California

A listing of artists and writers who live in the state of California

To browse through the authors and illustrators
click on the name of the author or illustrator.

Susan Casey is the author of Women Invent! Two Centuries of Discovery That Have Shaped Our World, chosen as one of the top 10 history books for girls, and of Kids Inventing! A Handbook for Young Inventors, a chapter of which is anthologized in the McGraw Hill Open Court Reading Series Imagine It 2009. Based in Los Angeles, Susan has presented at schools throughout California and in other states including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Montana and Idaho. Invention and the world of non-fiction writing come alive in her interactive presentations. Students see videos and images of kid and women inventors, and handle inventions they created, learn the basics of invention and come away, "Hey, I could be an inventor!"

Brian P. Cleary is a nine-times published author and winner of both the International Reading Association's CHILDREN'S CHOICE AWARD, and the American Library Association KID'S PICK OF THE LIST. Half a million copies of his titles have been printed and his books have been reviewed positively in the School Library Journal as well as Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus Reviews and Booklist. Brian's cartoon gags (including Garfield and Ziggy) have appeared in more than 600 newspapers worldwide. His school visits are fun presentations and workshops on language, poetry, word play, puns, anagrams and the importance of the written word.

Matthew Gollub Matthew's first language is English, but he also speaks Spanish and Japanese. In his book The Jazz Fly, he even speaks jazz! A native of California, he has traveled much of the world. His award-winning childrens books and author presentations reflect his broad experience and interests. As a speaker, Matthew inspires audiences nationwide with his storytelling, drumming and command of languagesa combination that teachers describe as unbelievably dynamic. He also offers family literacy events in English, Spanish, or both at the same time! Download his FREE bilingual literacy resources and check out his video clips when you click the link on his full listing. California 11/10

Small M.Graf Photo0002.jpg (33680 bytes)

MIKE GRAF is a former classroom teacher and TV weatherman. He knows how to speak to children and his assemblies are highly engaging and informative. Mike has written over 70 books for children and teachers.
Mike’s presentations include personally-experienced, gripping tales about scorpion encounters, flash floods, dinosaur digs, wolf sightings, bears encounters, cave rescues and explorations, thunderstorms and lightning strikes, tornado chasing, national parks adventures, rock-climbing and many other subjects. He also presents information on weather, the writing process, and how to create great stories.

Helen Ketteman believes that a picture book is many things. Its a childs first introduction to art as well as the written word, but it transcends even those two powerful things. Children are musical and in picture books, she believes the listening experience is an important part of the equation, and that through our use of language, we can capture a child's imagination and turn him on to being a lifetime reader and learner."Jack and the Beanstalk" is full of cowgirl sass.

Deborah Nourse Lattimore began writing and illustrating books for young and zesty readers when she was in the 6th grade at Beverly Hills California. Asked to write something about ancient Egypt for a local paper competition, she won the contest with her story "Egypt from a Camel's Point of View." Ms. Lattimore has traveled all over the world as a scholar, an artist, and a writer. She loves creating picture books that take young readers on amazing journeys back through time to ancient and mysterious cultures.

Michael Elsohn Ross is the award-winning author of the Happy Camper Handbook, Wormology, Toy Lab, and Earth Cycles. Michael's work as a naturalist and environmental educator in Yosemite and his travels in Ireland, Puerto Rico, and Mexico have inspired him to write over 40 books for young people.He lives at the entrance of Yosemite National Park, CA on a bluff overlooking the wild Merced River.

Jeff Savage is one of the nation's leading writers of non-fiction books for children. His award-winning list of more than 100 books includes biographies of positive role models in sports and entertainment, current events, and historical accounts of settling the West.

Kathryn Starke is an elementary school reading specialist in Richmond, Virginia. she started Creative Minds Publications to promote educational material that motivates children to read, think, and learn. She participates in children's book nights, book fairs, and school international nights, She presents a variety of literacy workshops for elementary school educators

David M. Schwartz says, "There is nothing I enjoy more than visiting schools and speaking to the children who are my readers. I try to fill their minds with the same sense of wonder that I have always had for the world around me, and I try to get them to see math in ways they've never considered before. It thrills me that they can think, laugh and learn at the same time."

Jane Wattenberg

is a San Francisco-based author and illustrator whose work has appeared on many book jackets and album covers. She has had several happy babies of her own.

Published Professionals who would like to be listed can register by clicking HERE.