Paula Chase-Hyman doesn’t mind being known as a Jane of all trades, Queen of none. But a single theme has followed throughout her career in communications—keeping her finger on the pulse of teen culture. From starting her own mentoring group at Annapolis Senior High School in ’94 to coaching her Green Hornet cheerleaders to Grand Champion (ahem, twice), Chase-Hyman refuses to squash her inner teen diva. Luckily, her long memory for all things young led to a career writing young adult novels.
Paula’s Del Rio Bay series, which helped introduce Dafina’s YA line, debuted in March 2007.
Visit Paula at http://www.paulachasehyman.com/.
Varian Johnson is the author of two novels, including the Essence Magazine Bestseller, A Red Polka Dot In A World Full of Plaid. He was born and raised in Florence, South Carolina, and attended the University of Oklahoma, where he received a BS in Civil Engineering. Varian now lives in Austin, TX with his wife, Crystal, and is currently pursuing an MFA for Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College. His second novel, My Life as a Rhombus, was released, January 2008.
Learn more about Varian at http://www.varianjohnson.com/.
Don Tate is the award-winning illustrator of more than 25 trade and educational books for children. With a bold, dynamic style, Don’s oil and acrylic paintings bring to life the pages of the children’s books he illustrates.
Sure as Sunrise: Stories of Bruh Rabbit and his Walkin’ Talkin’ Friends (Houghton Mifflin, 2004) received starred reviews from Booklist Magazine as well as School Library Journal. It also made the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, 2006 – 2007.
Don’s most recent works include I Am My Grandpa’s Enkelin (Paraclete Press, 2008), Zoom: A Book of Things That Go (HarperCollins, 2008), and Ron’s Big Mission (Dutton, Jan. 2009).
As a first-time author, Don is the recipient of Lee & Low Books New Voices Honor Award. His book, It Jes Happened, will publish with Lee & Low Books in 2010.
Visit Don at http://www.dontate.com/.
Kelly Starling Lyons is a children’s book author and freelance writer whose mission is to transform moments, memories and history into stories of discovery. Her books include One Million Men and Me, a picture book with illustrator Peter Ambush that explores the Million Man March through the eyes of a little girl who was there with her daddy, and chapter book, NEATE: Eddie’s Ordeal. She has two forthcoming picture books with G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.
Kelly’s articles and essays have appeared in many publications including Ebony magazine, The News & Observer, The Christian Science Monitor and books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. A native of Pittsburgh, Kelly lives in North Carolina where she facilitates a book club for African-American girls. [Photo Credit: Zack E. Hamlett, III]
Learn more about Kelly at http://www.kellystarlinglyons.com.
Tameka Fryer Brown, a native of Miami, Florida, calls Charlotte, North Carolina home—and has for over 14 years. She has donned many titles, including Medical Supplies Sales Rep, Teacher’s Assistant, Sunday School Teacher, Church Youth Counselor, Wife, Mother (times 3), and most recently, Children’s Book Author.
AROUND OUR WAY, Tameka’s debut picture book, will be published by Abrams Books for Young Readers in the Fall of 2010; her second book, IN A MOOD (Viking Children’s), is scheduled for 2012. Tameka was also awarded one of two First Prizes in the 2008 Cheerios® Spoonfuls of Stories® New Author Contest.
While Tameka’s stories are quite diverse in topic, they all have three basic goals in common: (1) to explore a given emotion, (2) within a relatable story (3) via unusual characters, in an unusual way. She is currently working on several picture book projects, and a magical-realism, middle grade novel. [Photo Credit: D. E. Photography]
Check out Tameka’s website at http://www.tamekafryerbrown.com
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich’s debut novel for teens, Eighth-Grade Superzero, will be released on January 1, 2010 by Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic.
She has written for various magazines, including American Baby, Healthy Kids, Word up! Rap Masters, Right On!, and Scholastic Instructor and now does a monthly column, “Faves on a Friday”, at AuthorsNow! She has been a PR writer, grant writer, developed curricular materials, and has 10+ years of experience in youth development and literacy education, at community organizations and in New York City schools. She was an Echoing Green Foundation Fellow, working with adolescent girls in creative arts and literacy.
Olugbemisola studied the teaching of writing at the Teachers College Reading & Writing Project at Columbia University. She received her M.A. in Educational Communication and Technology from New York University, with a concentration in Adolescent Literacy and English Education, and her B.Sc. from Cornell University in Communication and Africana Studies.
Olugbemisola was the ‘new kid’ at school many times, in more than one country, and currently lives with her family in Brooklyn, NY, where she loves walking and working on crafts in many forms.
For more about Olugbemisola’s debut visit her at http://www.olugbemisola.com.
