Book Flood Podcast

Adam Wallenta is a veteran author, illustrator, editor, publisher and educator with over 30 years of experience in comics, having worked with major publishers like Marvel, DC, and Skyhorse, as well as founding his own company, American Mule Entertainment. He is a senior editor at Papercutz/Mad Cave Studios.For more information about Adam Wallenta: https://www.adamwallenta.com/For more information about Punk Taco: https://www.punktaco.com/For more information about Papercutz: https://papercutz.com/For information on Tom Nixon: https://linktr.ee/tomnixonFor information on Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

Erin Dealey is the author of over twenty books including her new release, "Squirrel Draws BIG Feelings (2026)" and her recent book, "Just Flowers (2025)."For more information about Erin Dealey: https://erindealey.com/For more information about Book Birthdays: https://erindealey.com/category/book-birthday/For information on Tom Nixon: https://linktr.ee/tomnixonFor information on Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

Lucy Podmore is the former chair of the Texas Association of School Libraries, was named a 2024 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, and is an advocate for school libraries.For more information about Lucy Ibarra Podmore: https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/author/lpodmore/https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/lucy-podmore/For information on Tom Nixon: https://linktr.ee/tomnixonFor information on Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

Kelvin Watson, executive director of Las Vegas - Clark County Library District, discusses his career trajectory, challenges of leading libraries, book banning and removal, his experience as Library Journal's 2026 Librarian of the Year, the Library of the Future Award, the digital divide and digital literacy, library impact and initiatives, advocacy and community engagement, and his literature and reading habits.Under his leadership, the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District won the Library of the Future Award (an unprecedented three years in a row) and partnered with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada to provide digital access to the bus system.For more information about Kelvin Watson: https://thelibrarydistrict.org/executivedirector/For more information about Las Vegas-Clark County Library District: https://thelibrarydistrict.org/For information on Tom Nixon: https://linktr.ee/tomnixonFor information on Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

April Henry is the New York Times-bestselling author of 32 mysteries and thrillers for teens and adults. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.On the podcast, she shares her journey to becoming an author of more than 30 books for YA and adults, her writing process, the impact of awards, the importance of diverse characters, insights into her book 'In the Blood', experiences with school visits, and her literary influences and current reading.April has been awarded the Edgar, the Anthony, and the Oregon Book Award."In the Blood," April's next book, debuts in May 2026.To find out more about April Henry: https://www.aprilhenry.com/To find out more about April's books: https://amzn.to/4dbfBJlTo find out more about Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

We are excited to have Director/Producer Kim A. Snyder and Producer Janique Robillard on the Book Flood Podcast.Kim A. SnyderSince their 2025 Sundance World Premiere, THE LIBRARIANS has garnered 24 festival awards and played in 200+ theaters around the globe. Her most recent short documentary DEATH BY NUMBERS, co-created with gun-violence survivor Sam Fuentes, was nominated for a 2025 Academy Award. Snyder’s acclaimed films include Us Kids (Sundance 2020), LESSONS FROM A SCHOOL SHOOTING (Netflix Original), NEWTOWN (Sundance 2016, Peabody Award, PBS), and many others. She also Associate Produced the Oscar-winning short TREVOR, which spawned The Trevor Project.Janique L. RobillardJanique L. Robillard is an Oscar-nominated documentary producer and independent filmmaker. Recent producing credits include two films with Peabody Award-winning Director Kim A. Snyder – DEATH BY NUMBERS, nominated for the 2025 Academy® Awards: Best Documentary Short Film, and feature documentary THE LIBRARIANS (PBS/Independent Lens). THE LIBRARIANS has garnered over 22 festival awards since its 2025 Sundance world premiere and reached over 200 theaters in its global theatrical release. Previous credits include Impact Producer on US KIDS (dir. Snyder), Associate & Field Producer THE FIX docu-series (dir. Jeremiah Zagar), and Development Producer on numerous series and feature films, including PERIODICAL (dir. Lina Plioplyte) and for clients including Netflix. She’s committed to storytelling that elevates marginalized voices and creates meaningful impact for the communities who collaborate in the filmmaking process.You can find information on "The Librarians" here: https://thelibrariansfilm.com/You can find "The Librarians" merch here: https://thelibrariansfilm.printful.me/You can find information on Kim A. Snyder here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0811502/You can find information on Janique L. Robillard here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4953625You can find information on the Book Flood Podcast here: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

