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.
*Aliki Brandenberg
Versatile and varied author-illustrator Aliki has tallied over one hundred and twenty titles since she began writing and illustrating children's books over forty years ago. Considered a staple author of books for preschool to middle-grade readers, her nonfiction resume contains a number of popular titles about dinosaurs, fossils, and others on basic concepts of the sciences. Recently she has penned well-received titles on the arts, two being William Shakespeare and the Globe and Ah, Music!. The newest Aliki title, A Play's the Thing, continues the theme.
*Charles de Lint
Dutch-born Canadian author Charles de Lint, winner of the 2000 World Fantasy Award, brings forth his craft through novel, novella, and short-story, like many writers of fantasy fiction. De Lint, however, has set himself apart from the crowd using a self-described "organic" style to convey more contemporary-feeling fantasy worlds, melding the world of magic with modern landscapes. In de Lint's 2003 novel Spirits in the Wires, the digital world provides an actual setting for its characters; cyberspace is used as a fantasy realm.
Frances O'Roark Dowell
Dowell burst onto the scene of young adult literature in 2000 with her first novel, Dovey Coe, which won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Juvenile Novel and the William Allen White Award. Dowell quickly followed this historical novel with two set in the present, Where I'd Like to Be and The Secret Language of Girls. A former co-publisher of Dream/Girl magazine, Dowell is often praised for her ability to create realistic characters to whom readers can easily relate.
E.R. Frank
E. R. Frank has written four novels for young adults. Many of her books' topics and themes share ties with the content of her career as a social worker and psychologist, addressing difficult and sometimes controversial issues. In Life Is Funny, America, Friction, and Wave, Frank brings her experience and expertise in the area of teen problems to bear in novels about young New Yorkers at risk and dealing with trauma.
*Kathryn Lasky
A prolific writer, Lasky is the creator of contemporary and historical fiction, informational books, and picture books that incorporate both fictional and nonfiction elements. Praised for exploring topics not often covered in books for the young and explaining them in an accessible manner, Lasky has also contributed titles to the popular "Royal Diaries," "Dear America" and "My America" series, in which she introduces historical figures such as Elizabeth I and Marie Antoinette, or transmits knowledge of past eras through the diaries of fictional characters.
*Julius Lester
Julius Lester has been a noted name in literature for young people since the publication of To Be a Slave in 1969, a work that used the very words of those who had been enslaved to tell of their lives and experiences. Lester has continued to produce books that reflect his interests in African-American history, folklore, and politics. Lester has also written novels for adult and young adult readers, drawing on literature and history in titles like Othello and Pharaoh's Daughter. A 2005 title for young children is Let's Talk about Race.
*Han Nolan
The 1997 winner of the National Book Award for her young adult novel, Dancing on the Edge, Han Nolan speaks directly to teenage readers in a voice at once empathic and down-home humorous. The author of six published novels, Nolan has captured a wide and loyal readership with her themes of tolerance and understanding, and addresses such issues as neo-Nazis and religious zealotry. Critics have praised Nolan for ability to portray her characters in a realistic and truthful fashion, as seen with Nolan's most recent publication When We Were Saints.
*Ifeoma Onyefulu
Nigerian author, Ifeoma Onyefulu, bridges the gap between Westren culture and African village life through her picture books for young readers. In such works as Saying Goodbye and Here Comes Our Bride! Onyefulu reveals to her audience the universality of many cultural customs, including courtship, marriage and death. All of Onyefulu's picture books feature photographs taken by the author, giving readers a colorful and real-life glimpse into the African way of life.
Christopher Paolini
Author Christopher Paolini garnered worldwide attention with the publication of his fantasy-fiction novel, Eragon, the beginning volume of the "Inheritance" trilogy. Penned while Paolini was still in his teens, Eragon grabbed the attention of critics for its maturity, sweeping storytelling and overall inventiveness. Eragon quickly climbed the bestseller charts after the revised edition was released by Alfred E. Knopf in 2003 and the novel was also adapted as an audiobook. The film version of Eragon is scheduled for production in 2005.
Ntozake Shange
African-American poet and dramatist, Ntozake Shange, is best known for her play, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf, a "chorepoem" that infuses the elements of poetry, music, dance and drama. In the same fashion, Shange's works for children blends components of storytelling and poetry and delves on such mature issues as racism and cultural history. Shange's most recent picture book, Ellington Was Not a Street artfully combines Shange's poetry with the illustrations of Kadir Nelson and pays tribute to famous African-American artists and leaders.
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