Jacqueline Woodson is an American writer who has written many successful books for a wide audience.  She gives a voice to those Americans in our community who are sometimes silenced or looked down upon. Ms. Woodson once said, "I feel compelled to write against stereotypes, hoping people will see that some issues know no color, class, sexuality…. I write from the very depths of who I am, and in this place there are all of my identities." Through her quotes and her books she inspires America to take a stand against stereotypes to make our world a better place.
Jacqueline Woodson is the recipient of the 2001 Corretta Scott King Award and a nominee for the 2002 National Book Award.
2018 Jacqueline Woodson received Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the worlds largest prize for people writing childrens and youths literature.
"Jacqueline Woodson introduces us to resilient young people fighting to find a place where their lives can take root. In language as light as air, she tells stories of resounding richness and depth. Jacqueline Woodson captures a unique poetic note in a daily reality divided between sorrow and hope." Citation of the jury
Jacqueline Woodson was born on February 12, 1964 in the town of Columbus, Ohio. Much of Jacqueline's writing later in life may have been inspired by her childhood.  Her books talk about the struggle to find a place to fit in,  and being accepted in society. In fifth grade she was the editor of her school’s magazine. Her seventh English teacher encouraged her to write, and told her she should pursue her dreams, which may have led to where Ms. Woodson is today.
Many of Ms. Woodson’s books for older audiences touch on subjects she experienced growing up.  For example, she wrote about her parent’s struggling marriage, her brother’s struggles with homosexuality, and divisions based off of race in America which she had experienced first hand growing up as an African American in the Midwest.  Also, Ms. Woodson addresses the issue of confidence in young girls.  She says: “I write about all girls because I know what happens to self-esteem when we turn twelve, and I hope to show readers the number of ways in which we are strong."  Jacqueline uses her talent for writing and her experiences of the injustices and stereotypes in our country to promote awareness of important issues and give voices to the voiceless.
Some books she has written include:
Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie Halse Anderson is an American author who has written many books. She writes fiction on many different subjects. She was born on October 23, 1961, in New York. As a young child, Anderson loved to listen to her father tell stories and poems. In 1983, Anderson married Gregory H. Anderson, a business executive. One year later in 1984, she earned her bachelor's degree from Georgetown university in Washington D.C. Anderson has published many books for young adults and children. She has written in many different genres as well. Some of Anderson’s most well known books include "Speak", "Fever 1793", and "Catalyst". People appreciate her ability to capture the voices and attitudes of teenagers as they face personal problems in her books. In 2009, Anderson received the Margaret A. Edwards award for her contributions to young adult literature.
Judy Blume
Judy Blume is an American author.
Judy Blume was born on February 12, 1936 to Rudolph and Esther Sussman. She was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Blume graduated with honors from her high school, Battin, and went on to Boston University. She was forced to quit college after a year because of a disease that caused her to have too many large white blood cells. She then transferred to New York University where she graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science in early childhood education. She then had two children, Randy Lee and Lawrence Andrew. Many of her books are about the challenge pre-teens face when growing up in middle-class America.
Judy Blume has written many books, mostly focusing on middle-class children and the problems they face in their lives. Her most famous piece is "Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret". She started out writing books meant only for adults, such as "Wifey, Smart noen", and "Summer Sisters". As time passed, Blume began to write books for children, including:
Her books are published by Bradbury Press. Throughout her lifetime she has received many awards. Some of these include, the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Library of Congress Living Legends award.
Marissa Meyer
Marissa Meyer is well known for writing the Lunar Chronicles, which includes "Cinder", "Scarlet", and "Cress". These books have parts of well known fairy-tales, but she added her own twist. The Lunar Chronicle books were very successful, "Cinder," the first book in the series, made it onto the New York Times Best Sellers list. In November 2015, the fifth in the Lunar Chronicle series will be published, "Winter." Her most recently published book is "Fairest, "another book about fairytales. She even has many unfinished books lying around. She lives with her husband and three cats.
Marissa Meyer was born on February 19, 1984. She grew up in Tacoma, Washington. When Meyer was 14 years old, she was introduced to anime and fan fiction. She was very interested in it and completed 40 stories under the name Alicia Blade. These stories were published on Fanfiction.net. She also wrote a novelette called The "Phantom of Linkshire Manor". In 2007, the novelette was published in the "Bound in Skin" anthology.
Marissa Meyer went to Pacific Lutheran University, and got a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and children’s literature. At Pace University, she received her master’s degree in publishing. After she graduated, she became a book editor in Seattle. Later, she became a freelance typesetter and proofreader.
Tamora Pierce
Tamora Pierce is an American author. She was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania on December 13th, 1954. Tamora Pierce is the daughter of Wayne Pierce and Jacqueline Pierce, but her parents divorced. Her family moved from Pennsylvania to California many times. Tamora loved reading books as a child, and she started writing stories when she was in 6th grade. When she was a teenager, she stopped writing. One of her teachers motivated her to continue writing, and she started writing again as an adult.
Tamora Pierce mainly writes fantasy books, but sometimes historical books. She enjoys writing series because of how the reader gets to live along with the characters. She likes writing books for teenagers. Many of her books have been translated into German, Danish, and Spanish.
Tamora lives in New York, New York with her husband, 4 cats, parakeet, and sometimes rescued animals. She is interested in many topics which sometimes are included in her writing. Some topics she is interested in our culture, crime, wildlife, nature, historical events, and more.
Ally Carter
Ally Carter is an American author. She was born in Oklahoma in 1974.  She went to Oklahoma State University and Cornell University. Carter began writing at age 12. She published her first book in 2005, "Cheating at Solitaire". S. E. Hinton's "The Outsiders" made her interested in writing. Carter first was a screenwriter, then started writing novels. Some of her books were "My True Love Gave to Me", "Double Crossed", "Learning to Play Gin" and "Cheating At Solitaire". She also wrote two series, the Gallagher Girls Books and Heist Society Books. "All Fall Down" came out on January 20, 2015 to start her new series, "Embassy Row".
Carter writes about teenage spies and thieves. Her books have been sold in over 20 languages.  It takes her four to six weeks to write one story, but she spends much more time editing the stories. Her books have appeared on several best sellers lists, such as the New York Times, as well as sold over two million copies in the United States alone.
Hillsboro, West Virginia