The conversation covers the author's journey to publication, the story behind the book 'Queso Just in Time,' the theme of time travel and changing the future, writing from personal experience, engaging students in the writing process, the author's writing process and inspiration, and the influence of childhood reading experience. The author's journey to publication and the involvement of students in the writing process are key takeaways from the conversation.For more information about Ernesto Cisneros: https://ernestocisneros.comTo order the book: https://amzn.to/4czp3pEFor more information about Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

Melissa Snider, a dual language librarian from Wyoming, shares her career trajectory, library advocacy, and the importance of mentorship. She discusses the challenges and rewards of being a dual language librarian and the impact of diverse literature on her students.For more information on Melissa Snider: https://library.wyo.gov/school-librarian-spotlight-melissa-snider/To contact Melissa Snider: @meliroowy.bsky.social (on Bluesky)For more information on Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

Stuart Gibbs is the author of five New York Times bestselling series: Spy School, FunJungle, Moon Base Alpha, Charlie Thorne, and Once Upon a Tim—as well as the new nonfiction series Spy School Secret Files. He has written screenplays, worked on a variety of animated films, developed TV shows, been a newspaper columnist, and researched capybaras. Stuart lives with his family in Los Angeles.Want to learn more about Stuart Gibbs: StuartGibbs.comWant to learn more about Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.comWant to contact the host, Tom Nixon: [email protected]

Megan McDonald discusses her career trajectory from librarian to bestselling author, the creation of the Judy Moody and Stink series, challenges of writing the Stink books, her experience with the Judy Moody movie, the transition from librarian to author, her writing process and inspiration, challenges in the publishing industry, and the influence of childhood books on her writing career. For more information on Megan McDonald: https://judymoody.comTo purchase books by Megan McDonald: https://amzn.to/4khb6ylTo purchase "Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Hobgoblins:"https://amzn.to/3Zej6GRFor more information about Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

Jeff Gottesfeld is an award-winning author of a number of books for children including "Honor Flight: Celebrating American's Veterans" and "Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier."For more information on Jeff Gottesfeld: https://www.jeffgottesfeldwriter.com/To purchase books by Jeff Gottesfeld: https://amzn.to/3ZB5FRhFor more information on Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

Alan Michael Gratz is the author of 19 novels for young adults including Prisoner B-3087, Code of Honor, Grenade, Something Rotten, Ground Zero, Refugee, and Two Degrees.His latest book is "War Games (2025)."For more information about Alan Gratz: https://www.alangratz.com/To purchase "War Games": https://amzn.to/3NxdhBCFor more information about Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

Today is a Book Birthday! Nikki Shannon Smith is the author and Don Tate is the illustrator of "Prince: A Little Golden Book Biography."You can purchase the book at: https://amzn.to/45scZC6For information about Nikki Shannon Smith: https://nikkishannonsmith.com/home-pageFor information about Don Tate: https://dontate.com/For information about the Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

Dr. Steve Tetreault is a school library media specialist for a 7-8 middle school that is part of a 7-12 complex building. In addition to being the school library media specialist for the middle school, he helps manage the collection for the high school. Steve is the creator of the School Librarian Learning Network.For more information about Steve Tetreault: http://drtlovesbooks.comFor more information about Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

Meg Medina is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning author. Her latest book is Graciela in the Abyss. She is also the 2324 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.To purchase books by Meg Medina: https://amzn.to/45cPg8PFor more information on Meg Medina: https://megmedina.comFor more information on Book Flood Podcast: https://BookFloodPodcast.comTo contact BFP: [email protected]

Sam Helmick is the president of the American Library Association and in their professional life, they are the community and access services coordinator for Iowa City Public Library.To find more information about Sam Helmick: https://samforlibraries.com/To find more information about the American Library Association: https://ala.orgTo find more information about the Book Flood Podcast: https://bookfloodpodcast.com

