Winter Warmer: How to Spice Up your Literacy Lessons in the Classroom

Jon McGoran has written six thrillers for adults, including the D. H. Dublin series. Spliced, the first book in his YA Spliced series, was named to ALA's 2018 LITA Excellence in Children's and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable List and to the American Bookseller's Association's 2017 ABC Best Books for Young Readers.(Google Books)

Paul Czajak got an 'F' with the words "get a tutor" on his college writing paper and after that, never thought he'd become a writer. But after spending twenty years as a chemist, he knew his creativity could no longer be contained. Living in Massachusetts with his wife, and two little monsters, Paul has rediscovered his passion for writing and looks forward to sharing his stories for years to come. (Amazon.com)

Laurie Morrison taught middle school English for ten years and now writes middle grade novels. She is the co-author of Every Shiny Thing and the author of Up for Air, which earned starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly and was a Junior Library Guild Selection, a Publishers Weekly Best Summer Read, and an Amazon Prime Book Box pick. Laurie’s third novel is due out from Abrams in spring 2021. She holds a BA in English from Haverford College; an MA in Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of English from The University of Arizona; and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives with her family in Philadelphia. (lauriemorrisonwrites.com)

Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark’s debut picture book, ADA BYRON LOVELACE AND THE THINKING MACHINE (Creston Books, 2015), received four starred trade reviews (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and School Library Journal) and many national awards including Outstanding Science Trade Book and Cook Prize Honor Book. Her picture book biography, GRACE HOPPER: QUEEN OF COMPUTER CODE (Sterling Children’s Books, 2017), earned a Kirkus star, is a Parents’ Choice Gold Medal winner, and is on several public libraries’ “best of” lists, including New York. Her next book, HEDY LAMARR’S DOUBLE LIFE (Sterling Children’s Books), releases in February 2019. Laurie has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from VCFA. When not writing, she teaches computer science at Raritan Valley Community College. You can find Laurie on the Web at www.lauriewallmark.com and @lauriewallmark. (Goodreads.com)