Carole Vogel

 Carole Vogel is the award-winning author of 25 nonfiction books for children and young adults. Fascinated by the power of nature, she conveys her passion for unusual geological and meteorological events in Shock Waves Through Los Angeles; The Great Midwest Flood; and  Nature's Fury: Eyewitness Reports of Natural Disasters, the last of which was chosen the 2001 Boston Authors Club Book of the Year.

Michael Tougias

Michael Tougias pronounced "Toe - gis" is a lecturer and author of 16 books.  His latest book, Ten Hours Until Dawn: The True Story of Heroism and Tragedy Aboard the Can Do is a Boston Globe Bestseller.  Ten Hours Until Dawn was also selected by the American Library Association as one of the "Top Books of the Year" and described as "a white-knuckle read, the best book of its kind".

http://www.michaeltougias.com/index.html

Anna Alter

With a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design, Anna Alter entered into her career in children’s publishing at Houghton Mifflin where she worked in the children’s book design department. Three years later she began a freelance career as an author and an illustrator. Her first picture book, Estelle and Lucy, was published in 2001.

http://www.annaalter.com

Mitali Bose Perkins

Mitali Bose Perkins was born in Kolkata, India, and immigrated to the United States with her parents. Mitali, whose name means "friendly," studied Political Science at Stanford University and Public Policy at U.C. Berkeley. Now Mitali writes books for young readers and loves to discuss how stories help us keep our balance, especially when we're caught between cultures. Her books include The Not So-Star- Spangled Life of Sunita Sen, Monsoon Summer and Rickshaw Girl.

http://www.mitaliperkins.com

Beatrice Gormley

Beatrice Gormley has appeared on C-Span 2's BookTV, Fox News, and a number of local TV shows about children's books. Interviews with her have appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and many other newspapers. Author of many popular fiction and nonfiction books for young readers, Beatrice Gormley’s titles include: Julius Caesar: Young Statesman, C.S. Lewis: The Man Behind Narnia, Back to the Day Lincoln Was Shot! and her newest book Salome.

http://www.beatricegormley.com/index.htm

Mary Newell DePalma

Mary Newell DePalma is the author/illustrator of a number of well reviewed and award winning books, most recently The Strange Egg and A Grand Old Tree. She shares a sense of wonder and curiosity with her young audience. Her mixed media art starts with watercolors and tissue paper. Other books she has illustrated include Knock! Knock! by Jan Wahl and My Chair by Betsy James.

http://www.marynewelldepalma.com

Gail Gauthier

Gail Gauthier is an author of books for middle school age children. including Happy Kid! Her latest book A Girl, A Boy and a Monster Cat was released in June. She was born and grew up in Vermont, the setting for two of her books. One of her Vermont novels, The Hero of Ticonderoga was an ALA Notable Book in 2002 and a Scholastic Book Club selection. 

http://www.gailgauthier.com

David Biedrzycki

David Biedrzycki has been creating illustrations for book publishers, advertising agencies, magazines, and design firms since 1980. He is the author and illustrator of Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective, Biedrzycki also has illustrated Dory Story and Beetle Alphabet Book and several other children’s books with author Jerry Pallotta.

http://www.davidbiedrzycki.com/authorillustrator.htm

Marcella Pixley

Marcella Pixley teaches eighth grade English Language Arts in Carlisle. Her poetry has been published in literary journals such as Prairie Schooner, and she has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her riveting first novel, Freak, introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine, an outsider who dares to confront the rigid conformity of junior high, and in the process manages not only to save herself but to inspire and transform others.

And Finally…A Special Guest…

Today, Emily Elizabeth Bridwell Merz -- lives in Massachusetts, has her own daughter, and a poodle named Riley. Asked what it was like to have been the model for an imaginary girl known to millions of children, she says, "I don't remember the point at which I recognized that the girl in the book was actually myself. It was just a given that that's me in the book. It's a unique place to have."  As for the hero, she says, "The whole spirit of Clifford is born out of my father's sense of humor, which I always appreciated while growing up. To me, Clifford is sort of an extension of my dad, and for that I have a great deal of love for the character."