New York Times best-selling author Matt Tavares has created another in his series of "Dasher" books called "Dasher and the Polar Bear (2025)." Matt is the author and/or illustrator of more than 20 books. You can purchase "Dasher and the Polar Bear" on Amazon here (for which we will receive a small amount of funds): https://amzn.to/48wnSDBYou can find more information on Matt Tavares here: http://matttavares.comYou can find the Book Flood Podcast here: http://bookfloodpodcast.com

Amanda Jones is the author of "That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America (2025)." Here Amanda discusses the changes in the revised version and reminds us of the importance of the fight against book banning.You can purchase the book here on Amazon (and we receive a tiny bit of funds for you doing so): https://amzn.to/4rGvAUKYou can find Amanda Jones on the internet here: https://thatlibrarian.com

Ryan Estrada (https://amzn.to/4r6QGLo) is a Freeman Award-winning, Eisner-nominated artist, author, and adventurer. His books include Banned Book Club, No Rules Tonight, Good Old Fashioned Korean Spirit, Occulted, and the Student Ambassador series. He has made comics for Star Trek, Popeye, Flash Gordon, and Garfield.He was a gator wrangler in America, an ambassador to Australia, an undocumented animator in Canada, a ghostbuster in South Korea, a Bollywood voice actor in India, wandered Kim Jong Il's secret tunnels to North Korea, slept on a bench during a Japanese typhoon, dug toilets in Thailand, did an accidental illegal border crossing into Burma, was kidnapped in Cambodia, kicked out of karaoke in Singapore, lost in Laos, was violently ill in Vietnam, went white water rafting in The Philippines, delivered toys to orphans in Colombia, documented blue-footed boobies in Ecuador, swam with sea turtles in Malaysia, ran with the bulls in Mexico, barely escaped being eaten by lions in Kenya, fainted atop Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, went skinny dipping with piranhas in Peru, lived in a Costa Rican rainforest and a Panamanian volcano.If you would like to know more about the Book Flood Podcast:http://BookFloodPodcast.comIf you would like to know more about Ryan Estrada: http://RyanEstrada.com

Joan Schoettler grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, a place she often returns to for inspiration and research in museums and gardens.Time with her grandchildren, hikes in the Sierra, shared dinners with friends, as well as reading, gardening, and travel fill her days, weaving ideas and creativity for her writing.After teaching in elementary schools, Schoettler earned a Masters in Arts in Reading and Language at Fresno Pacific University. At the Education Department at the University of California, Fresno, she taught children’s literature, storytelling, and reading and writing. An award-winning author, Schoettler has written four picture books: Good Fortune in a Wrapping Cloth, Ruth Asawa: A Sculpting Life, A Home for George, Books Travel theWorld. Her debut middle grade verse novel, The Honey Jar: An Armenian’s Escape to Freedom, received the Commonwealth California Book of the Year, Gold Medal Award for Juvenile Books, 2024. Schoettler’s upcoming picture book is Doctor of the Heart: The Groundbreaking Story of Scientist, and Educator, Vivien Thomas (May 12, 2026).  Joan’s focus of interest is inspired by true people, intriguing actual events, and lived experiences of people from diverse backgrounds. Creativity and art are illuminated in her stories about nature, artists, and imaginative picture books. Her writing demonstrates a global view as her stories traverse the world. Joan believes stories come to life when we paying attention to what we love, to those who touch our lives, and to cherished moments and experiences.

Edward Andrès Dennis is a Mexican-American visual storyteller. Edward hasbeen featured in the Hispanic Rising Stars (Volume 3) for his contributions to Latino excellence. Edward’s debut children’s book was “The Boy from Mexico". Edward’s second children’s book which was released in September 2024 was “The Boy from Mexico becomes a Farmworker”. Dennis' third book in the series is "The Boy from Mexico Becomes a U.S. Citizen."As an AmeriCorp alumni and former Special Education teacher, Edward’s main goal in life is to create stories that he wished existed when he was a child. He has been featured on Univision, TV Azteca, Telemundo and CNN en español for his children’s books.http://bookfloodpodcast.com

Loyal listeners will remember that Amanda Jones was our very first guest on the podcast. It’s only right that she is the last guest for Season 1.Amanda is the author of “That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America.” (https://amzn.to/3TvaSqJ)She has won a number of awards including the 2023 Intellectual Freedom Award from the American Association of School Librarians.In her work, she has been given shout-outs from such diverse folks as Oprah Winfrey and Judy Blume.

