2026 Middle Grade & Young Adult Authors

  • From New Jersey (although she’d rather live on a Caribbean island), Charlotte is busy writing science fiction, fantasy, contemporary, horror, paranormal for MG, YA, NA, and adult, along with romance. Her books include The Excalibur Vow, and the award-winning middle grade Evolution Revolution trilogy: Simple Machines, Simple Plans, and Simple Lessons. She co-authored Blonde OPS, Sirenz, and Sirenz Back in Fashion. She has also written numerous newspaper, magazine, and online articles, and several short stories in various anthologies. Her new romance, Christmas Bells, Hanukkah Lights, will debut in 2026. She loves to interact with fans on her website (charlottebennardo.com) and on social media.

  • Darlene Beck Jacobson is a former educator who has loved writing since she was a girl. She is the author of the middle grade historical novel WHEELS OF CHANGE (Creston 2014) which is a 2015 Notable Social-Studies Trade Book from the Children’s Book Council (CBC), A 2015 Mighty Girl Pick, and The Grateful American Book Prize Honorable mention for 2015. Her middle grade novel-in-verse WISHES, DARES, AND HOW TO STAND UP TO A BULLY (Creston 2020) is a Notable Verse Novel for 2021 from the CBC. Her contemporary verse novel MY OWN KIND OF BRAVE (REYCRAFT) WILL BE OUT IN 2027.

    Darlene lives and writes her stories in New Jersey. When she’s not writing, she enjoys travel, baking and eating pies, dancing to the oldies in the supermarket, and discovering new things. She’s a firm believer in wishes coming true, prayers being answered, and miracles when we choose to notice.

  • N. West Moss is the author of 3 books. Birdy is her first middle grade novel (Little, Brown 2026). She has also published a memoir with Algonquin, and a short story collection with Leapfrog. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Salon, The Saturday Evening Post, The Writer Magazine, and many other outlets. West holds an MA in Secondary Education, and MFA in Creative Writing, and a CPA in Narrative Medicine. She is a fellow at MacDowell, Art Omi, Hawthornden, VCCA, and was 2023 Writer-in-Residence at Gladstone's Library in Wales. West is a long-time volunteer with the PEN Prison and Justice Writing Program, and won the 2025 L'Engle Rahman Prize for her mentorship work with incarcerated writers.

  • Hilda Eunice Burgos is an award-winning author of books for children, including the Bodega Cats chapter book series, the middle grade novels Ana María Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle and Miosotis Flores Never Forgets, and the picture book The Cot in the Living Room, which is also available in Spanish as La camita de la sala. The first time Hilda read a book—back when she was in elementary school in Washington Heights, New York City—she knew she wanted to write stories about Dominican-American city kids like her. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Law School, Hilda has two grown children and lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and their adorable dog, Bear. Please visit her website at hildaeuniceburgos.com.

  • Cordelia Jensen has an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has published four verse novels: Lilac and the Switchback, Skyscraping, The Way the Light Bends, and Every Shiny Thing, co-authored with Laurie Morrison. Her books have received starred reviews, state award list nominations, Junior Library Guild and NCTE Notable Verse Novel recognition. Along with being a certified book coach, Cordelia has taught creative writing in a variety of settings, including Bryn Mawr College, Germantown Friends School, The Writing Barn and The Kelly Yang Project, and currently teaches verse novel classes for Boyds Mills.

  • Eric Smith is an award-winning Young Adult author and literary agent living in Philadelphia. He’s worked with New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed authors across genres and categories, and is the founder of Neighborhood Literary.

    In his author life, his latest book, With or Without You, published with HarperCollins / Inkyard Press in November 2023, and was a Junior Library Guild selection and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book’s 2025 Great Reads from Great Places selection.

  • Diane Debrovner is a middle grade author and former deputy editor of Parents Magazine, where she covered child development, education, health, relationships, and books. Her debut novel, ROXIE IN COLOR, co-authored with Stacy Cervenka and coming in June from Candlewick Press, was sparked by her article “What Blind Parents Want You to See.” Her work has been featured on TODAY, Good Morning America, and CNN, and she’s hosted podcasts and panels on parenting and family life. She now helps nonprofits tell their stories to raise the funding they need—including the only music school in the country focused on teaching students of all ages with vision loss. Diane lives in New York City with her family and a dog who loves watermelon.Book Cover Image(s)

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    Please provide titles, publisher name, publication dates, and ISBNs for the books you would like to see stocked by the festival bookstore (subject to availability and space)Birdy, by N. West Moore, Christy Ottaviano Books, February 17, 2026
    Casting April, by Wendy Lu, Knopf, June 16, 2026
    You're Dead to Me Reed Walker, Roaring Brook, May 12, 2026, by Gwyneth Reitz 978-1250404176Website Linkhttps://www.dianedebrovner.com/Facebook Linkhttps://www.facebook.com/diane.debrovnerInstagram Linkhttps://www.instagram.com/diane.debrovner/Twitter LinkTik Tok LinkOther Social Media Links (if available)Threads
    https://www.threads.com/@diane.debrovner?hl=en

    LinkedInWhat is your favorite thing about meeting with readers? (optional)Seeing their excitement about discovering new books and telling others about them.What is the weirdest question you've ever gotten from a reader? (optional)What are you most looking forward to about the Collingswood Book Festival? (optional)Meeting readers and other authors!Added Time19-May-2026 10:26:09Referrer NameTask Ownercollsbookfestival@gmail.com

  • Lauren Magaziner is the internationally bestselling author of The Incorruptibles series, the Case Closed series, The Mythics series, and three other stand-alone books for middle grade readers. Her books are available in a dozen languages, have earned starred reviews, been on Indie Next and state lists, been longlisted for the PADIBA award, and been optioned for a TV movie with Nickelodeon. Lauren grew up in New Hope, Pennsylvania before receiving a B.A. in Creative Writing and Philosophy at Hamilton College. She currently lives in Philadelphia, where she writes full-time. You can visit her website at laurenmagaziner.com and keep in touch with her via her newsletter at laurenmagaziner.substack.com.

  • Talia Tucker (she/her) is an author of young adult fiction who writes stories that center multiracial, queer, and neurodivergent characters of color, with a focus on joy. Inspired by her Jamaican and Korean heritage, she explores how identities shift across cultures, time, and place. She enjoys writing about messy women, soft boys, family, food, and navigating life as a child of multiple cultures. She is the author of Rules for Rule Breaking, Solo Stan, and Ghosted. You can visit her at talia-tucker.com.