DiCamillo won the Newbery Medal for "The Tale of Despereaux" in 2004, then again in 2014 for "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures", a Parents’ Choice Gold Award and a Newbery Honor for "Because of Winn-Dixie". She was also given the Award for Young People’s Literature for "The Tiger Rising".
Rebecca Stead
Rebecca Stead is an American children’s author. She graduated from Vassar College in 1989. She is the author of three popular children's books: "First Light," "When You Reach Me," and "Liar & Spy."
Stead was born in New York City on January 16, 1968. From the time she was young, she was interested in literature and writing. She worked as a lawyer and public defender several years. Stead is married to a lawyer named Sean O’Brien. They have two children. She began writing again when she was raising her children.
Stead has written three young adult books. Her first book, "First Light", was published in 2007. It is about a young boy who is studying climate change. Her second book, "When You Reach Me", was published in 2009. It is a mix of mystery, historical fiction, and a school story. It won the Newbery Medal in 2010. Her next book, "Liar and Spy," was published in 2012. This book is about a seventh grade boy living in Brooklyn, New York, and how he feels about problems with his best friend. "Liar and Spy" won the Guardian Prize in 2013. Her latest book is "Goodbye Stranger."
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Pam Muñoz Ryan is an American children's writer. She was born on December 25, 1951, in Bakersfield, California. She is the daughter of Don Bell and Esperanza Muñoz. She is the eldest of three sisters and twenty-three cousins. She took much of her inspiration for her books from her family and human rights in history.  For example, the idea for "Esperanza Rising" came from her grandmother's experiences immigrating to America. "When Marian Sang" shows the discrimination against African Americans in the theater.  She has written two novels, three books in the "Doug" series, and 13 picture books.
As a child, Ryan spent many summers biking to the local library. "The library became my favorite hangout because my family didn't have a swimming pool and the library was air-conditioned. That's how I got hooked on reading and books," she said in an interview. However, she did not realize until later that she wanted to be a writer. During her time as a writer she won over 70 awards for all her books.
When a rich young girl named Esperanza's father dies, she and her mother are forced to move from Mexico to America. Esperanza and her mother find work with their family as farm workers. Esperanza and her mother are in fear of being deported. Although the conditions they live are bad, they could imagine how much worse their life would be in Mexico. On this journey Esperanza learns more about herself and the world around her.
""DOUG" SERIES; BASED ON JIM JENKINS'S CARTOON CHARACTER 2002"
Jennifer L. Holm
Jennifer L. Holm is an American author. Her books include the "Babymouse" series, "Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf", and "The Fourteenth Goldfish".
Holm was born in California in 1968. She grew up in Audubon, Pennsylvania.  Her father, William W. Holm, was a pediatrician. Her mother, Beverly A. Holm, was a pediatric nurse.  She married Jonathan Hamel, who was both a writer and a computer programmer. She went to Dickinson College in 1990. She has two children, Will and Millie May.
Her awards include:
For "Our Only May Amelia"
For "Boston Jane: An Adventure"
For "Penny From Heaven"
For "Baby Mouse:  Queen of the World!"
For "Baby Mouse for President"
Clare Vanderpool
Clare Vanderpool is an American children’s author. Her first book, "Moon Over Manifest", won the 2011 Newbery Medal. She lives with her husband and four children in Kansas.
Vanderpool was born on November 6, 1964, in Wichita, Kansas. She has a husband, Mark, and four children. Vanderpool still lives in the town that she grew up in. Her children go to the same schools that she went to as a child.
Vanderpool wrote the books "Navigating Early", and "Moon Over Manifest". "Moon Over Manifest" won the 2011 Newbery Medal. It tells the story of a 12-year-old girl, Abilene Tucker, who finds some secrets that start to put together the story of her father’s upbringing.
Vanderpool originally got the idea for "Navigating Early" (published 2013) from one of her mother’s dreams. In the dream, there was a boy who was amazing at piano. Although he never had any lessons, he could hear a difficult piece just once and would be able to play it perfectly. From the dream, she created the book about a boy who had an unexplainable gift, that creates a close friendship with a girl. “Where an author gets her ideas is simple. Ideas come from watching, listening, paying attention, and most of all from the characters themselves.” - Clare Vanderpool.
Lois Lowry
Lois Lowry (born Lois Ann Hammersberg; March 20, 1937) is an American author who was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her father wasn’t present in her childhood, so she liked to write about strong father figures in her books. She became interested in reading when she was very young. She had a lot of trouble with math.
Lowry began her career writing about children who face major challenges. Most had to do with family. Her first novel was "A Summer to Die". It established her as an important author of young adult fiction. Her books cover many different topics, including the future, war, and humor. They are for young adults who want to read about serious issues. Lowry is a very successful author. She won the 1990 and 1994 Newbery Medal for "Number the Stars" and "The Giver". Some of her stories are based on her childhood, like her character Anastasia Krupnik in the book "Anastasia Krupnik". Some of her most famous books are "Number the Stars", "The Giver", "Gathering Blue", "Bless This Mouse", and "Messenger".
Sharon Draper
Sharon Draper is an American author, poet, and master educator. She has won many awards for teaching and written many books, poems, and short stories. She was a teacher in Cincinnati from 1970-1997 and became an author in 1991, which is the career she is currently pursuing. Her first piece was “One Small Torch”, a short story published in the Ebony magazine in 1991 as the winner of a short story contest with 20,000 entries. In her writing, she choses African-American male characters to give a voice to African-American young men.
Sharon Draper was born on August 21, 1948 in Cleveland, Ohio. She was the eldest daughter of three kids in her family and grew up in a close-knit neighborhood.
Sharon Draper earned her BA from Pepperdine University in 1971 and her MA from Miami University of Ohio in 1974
Sharon Draper was a teacher for the Cincinnati public schools from 1970-1997, and won the 1997 US Teacher of the Year award for her work in the schools. She has described teaching as her "calling and vocation,” and says that she "teaches because I must. It is in my heart and soul; part of the definition of me. I end up teaching wherever I am."
Some of her published works include:
Sharon Draper has won many awards in teaching and writing. She won Coretta Scott King Genesis award for Literature (1995), and American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults award (1995) in her writing career. She also won Ohio State Teacher of the Year (1997), U.S. National Teacher of the Year (1997), National Board Certification, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (1995), Board of Directors, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (1997), National Council of Negro Women's Excellence in Teaching Award (1997), and the Delta Kapa Gamma Honor Society for Women Educators.
Jacqueline Woodson