Authors in Forthcoming Volumes

Below are some of the authors and illustrators that will be featured in upcoming volumes of SATA. These include new entries on the swiftly rising stars of the field, as well as completely revised and updated entries (indicated with *) on some of the most notable and best-loved creators of books for children.

Marsha Wilson Chall Chall's picture books have earned praise for their warmth and charm, as well as for their incorporation of the kinds of details often left out of books for young readers. Her time and dedication to capturing just the right tone and turn of phrase are evident in tales such as Bonaparte and Sugarbush Spring. Her whimsical stories target the complex, and are adjusted to seem simple and essential.

*Theodore Mark Gottfried Gottfried tackles some of the most controversial issues in modern life, including the death penalty, teen parenthood, the legalization of drugs, pornography, and homelessness. His younger readers are drawn to him because, rather than impose his views on them, he allows readers to reach their own conclusions. His most recent work, The Quest for Peace: A History of Anti-War Movements in America, should prove to be yet another excellent source for students and adults alike.

Sue Heap Heap emerged in the 1990s as one of Great Britain's best-known and busiest illustrators. In America, Heap is known primarily as the author/illustrator of the award-winning Cowboy Baby and its sequel, but her list of British publications is long and plentiful. Four Friends Together, a 2003 self-illustrated publication, received high praise from critics, and was quickly followed with Four Friends in the Garden.

*Angela Johnson Johnson is the winner of a 2003 MacArthur Foundation "genius grant," a half-million-dollar prize awarded to a select few individuals in the arts and sciences who are thought to be making unique contributions to the betterment of society. In Johnson's case, the award recognizes her ability to craft sensitive children's books about African-American family life and the wider issues of growing up in the modern world. Both of these talents are illustrated beautifully in Do Like Kyla, a story about a young girl who imitates her sister.

*Janet Taylor Lisle Lisle, author of young adult and juvenile novels, explores the relationships and boundaries between the miraculous and the everyday. Blending humor and realistic character development, she creates worlds full of both fantasy and fact. The Crying Rocks, a story about thirteen-year-old Joelle's search for her origins, was hailed by critics from Horn Book and Booklist.

*Jane O'Connor Specializing in beginning readers with imaginative plots--reflected in such titles as Lulu and the Witch Baby and The Ghost in Tent Nineteen--O'Connor encourages students in the early grades to build their reading confidence. Through her imaginative works, she teaches children that reading is fun. O'Connor's most recent work, The Emperor's Silent Army: Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China landed the Orbis Honro Book award in 2002.

*Marcus Pfister Pfister is the popular and prolific creator of warm, gentle works that are credited for their sensitive depictions of emotion and for their distinctive, eye-catching illustrations. The Swiss born author/illustrator is also an editor of picture books and board books for preschoolers and early primary graders. Pfister's successes include the "Hopper" and "Rainbow Fish" series.

*Philip (Nicholas) Pullman Pullman received the Whitbread Book of the Year Award in 2001 for The Amber Spyglass, as a testimony to his skills as a writer. The author of fiction, nonfiction, and picture books as well as a playwright and reteller, he is best known for writing fantasy and historical fiction for young adults and for primary and middle graders. His 2003 work, Lyra's Oxford is the fourth volume in the critically praised "His Dark Materials" series.

*Robert (Edward) Swindells Swindells, a popular English novelist for children and young adults, is perhaps best known for Brother in the Land, the story of a boy's struggle for survival after a nuclear holocaust. He is the recipient of both the prestigious Carnegie Medal Award and the Children's Book Award. His energy and narrative style combine to make reading his works a great pleasure and pastime for all ages.

*Erica Tamar Tamar's young adult books seek out the truth in day-to-day common misconceptions of life. Credited with over ten various children's book awards, she is fast becoming a name to be reckoned with in the publishing world. Most recently, Tamar's successes include Venus and the Comets, a story about a child model who wants more out of life.