69th MRA Conference

Shannon Anderson has taught for 25 years, from first grade through college level. She also served as the gifted coordinator for her school district and on the board of directors for the Indiana State Literacy Association. A highlight of her teaching career was being named one of the... Read More →

As the author of over 50 books for children, both fiction and nonfiction, I love to visit schools and libraries and to feel the magic that happens when connecting with young readers! With award-winning books like Bathe the Cat, Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World, and... Read More →

Kelly J. Baptist is the award-winning author of eight books for kids, including Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero, The Electric Slide and Kai, and the NAACP Image Award-nominated Eb & Flow. Kelly was the 2023 Gwen Frostic Award recipient. She lives and writes in Southwest Michigan, where her... Read More →

Vera Ahiyya (thetututeacher.com) (née Corbett) was born in Germany and raised in El Paso, TX with her wonderful mother and amazing grandparents. Originally a pre-med student, Vera realized her calling as an educator at Austin College in Sherman, TX, where she majored in History and Psychology and earned her MA in... Read More →

I publish early chapter books in a developmental format to support reading comprehension with sensory-friendly, early chapter books. Using dialog, nonfiction, and storytelling, the reader's path is wrapped around the topic which is real, relatable, and relevant!I promote neurodiversity... Read More →

Dana VanderLugt is a writer and literacy consultant for the Ottawa Area ISD who has taught reading and writing in middle school, high school, and college classrooms.Her first book, Enemies in the Orchard: A World War 2 Novel in Verse was published by Zonderkidz in September 2023... Read More →

Cindy Williams Schrauben lives in west Michigan where she writes books for children that range from the truly serious to the seriously silly. When not writing or sharing her books, this award-winning author might be found dissecting her grandsons’ shenanigans for story ideas, reading... Read More →

Anna J. Small Roseboro is widely known for her work with groups like the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the Conference on English Leadership, the California Association of Teachers of English, the Michigan Council of Teachers of English, and the California Association of Independent Schools . With 40 years experience in public and private schools, she is a National Board Certified Teac... Read More →

Adventures Publishing House is an international publishing house that provides books, content, curriculum, and experiences that educate, inspire, heal, and empower generations of young people, educators, families, and caretakers. We keep up with technological advances such as VR... Read More →

John Schu has made a career out of advocating for the people and things he cares about most: kids, books, and the people that connect them. He was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker for his dynamic interactions with students and his passionate adoption of new technologies... Read More →

Dr. Jarred Amato is an award-winning English teacher, the co-founder of Project LIT Community, a grassroots literacy movement, and the author of Just Read It: Unlocking the Magic of Independent Reading in Middle and High School Classrooms. Jarred is an avid reader and writer who enjoys... Read More →

Emmy is an author and illustrator of children’s books, including SO TORTOISE DUG (2025), WHILE YOU’RE ASLEEP, and A VERY BIG FALL. A former high school teacher, Emmy taught English and science in San Francisco, CA. Moving back to Michigan, she co-founded the youth writing cen... Read More →