David LaRochelle has been creating books for young people for over thirty years. First and second grade students at North Creek Elementary were delighted by his many picture book and early reader titles, including The Best Pet of All, How Martha Saved Her Parents from Green Beans, See the Cat: Three Stories about a Dog, and Moo! Mr. LaRochelle is the recipient of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, the Sid Fleischman Humor Award, and multiple children’s choice awards.When he is not creating new books, he loves to go geocaching, play board games, and carve unique jack-o’-lanterns. He lives in White Bear Lake, MN. Learn more on David's website.

Naomi Shihab Nye is a poet and author of more than 30 works for children, teens, and adults and was honored as the 2019-21 Young People’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. Amongst many other honors, her 2002 poetry collection 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East was a finalist for the National Book Award. South Meadows students read some of Ms. Nye’s more recent works for children, including the novels Turtle of Oman and Turtle of Michigan, and the poetry collections Cast Away and Everything Comes Next. Ms. Nye travels to Chelsea from Texas, and previously she has also called St. Louis and Jerusalem “home.” Sample some of Ms. Nye's work via her page on the Poetry Foundation.

Pablo Cartaya is an internationally acclaimed author, screenwriter, speaker, and educator. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, and NBC. Mr. Cartaya has worked with Disney, Apple+, and Sesame Street on projects adapted from television series and movies. He has taught creative writing workshops and spoken at various universities and conferences throughout the world. He calls Miami home and Cuban-American his cultura. The Beach 6th graders read The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, which was a 2018 Pura Belpré Honor book for outstanding youth literature as written by a Latino/Latina author. Catch up with his latest works on his website.

Theanne Griffith is a neuroscientist and the author of the STEM-themed chapter books series The Magnificent Makers, which the 1st and 2nd graders at North Creek Elementary read. Since she was a little girl, Dr. Griffith has loved both storytelling and science. Her books blend these two passions, taking young readers on out-of-this-world adventures they'll never forget. She also co-writes the new nonfiction series Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files. Dr. Griffith earned her doctorate in neuroscience from Northwestern University and is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of California Davis. Learn more about The Magnificent Makers books, including fun science activities to try, here.

James Buckley, Jr. is the author of hundreds of nonfiction and sports books for kids of all ages. South Meadows students were excited to see he has written for beloved series such as the New York Times' bestselling Who Was biography series and DK Life Stories, and is the producer of Scholastic's annual publication Year in Sports. JB's most recent work involves the new graphic novel biography series Show Me History. His career began with Sports Illustrated and NFL Publishing, where he wrote numerous kids books about the league before starting his own book-production company. Check out his full publication list on his website.

Sixth graders at Beach Middle School read Katherine Arden‘s first book in her middle grade horror quartet, Small Spaces, in preparation for her visit. Ms. Arden is also the critically acclaimed author of the Winternight trilogy series for adults, which was nominated multiple times for Hugo and Locus Awards. Her works focus on the fine line between fairy tale and real life, storytelling and downright scary. She lives in Vermont with a dog named Moose. Learn more about Ms. Arden on her website.

Alyssa Satin Capucilli is the author of over 100 books for young readers including Biscuit, the popular bestseller used to launch the My First I Can Read series from HarperCollins. Once a professional dancer, Alyssa’s love of dance is embodied in her series Katy Duck. Alyssa is the recipient of numerous awards including the Washington Irving Award, the Garden State Award, the Bank Street College Best Book Award, the Oppenheim Portfolio Gold Award, and the American Library Association Award. Find out more by visiting Alyssa's website. For the first time, Kindergarten and Young 5's students were included in Authors in Chelsea, along with the 1st and 2nd graders at North Creek Elementary. They watched a pre-recorded presentation from Alyssa, followed by a live Q&A session for each classroom!

Kirby Larson Zoomed into South Meadows Elementary School to give presentations to all students in grades 3–5, while 6th graders at Beach Middle School  watched a pre-recorded interview. Kirby focuses on historical fiction and has written more than 25 books for children and teens including the 2007 Newbery Honor Book, Hattie Big Sky. Some of her other books include Dash (recipient of the Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Prize), Duke, Liberty, and Code Word Courage from the Dogs of WWII series; Audacity Jones to the Rescue; and Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle. When she’s not traveling the world in search of a new story to tell, Kirby calls Kenmore, Washington, home. More information about Kirby can be found here.

Dori Hillestad Butler, writer of children’s fiction and the 2011 winner of the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery, has written more than 50 books for children and young adults as well as ghost written for the classic series Sweet Valley High and The Boxcar Children. Her best known work is her early chapter book series, The Buddy Files, a mystery series told from the unique perspective of Buddy the Dog. Dori visited Authors in Chelsea in 2013 and has since written two more series, the Haunted Library and King & Kayla, that will be read by first and second grade students at North Creek Elementary. Find out more about Dori by visiting her website.

Cynthia Lord will be visiting all students in grades 3-5 at South Meadows Elementary. Cynthia is the author of four middle grade novels as well as several series for younger readers. Her novel Rules received a Newbery Honor Medal, the Schneider Family Book Award, and seven state awards, including the Mitten Award in Michigan. As a former teacher, Cynthia knows what it takes to engage and delight students. Her books are full of inspiring characters who don’t always get it right the first time, just like real kids, and her love of animals shines through in many of her stories. More information about Cynthia can be found here.

