Faculty Bios
Keynote Address
Mary E. Pearson
Mary E. Pearson is the author of several award winning books for teens, including The Adoration of Jenna Fox. She lives in California and writes from her home in Carlsbad, where she lives with her family. Her awards and honors include the Golden Kite Award, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, IRA Choice Books, and The South Carolina Young Adult Book Award. In a starred review Kirkus called her newest novel, The Miles Between, “mesmerizing.” She is currently at work on a companion book to The Adoration of Jenna Fox, titled The Fox Inheritance.
marypearson.com | marypearson.livejournal.com | twitter.com/marypearson
Plenary Presenters
Kate Angelella, Assistant Editor at Simon and Schuster
Kate specializes in commercial Middle Grade and tween fiction. Kate has edited the Canterwood Crest series by Jessica Burkhart, Fiona Finkelstein, Big-Time Ballerina!! by Shawn Stout, Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma, and Devon Delaney Should Totally Know Better by Lauren Barnholdt. Also, the 2010 Coretta Scott Award John Steptoe winner and NAACP image award nominee, The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon. Kate treasures a unique voice above all else, angst-y girl characters, fresh takes on the chick lit genre with strong commercial hooks, as well as novels with any type of paranormal element strongly grounded in realism. twitter.com/editork
Jennifer Hunt, Editorial Director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Jennifer Hunt is the Editorial Director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers where she oversees middle grade and young adult fiction acquisition. She also edits a wide range of books, including titles with Sara Zarr, Sherman Alexie, Cornelia Funke, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Pseudonymous Bosch, and Sarah Ockler.
Mary Kole, Associate Agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc.
Mary came to children’s literature from a writer’s perspective and got involved at Andrea Brown Literary Agency to see what it was like “on the other side of the desk.” She quickly found her passion here and, after a year of working behind the scenes, has officially joined the agency. In her quest to learn all sides of publishing, she has also worked in the children’s editorial department at Chronicle Books and is currently earning her MFA in creative writing at the University of San Francisco. At this time, Mary is only considering young adult and middle grade fiction and truly exceptional picture books. andreabrownlit.com | kidlit.com | twitter.com/kid_lit
Workshop Faculty & Breakout Session Presenters
Bonny Becker picture book workshop
Bonny Becker is the author of A Birthday for Bear (E.B. White Read Aloud Award), A Bedtime for Bear (ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year for Picture Books), and A Visitor for Bear (Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text; Oprah Children’s Book Club selection). In addition to her picture books, Bonny has written middle-grade books, including The Magical Ms. Plum and Holbrook: A Lizard’s Tale. bonnybecker.com
Kristyn Crow picture book workshop
Kristyn Crow is a picture book author with titles from G.P. Putnam’s Sons, HarperCollins, and Scholastic. Her book Cool Daddy Rat, illustrated by Mike Lester, received starred reviews, a blue ribbon from the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, and was nominated for the Utah Book Award. Bedtime at the Swamp, illustrated by Macky Pamintuan, was nominated for both the 2009 Ladybug award, and the 2010 Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award. Kristyn is a busy mother of seven children, and is married to a Utah Highway Patrolman. kristyncrow.com | kristyncrow.blogspot.com | twitter.com/kristyncrow
Cheri Pray Earl beginning writing class
Cheri earned her M.A. in Creative Writing from BYU and has taught Honors writing and literature there for seventeen years and creative writing for ten years. She was awarded Honors Professor of the Year in 2005. Cheri writes young adult novels and has won the Utah Original Writing Competition and an honorable mention for two young adult novels. Her first publication, though, is for younger readers: an American Girl non-fiction book (Psst! Secret Instructions Every Girl Should Know, March 2009) co-authored with Rick Walton. Cheri and her husband have five children and two grandchildren and they live in Provo, Utah.
