Jason Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, National Book Award Honoree, a Kirkus Award winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors. The American Booksellers Association’s 2017 and 2018 spokesperson for Indies First, his many books include When I Was the Greatest, Boy in the Black Suit, All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely), As Brave as You, For Every One, the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu), and Long Way Down, which received both a Newbery Honor and a Printz Honor. He lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.

Ralph Fletcher has been a mentor to teachers and young writers everywhere. He frequently works with young writers in schools and speaks at education conferences in the U.S. and abroad, helping teachers find wiser ways of teaching writing. Ralph is the author of many bestselling teacher professional books. His most recent books are, Focus Lessons: How Photography Enhances the Teaching of Writing, and The Writing Teacher’s Companion: Cultivating Voice, Choice, Purpose, and Play. Students know Ralph as the award-winning author of more than 20 books for children and young adults, including Fig Pudding, Flying Solo, Twilight Comes Twice, The Writer’s Notebook, Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid, Also Known As Rowan Pohi, and Guy-Write: What Every Guy Writer Needs to Know.

Saint Mary's College of California, Moraga, CA

Adria Klein, Ph.D., is the Trainer and Director of the Reading Recovery Center at Saint Mary’s College of California. Dr. Klein is the co-author of many professional books and articles including Research in Reading Recovery, as well as many children's books. Her latest books are Meaningful Reading Assessment, and Small-Group Reading Instruction, part of the new PD Essentials series from Benchmark Education.

University of Albany, NY

Peter Johnston is Professor Emeritus in the Literacy Teaching and Learning Department at the University at Albany – State University of New York. His current research explores relationships among classroom talk, engagement, and children’s social, emotional and literate development. He has published over 80 scholarly articles and 13 books, some published in multiple languages. He is a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. His most recent book, co-authored with six classroom teachers, is Engaging Literate Minds: Developing children’s social, emotional, and intellectual lives, K-3.