As a child, Julie Danneberg wanted to be a teacher and, as an adult, she became one, teaching first in a K-6 special education program and later in middle school language arts. As a teacher, Julie read lots of picture books to her students. After seeing how much they loved them, she decided to try to write some of her own. Now, years later, her siccessful picture book First Day Jitters, about an elementary school teacher and her class, was followed by nine more books in the J

Annette Whipple celebrates curiosity and inspires others to live in wonder. She is the author of more than 30 fact-filled children's books including Chomp! The Truth About Sharks (Reycraft Books), The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide (Chicago Review Press), and Where Is Texas (Penguin Workshop). She's been named the 2025 Outstanding Pennsylvania Author by school librarians. Annettte is a wife and mom, life-long learner and nature lover, cookie baker

Megan Clendenan is the author of Just In Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault   (Charlesbridge, 2025, illustrated by Brittany Cicchese), the 2026 NCTE Orbis Pictus Winner and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. She loves to write about topics that explore the connections between society, history, and the environment. Her books include Cities: How Humans Live Together,   Fresh Air, Clean Water: Our Right to a Healthy Environment  (2023 Green Earth B