Ann Dee Ellis contemporary novel workshop
Ann Dee Ellis’s first book This is What I Did: received three starred reviews and was listed on Voice of Youth Advocates - 2007 Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers List, American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults for 2007 and was a 2008 International Reading Association honor book. Her second book, Everything is Fine was released March 2009. Kirkus described the book as “Impressionistic, elliptical and full of feeling” and VOYA (starred review) called it “a story so painful you want to read it with your eyes closed. It is a stunning novel.” Besides writing, Ann Dee teaches part-time at Brigham Young University and builds forts out of couch cushions for her husband and two little boys. anndeeellis.com | throwingupwords.wordpress.com
Alane Ferguson novel workshop for intermediate/advanced writers
Alane Ferguson has written over thirty novels for children, including a series she co-authored with her mother, Gloria Skurzynski, for National Geographic. Their novel, Wolf Stalker, was nominated for the 1998 Mystery Writer’s of America’s Edgar Allan Poe Award, and their newest work, Night of the Black Bear, was launched in spring of 2007. Alane has earned several nominations and recognition for her books, including the Edgar Allan Poe Award and Belgium’s Children’s Choice Award for her young adult novel, Show Me the Evidence; the Children’s Crown Classic Award for Cricket and the Crackerbox Kid; and the American Bookseller’s Association’s “Pick of the List” for her picture book, That New Pet. alaneferguson.com
Kevin Hawkes illustration workshop
Kevin Hawkes has written and/or illustrated over 45 picture books and young adult novels including the NY Times Best Seller, Library Lion. Other books include Chicken Cheeks, The Wicked Big Toodlah, Weslandia and many chapter books written by Eva Ibbotson. Kevin is a graduate of Utah State University and began his career in Boston working at a bookstore. He now lives in southern Maine with his wife and children who keep him focused on the important things in life: gardening, tree forts and chocolate chip cookies. kevinhawkes.com
Mike Knudson chapter book workshop
Mike Knudson is the author of the humorous Raymond and Graham series of books for middle grade readers. He lives in North Salt Lake with his wife, Annette, five children, a turtle. Mike writes full-time and visits over one hundred elementary schools each year around the country. When not writing, you can find him coaching little league, swimming with his kids, and annoying his family with his banjo playing. mikeknudson.com
Brandon Mull fantasy/sci fi workshop
Brandon Mull resides in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife and three children. He spent two years living in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile where he learned Spanish and juggling. He once won a pudding eating contest in the park behind his grandma’s house, earning a gold medal. Brandon is the author of the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven series, Pingo and The Candy Shop War. brandonmull.com | fablehaven.com
Emily Wing Smith beginning novel workshop
Emily has an English degree from BYU and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. Her first YA novel, The Way He Lived, was published in 2007. The book received accolades including a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly. It was also winner of the Utah Book Award in Young Adult Fiction. Her next YA novel, Back when You Were Easier to Love, will be released from Dutton (Penguin) early next year. emilywingsmith.com | twitter.com/emilywingsmith
Rick Walton beginning writing class
Rick Walton is the author of over 75 books for kids. He will write almost anything for anybody.
rickwalton.com | blog.biguniverse.com/author/rickwalton
Dave Wolverton fantasy/sci fi workshop
Dave Wolverton, aka David Farland, is a New York Times bestselling author of science fiction, fantasy, and historical novels with over fifty titles to his credit. He has won numerous awards for his works, which have sold in more than fifty languages. He has also worked as a screenwriter, videogame designer and scripter, and as a movie producer. As an instructor, he has taught creative writing at BYU and worked as the coordinating judge for one of the world’s largest writing contests. In his classes, Dave focuses on the business aspects of writing—teaching advanced audience analysis, how to write to an audience, and how to sell your works. Many graduates from his classes and seminars have gone on to become New York Times Bestsellers themselves.