Patrick "PC" Sweeney is a 2007 San Jose School of Library and Information Sciences graduate and former Administrative Librarian and School Librarian and was Executive Director of EveryLibrary California, a statewide initiative to support library propositions. He was awarded Library Journal’s “Movers and Shakers” award in 2015 for his library advocacy work. Patrick is co-author of “Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding” as well as “Before the Ballot; Building Support for Library Funding.” He was recently recognized with a “40 Under 40” award by the American Association of Political Consultants for his work fighting for libraries at EveryLibrary. He is a lecturer at the San Jose Information School where he teaches courses on politics and libraries. He is active across social media as PC Sweeney.

Becky Calzada is the 2024-2025 AASL President, a District Library Coordinator in Leander, Texas, and a co-founding member of Texas #FReadom Fighters. She was selected for the 4th ALA Policy Corp Cohort, works as a member of the ALA Policy Corp Proactive Advocacy on Book Banning cadre and is a past member of the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee. She is actively involved in the Texas Library Association and serves on the legislative committee and was a Past-Chair for the Texas Association of School Librarians division in 2016-2017. Becky is the recipient of several intellectual freedom awards and was honored by People Magazine in their 2023 Women Changing the World portfolio. Becky is the co-author of Prepared Libraries, Empowered Teams: A Workbook for Navigating Intellectual Freedom Challenges Together which was published by ALA Editions in June 2024.http://BookFloodPodcast.com

Tom Bober (http://TomBober.com) is a school librarian at Captain Elementary in the suburbs of St. Louis, MO, a 2018 Library Journal Mover and Shaker, former Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress, and author of the books Literature and Primary Sources, Building News Literacy, as well as his first title, Elementary Educator's Guide to Primary Sources. He is a member of teacher advisory boards for the National Portrait Gallery and the American Archive of Public Broadcasting. Tom has written the Picture Books and Primary Sources posts for AASL’s Knowledge Quest blog and hosted The Primary Source Podcast. He has written articles about students learning through the use of primary sources for several publications including School Library Journal and School Library Connection. He also presents at conferences, runs workshops, and gives webinars to promote the use of primary sources in student learning. His foundation is built on over twenty years in public education as an elementary classroom teacher, educational technologist, and over ten years as a school librarian.http://TomBober.com

Erin Dealey's original career goal was Olympic Gold Medal tetherball player. When that didn't pan out, she became a teacher, theater director, actor, mom, blogger, award-winning playwright and author of over a dozen children’s books (so far). Her books include DEAR EARTH…From Your Friends in Room 5 (NYSRA Charlotte Award/CT Nutmeg Award nominee); SNOW GLOBE WISHES (Anna Dewdney Read Together Honor Book), PETER EASTER FROG (a two-time JLG Emergent Readers Plus selection), and JUST FLOWERS, all of which celebrate kindness and community. http://ErinDealey.comhttp://BookFloodPodcast.com

Diana Farid is an award-winning author and poet. Her picture book, WHEN YOU BREATHE, was a 2021 National Council of Teachers of English Notable Poetry Book and a 2022 EUREKA! Gold Award winner for nonfiction. Her novel in verse, WAVE, was a 2022 School Library Journal Best Middle Grade Book, the Cybils Award Winner for Novel in Verse, a Middle East Book Award Honoree, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, a Golden Poppy Award Finalist, and a Northern California Book Award Nominee. Her latest picture book, THE LIGHT OF HOME (Scholastic) has been called “incredibly powerful” and “beautifully told.” Her debut board book, ALREADY ALL THE LOVE (Little Bee), an Amazon Editors’ Pick and #1 New Release, is praised as "An excellent choice for early readers" — Foreword Reviews. Diana is also a physician and Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. Learn more at dianafarid.com

