Jacqueline Woodson was born in Columbus, Ohio on February 12, 1963. She received a B.A. in English from Adelphi University in 1985. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a drama therapist for runaways and homeless children in New York City. Her books include The House You Pass on the Way, I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This, Lena, and The Day You Begin. She won the Coretta Scott King Award in 2001 for Miracle's Boys. After Tupac and D Foster, Feathers, and Show Way won Newbery Honors. Brown Girl Dreaming won the E. B. White Read-Aloud Award in 2015. Her other awards include the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. She was also selected as the Young People's Poet Laureate in 2015 by the Poetry Foundation.
Artist Rafael Lopez was born on August 8, 1961 in Mexico City, Mexico. Influenced by the opulent environment and cultural traditions of Mexico City, Lopez has matured as an artist gaining respect amongst a wide spectrum of age groups. Along with two other American Awards for illustrations in children's books, the American Library Association awarded Lopez the 2010 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award, an honor presented to those who have demonstrated excellence in the depiction and commemoration of Latino culture and experience through children's books.
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