Lin Oliver

Lin Oliver (www.linoliver.com) is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty-five books for children. Known for her comic invention and light touch, she has created such series as Hank Zipzer, Ghost Buddy, Almost Identical and Sound Bender. An accomplished writer and producer of family entertainment, Lin is also the co-founder and executive director of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives and works in Los Angeles, where she eats tacos and walks on the beach.

Tomie dePaola (www.tomie.com) is the acclaimed author and/or illustrator of more than 200 books for children. He received the 2012 Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Society of Illustrators, and he is the recipient of the Children's Literature Legacy Award, given for a substantial and lasting contribution to children's literature. He has also received the Newbery Honor Award for 26 Fairmount Avenue and the Caldecott Honor Award for Strega Nona. He was awarded the Smithson Medal (from the Smithsonian) and the Regina Medal (from the Catholic Library Association), and was designated a "living treasure" by the state of New Hampshire. His Brava, Strega Nona, Strega Nona's Harvest, and Strega Nona's Gift were all New York Times bestsellers. He is the first author known primarily for children's book writing to be awarded the Sarah Josepha Hale award, a prestigious distinction in writing by a New Englander. He lives in New London, New Hampshire.