worked as a language arts teacher, hospice grief-program coordinator, and reluctant organist, she is happy to spend her days writing picture books and poetry, and helping out in a high school library. She lives in Dallas with her husband, daughters, cats, and dog. She is represented by Alexandra Penfold of Upstart Crow Literary. Read her poems online at: stephanieledyarddotcom.wordpress.com
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Daria Peoples-Riley, THIS IS IT, Greenwillow/HarperCollins
Daria Peoples-Riley’s first job was at nine years old in the children’s section of her hometown library. Much later, she became a teacher, and now she is a full-time author and illustrator. THIS IS IT is her first picture book inspired by her daughter, her rich cultural background, and their first visit to New York City. She lives with her family in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit her online at www.dariapeoples.com
and find her on Twitter and Instagram:  @dariaspeoples
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Sarah Lynne Reul, THE BREAKING NEWS,​ Macmillan/Roaring Brook
Sarah Lynne Reul is an illustrator and award-winning 2D animator who likes science, bright colors and figuring out how things work. After a number of years in science museum education and non-profit administration, she was lured back to school by the magic of making drawings come to life. These days, she strives to pack all the dynamic energy of animation into each of her illustrations. Originally from Brooklyn, she now lives just outside of Boston with her husband and two little girls. You can find friendly monsters, colorful patterns and animated gifs at her website, reuler.com.
Twitter: @sarahlynnereul Instagram: @thereul

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Dana Wulfekotte, RABBIT & POSSUM, HarperCollins/Greenwillow​
Dana Wulfekotte is an animator, comic artist, and children's book creator. She lives in Queens with her boyfriend and two pet rabbits, neither of whom have ever tried to climb a tree. This is her first picture book.
Twitter: @danawulf

Spring 2018 

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Cate Berry, PENGUIN & TINY SHRIMP DON'T DO BEDTIME,  HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray 
Cate Berry grew up near NASA, often playing hide-n-seek inside Mission Control Center where her father worked as an aeronautical engineer. She went on to work as an actress, songwriter and teacher. She has written many personal essays and two original shows, Spin and Dish, the latter produced at The Long Center for Performing Arts in Austin, TX. Cate is currently pursuing an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in Austin with her husband and two children. Visit her online at cateberry.com
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Aidan Cassie, STERLING, THE BEST DOG EVER. Macmillan/FSG Books for Young Readers
Author-illustrator Aidan Cassie grew up on Canada’s west coast where she studied animation and earned her Media Arts degree from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. She now lives on a small island in the Salish Sea with her wee family and giant dog. Aidan has 2 more books coming out over the next 2 years with FSG, but she still dallies through the forest between drawings, and claims it is part of her work. Visit her online at aidancassie.com and follow her on twitter: @aidan_drawin

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Melanie Linden Chan (debut illustrator), MOTH AND WASP, SOIL AND OCEAN, Tilbury House
written by Sigrid Schmalzer
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Melanie Linden Chan's goal as a writer and illustrator is to create books for children that open their minds to different cultures and other ways of life. She has a BFA from the University of Rhode Island, and is a member of SCBWI. Melanie works in a variety of mediums; her favorites being pen & ink, watercolor, and acrylic. She often works with mixed mediums or collage. Visit her online at melanielindenchan.weebly.com or follow her on twitter: @mlcillustration 
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Nina Victor Crittenden, THE THREE LITTLE PUGS,  Little Bee Books/Bonnier Publishing USA
Nina Victor Crittenden is an artist, certified veterinary technician, and tea enthusiast. She is the illustrator of CHICKEN LILY by award-winning author Lori Mortensen. THREE LITTLE PUGS is her debut as an author-illustrator. Nina works traditionally using ink and watercolor to create her charming illustrations. She lives in the land of 10,000 lakes with her husband, daughters, cat, bunny, parakeet, and two little pugs. Visit her online at www.ninacrittenden.com
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Andi Diehn, WAVES. Nomad Press, Illustrated by Shululu
Andi Diehn is a writer and editor with a BA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College. She is the author of Explore Poetry! With 25 Great Projects (2015); Technology: Cool Women Who Code (2016); and Shakespeare: Investigate the Bard’s Influence on Today’s World (2016). She lives in New Hampshire, with her family and lots of chickens. This is her debut picture book. Visit her online at www.andidiehn.com and follow her on Twitter: @lostinthree and Instagram: @andiwritesbooks
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Aura Lewis, GLORIA'S VOICE,  Sterling Publishing
Aura Lewis is an author-illustrator based in New York City. She is currently an MFA candidate in the Illustration as Visual Essay program at the School of Visual Arts. Aura's debut picture book, Gloria's Voice, will be published in Spring 2018 with Sterling Publishing. Visit her online at: www.auralewis.com
Instagram: #auralewis

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Elizabeth Lilly, GERALDINE, Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press 
Elizabeth was a reading, doodling daydreamer in high school, and, unsure of her path, went to Architecture School at Virginia Tech for college. Her aversion to rulers and all things technical made this choice a disaster, and after two years she relocated to the safer haven of the Maryland Institute College of Art, where (thankfully) no one asked her to make scale-accurate plans or construct chipboard staircases. Elizabeth now makes her stories in a little old mill house in the little old city of Savage, Maryland, just south of Baltimore. Visit her online at: www.elizabeth-lilly.com
Instagram:  @lil.bizle Twitter: @elizabethmlilly

