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.

N.M. Browne ▮ While writing books for younger readers under the pen name Nicola Matthews, this British writer has also earned a following among teen fantasy fans through novels such as Warriors of Alavana and Basilisk. Within a world where outcasts are banished below ground and chaos erupts above, Browne weaves mythic beasts, shapeshifting, and suspense into her adventurous tales.

Anthony Eaton ▮ Making his publishing debut with the 2000 suspense novel The Darkness, former college English teacher Eaton also presents a humorous take on his own teen years in the semi-autobiographical Nathan Nuttboard Hits the Beach. History and time travel coincide in Eaton's novel Fireshadow, a further example of the Aussie author's versatility.

*Elizabeth Hand ▮ Hand is known for her science-fiction novels for adult readers, although she often casts adolescents as her main protagonists. In Winterlong teen twins travel across a barren future Earth to reunite, while Black Light features young woman battling her godfather's surreal plot to control humanity. In addition to original fiction, Hand has also contributed to novelizations of the "Star Wars" saga and other popular films.

Kimberley Heuston ▮ In addition to working as an English teacher, Heuston pens historic fiction for young adults. Her novel The Shakeress follows the experiences of a young orphan living in the 1820s as she finds a refuge in a close-knit Shaker community, while Dante's Daughter moves further back in time, bringing to life the world of the famous Italian poet and his teen daughter. Heuston's novels have been praised for their detailed research and engaging young-adult protagonists.

*Guy Gavriel Kay ▮ Kay began his writing career while training for a career in the law. Still in college, he worked with the son of British writer J.R.R. Tolkien to complete The Silmarillion, a book left unfinished at the elder Tolkien's death. Kay's fiction combines fantasy and history in an appealing mix that has won him a large readership and critical praise. Among his many works are the "Fionavar Tapastry" and "Sarantine Mosaic" novels, the latter set in the Mediterranean during the sixth century.

Sonia Manzano ▮ Best known for her groundbreaking role as Maria in the perennially popular Sesame Street television series, Manzano has become a role model for generations of Hispanic children—particularly young girls. In addition to her acting career and her work for public-service organizations, she adds "author" to her credits with the publication of No Dogs Allowed! Featuring pictures by John J. Muth, the story follows a family's trip to a city park, only to discover that their family dog is not permitted inside the park gates. As told by its upbeat young narrator, Manzano's book presents young children with a familiar quandary and a sunny solution.

*Joe Nickell ▮ Teens with a fascination with magic, the supernatural, and the otherwise unexplained are a natural audience for the books by paranormal investigator Nickell. The hidden tricks of magicians' sleight of hand are revealed in books such as The Magic Detectives, while Secrets of the Supernatural presents the results of Nickell's work as a research fellow for the New York-based Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. Moving to more temporal matters, books such as his Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection allow readers to investigate for themselves the technology fictionalized on popular television shows such as CSI.

Chloe Rayban ▮ Rayban introduced her popular teen protagonist Justine Duval in the 1991 novel Wild Child, and she has gone on to create several more fiction series with a similar appeal for trend-conscious teen readers. Sometimes mixing in fantasy elements, such as time travel, the "Justine" books, as well as Rayban's "Models Move On" series, follow the life of an affluent modern teen growing up amid London's shopaholic, celebrity-conscious culture.

Linda Strachan ▮ Beginning her career admittedly "by accident," Strachan has become a prolific author of nonfiction books for younger children. Bringing to life the natural surroundings of her native Scotland in books like Walk in the Woods and Who Lives Here?, she has also penned readers for the early elementary grades. A picture-book series featuring fictional hero Hamish McHaggis reflects Strachan's interest in her Scottish heritage as well as her entertaining wit.

Leonard Wise ▮ The Canadian city of Toronto is the focus of much of Wise's writing for adults, and he has gained a reputation as an expert in the city's history and points of interest. While writing nonfiction takes a back seat to his time-consuming legal career, Wise's natural curiosity and love of writing has also inspired him to write The Way Cool License Plate Book, a treasure trove of trivia for back-seat travelers forced to log long hours on North American road trips.