Shelley Pearsall visted Beach Middle School to talk to sixth grade students and lead writing workshops. Shelley is the author of six inspiring and thought-provoking novels for middle grade and teen readers. Prior to becoming a full-time author, Shelley was a teacher in the public schools, as well as working in the education departments of several parks and history museums where she created museum theater programs. Shelley’s first book, Trouble Don’t Last, was published in 2002 and received the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. All of the Above and The Seventh Most Important Thing are ALA Notable Books. Visit Shelley’s website to learn more about her work.

Together, painter and photographer Rick Lieder and author Helen Frost have created a series of picture books that read– and look– like poetry. Step Gently Out, Wake Up, Among a Thousand Fireflies, and Sweep Up the Sun invite readers to explore the natural world. Separately, Rick's art has appeared on numerous award-winning novels, and his firefly film-making was featured in the 2016 PBS NOVA program Creatures of Light, produced by National Geographic Television, while Helen is the author of several books for older readers, including Diamond Willow and Keesha’s House, selected an Honor Book for the Michael L. Printz Award. Explore their works on Rick's website, or view teaching ideas from Helen here.

Michael Buckley is the author of the New York Times best-selling series The Sisters Grimm and several other works for middle grade and young adult readers. Sister Grimm takes traditional fairy tale stories and characters and twists them into modern adventures, and it’s been featured on various “best-of” lists from the New York Public Library, Washington Post, USA Today, and many other organizations. Along the way to becoming an author, Michael interned for the David Letterman Show and developed and wrote shows for Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Discovery Channel. Learn more about Michael's work on his website.

Nora Raleigh Baskin is the author of thirteen novels for young readers. Her books have won several awards, including the 2010 ALA Schneider Family Book Award for Anything But Typical. Sixth graders at Beach Middle School will be reading Nora's latest novel, Nine/Ten: A 9/11 Story, which follows four kids from different parts of the country whose lives are impacted by the events of 9/11. Nora has also taught creative writing to children and adults for more than fifteen years. She lives in Connecticut with her family. Teacher guides to Nora's books are available online here.

Jennifer Jacobson is the author of the Andy Shane beginner chapter book series and will be visiting 1st and 2nd grade students at North Creek Elementary. She also writes novels for tween and teen readers, and is a writer's workshop consultant for educators. Find more information about Jennifer's books on her website.

Did you know that Gordon Korman had his first book published by Scholastic when he was still in high school!? Gordon has written more than 75 books, many of which are best-sellers, and will be visiting all students at South Meadows Elementary. Explore Gordon's books, check out his blog.

Gary Schmidt will be returning to Chelsea for his second visit! Gary is the two-time Newbery Honor-winning author of The Wednesday Wars, Orbiting Jupiter, Okay for Now, and Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, plus many others. He'll be speaking to and leading writing workshops for 6th grade students at Beach Middle School. View interviews with Gary and download teacher resources on his website.

Nancy is a local author from Ann Arbor who knows what kids like: Laugh-out-loud animal rhymes! She created the infectious characters of Sheep in a Jeep fame during a long road trip with her family, composing goofy rhymes to entertain her children. North Creek Elementary School students read this and several other rhyming stories, including Sheep on a Ship and Raccoon Tune, and learned about find writing inspiration in their everyday lives. Nancy's books have been selected for honors such as Parents magazine Best Kids' Books of the Year, School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, and the Horn Book Fanfare distinction. Learn more about Nancy by visiting her website.

Johnathan has written more than 75 books and has visited over 1500 schools and libraries in the US, Canada, and Europe. His book series include the incredibly popular Michigan Chillers, American Chillers, and Freddie Fernortner, Fearless First Grader. When not traveling, Rand lives in northern Michigan with his wife and three dogs. His funny, engaging speaking style has earned him the position as one of the most sought-after school speakers in the country. Johnathan Rand's message is simple: Reading and writing are the keys that will unlock success in every aspect of life for everyone! Johnathan will visited South Meadows Elementary School. Visit the American Chillers website for more information about Johnathan Rand.

Gary takes writing very seriously, so much so that he actually uses a typewriter to create all of his novels. He is a professor English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He received both a Newbery Honor and a Printz Honor for Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy and a Newbery Honor for The Wednesday Wars. He lives with his family on a 150-year-old farm in Alto, Michigan, where he splits wood, plants gardens, writes, and feeds the wild cats that drop by. Gary visited Beach Middle School. Learn more about Gary and his books by visiting his website.

Dan Yaccarino is the author and illustrator of the beloved children's books Doug Unplugged, Doug Unplugs on the Farm, and many others. His bold illustration style can also be seen in children's television shows such as The Backyardigans and Oswald. Discover all of Dan's projects on his blog. North Creek Elementary School students read several of Dan's picture books and learned how he fulfilled his dream of becoming a writer through presentations filled with illustration and animation.

Ruth McNally Barshaw and written and illustration six novels for the Ellie McDoodle Diaries series and is now creating picture books. She and her husband travel widely, teaching writing and story-creation workshops to kids and teachers. Barshaw is a life-long writer and artist, and lives in Lansing, Michigan, with her family. Her program for 3rd-5th graders at South Meadows combined humor and drawing for a look at how the important of journaling and how it can benefit young writers. Visit Ruth's website here.

William Durbin lives at the edge of Minnesota's Boundary Water Canoe Area. Much of his historical fiction is closely based on journals, letters, diaries, and original period documents. His books are about high adventures, and include The Broken Blade, Song of Sampo Lake, and Blackwater Ben. Beach Middle School sixth graders met William and read The Broken Blade, about a young voyageur who joins the North West Company to take the place of his injured father. On William's website, teachers and parents will find a huge list of resources for students wishing to dive into the facts behind his historical fiction books.