Shannon McClintock Miller (https://amzn.to/4cqo2y4) is an international speaker, consultant and author who has a passion for education, librarianship, advocacy, technology, social media and making a difference in the world and lives of others, especially children. Shannon serves as the preschool-12th grade district teacher librarian at Van Meter Community School District in Iowa. She currently serves as the Future Ready Librarians  Spokesperson and Future Ready Schools National Faculty Member working with librarians, educators and students around the world every day.  She is also Capstone’s Teacher Librarian Community Leader. Shannon is the author of the award winning The Library Voice blog and enjoys writing for various blogs, journals and other forums including ISTE, School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. She has written 12 children’s books about library skills and Makerspace with Capstone; wrote Leading from the Library with her writing partner Bill Bass and ISTE; and has contributed to several other professional books about libraries and

Novella Dean's passion for storytelling took root in Trinidad and Tobago, her birthplace, where rich folklore is a national treasure. Despite her academic journey leading her to graduate as a scientist, her heart always gravitated toward artistic expressions. The inspiration for her debut book, "Ta-Thump, Ta-Thump, originated from bedtime storytelling sessions with her son."Ta-Thump, Ta-Thump" = https://amzn.to/4lcKf6u

Our guest for this week's Book Flood Podcast is award-winning author and poet Nikki Grimes (Our guest for this week's Book Flood Podcast is award-winning author and poet Nikki Grimes (https://amzn.to/43mDXuR).New York Times bestselling author Nikki Grimes was inducted into the Black Authors Hall of Fame in 2023. Her honors include the CSK Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the ALAN Award for significant contributions to young adult literature, the Children's Literature Legacy Medal, and the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Author of the Coretta Scott King Award-winner Bronx Masquerade, and five Coretta Scott King Author Honors, she won the Printz Honor and Sibert Honor for her memoir Ordinary Hazards. https://bookfloodpodcast.com/book-flood-podcast-e31-nikki-grimes-on-being-a-prolific-author/.

Patricia Newman's latest book is "Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger" (https://amzn.to/3FAtxxR)Patricia Newman Books (https://amzn.to/4bzKTGY)Patricia Newman loves nonfiction and nature. She combines both passions in her true environmental stories. She’s written about giant manta rays, sea otters, elephants, rhinos, black-footed ferrets, orangutans, a river in the Pacific Northwest, and our ocean. Her books explore how we are part of nature and how our habits affect plants and wildlife on land and in the ocean. Her nonfiction has received multiple starred reviews, a Sibert Honor from the American Librarian Association, two Green Earth Book Awards, and most have been included on the Bank Street College’s Best Books of the Year lists. To learn more, visit her website at patriciamnewman.com or connect with her on BlueSky, Pinterest, Instagram, X, and Facebook.

Greg Lucas was appointed California’s 25th State Librarian by Governor Jerry Brown on March 25, 2014. Prior to his appointment, Greg was the Capitol Bureau Chief for the San Francisco Chronicle where he covered politics and policy at the State Capitol for nearly 20 years. During Greg’s tenure as State Librarian, the State Library’s priorities have been to improve reading skills throughout the state, put library cards into the hands of every school kid and provide all Californians the information they need – no matter what community they live in. The State Library invests $10 million annually in local libraries to help them develop more innovative and efficient ways to serve their communities. Since 2015, the State Library has improved access for millions of Californians by helping connect more than 1,000 of the state’s 1,130 libraries to a high-speed Internet network that links universities, colleges, schools, and libraries around the world. Greg holds a Master’s in Library and Information Science from California State University San Jose, a Master’s in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California, and a degree in communications from Stanford University.https://www.library.ca.gov/

Have you ever thought you might want to be a librarian? Jonathan Hunt from San Jose State University discusses its program for teacher librarians (certificated librarians who work in schools).SJSU School LibrarianshipBook Flood Podcast

Charlotte Cheng (https://amzn.to/4gQmMos) has written and illustrated a variety of books including "Night Market Rescue," "Roar-Choo!," "I Miss You Most," and "BoBo Loves Dumplings." Represented by Red Fox Literary, Charlotte has spoken at a wide variety of events, given school assemblies, and taught interactive workshops for both children and adults. These events have included the National American Librarian Association Conference, LA Times Book Festival, Bay Area Book Festival, and the Your Author Series of Los Angeles Public Library. Charlotte has also been a guest speaker at both Harvard University and Stanford University. Charlotte Cheng books are available on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3D3mqwY