davidfarland.net
Sara Zarr novel workshop for intermediate/advanced writers
Sara Zarr is the acclaimed author of three novels for young adults: Story of a Girl (National Book Award Finalist), Sweethearts (Cybil Award Finalist), and Once Was Lost (a Kirkus Best Book of 2009). Her short fiction and essays have also appeared in Image, Hunger Mountain, and several anthologies. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband, and online at sarazarr.com | twitter.com/sarazarr
Guest Breakout Session Presenters
Ally Condie writer
Ally Condie is the author of the upcoming Matched, published by Dutton Children’s Books, and of several other novels published by Shadow Mountain and Deseret Book. In her former life, she taught high school English in Utah and in upstate New York; in her current life, she is the mother of three boys and writes during naptime. allysoncondie.com
Heather Dixon writer
Heather Dixon studied animation at BYU, and currently works as a storyboard artist. In winter 2011, her Victorian retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Entwined, will be released by Greenwillow books. She enjoys digital painting and bizarre children's musicals. strudelcookies.blogspot.com | twitter.com/strudelcookies
Guy Francis illustrator
Guy Francis lives in Provo, Utah with his wife Lorien and four children. He studied illustration at Brigham Young University. He spends his time doing a variety of illustration work in the children’s market including editorial and educational illustration, chapter books, and picture books. Some of his recent children’s picture books include The Planet Hunter by Elizabeth Rusch, Dance By the Light of the Moon by Joanne Ryder, Mrs. McBloom, Clean Up Your Classroom! by Kelly DiPucchio and Shelly and Mary Had a Little Ham by Margie Palatini. He has also illustrated several early chapter book series. guyfrancis.com | kactiguy.blogspot.com
Matthew Kirby writer
Matthew Kirby was born in Utah, but with a father in the Navy he has lived all over–Rhode Island, Maryland, California (twice), and Hawaii. As an undergraduate at Utah State University, he majored in history. He then went on to earn M.S and Ed.S degrees in school psychology. He and his wife live in Utah, where Matthew works as a school psychologist for a large district. His debut novel, The Clockwork Three, is forthcoming from Scholastic Press in Fall 2010. matthewkirby.com | matthewkirby.com/kirbside
Sydney Salter writer
Sydney Salter’s novels include My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters, Jungle Crossing, and Swoon at Your Own Risk. Sydney lives in Utah with her husband, two daughters, two hairy dogs, two lazy cats, and a pair of quiet tortoises. When not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, hiking, skiing, traveling, and searching for the ultimate cupcake. She is also a Regional Advisor for SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). sydneysalter.com | mybignose.blogspot.com | twitter.com/Sydney_Salter
Kirk L. Shaw editor
Kirk L. Shaw is senior editor for Covenant Communications. He has also worked for Boston publisher David R. Godine and edited for the scientific journal Western North American Naturalist. During his career, he has produced and edited fiction (in many genres), memoirs, historical, art, gardening, gift, technical, and doctrinal books. His freelance clients include corporations, publishers, and individuals, including Delphi (Internet) founder Wes Kussmaul. He enjoys writing short stories and especially relishes reading speculative fiction, historical novels, New England poetry, young adult, post-apocalyptic, and dystopia novels.vagabondvoice.blogspot.com
Will Terry illustrator
Will Terry has been freelancing as an illustrator for 17 years. His work has appeared in national advertisements for Sprint, Pizza Hut, M&M Mars, Fed Ex, Master Card and Citibank and in such publications as Time, Money, Wall Street Journal, Mac World, Arizona Highways, Seventeen and Better Homes and Gardens. His work has also been accepted into The Society of Illustrators. He has illustrated 20 children’s books and recently Armadilly Chili, written by Helen Ketteman, is in its second printing and has been chosen for the Texas 2x2 Reading List, the North Carolina Children’s Book Award, and the Arizona Young Readers Choice Award. His most recent two books are The Frog with the Big Mouth and The Three Little Gators. Will lives in Cedar Hills with his wife Laurel and their three boys. willterry.com
Conference Organizers
Carol Lynch Williams
Carol Lynch Williams is the author of more than 20 novels for the middle-grade and young adult readers. Her titles include The True Colors of Caitlynne Jackson; If I Forget, You Remember; and The Chosen One, her most recent title from Griffin (St Martin’s Press). Carol has two books coming out in 2010. Glimpse (Paula Wiseman Books) and Miles from Ordinary (Griffin). She has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. Her biggest successes are her five gorgeous daughters. You can read more from Carol on the blog she shares with Ann Dee Ellis—throwingupwords.wordpress.com.
Lisa Hale
Lisa Hale enjoys helping students explore, develop, and deepen their novels for young readers. Lisa earned an MA in English with a creative writing emphasis from BYU, where she now teaches creative writing and composition courses. She has published in several children’s magazines, including Spider and Highlights for Children. Her workshop group shares writing prompts and information at mmssociety.blogspot.com.