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Born in New York City in 1937, Avi—the name given him by his twin sister—was raised in a home with a family history of authorship and books. Though he struggled with writing in school, he decided in high school to become just that—a writer. His first book was published in 1970, and since then he has published some seventy-one books for young people in the United States and around the world. Known for his wide stylistic range and prolific literary skills, Avi is the recipient of many writing honors, including the 2003 Newbery Medal for Crispin: The Cross of Lead, two Newbery Honors, for The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Nothing But the Truth, two Horn Book Awards (Poppy, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) the Scott O'Dell Award for The Fighting Ground, Easton, the Christopher Award for Encounter at Easton, plus innumerable state awards. Out this spring was Crispin: The End of Time. Avi can be found on the web at: www.avi-writer.com

A native Texan, Brian Floca attended Brown University, where he double-majored in art and history; he also took classes at the nearby Rhode Island School of Design. Mr. Floca made his children’s books debut in 1993 illustrating Avi’s graphic novel City of Light, City of Dark, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. He has since illustrated nearly twenty books, including Avi’s Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner Poppy, along with Avi’s other Poppy books; Megan McDonald’s The Hinky-Pink, an ALA Notable Children’s Book; and Patricia MacLachlan’s The True Gift (2009). Most recently Brian has written and illustrated Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year, praised by Kirkus Reviews in a starred review as “breathtaking, thrilling, and perfect.” His other books include two ALA Notable Children’s Books, The Racecar Alphabet and Lightship (also a Sibert Award Honor Book). Brian lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit his website at brianfloca.com