Author Profiles

Ohio has a rich literary heritage as well as some wonderful contemporary authors. Learn more about them here! You can sort by various categories and see who has participated in our annual book festival by using the category search on the left, or search by keyword (including partial author names) by using the search field on the right.

  • You are searching within category(ies): Juvenile
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Photo of Katie Mazeika

Katie Mazeika

Katie Mazeika is an award-winning author and illustrator who can’t imagine a better job than making books. She loves creating stories based on real people and events. Katie is passionate about highlighting disabled voices in her work. She strongly believes all children should see themselves in books. Katie hopes her work as a creator and advocate creates a space to openly discuss disability and neurodiversity.…Read More

Katie Mazeika is an award-winning author and illustrator who can’t imagine a better job than making books. She loves creating stories based on real people and events. Katie is passionate about highlighting disabled voices in her work. She strongly believes all children should see themselves in books. Katie hopes her work as a creator and advocate creates a space to openly discuss disability and neurodiversity. She does this through presentations, panels, and workshops for educators, kidlit creators, and young readers. You can visit her online at http://www.katiemazeika.com.

Photo of T.L. McBeth

T.L. McBeth

T. L. McBeth was born in Findlay, Ohio. As a child, he grew up reading Dr. Seuss and H. A. & Margret Rey (although he mainly looked at the pictures). He studied illustration in college where he developed a love for expressive and minimal characters. In 2015, he moved to New York City to pursue an illustration career and he is currently lucky enough to illustrate picture books full time.…Read More

T. L. McBeth was born in Findlay, Ohio. As a child, he grew up reading Dr. Seuss and H. A. & Margret Rey (although he mainly looked at the pictures). He studied illustration in college where he developed a love for expressive and minimal characters. In 2015, he moved to New York City to pursue an illustration career and he is currently lucky enough to illustrate picture books full time. He now lives in Bloomington, Indiana and enjoys working from his small home studio in the middle of nowhere. When he does leave the house, he likes to watch the dogs in the neighborhood dog park and visit bookstores for inspiration. He is the illustrator of Stegothesaurus, Triceratopposite, Ogilvy, Ducks! and the Big Words Small Stories series, and the author/illustrator of Robot in Love, the Randy, the Badly Drawn Horse series, and I Am NOT the Easter Bunny!  T. L. was previously an artist-in-residence at Wetherby-Pembridge School New York. His work has been featured by Macmillan, Scholastic, Penguin Random House, Threadless, McDonald’s, TODAY, The Wall Street Journal, the Society of Illustrators and is part of the permanent collection of the Mazza Museum.

Photo of Delores L. McCollum

Delores L. McCollum

NATIVE OF Ann Arbor, Michigan RESIDENT OF Cleveland, Ohio   EDUCATION John F. Kennedy High School – Cleveland, Ohio Spelman College – Atlanta, Georgia – BA/History 3rd of Five Generations of Spelman Graduates Cleveland State University – Cleveland, Ohio – MA/History   CAREER Social Studies Teacher – Grades 7-12 – Public Schools of Cleveland – 27½ Years Mentor – High School Teachers New to the Profession – Public Schools of Cleveland – 4 Years Adjunct Instructor – Ursuline College – Pepper Pike, Ohio – 2 Semesters Masters Apprentice Program – Teacher Candidates Field Supervisor – Cleveland State University – Cleveland, Ohio – 2 Semesters – Pre-Service Teachers Consultant/Presenter – Successful Classroom Management LLC   AUTHOR/CO-AUTHOR IF  .…Read More

NATIVE OF

Ann Arbor, Michigan

RESIDENT OF

Cleveland, Ohio

 

EDUCATION

John F. Kennedy High School – Cleveland, Ohio

Spelman College – Atlanta, Georgia – BA/History

3rd of Five Generations of Spelman Graduates

Cleveland State University – Cleveland, Ohio – MA/History

 

CAREER

Social Studies Teacher – Grades 7-12 – Public Schools of Cleveland – 27½ Years

Mentor – High School Teachers New to the Profession – Public Schools of Cleveland – 4 Years

Adjunct Instructor – Ursuline College – Pepper Pike, Ohio – 2 Semesters

Masters Apprentice Program – Teacher Candidates

Field Supervisor – Cleveland State University – Cleveland, Ohio – 2 Semesters – Pre-Service Teachers

Consultant/Presenter – Successful Classroom Management LLC

 

AUTHOR/CO-AUTHOR

IF  . . . Bible Stories Were Reported in Today’s Headlines

Your First 30 Minutes – The ABC’s of Successful Classroom Management (Red Ribbon Edition)

