Ashley Belote is the illustrator of FRANKENSLIME (Feiwel & Friends, 2021) and VALENSLIME (Feiwel & Friends, 2021). She is the author-illustrator of her solo debut early reader THE ME TREE (Penguin Workshop, 2021) and her solo debut picture book LISTEN UP, LOUELLA (Feiwel & Friends, 2022). 

She studied traditional animation under the direction of Don Bluth. Ashley is a West Virginia native, and earned her BA from Alderson Broaddus University. She earned her MA in Arts Administration from the University of Kentucky. Her graduate study included a children’s literature and illustration course, The Whole Book Approach, through Simmons College at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. She also serves as the Illustrator Coordinator for the Carolinas chapter of SCBWI. Ashley is represented by Moe Ferrara of BookEnds Literary Agency.

Barry Schnoor is a strong advocate for sustainable living, bass guitarist for Placid Quake, and an experimenter in entomophagy. From his time in the US Navy to his work at the University of Virginia, the Millbrook School, and Shenandoah University, Barry Schnoor has worked to improve systems and facilities and make campuses greener and more energy efficient. And he's a pretty all-around amazing human and travel partner -- and I'm not just saying that because I married him.

Beth Ferry is the author of numerous picture books for children including Roar for Reading, Prunella, and the New York Times bestseller Stick and Stone. She is an avid reader who believes that any day spent with a book is a perfect day. Beth lives with her family by the beach in New Jersey where she finds inspiration in the salty air. In addition to writing picture books, Beth also writes chapter books and graphic novels. She’s the author of the middle grade book Growing Home. You can learn more at BethFerry.com.

Carolyn B. Frasier is the author of Moon Tree. Her articles have been featured in children’s magazines, and she also has several nonfiction books published in the trade and school & library markets. 

Carolyn continues to work as a content producer for an international non-profit and writes for children. Throughout the year, she teaches creative writing workshops for middle and high school students and also serves on the board of Bound for Glory, a literacy camp in her local community. In addition to writing, she loves playing the piano and hiking to the various waterfalls in western North Carolina.

Author Christy Mihaly is a nature lover, former lawyer, and poet. She writes for kids because she believes that our best hope for the future is raising young people who love to read, and giving them the knowledge and skills to lead. Christy has written more than 30 children's nonfiction titles on topics from hayfields to free speech to food. Her fall 2021 picture book with Barefoot Books, WATER: A Deep Dive of Discovery, illustrated by Mariona Cabassa, was awarded a Kirkus star and a Gold in the Nautilus Book Awards. Christy has written extensively about civics and our government. Other books include the YA Diet for a Changing Climate: Food for Thought (Lerner 2018, co-written with Sue Heavenrich), which explores how our food affects the environment, and Hey, Hey, Hay! (A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them), a rhyming picture book about haymaking (Holiday House, 2018).  
 

The Good Play Guide was founded by child development expert Dr Amanda Gummer in 2012. Created to provide an independent, expert accreditation service for children’s products, The Guide provides a trusted resource for parents and gift-givers to find truly Good Toys, Apps and much more.

Amanda has a PhD in Neuropsychology, the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education and over 20 years’ experience working with children and families.

Having worked in children’s industries for many years, Amanda is now widely considered as the UK’s go-to expert on play, toys and child development. She can regularly be seen in the media, including BBC News, Sky News, The Daily Mail and many more, offering advice on news stories and issues surrounding children, families and child development.

Dr. Erica Buchholz is an international coach supporting people to incorporate life-changing laughter and play to overcome challenges and enhance happiness, each and every day.  Erica earned her doctorate in Applied Developmental Psychology and has gone on to create numerous university courses on how people grow, change, and develop over time. As a laughter yoga instructor and positive psychology advocate, she has been helping people smile, play, and laugh more for over 20 years.  Erica has mastered the process of connecting quickly and deeply, while activating your right hemisphere (making it easier to feel creative and happy), so that you can actually enjoy this incredible life of yours.  She has been featured as a writer, speaker, and conference panel member internationally. 

Dr. Gene Kritsky has authored or edited 10 books and over 260 papers on subjects as diverse as entomology, egyptology, evolution, history of science, dinosaur biology, insect poetry, and insect mythology.  The Tears of Re: Beekeeping in Ancient Egypt , was published by Oxford University Press. The Periodical Cicadas: The Brood X Edition was published in 2021 by the Ohio Biological Survey. We affectionately refer to him as the Indiana Jones of the Insect World.

Dr. Kimberly Galvez is Chief Scientist with Viking Expeditions 

Ph.D. in Marine Geology and Geophysics with a focus in Carbonate Geology at the University of Miami - Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences

For more information please visit:
www.kimberlygalvez.weebly.com

Erika Floreska is president of Long Island Children’s Museum. Erika served as the museum’s director of development for three years, joining the leadership team there during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. Across her 30-year career, Erika has contributed to moving the mission forward at some of New York’s most vibrant cultural institutions, including Bloomingdale School of Music, Tectonic Theater Project, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. A professional musician, she holds two degrees in flute performance from the College of Wooster and the University of Michigan. www.licm.org

Award-winning author and journalist Gayle Forman has written several bestselling novels for young adults, including the Just One Series, I Was Here, Where She Went and the #1 New York Times bestseller If I Stay, which has been translated into more than 40 languages and in 2014 was adapted into a major motion picture. Gayle’s essays and nonfiction work has appeared in publications like The New York Times, Elle, The Nation and Time. 