Ernesto Cisneros (https://amzn.to/3QhP2pg) is the nationally acclaimed author of EFRÉN DIVIDED. He was born and raised in Santa Ana, California, where he still teaches.  As an author, he believes in providing today’s youth with an honest depiction of characters with whom they can identify. Additionally, he strives to build empathy and belonging in our community.Efrén Divided = https://amzn.to/41ibIvFFalling Short = https://amzn.to/4b22XJu

Sara Smith is a District Librarian in California’s Central Valley. Previously, she was a high school teacher librarian and English teacher.Sara has reviewed over 1000 manga and graphic novels for Booklist and School Library Journal. She runs The Graphic Library website where she supports libraries with collection development.Sara has appeared as a podcast guest on School Librarians United and The Literacy Advocate. In addition, Sara is a frequent speaker at national and international library conferences.Recently, Sara became the co-author of "Manga Goes to School: Cultivating Engagement & Inclusion in K-12 Settings.""Manga Goes to School: Cultivating Engagement and Inclusion in K–12 Settings"

Darcie Little Badger (https://amzn.to/4jHRG4Z) is a Lipan Apache writer with a PhD in oceanography. Her critically acclaimed debut novel, Elatsoe, was featured in Time Magazine as one of the best 100 fantasy books of all time. Elatsoe also won the Locus award for Best First Novel and is a Nebula, Ignyte, and Lodestar finalist. Her second fantasy novel, A Snake Falls to Earth, received a Nebula Award, an Ignyte Award, and a Newbery Honor and is on the National Book Awards longlist. Darcie is married to a veterinarian named Taran.

Nick Glass is a nationally known educational partner focused on improving literacy opportunities for all students. Equity work is how he defines his professional charge. He has a Master's in educational policy and the history of multicultural education from the University of Wisconsin Madison, and runs TeachingBooks.net -- a literacy service he created to empower every reader with meaningful connections to whatever books they are reading.   As a long-time student of multicultural education, he strives to give all readers culturally relevant, primary source insights into the literary journeys they are experiencing. Nick has published in many educational journals, spoken at dozens of conferences, and has served on many children’s book award committees, including the Newbery, Legacy, Sibert, and Green Earth Book Award juries. And one other curious note about Nick -- he is one of the few children’s book experts who has worked in Major League Baseball. He was the statistician for the San Francisco Giants in the late 1980s to early 1990s.

Award-winning author Padma Venkatraman returns with an uplifting middle grade novel in verse SAFE HARBOR (Nancy Paulsen Books; on sale January 21, 2025). In this poignant novel-in-verse, Padma Venkatraman tells the story of two kids who help rescue a wounded seal, and in learning it’s okay to show their emotions, find their own safe harbors.   Venkatraman was inspired to write SAFE HARBOR after walking along the shore near her home in the Ocean State, where she was surprised to see a seal on the beach. Like Geetha, Padma grew up in India and now lives in Rhode Island. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as an oceanographer, and was the only BIPOC woman in her graduating class at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary. Her personal experience compelled her to make sure to feature BIPOC females in leadership STEM roles in the novel and acknowledge mental health challenges, illnesses, and disorders without stigmatization and stereotyping. "Safe Harbor" by Padma Venkatraman

René Hohls is currently the president of the California School Library Association (CSLA). She currently works in Mendocino County at Fort Bragg Unified School District and spent the last 10 years as the Learning Resource/Library Specialist for the Ventura County Office of Education. She has worked with many districts to provide direct library services and professional development training for all levels of school library staff on delivering quality services and programming with a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusive practices for all students and staff members. René approaches everything in her life with curiosity and a passion for reading, finding endless ways to weave these together in her classroom and professional training sessions. René has been active in the Ventura County Reading Association and the California Reading Association.