Do You Know?  A Survey of the Black Experience in America

 

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Member – Teacher Education Curriculum Re-design/CREATE Team of Cleveland State University  2011-2012

Member – The City Club of Cleveland

Creator – Release Your Power:  VOTE!® – A Voter Awareness & Education Project

Founder – Successful Classroom Management Initiative®

Creator – Happy Birthday Dr. King!” © Birthday Card Contest

Founder – The Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Breakfast Celebration – Cleveland, Ohio

Volunteer – Election Protection Initiative – Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

Volunteer – Food Bank Ministry – Bethany Baptist Church – Cleveland, Ohio

Volunteer (former) – Food Bank Ministry – Forest Hill Presbyterian Church – Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Volunteer – Stop the Hate® Essay Reader – Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage – Beachwood, Ohio

Proponent Testimony – The Education Committee of the Ohio House of Representatives

At the Invitation of The (late) Honorable Claudette J. Woodard – Bill to create “Teacher Appreciation Day”

 

HONORS, AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Woman of Excellence Award from the Great Lakes Region of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Community Leadership Honoree – Beth-el AME Zion Church – Cleveland, Ohio

“In the Footsteps of Dr. King” Honoree – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Scholarship Committee –

Cleveland, Ohio

Delores L. McCollum Scholarship – Established by the MLK Holiday Scholarship Committee – Cleveland, Ohio

Citation Award Honoree – Alpha Xi Chapter of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc.

Educational Excellence Award – Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission

Community Service Award – Eta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. – Gamma Chapter

Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers®

Fulbright Scholar – The State of Israel

Armonk Scholar – Federal Republic of Germany

Letter of Commendation – The (late) Honorable Louis Stokes – Member of the United States Congress

Outstanding Young Woman of America®

Photo of Yolanda McElroy

Yolanda McElroy

Yolanda McElroy is an Ohio native and a graduate of the Ohio State University. She is the owner and founder of MochaPrism LLC, a publishing company which features a diverse mix of children of color as primary characters within fun, fictional stories for young people. She is glad that you found her work! Yolanda is available for author days and school visits.…Read More

Yolanda McElroy is an Ohio native and a graduate of the Ohio State University. She is the owner and founder of MochaPrism LLC, a publishing company which features a diverse mix of children of color as primary characters within fun, fictional stories for young people. She is glad that you found her work! Yolanda is available for author days and school visits. Books are available for purchase at Amazon.com and MochaPrism.com.

Photo of Leticia McKnight

Leticia McKnight

Leticia McKnight has a life full of joys and blessings. She shares her life with her husband, Brian L. McKnight. Her family includes her children, Gabriella, Alyssa, Dalton and Hannah. Her love continues to flourish as they grow their families with great partners, and she gets to enjoy being Amá to beautiful grandchildren. Her family fur babies include Gracie (Pom-Poodle), Tito (Chihuahua), Sage (Domestic Shorthair), Camila (American Siamese) and the late Topaz (American Siamese).…Read More

Leticia McKnight has a life full of joys and blessings. She shares her life with her husband, Brian L. McKnight. Her family includes her children, Gabriella, Alyssa, Dalton and Hannah. Her love continues to flourish as they grow their families with great partners, and she gets to enjoy being Amá to beautiful grandchildren. Her family fur babies include Gracie (Pom-Poodle), Tito (Chihuahua), Sage (Domestic Shorthair), Camila (American Siamese) and the late Topaz (American Siamese). Leticia enjoys traveling the world, lounging by the pool, and spending time with family and friends. Mrs. McKnight served in the United States Air Force, 1994-1998. She worked in the information technology industry for many years until she returned to college to pursue her degree in Education. She graduated from Wright-State University for both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Middle Childhood Education. She has spent most of her career teaching middle school math. She is a service and support-minded leader and loves inspiring others to find the best versions of themselves, which led her to pursue her Principal’s License at the University of Dayton in 2022. Her work passions include STEM learning, and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging practices. Reading and writing have become a later-in-life passion for Leticia. With all her experiences, and the joy of listening to the stories, fantasies, and imaginations of others the time was right to step into the role of an author. Settling into her writing era, Mrs. McKnight has been enjoying learning and navigating the book-loving space. She is thrilled to connect, collaborate, and inspire others of literary joys.