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Tara Luebbe, SHARK-NATE-O,  Little Bee Books/Bonnier Publishing USA (illustrated by Daniel Duncan) 
I Am Famous, Albert Whitman (illustrated by Joanne Lew Vriethoff)
Tara Luebbe is a self-described “Picture Book Nerd.” In her previous life, she owned a kids’ toy and book store in Atlanta which was a catalyst for writing her own books. She is a graduate of the University of Dayton – Go Flyers. Tara is obsessed with Hamilton the musical, Star Wars, and subversive picture books. She has a husband and three boys and lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina. She is an active member of SCBWI Carolinas, and is the creator of Writing With the Stars, a mentoring program for aspiring picture book writers. 
Twitter: @t_luebbe  Preorder SHARK-NATE-O and I AM FAMOUS on IndieBound

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Brenda Maier, ​THE LITTLE RED FORT,  Scholastic Press ​
illustrated by Sonia Sanchez

also coming in Summer 2018: Peeping Beauty, Aladdin (illustrated by Zoe Waring)
Brenda Maier is an active member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys traveling with her husband and five children, baking peanut-free cookies, and working as a gifted specialist in a large, suburban school district. Brenda lives with her family in Oklahoma, where she is surrounded by piles of laundry and even bigger piles of books

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Shanda McCloskey, DOLL-E 1.0, Little, Brown BFYR 
Shanda comes from a family of diverse creatives and entrepreneurs. She went to art school in Atlanta, Georgia, then taught high school art after graduating. After two years of teaching, Shanda and her husband spent a year in Brooklyn so she could attend children's book classes at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. When she returned to Georgia, she joined SCBWI (through which she met her critique group/best-friends) and attended many kids book conferences. Shanda is the mother of two young girls, the wife of a cute web developer, and wears many hats in several of her family’s small businesses. Shanda also blogs and leads kids art workshops at libraries in her community. Visit her on the web at: www.ShandaMc.com and follow her on twitter @ShandaMcCloskey and Instagram @shandamccloskeydraws

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Rachel Noble, FINN’S FEATHER, Enchanted Lion
Illustrated by Zoey Abbott
Rachel Noble enjoys writing for children, particularly stories that sensitively empower them to navigate big feelings. Rachel loves rainbows, the beach and of course, feathers. She is lucky to get all of this in Queensland Australia, where she lives. She was inspired to write Finn’s Feather following the loss of her son Hamish in 2012. After Rachel got the idea for this story, she found a feather on her doorstep. Rachel has five beautiful children (including her beloved Hamish), and a patient husband. Rachel worked as a journalist, radio producer and voice-over artist before she became an author. Visit her online at: www.rachelnobleauthor.com

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Baptiste Paul, THE FIELD, NorthSouth Books
Sa ka fet! My name is Baptiste Paul, and I'm the author of The Field (NorthSouth, March 2018). The picture book, which has text in both English and Creole (Patois), follows a group of island kids who continue to play soccer despite a few interruptions. I've got two co-authored books forthcoming as well—Adventures to School (little bee books, summer 2018), and I Am Farmer (Lerner/Millbrook, Spring 2019). In addition to being an author, I'm a lot of things: a dad, a native of Saint Lucia, and a sports fan. I enjoy sharing my island culture and Creole language with anyone who will listen. I also enjoy roasting my own coffee and chocolate and love to eat anything I can grill. I speak and share my experiences at schools and events. Visit me online at: 
www.baptistepaul.com or baptistepaul.net and follow me on twitter:@baptistepaul. 

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Melissa Stoller, SCARLET'S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH, Clear Fork Publishing (Spork), illustrated by Sandie Sonke
Melissa is an avid traveler and collector of snow globes, shells, and sea glass. When not writing chapter books, picture books, or fairy tales, Melissa is living her own fairy tale in New York City with her husband, three daughters, and one puppy. Follow Melissa’s writing journey at www.MelissaStoller.com
Twitter: @MelissaStoller

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Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, MOMMY’S KHIMAR Salaam Reads/ Simon & Schuster
Hailing from Philadelphia, PA, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow is an experienced educator with over a decade of classroom teaching experience. As a trainer and fellow with Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC), she developed anti-racism curricula for children and adults. She currently serves as a program director for Mighty Writers, an organization that helps youth ages 2 to 17 to think and write with clarity. When she wants to escape, she loves reading historical fiction and watching period pieces. When she wants to feel connected, she enjoys romps in the park with her two rowdy boys and debates with her ever-patient husband. Follow her on twitter @jtbigelow

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Patricia Valdez,  JOAN PROCTER, DRAGON DOCTOR, Knopf/Penguin Random House 
​illustrated by Felicita Sala
Patricia Valdez is a scientist who loves writing for children. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and currently works at the National Institutes of Health. Originally from Texas, she now lives in the Washington, D.C. area. 
Twitter: @Patricia_Writer 

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Casey W. Robinson, IVER AND ELLSWORTH, Ripple Grove Press 
illustrated by Melissa Larson

Casey W. Robinson writes stories for children, but not always about children. Casey grew up in Maine and used to keep a shoebox of favorite words and phrases under her bed. She now lives with her family Maynard, Massachusetts in a yellow house overflowing with books. You can visit her at www.CaseyWRobinson.com or on Twitter @CaseyWRobinson



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