Reading Rock Stars Newletters

Reading Rockstars Govalle Elementary is excited to announce that our school has been selected as a recipient of the Reading Rock grant by the Texas Book Festival. A dynamic program of the Texas Book Festival, Reading Rock Stars brings books to life for young readers in which selected authors from across the country are invited to present their works to students in economically-disadvantaged public schools.

On October 26th, 2018, we are happy to welcome three distinguished members of the literary community to share their love of literature and inspire our students. At the end of the presentations, each child receives an autographed copy of the book, and a set of books is also given to the school library.

The Texas Book Festival takes place annually in and around the Texas State Capitol. If you are interested in seeing more authors and illustrators, visit the Texas Book Festival on October 27th and 28th for some free literary fun! The Festival is free and open to the public. Learn more by visiting www.texasbookfestival.org.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 26TH SCHEDULE Liz Garton Scanlon Pre-kinder, Kinder, & First Grade in the Music Room 8:30- 9:25 a.m. Pre-Kinder & Kinder 9:40-10:30 a.m First

James Luna Second & Third Grade in the library 8:30- 9:25 a.m. Second 9:40-10:30 a.m Third

John August Fourth & Fifth Grade in the cafeteria 8:30-9:50 a.m. Fourth & Fifth

LIZ GARTON SCANLON is the author of many beloved books, including Caldecott Honor book All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee, and her debut middle grade novel, The Great Good Summer.

This is her second collaboration with Audrey Vernick—the first was Bob, Not Bob! illustrated by Matthew Cordell. Liz lives with her family in Austin, Texas and you can find her online at www.lizgartonscanlon.com.

JAMES LUNA, an elementary school teacher in Riverside, California, is the author of two bilingual picture books: The Place Where You Live / El lugar donde vives (Piñata Books, 2015) and The Runaway Piggy / El cochinito fugitivo (Piñata Books, 2010), which was named to the 2011-2012 Tejas Star Reading List. He is also the author of a bilingual “flip” book for intermediate readers: A Mummy in Her Backpack / Una momia en su mochila (Piñata Books, 2012).

JOHN AUGUST Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, John August earned a degree in journalism from Drake University and an MFA in film from USC. As a screenwriter, his credits include Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, and Frankenweenie. In addition to his film career, he hosts a popular weekly podcast, Scriptnotes, with Craig Mazin. He also created the Writer Emergency Pack, an educational storytelling tool that was distributed to over 2,000 classrooms in partnership with non-profit literacy groups like 826LA and NaNoWriMo. John and his family live in Los Angeles. johnaugust.com

Reading Rockstars Harmony Elementary is excited to announce that our school has been selected as a recipient of the Reading Rock grant by the Texas Book Festival. A dynamic program of the Texas Book Festival, Reading Rock Stars brings books to life for young readers in which selected authors from across the country are invited to present their works to students in economically-disadvantaged public schools.

On October 26th, 2018, we are happy to welcome three distinguished members of the literary community to share their love of literature and inspire our students. At the end of the presentations, each child receives an autographed copy of the book, and a set of books is also given to the school library.

The Texas Book Festival takes place annually in and around the Texas State Capitol. If you are interested in seeing more authors and illustrators, visit the Texas Book Festival on October 27th and 28th for some free literary fun! The Festival is free and open to the public. Learn more by visiting www.texasbookfestival.org.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 26TH SCHEDULE Soman Chainani Fourth Grade in Rm. 201 & Fifth Grade in Rm. 212 Ask teachers for designated times and rooms.

Hena Khan Fourth & Fifth grade in the Cafeteria Ask teachers for designated times and rooms.

Juana Martinez-Neal Second & Third grade in rooms 116 & 113 Ask teachers for designated times and rooms.

Jeff Smith Pre-kinder, Kinder, First, Seventh, & Eighth grade in the cafeteria Ask teachers for designated times and rooms.

SOMAN CHAINANI believes in fairy tales wholeheartedly. When studying at Harvard, he practically created his own fairy-tale major. He is an acclaimed screenwriter and a graduate of the MFA Film Directing Program at Columbia University. His films have played at more than 150 film festivals around the world, and his writing awards include an honor from the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. He lives in New York City. You can visit him online at www.somanchainani.net.