Photo of Karen Meyer

Karen Meyer

Karen Meyer has authored seven historical novels for middle grade readers. She weaves real pioneers and events into an exciting story. Her passion for history began in her school days with field trips to Ohio’s historical sites. She became an Air Force wife and lived in places as far away as Labrador over the course of nine years.…Read More
Karen Meyer has authored seven historical novels for middle grade readers. She weaves real pioneers and events into an exciting story. Her passion for history began in her school days with field trips to Ohio’s historical sites. She became an Air Force wife and lived in places as far away as Labrador over the course of nine years. Seeing new lands gave her a window on regional and national differences, and confirmed an appreciation for her own Ohio roots. She and her husband settled and raised their family in central Ohio. Karen now visits classrooms and retirement centers in costume as Grandma Sarah, one of the characters in her first two novels. This living history presentation often includes mixing up a batch of lye soap, helping participants learn how the early settlers survived on the frontier.
Photo of Mark Miesse

Mark Miesse

Mark Miesse is an up and coming author with a current focus on children’s poetry. His poetry is focused around younger children up to the tween years. The majority of his poetry is inspired by the likes of his own children and some of the goofy parenting sayings that he has most likely annoyed his children with through out the years.…Read More

Mark Miesse is an up and coming author with a current focus on children’s poetry. His poetry is focused around younger children up to the tween years. The majority of his poetry is inspired by the likes of his own children and some of the goofy parenting sayings that he has most likely annoyed his children with through out the years. Mark currently lives in Medway, Ohio. He was born a buckeye and has been his only place called home.

Photo of Brandon Marie Miller

Brandon Marie Miller

Brandon Marie Miller earned her degree in American History from Purdue University. She writes about famous people and common folk, about great events and everyday life. Her award-winning books for young people have been honored by the International Reading Association, the National Council for the Social Studies, the American Library Association, the Society of School Librarians International, Voice of Youth Advocates, Bank Street College, the Junior Library Guild, the New York Public Library and the Chicago Public Library, among others.…Read More

Brandon Marie Miller earned her degree in American History from Purdue University. She writes about famous people and common folk, about great events and everyday life. Her award-winning books for young people have been honored by the International Reading Association, the National Council for the Social Studies, the American Library Association, the Society of School Librarians International, Voice of Youth Advocates, Bank Street College, the Junior Library Guild, the New York Public Library and the Chicago Public Library, among others.
Brandon encourages readers to think of history as the greatest story of all. Fiction has nothing on history for tales of courage, sacrifice, redemption, cruelty and betrayal. As a writer of history Brandon aims to inspire readers with stories of people who have struggled, overcome great odds, and made a contribution to our human spirit. It’s no coincidence that “story” is right there in the word history!
Born and raised in Illinois, Brandon lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. When not researching and writing, she loves to read biographies and murder mysteries, travel, play games, attend the ballet, watch sports and old movies from the 1930s and 1940s, and enjoy great conversation. She includes her middle name on all her books so people know she is a girl named “Brandon”
Find out more:
http://www.brandonmariemiller.com
http://hands-on-books.blogspot.com

Photo of Jeff Miller

Jeff Miller

Jeff Miller is a middle-grade author and former camp counselor originally from Kent, Ohio. He loves snow, coffee, and visiting schools to connect with young readers. His mom, a 2018 heart transplant recipient, has always inspired him to face life with humor and heart. He is the author of The Nerdy Dozen series, middle-grade books about video games, friendship, top-secret aircrafts, positivity, and ostriches.…Read More

Jeff Miller is a middle-grade author and former camp counselor originally from Kent, Ohio. He loves snow, coffee, and visiting schools to connect with young readers. His mom, a 2018 heart transplant recipient, has always inspired him to face life with humor and heart. He is the author of The Nerdy Dozen series, middle-grade books about video games, friendship, top-secret aircrafts, positivity, and ostriches. His latest middle-grade novel, Rare Birds, is authentically inspired by his personal experience of living through his own parent’s heart transplant. Miller currently lives in Chicago, where he keeps asking his cats for writing advice. Learn more at his website: https://www.jeffmillerbooks.com/

Sophie Miller

Sophie Miller is a New York Times Bestselling author and mixed-media artist, originally from Yorkshire, England. She has a BA in Textiles. She likes to write, walk, garden and visit the library with her kids. She now lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband Andy J. Pizza. She can be found on instagram (@thethreadhouse).Read More

Sophie Miller is a New York Times Bestselling author and mixed-media artist, originally from Yorkshire, England. She has a BA in Textiles. She likes to write, walk, garden and visit the library with her kids. She now lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband Andy J. Pizza. She can be found on instagram (@thethreadhouse).

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