Grace Lin, a NY Times bestselling author/ illustrator, won the Newbery Honor for “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” and the Theodor Geisel Honor for “Ling and Ting.” Her novel “When the Sea Turned to Silver” was a National Book Award Finalist and her picture book, “A Big Mooncake for Little Star” was awarded the Caldecott Honor. Grace is also an occasional commentator for New England Public Radio, a reviewer for the NY Times, a video essayist for PBS NewsHour, and the speaker of the popular TEDx talk, “The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf,” as well as the co-host of the Book Friends Forever podcast.  In 2016, Grace’s art was displayed at the White House where Grace, herself, was recognized by President Obama’s office as a Champion of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling. In 2022, Grace was awarded the Children’s Literature Legacy Award from the American Library Association. 

James Ponti is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of four middle grade book series, including City Spies and The Sherlock Society. His novels have been named to forty-five state award lists and translated into a dozen languages. He's a two-time Edgar Award-nominee, winning in 2018 for Vanished. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. 

Based in Thunder Bay, The Boreal Museum is nestled in the heart of Northwestern Ontario.

The Boreal Museum is a local start-up company with a passion for Natural History and the Sciences. Initialized in November 2019 by Jason Feller and some passionate people, the Boreal Museum aims to bring awareness and increase the accessibility of hands of science education for kids and adults alike. Jason is driven by a need for more accessibility to education, particularly in the sciences in our community and is working to make the world a little bit smarter, one person at a time.

Jennifer Coleman is a dedicated education and customer service professional with a strong background in creating engaging learning experiences. She is a history and STEM enthusiast with a passion for hands-on learning. Jen is currently employed at Shenandoah University. She has made a career out of making learning powerful and fun for children and their grown ups, whether as lead educator at the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum or as a public school teacher.

Jo Joly is the Program Manager for Families in Nature. Jo is an outdoor guide, environmental educator and advocate for nature connection. With a Masters in Anthrozoology, Jo’s passion stems from the child-animal connection and has broadened with her work at FIN into creating meaningful experiences outside for all ages. She is a proud Nature and Forest Therapy Guide, Wilderness First Aid provider, BCI bat walk ambassador, NASP archery instructor and more, striving to learn more every day! Jo has an MS in Anthrozoology and a BS in Animal Behavior, Ecology and Conservation and Psychology from Canisius College. Prior to working for FIN, Jo developed and taught STEM curriculum for afterschool programs, delivered theatrical animal education shows with ambassador species in Central Texas, trained and worked in dog rescue and took care of the otters at the Buffalo Zoo. 

Jonathan Payne is a State Certified STEAM Teacher with 14 years of experience in providing dynamic and engaging learning experiences to his students. He believes that every child has the potential to excel in STEAM education, and his teaching philosophy centers on creating an inclusive and collaborative learning environment where students feel inspired to explore, experiment, and innovate. His approach emphasizes hands-on, project-based learning and encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. Currently teaching at Lackland ISD in San Antonio, Texas, Jonathan is committed to empowering the next generation of innovators and leaders in the STEAM fields. He is also the founder of The Innovative Mind Lab and creator of STEAM songs on YouTube.

Liz is the Art Programs Manager at Chicago Children’s Museum (CCM) and was the Digital Content Composer during the museum’s Covid-19 related closure. Liz has worked at CCM since 2009 in capacities including illustration, concept design, and exhibit development. Most recently she served as Lead Art Educator and Developer. Previously, Liz was a Middle School and High School Art Teacher for 5 years in Chicago Public Schools. Outside of the museum, Liz creates comics and is working on a graphic novel based on her experiences growing up with Learning Disabilities.

Knowledge-builder, Leader, Connector: As a middle school science teacher, Lynn synthesizes, summarizes, presents, and reviews technical content every day. Previous work lives include roles as an IT account representative, non-profit executive, and communications manager. Emory degree in English and UNC Masters in Journalism and Mass Communication. Lynn enjoys work that appeals to her strengths – collaborating with multiple perspectives in a project-based environment with a variety of challenges. She is passionate about community building, life long learning, nature, communication, hands-on STEM education, and, of course, cicadas.

Sue Fliess ("fleece") is the award-winning, bestselling author of over fifty children's books including Cicada Symphony, Octopus Acrobatics, Beauty and the Beaker, Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket, Flash and Gleam Light in Our World, the Kid Scientist series, Beatrice Bly's Rules for Spies series, Magical Creatures and Crafts series, many Little Golden Books, and more. 

Her picture books have been named to many prestigious lists including ALA Notable, Texas 2x2, Bank Street College Best Books, Delaware Diamonds, Oklahoma Redbud Read-Alouds, CCBC Choices, Capitol Choices, MPIBA Reading the West, A Mighty Girl, and Imagination Soup. They’ve earned starred reviews, selected to the Junior Library Guild, included in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and appeared on Jill’s Steals and Deals (The Today Show), Reading Rainbow Live, mentioned in The New York Times, and even read by celebrities! 

Vanessa Brantley Newton is a self-taught illustrator, doll maker, and crafter who studied Fashion Illustration at The Fashion Institute of Technology and children’s book illustration at The School of Visual Arts in NYC. She is the author and illustrator of Grandma’s Purse and Just Like Me and has illustrated numerous children’s books, including Think Big by Liz Garton Scanlon, Mary Had A Little Glam by Tammi Sauer, and New York Times bestseller The King Of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes.

Vanessa makes her nest in Charlotte, NC, with her husband and daughter and cat named Stripes.