HENA KHAN is the author of several books including Amina’s Voice; Power Forward; On Point; Bounce Back; It’s Ramadan, Curious George; Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns; and The Night of the Moon. Hena lives in her hometown of Rockville, Maryland, with her husband and two sons. You can learn more about Hena by visiting her website at HenaKhan.com.

JUANA MARTINEZ-NEAL is the daughter and granddaughter of painters. She started her story in Lima, Peru, where she attended the School of Fine Arts at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú before moving to the United States. She received the 2018 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award for La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya. Alma marks her author-illustrator debut. Juana Martinez-Neal is still writing the story of her life, with the help of her husband and three children, in Arizona.

JEFF SMITH is the creator of the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Bone series. He was born and raised in the American Midwest and learned about cartooning from comic strips, comic books, and TV animation. Visit him online at www.boneville.com.

Reading Rockstars Josephine Houston Elementary is excited to announce that our school has been selected as a recipient of the Reading Rock grant by the Texas Book Festival. A dynamic program of the Texas Book Festival, Reading Rock Stars brings books to life for young readers in which selected authors from across the country are invited to present their works to students in economically-disadvantaged public schools.

On October 26th, 2018, we are happy to welcome three distinguished members of the literary community to share their love of literature and inspire our students. At the end of the presentations, each child receives an autographed copy of the book, and a set of books is also given to the school library.

The Texas Book Festival takes place annually in and around the Texas State Capitol. If you are interested in seeing more authors and illustrators, visit the Texas Book Festival on October 27th and 28th for some free literary fun! The Festival is free and open to the public. Learn more by visiting www.texasbookfestival.org.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 26TH SCHEDULE Dan Santat & Minh Le Pre-Kinder, Kinder, & First Grade in the Cafeteria 8:15- 9:05 a.m. Pre-K 9:25-10:15 a.m. Kinder and First Don Tate Second & Third grade in the library 8:15-9:15 a.m. Tercero 9:35-10:35 a.m. Segundo

Julissa Arce Fourth & Fifth grade in the gym 8:15-9:35 a.m. Fourth 9:55-11:15 a.m. Fifth

DAN SANTAT is the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Awardwinning The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, as well as The Cookie Fiasco, After the Fall, and others. He is also the creator of Disney’s animated hit, The Replacements. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and a menagerie of pets. Visit him at dantat.com.

MINH LE is a writer but, like his grandfather, is a man of few words.

He is a national early childhood policy expert, author of Let Me Finish! (illustrated by Isabel Roxas), and has written for The New York Times, the Horn Book, and The Huffington Post. A firstgeneration Vietnamese-American, he went to Dartmouth College and has a master’s in education from Harvard University. Outside of spending time with his beautiful wife and sons in their home near Washington, DC, Minh’s favorite place to be is in the middle of a good book. Visit Minh online at minhlebooks.com or on Twitter @bottomshelfbks.

DON TATE is an award-winning illustrator of numerous critically acclaimed books for children. He is also the author of Strong As Sandow: How Eugen Sandow Became the Strongest Man on Earth (Charlesbridge, 2017); Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton (Peachtree, 2015); It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started To Draw (Lee & Low Books, 2102). Other recent titles that he illustrated include Stalebread Charlie and the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018); and Par-Tay! Dance of the Veggies And Their Friends (Alazar Press, 2018). Don, who lives in Austin, Texas, is s a founding host of the The Brown Bookshelf –a blog dedicated to books for African American young readers.

JULISSA ARCE is a CNBC and Crooked media contributor, writer, speaker, and social justice advocate. She is the cofounder and chairman of the Ascend Educational Fund, a college scholarship and mentorship program that assists immigrant students, regardless of their immigration status, ethnicity, or national origin.

Julissa is also a board member for the National Immigration Law Center and for College Spring. Prior to becoming an advocate, she built a successful career on Wall Street, working at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch

Reading Rock Stars KIPP Austin Comunidad Elementary is excited to announce that our school has been selected as a recipient of the Reading Rock grant by the Texas Book Festival. A dynamic program of the Texas Book Festival, Reading Rock Stars brings books to life for young readers in which selected authors from across the country are invited to present their works to students in economically-disadvantaged public schools.

