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Lorie Ann Grover carried Nancy Drew books before she could read them. She was a member of the Miami Ballet Company until she grew too tall for the profession. She then changed her focus and studied art at the University of Miami. Her love for the written word, however, soon yielded poetry, board books, and three novels: LOOSE THREADS, ON POINTE, and HOLD ME TIGHT. Her awards include: a starred review from Booklist, a Booklist Top Ten First Novel for Youth, a Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year, and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. She home schooled her children and taught them to read early so they'd never have to just pretend. Along with Joan Holub, Lorie Ann is the co-founder of readertotz, a unique infant/toddler book blog aimed at raising the profile of this important literary form. Visit her website at www.lorieanngrover.com
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Dia Calhoun is the winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature. She is the author of five young adult fantasy novels, three of which are ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Her books are AVIELLE OF RHIA, THE PHOENIX DANCE, WHITE MIDNIGHT, ARIA OF THE SEA, and FIREGOLD, which received a starred review in Booklist. Her other awards include a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age; Voya Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror; an IRA Teacher's Choice, and a Booklist Top Ten First Novel. She frequently presents a Fantasy Writing Workshop at schools and libraries. When she isn't writing, Dia sings Italian arias and fly-fishes. She lives in Tacoma, Washington. Learn more at www.diacalhoun.com
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Justina Chen wrote her first fifty-page novel when she was eight years old. She is the winner of the Asian Pacific American Award for Literature for her debut novel, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (and a few white lies), which was also a Borders' Original Voices nominee, BookSense pick, and NYPL Book for the Teen Age. Her novel GIRL OVERBOARD is a Junior Library Guild Premier Selection, and Publishers Weekly writes, "[Chen] crafts a tale that will stand out in the crowd by offering a good dose of girl power and an intriguing family backstory." Justina ties community service in with every novel she publishes. For her latest novel, NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL, she created the Find Beauty Challenge. After graduating from Stanford University with honors, Justina worked as a marketing executive at Microsoft. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her two children. Her website is www.justinachenheadley.com She also encourages readers to visit her at www.myspace.com/justinachenheadley |
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Holly Cupala wrote teen romance novels before she ever actually experienced teen romance. When she did, it became all about tragic poetry and slightly less tragic novels. Her first novel, TELL ME A SECRET, about 17-year-old Miranda's unexpected pregnancy and her gripping journey to navigate the labyrinth of her bad-girl sister's life, unravel the mystery of her death, and free herself in the process, sold to HarperCollins in a two-book deal, to be released Fall 2010. The novel also received an SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant, sponsored by Judy Blume. When she isn't helping readergirlz, Holly writes and spends time with her husband and daughter in Seattle, Washington. These days, her writing is less about tragedy and more about hope. You can find her at www.hollycupala.com, visit her blog at http://brimstonesoup.blogspot.com, and be her friend at www.myspace.com/brimstonesoup |
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Melissa Walker is a writer who has worked as ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor. All in the name of journalism, she has spent 24 hours with male models and attended an elite finishing school for girls in New Zealand, among other hardships. She is the author of the Violet series (VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY, VIOLET BY DESIGN, VIOLET IN PRIVATE), about an unlikely supermodel navigating the ups and downs of the fashion world. Violet on the Runway was a NYPL Book for the Teen Age, and was hailed by NPR as a book for teens who hate to read. Her newest book is called LOVESTRUCK SUMMER. Melissa lives in Brooklyn and has a BA in English from Vassar College. Visit her blog at melissacwalker.com |
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Liz Gallagher acts as our Host Diva, setting up events for authors touring the Seattle area and helping other hosts do the same thing in key cities across the country. She is the author of the critically acclaimed novel THE OPPOSITE OF INVISIBLE and has a sequel in the works. She hopes you'll visit her website at lizgallagher.com
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readergirlz was founded in March 2007 by Justina Chen Headley, Lorie Ann Grover, Dia Calhoun, and Janet Lee Carey. |
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Introducing the postergirlz The readergirlz divas couldn't be happier to have the loyal assistance and advice from the postergirlz for readergirlz, a council which generously lends their YA lit expertise to guide our book choices. This amazing group is made up of some of the biggest names in YA lit blogging as well as avid teen girl readers: * Little Willow, readergirlz webdiva and bookseller who writes the famous Bildungsroman blog * Jackie, the epitome of an enthusiastic and knowledgeable librarian who writes InteractiveReader * Miss Erin, the youngest Cybils' judge and author of her much-read and much-respected blog * ShelfElf, our team player representing the Canadians with her participation and fantastic YA lit blog * HipWriterMama, the candid blogger full of inspirational musings about life and lit who challenges her readers to reach their best |
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Many thanks
. . . to our rgz media specialist Martha Brockenbrough - hilarious Cinemama columnist on MSN, founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, and author of THINGS THAT MAKE US [SIC]. . . . to our rgz talent scout Mitali Perkins - author of multiple novels, including the FIRST DAUGHTER books, she'll be hunting down the latest new releases and publishing news for the rgz divas. These ladies guarantee that readergirlz continues to rock and roll. |
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Salon appointments
The rgz salon is a book-reviewing collective of several esteemed names in young-adult literature: * Nancy Pearl, NPR Book Lust Reviewer/librarian * René Kirkpatrick, Book Buyer/Seller at Third Place Books in Seattle * Sharon Levin, librarian * Judy Nelson, librarian and past president of YALSA * Lyn Miller-Lachmann, editor of MultiCultural Review |
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Taking it to the street team Blogging teen dynamo Miss Erin heads up our rgz Street Team, which is dedicated to contributing young adult book reviews and maintaining a strong presence at the rgz blog. The rgz street team includes: * Priya * Silence * Vanessa * Sarah |
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