Varsha Bajaj (https://amzn.to/42IBf2v) is the New York Times bestselling author of the middle grade novel, Thirst. (Nancy Paulsen books, 2022). Thirst was a Global Read Aloud (2022-23), on the Bluebonnet list (2023-24) many state lists, received starred reviews and was translated into several languages. Her other middle grade novels include Count Me In, and Abby Spencer goes to Bollywood. She had the privilege of helping to create and write the books for the American Girl doll, Kavi Sharma, It’s Showtime Kavi.Varsha also writes picture books. Her latest picture book is called A Garland of Henna. Varsha has new picture books and a middle grade novel coming in 2025-2026._____Amazon: A Garden of HennaAmazon: Thirst

Janet Wile and Christine Flores from Central Unified School District (California) talk about their wildly successful programs "Athletes as Readers and Leaders" and "Slammin' at the Library." http://BookFloodPodcast.com http://GoldenLibraries.com

Ruta Sepetys, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and Steve Sheinkin, Newbery Honor-winning author, have co-written "The Bletchley Riddle." "Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amidst one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park." ____________________ "The Bletchley Riddle" from Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/3Z1gb3x ____________________

Katie McNamara serves as a teacher librarian at North High School in Bakersfield, California; and director of the Teacher Librarian Program at Fresno Pacific University. She is a Google Certified Innovator and AASL Tech Troubadour. She served as president of the California School Library Association (2020-2021). __________ Connect with her @KatieJMcNamara.  __________

Amy Hermon is the host of the School Librarians United Podcast. As host, Amy has interviewed more than 150 school librarians in 33 States, Canada, UK, Ghana, Australia and New Zealand. 291 episodes downloaded in all 50 States and over 153 countries.  School Librarians United School Librarians United Playlists

Colby Sharp teaches fifth grade at Parma Elementary School in Michigan. He is married and the father of five children. Sharp is the co-author of The Commonsense Guide to Your Classroom Library (2022) and Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids (2018), both with Donalyn Miller. He is also the editor of The Creativity Project: An Awesometastic Story Collection (2018). Colby Sharp Website

Morgan Walsh is the Co-Founder of Open Books which donates LGBTQ+ books to elementary schools across the country.She is also an actor, writer, entrepreneur, and mother of three living in Los Angeles. She has worked in film and television for over 20 years, most recently starring in BET's "Games People Play." She is also the co-founder of 10th Avenue Tea which won most innovative product by Expo West in 2017.https://openbooks.org You can see a sample of the books that Open Books donate here: Open Books 2024 Book Donation Set

Jerry Craft is The New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of the graphic novels "New Kid," "Class Act," and "School Trip." "New Kid" won the Newbery Medal (2020), the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature (2019, Coretta Scott King Author Award for the most outstanding work by an African American writer (2020).These books are available on Amazon:New Kid: https://amzn.to/3Ab6Q0J Class Act: https://amzn.to/3Ab7dZb School Trip: https://amzn.to/4dT5sxzBoxed Set: https://amzn.to/4ecfcU1

Armida Espinoza is a first-generation Mexican American who has faced many challenges that English Learners endure today. Through her writing, Armida aims to validate the experiences of these learners and help all children conquer their fears and insecurities about learning.Armida is the author of Brave Lolis Learns English and Brave Lolis' Box of Hope.Armida Espinoza website

Kristina Holzweiss is a high school edtech librarian who was selected as the 2015 School Librarian of the Year, a Library Journal Mover & Shaker, a National School Board "20 to Watch," and a New York State School Librarian of the Year. Recently Kristina's library was selected as the National School Library of the Year. She was invited to Washington, D.C. to represent her region during the National Week of Making, and she was featured in the STEM calendar "Princesses with Power Tools." She is also the co-author of Hacking School Libraries, and author of children's books including eight makerspace books, My First Book of Trains, and My First Book of Airplanes.  She was the founder of Edcamp Cardigan Camp and the Canva Librarians and Teachers quarterly showcases. Certified in secondary English, educational technology, library media, and computer science, she began her career in 1995 teaching 7th grade English. Kristina aims to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment where all students can thrive and contribute their unique strengths. By combining technology and hands-on experience she helps students to overcome barriers and realize their full potential while fostering a sense of accomplishment and confidence. https://www.kristinaholzweiss.com