On October 26th, 2018, we are happy to welcome three distinguished members of the literary community to share their love of literature and inspire our students. At the end of the presentations, each child receives an autographed copy of the book, and a set of books is also given to the school library.

The Texas Book Festival takes place annually in and around the Texas State Capitol. If you are interested in seeing more authors and illustrators, visit the Texas Book Festival on October 27th and 28th for some free literary fun! The Festival is free and open to the public. Learn more by visiting www.texasbookfestival.org.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 26TH SCHEDULE Arree Chung Kinder & First grade in the community room 8:15- 9:10 a.m. Kinder & First

Mary Pope Osborne & Natalie Pope Boyce Second & Thirds grade in the community room 9:15-10:20 a.m. Second & Third

Ryan Calejo Fourth & Fifth grade in the community room 10:20-11:30 a.m. Fourth & Fifth

ARREE CHUNG is the author and illustrator of the Ninja! series, which includes Ninja! and Ninja! Attack of the Clan. You can usually find him playing basketball or riding his bike near his home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

MARY POPE OSBORNE is the author of The New York Times #1 bestselling Magic Tree House series, as well as coauthor of the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker series with her husband, Will, and her sister, Natalie Pope Boyce.

For more information, visit the Magic Tree House website at MagicTreeHouse.com!

NATALIE POPE BOYCE Like her sister, Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce grew up on Army posts all over the world.

Boyce is the author of more than 50 acclaimed books for children.

She has also worked as a children’s librarian and as a teacher of English as a Second Language.

RYAN CALEJO was born and raised in south Florida. He recently graduated summa cum laude from the University of Miami with a BA. He’s been invited to join both the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Golden Key International Honour Society. He teaches swimming to elementary school students, chess to middle school students, and writing to high school students. Having been born into a family of immigrants and growing up in the so-called “Capital of Latin America,” Ryan knows the importance of diversity in our communities and is passionate about writing books that children of all ethnicities can relate to. Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows is his first novel.

Reading Rock Stars Newton Collins Elementary is excited to announce that our school has been selected as a recipient of the Reading Rock grant by the Texas Book Festival. A dynamic program of the Texas Book Festival, Reading Rock Stars brings books to life for young readers in which selected authors from across the country are invited to present their works to students in economically-disadvantaged public schools.

On October 26th, 2018, we are happy to welcome three distinguished members of the literary community to share their love of literature and inspire our students. At the end of the presentations, each child receives an autographed copy of the book, and a set of books is also given to the school library.

The Texas Book Festival takes place annually in and around the Texas State Capitol. If you are interested in seeing more authors and illustrators, visit the Texas Book Festival on October 27th and 28th for some free literary fun! The Festival is free and open to the public. Learn more by visiting www.texasbookfestival.org.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 26TH SCHEDULE Rafael López Pre-kinder, Kinder, & First grade in the outdoor amphitheater 8:40- 9:35 a.m. Pre-Kinder & Kinder 9:50-11:30 a.m First Yuyi Morales Second & Third grade in the cafeteria 8:40- 9:40 a.m. Second 9:50-11:30 a.m Third

Mac Barnett Fourth & Fifth grade in the cafeteria 8:40-9:50 a.m. Fourth 10:05-11:30 a.m. Fifth

RAFAEL LÓPEZ uses his hands and imagination to create awardwinning children’s books and murals around the world. He has been awarded the Pura Belpré medal from the American Library Association two times, for Drum Dream Girl and Book Fiesta. Born and raised in Mexico City to architect parents, Rafael grew up immersed in the rich visual heritage, vivid color, music, and surrealism of his native culture. He enjoys working hand in hand with children, librarians, and teachers to paint community-based murals in neighborhoods. Rafael divides his time and collects ideas in his studios in colonial San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and downtown San Diego, California, where he lives with his wife and son. Visit Rafael López at rafaellopez.com.

