Pablo Cartaya is a Miami-based speaker, actor, educator, and the award-winning author of The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora and other middle-grade novels. His latest work, A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation, follows a boy and his grandfather on an epic road trip. pablocartaya.com 

Grace Lin is an accomplished author and illustrator of books for children of all ages. Her middle-grade novel Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was named a Newbery Honor Book in 2010. She recently published the middle-grade fantasy novel The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon. Lin lives in Northampton, Massachusetts, with her husband, daughter, and a fluctuating amount of chickens. gracelin.com

Meg Medina is a former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and the author of the Newbery Medal–winning book Merci Suárez Changes Gears. Her latest work, Graciela in the Abyss, is set to be published in July. The daughter of Cuban immigrants, Medina lives in Richmond, Virginia. megmedina.com

Rita Williams-Garcia is best known for writing the middle-grade novel One Crazy Summer, which was named a Newbery Honor Book in 2011 and became a New York Times bestseller. She recently adapted the book into a graphic novel. Williams-Garcia lives in Jamaica, New York, with her husband and has two adult daughters. ritawg.com

Moderator Ellen Oh is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. She is a highly acclaimed author and editor of middle-grade and YA novels, including You Are Here, Finding Junie Kim, and the Prophecy series. She lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband and three children. ellenoh.com

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