Our Instructors
Gary Schmidt
Author of more than a dozen books for children and young adults, Gary Schmidt is a two-time Newbury Honor winter and Children’s Choice winner, and a National Book Award finalist. He teaches writing, children’s literature at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI.
Kathy Erskine
Kathryn Erskine is the author of six novels for young people, including National Book Award winner, Mockingbird, Jane Addams Peace Award honor book Seeing Red and the award-winning picture book, Mama Africa, a biography of South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba.
Maria Modugno
Maria has held editorial positions at Harcourt, Little Brown and Company, and Harper Collins. Among the many works she has acquired and edited are The Napping House by Audrey Wood and Don Wood, Toot and Puddle by Holly Hobbie, Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton, and PInkalicious by Victoria Kann.
Patti Gauch
A longtime Editorial Director at Philomel Books, Patti Gauch edited three Caldecott award-winning books and the works of numerous National Book Award-winning authors over her career. She has taught at Manhattanville College, Drew and Rutgers University.
Phoebe Yeh
Phoebe has worked in children’s publishing for more than thirty years. Among the many children’s picture book she has been involved with are The Magic School Bus series, and the Let’s Read and Find Out and MathStart picture book series. More recent titles include the New York Times children’s bestsellers Dear Martin and Clean Getaway.
Shari Becker
Shari is the author of the acclaimed young adult novel The Stellow Project and two-picture books, Harris Grows Down and Maxwell’s Mountain, a Junior Library Guild Selection and Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book.