YUYI MORALES Born in Xalapa, Mexico, where she currently resides, Yuyi Morales lived for many years in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she still maintains close relations with booksellers and librarians. Professional storyteller, dancer, choreographer, puppeteer, and artist, she has won the prestigious Pura Belpré Award for Illustration five times, for Just a Minute (2003), Los Gatos Black on Halloween (2006), Just in Case (2008), Niño Wrestles the World (2013) and Viva Frida (2014), also a Caldecott Honor Book.

MAC BARNETT is the author of several books for children, including Extra Yarn, illustrated by Jon Klassen, a Caldecott Honor Book and winner of a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award; The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse, a New York Times bestseller; and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, a Caldecott Honor Book and winner of the E. B. White Read Aloud Award. He is the co-author, with Jory John, of the New York Times bestselling series The Terrible Two. Mac Barnett lives in California.

Reading Rock Stars Oak Springs Elementary is excited to announce that our school has been selected as a recipient of the Reading Rock grant by the Texas Book Festival. A dynamic program of the Texas Book Festival, Reading Rock Stars brings books to life for young readers in which selected authors from across the country are invited to present their works to students in economically-disadvantaged public schools.

On October 26th, 2018, we are happy to welcome three distinguished members of the literary community to share their love of literature and inspire our students. At the end of the presentations, each child receives an autographed copy of the book, and a set of books is also given to the school library.

The Texas Book Festival takes place annually in and around the Texas State Capitol. If you are interested in seeing more authors and illustrators, visit the Texas Book Festival on October 27th and 28th for some free literary fun! The Festival is free and open to the public. Learn more by visiting www.texasbookfestival.org.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 26TH SCHEDULE Vanessa Brantley Newton Pre-kinder, Kinder, & First grade in the library 8:00- 9:00 a.m. Pre-Kinder, Kinder, & First Xavier Garza Second & Third grade in the cafeteria 8:00- 9:00 a.m. Second 9:50-11:30 a.m Third

Crystal Allen Fourth & Fifth grade in the cafeteria Ask teachers for designated times and rooms.

VANESSA BRANTLEY NEWTON is a self-taught illustrator, doll maker, and crafter who studied fashion illustration at FIT and children’s book illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

She is the author and illustrator of Let Freedom Sing and Don’t Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table and has illustrated numerous children’s books, including Mary Had a Little Glam by Tammi Sauer, One Love and Every Little Thing, words by Bob & Cedella Marley, and Presenting . . . Tallulah by Tori Spelling. Vanessa currently makes her nest in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, daughter, and a very rambunctious cat named Stripes. Learn more about Vanessa and her artwork at VanessaBrantleyNewton.com and on Facebook.

XAVIER GARZA is a prolific author, artist, and storyteller whose work focuses primarily on his experiences growing up in the small border town of Rio Grande City. He graduated from the University of Texas-Pan American in 1994 with a BFA in Art and has exhibited his art and performed his stories in venues throughout the United States.

He is the author of Rooster Joe and the Bully / El Gallo Joe y el abusón (Piñata Books, 2016). Xavier Garza lives with his family in San Antonio.

CRYSTAL ALLEN is the author of How Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy, The Laura Line, and the Magnificent Mya Tibbs series. Her book The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Spirit Week Showdown was a Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee for 2017-2018.

She currently lives in Sugar Land, Texas with her husband, Reggie, and two sons, Phillip and Joshua. You can visit her website at crystalallenbooks.com.

Reading Rock Stars Pleasant Hill Elementary is excited to announce that our school has been selected as a recipient of the Reading Rock grant by the Texas Book Festival. A dynamic program of the Texas Book Festival, Reading Rock Stars brings books to life for young readers in which selected authors from across the country are invited to present their works to students in economically-disadvantaged public schools.

On October 26th, 2018, we are happy to welcome three distinguished members of the literary community to share their love of literature and inspire our students. At the end of the presentations, each child receives an autographed copy of the book, and a set of books is also given to the school library.

