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): Middle Grade
Dustin Brady
Dustin Brady writes funny, action-packed books for kids. Although he regularly gets locked out of his own accounts for forgetting passwords, Dustin still remembers the Super Mario Bros. 3 Game Genie code for infinite lives (it’s SLXPLOVS). Dustin lives in Strongsville, Ohio, with his wife, kids, and a small dog named Nugget.
Echo Brown
Echo Brown is the award-winning author of Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard, which was named a William C. Morris Award Finalist, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, a New York Public Library Best Book of the Year, a CCBC Choice Title, and a Rise: A Feminist Book Project Selection, among other honors. A performer and playwright, Echo created the acclaimed one-woman show Black Virgins Are Not for Hipsters. She is a Dartmouth alumna and the first female college graduate in her family. Learn more at: https://www.echobrown.com/
Gary Buettner
From Gary himself: “Who writes this stuff? Me. My name is Gary Buettner (Bit-ner) and I’ve been writing spooky stories since junior high, but I’ve been making up my own superheroes and stories since I was a little kid. Once, I even won a ten-speed bike by making up my own superhero for a contest on the back of a cereal box! I studied creative writing in college at Indiana University where I won a couple awards for my stories. I love everything about Halloween and sometimes I like to make stuffed toy monsters. When I was thinking about new monsters to make, I drew a picture of Frankenstein’s goldfish. Before I had a chance to sew it, I started wondering who would take care of such a crazy fish and the idea of a paranormal petsitter was born. I have four kids and I live with my family in Indiana. In fact, Mina from Monster Pets is named after my oldest daughter, Mina.”
Check out his website: https://gbuettner.wixsite.com/monsterpetsbooks
Tamara Bundy
Tamara Bundy, a graduate of the Ohio State University, is a former columnist for the Cincinnati Post. She teaches English at Miami University where she received her Master’s Degree. Tamara is the author or co-author of seven non-fiction books. Her middle grade novel, Walking with Miss Millie (Nancy Paulsen/Penguin) won several awards including the Ohioana Award for Middle Grade/Young Adult Fiction and has landed on many state reading lists. Her second middle grade novel, Pixie Pushes On recently released from Paulsen/Penguin. Bundy’s debut picture book, Lullaby Prayer, releases in November 2020 by Harper Collins Christian.
Marcy Campbell
Marcy Campbell is an author of picture books and middle-grade novels, which have earned praise from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, School Library Review, The Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, and many others. She is the recipient of multiple book awards, including the Ohioana Award for Juvenile Literature. Her picture books have been selected for the Junior Library Guild and named a Best Children’s Book of the Year by Bank Street College and National Public Radio. Her debut middle-grade novel, Rule of Threes, was selected by the State Library of Ohio for the Choose to Read Ohio list for 2023-2024. Marcy’s books have been translated into eight languages. She lives in Ohio with her family and multiple furry and feathered companions. Visit her at marcycampbell.com.
Alejandra Campos
With Chinese, Panamanian, and Salvadorian heritage, Alejandra Campos is a Hispanic voice like no other. Her polemic views on the subject of migration are a direct result of her personal experiences while living in El Salvador (one of the most violent countries in the Americas), Mexico, and the U.S.A. Traveling the world from a very young age, Alejandra settled in the United States and eventually became a naturalized citizen. Although her legal status has always been legitimate, her “adventures” in this country have mirrored those of illegal aliens in many ways. Alejandra’s outstanding academic background includes an Industrial Engineering degree, a M.S. in Food Science, and multiple academic awards. For more, visit amazon.com/Alejandra-Campos
Mary Kay Carson
Mary Kay Carson is the author of more than fifty nonfiction books for young people about wildlife, space, weather, nature, and history. After studying biology in college, and a stint in the Peace Corps, she began her writing career working on the classroom magazine SuperScience at Scholastic in NYC. Her books have received more than a dozen starred reviews, as well as multiple awards, including the 2019 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books and the 2023 Giverny Award for Best Children’s Science Picture Book. She also gives presentations at schools and libraries. http://www.marykaycarson.com.
Craig M. Chavis , Jr.
Craig M. Chavis Jr. is an award-winning author and interdisciplinary coach on a mission to help entrepreneurs discover, embrace, and transform their purpose into profits. At the core of Craig’s coaching philosophy lies the mantra – Become the Entrepreneur of Your Life. Through this lens, he coaches through an alternative and holistic perspective cultivated from over a decade of first-hand experience launching and managing multiple businesses in Ghana, Costa Rica, Peru, and the United States of America. He is a serial entrepreneur, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, a former division-1 collegiate athlete, and received his BSBA from Samford University and MBA from the University of Tampa. Craig is also a super foodie, world traveler, lifelong learner, and currently resides in Columbus, OH.
Kara H.L. Chen
Kara H.L. Chen is a Taiwanese American writer who received her MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College. She is the author of LOVE & RESISTANCE (Quill Tree/Harper Collins, 2023) and ASKING FOR A FRIEND (Quill Tree/HarperCollins, 7/23/24). She grew up in Ohio but now lives with her husband and two daughters in Northern California. She can be found online at karahlchen.com.