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 up-dated entries (indicated with ∗) on some of the most notable and best-loved creators of books for children.

Jaime Adoff ▮ Adoff has continued the award-winning storytelling tradition established by his parents, acclaimed authors Arnold Adoff and Virginia Hamilton, in his YA novel Names Will Never Hurt Me. A former musician, Adoff also shares his passion for rhythm in The Song Shoots out of My Mouth, which contains two dozen poems that focus on teen music-lovers.

∗Betsy Byars ▮ One of the most beloved authors in children's literature, Byars is known for her middle-grade novels that find humor in the stressful move toward maturity. In The Pinballs she focuses on the problems shared by a group of foster teens, while younger readers share in the loving relationship between two brothers in My Brother Ant and its sequel. Fans of historical fiction have also been captivated by The Keeper of the Doves, Byars' story about a family who weathers their share of ups and downs during the 1890s.

∗Eric Carle ▮ Known for his brightly colored collage art, Carle is known to millions of children as the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, as well as the illustrator of Bill Brown, Jr.'s picture-book classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Trained in Germany and making his home in New England, the award-winning author/illustrator began his picture-book career in the 1960s, and has produced a long list of popular titles, in addition to creating art for authors such as Martin, Aileen Fisher, and Norton Juster.

David Elliott ▮ Not one to be daunted by the forces of political correctness, Elliott's An Alphabet of Rotten Kids, is a collection of poems about twenty-six mischievous children. Elliott has gone on to fuel more controversy—and, not surprisingly, gain many more fans—with the humorous middle-grade novels The Transmogrification of Roscoe Wizzle and Hazel Nutt, Alien Hunter.

Marthe Jocelyn ▮ A Canadian writer educated in England, Jocelyn mixes a dash of the fantastic into her novels for young readers. Her love of history also enters the mix in the award-winning Mable Riley, a book inspired by the author's grandmother during her years working as a small-town teacher at the turn of the twentieth century. Jocelyn has also collaborated on several picture books with husband, artist Tom Slaughter, including One Some Many and Over Under.

Elmore Leonard ▮ Well known to adult readers and filmgoers as the author of screenplays and crime novels such as Get Shorty and Cuba Libra, Detroit-based Leonard also entertains younger readers with A Coyote's in the House. A cross between The Prince and the Pauper and an offbeat Lassie TV rerun, Leonard's quirky tale finds a rangy coyote and a dapper canine film star trading places and coming to a renewed appreciation about their role in life along the way.

∗Rodman Philbrick ▮ Since his multi-award-winning novel Freak the Mighty was adapted as a feature film, Philbrick has gone on to pen a number of other highly praised books for young adults. Combining mystery and a dash of the supernatural, he has also collaborated with wife Lynne Harnett on the "House on Cherry Street" and "Werewolf Chronicles" series, as well as penning historical novels such as The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds: The Donner Party Expedition.

Bob Raczka ▮ His career in advertising and his love of fine art inspired Raczka to become an author. More than Meets the Eye and No One Saw: Ordinary Things through the Eyes of an Artist help readers understand and appreciate the unique way artists view and translate the world around them. In other books, such as Here's Looking at Me: How Artists See Themselves, Raczka provides a valuable resource for parents and children hoping to appreciate the artistic legacy to be found in museums, galleries, books, and other creative endeavors.

Rumiko Takahashi ▮ Though Takahashi is not a common household name within the United States, this Japanese manga author/artist has become one of the most widely read authors in the world. Takahashi has penned several manga series, including Ranma 1/2, which focuses on a young male martial artist who transforms into a woman every time he is splashed with cold water. In the Inu-Yasha series, a Japanese teenager is sent back through time into feudal Japan where she uses her no-nonsense, twenty-first century attitude to battle the ninjas and demons that threaten to take over.

∗William Wise ▮ A prolific author of both fiction and nonfiction, Wise has been spinning humorous stories and illuminating subjects from government to reptiles in an engaging prose for decades. Picture books are one of the author's specialties, and his cheerful Christopher Mouse and Dinosaurs Forever have gained Wise both critical praise and legions of young fans.