The Texas Book Festival takes place annually in and around the Texas State Capitol. If you are interested in seeing more authors and illustrators, visit the Texas Book Festival on October 27th and 28th for some free literary fun! The Festival is free and open to the public. Learn more by visiting www.texasbookfestival.org.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 26TH SCHEDULE Jacqueline Woodson Pre-kinder, Kinder, & First grade in the cafeteria Fourth & Fifth grade in the library 8:00- 8:50 a.m. Pre-Kinder, Kinder, & First 9:15- 10:30 a.m. Fourth & Fifth

Roda Ahmed Second & Third grade in the library 8:00-9:00 a.m. Second & Third

JACQUELINE WOODSON is the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She received the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and Children’s Literature Legacy Award. Her New York Times bestselling memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, won the National Book Award, as well as the Coretta Scott King Award, Newbery Honor Award, and NAACP Image Award. Her adult book, Another Brooklyn, was a National Book Award finalist, and her many books for young readers include Newbery Honor winners Feathers, Show Way, and After Tupac and D Foster, and the picture book Each Kindness, which won the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. She lives in Brooklyn.

RODA AHMED is a Norwegian author and columnist born in Hargeisa, Somalia. Roda is the bestselling author of Forberedelsen (The Preparations). Mae Among the Stars is her first children’s book. She can speak five languages: Somali, Arabic, Norwegian, English, and French. Roda lives in LA with her husband and two children. For more info check out www.rodaworld.com.

Reading Rock Stars Popham Elementary is excited to announce that our school has been selected as a recipient of the Reading Rock grant by the Texas Book Festival. A dynamic program of the Texas Book Festival, Reading Rock Stars brings books to life for young readers in which selected authors from across the country are invited to present their works to students in economically-disadvantaged public schools.

On October 26th, 2018, we are happy to welcome three distinguished members of the literary community to share their love of literature and inspire our students. At the end of the presentations, each child receives an autographed copy of the book, and a set of books is also given to the school library.

The Texas Book Festival takes place annually in and around the Texas State Capitol. If you are interested in seeing more authors and illustrators, visit the Texas Book Festival on October 27th and 28th for some free literary fun! The Festival is free and open to the public. Learn more by visiting www.texasbookfestival.org.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 26TH SCHEDULE Xelena Gonzalez & Adriana Garcia Pre-kinder, Kinder, & First grade in the First Grade Pod 8:15- 9:15 a.m. Pre-Kinder, Kinder 9:15- 10:15 a.m. First

Christian Robinson Second & Third grade in the library 8:15- 9:15 a.m. Second 9:30-10:30 a.m Third

Daniel José Older Fourth & Fifth grade in the cafeteria 8:15-9:15 a.m. Fourth 9:30-10:30 a.m. Fifth

XELENA GONZALEZ has roots in San Antonio, Texas but has stretched her wings to fly all the way to Guangzhou, China, where she works as a librarian in an international school. She studied journalism at Northwestern University and library science at Texas Woman’s University, but her true training as a storyteller has come from getting to know other living beings-including plants, animals, and people who happen to speak different languages or see the world in unusual ways. She tells these stories through picture books, essays, song, and dance.

CHRISTIAN ROBINSON is a 2016 recipient of the Caldecott and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for his art in Last Stop on Market Street, a #1 New York Times bestseller. His picture books include the Gaston and Friends series, Leo: A Ghost Story; School’s First Day of School, The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade, Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker; and many more. Robinson, based in Sacramento, is also an animator and has worked with The Sesame Street Workshop and Pixar Animation Studios.

DANIEL JOSÉ OLDER has always loved monsters, whether historical, prehistorical, or imaginary. His debut series for young adults, the Shadowshaper Cypher, has earned starred reviews, the International Latino Book Award, and New York Times Notable Book and NPR Best Books of the Year picks, among other accolades. He has worked as a bike messenger, a waiter, a teacher, and was a New York City paramedic for ten years. Daniel splits his time between Brooklyn and New Orleans.

Reading Rock Stars Uphaus Early Childhood Center is excited to announce that our school has been selected as a recipient of the Reading Rock grant by the Texas Book Festival. A dynamic program of the Texas Book Festival, Reading Rock Stars brings books to life for young readers in which selected authors from across the country are invited to present their works to students in economically-disadvantaged public schools.

On October 26th, 2018, we are happy to welcome three distinguished members of the literary community to share their love of literature and inspire our students. At the end of the presentations, each child receives an autographed copy of the book, and a set of books is also given to the school library.

The Texas Book Festival takes place annually in and around the Texas State Capitol. If you are interested in seeing more authors and illustrators, visit the Texas Book Festival on October 27th and 28th for some free literary fun! The Festival is free and open to the public. Learn more by visiting www.texasbookfestival.org.

VIERNES 26 DE OCTUBRE HORARIO Bob Shea PPCD, Pre-kinder 3, Prekinder 4 & Kinder in the library 8:30-9:15 a.m. Kinder 9:30-10:15 a.m. PPCD, PreK3, & PreK4 10:30-11:20 a.m. PreK4

BOB SHEA has created many books for young people, including the popular Dinosaur vs. series, Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great, The Happiest Book Ever and The Scariest Book Ever, and the early readers featuring Ballet Cat. He has also invented stories such as Big Plans, illustrated by Lane Smith, and drawn the pictures for books such as Love, Triangle, written by Marcie Colleen. Bob used to make things for Comedy Central and PBS Kids. Now he makes things for no reason —like animations, a giant lemon head, and his basement game show, Jackpot Basement. He invites you to visit him at bobshea.com, and to give yourself a round of applause.

Reading Rock Stars UT Elementary is excited to announce that our school has been selected as a recipient of the Reading Rock grant by the Texas Book Festival. A dynamic program of the Texas Book Festival, Reading Rock Stars brings books to life for young readers in which selected authors from across the country are invited to present their works to students in economically-disadvantaged public schools.

On October 26th, 2018, we are happy to welcome three distinguished members of the literary community to share their love of literature and inspire our students. At the end of the presentations, each child receives an autographed copy of the book, and a set of books is also given to the school library.

The Texas Book Festival takes place annually in and around the Texas State Capitol. If you are interested in seeing more authors and illustrators, visit the Texas Book Festival on October 27th and 28th for some free literary fun! The Festival is free and open to the public. Learn more by visiting www.texasbookfestival.org.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 26TH SCHEDULE Nathan Hale Fourth & Fifth grado in the Klein Classroom 8:15-9:15 a.m. Fourth & Fifth

Vanessa Brantley Newton Pre-kinder, Kinder, & First grade in the Klein Classroom 9:45-10:30 a.m. Pre-Kinder, Kinder, & First Xavier Garza Second & Third grade in the gymnasium 10:30-11:30 a.m. Second & Third

VANESSA BRANTLEY NEWTON is a self-taught illustrator, doll maker, and crafter who studied fashion illustration at FIT and children’s book illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

She is the author and illustrator of Let Freedom Sing and Don’t Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table and has illustrated numerous children’s books, including Mary Had a Little Glam by Tammi Sauer, One Love and Every Little Thing, words by Bob & Cedella Marley, and Presenting . . . Tallulah by Tori Spelling. Vanessa currently makes her nest in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, daughter, and a very rambunctious cat named Stripes. Learn more about Vanessa and her artwork at VanessaBrantleyNewton.com and on Facebook.

XAVIER GARZA is a prolific author, artist, and storyteller whose work focuses primarily on his experiences growing up in the small border town of Rio Grande City. He graduated from the University of Texas-Pan American in 1994 with a BFA in Art and has exhibited his art and performed his stories in venues throughout the United States.

He is the author of Rooster Joe and the Bully / El Gallo Joe y el abusón (Piñata Books, 2016). Xavier Garza lives with his family in San Antonio.

NATHAN HALE is the #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series, which includes One Dead Spy; Donner Dinner Party; Treaties, Trenches, Mud and Blood; Big Bad Ironclad!; Alamo All-Stars; and The Underground Abductor, one of which earned a place on the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List. He also illustrated the graphic novel Rapunzel’s Revenge, which was a TODAY show Al’s Book Club for Kids selection, an ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book, and a YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens, as well as the recipient of three starred reviews. Nathan lives in Orem, Utah. www.hazardoustales.com.