Advisory Board

Laura Bush

Honorary Chair
Founder of the Texas Book Festival, 1995
Co-Founder of the Library of Congress National Book Festival, 2001

David Baldacci

Honorary Member
No. 1 New York Times best-selling author
Founder, Wish You Well Foundation

James Patterson

Honorary Member
No. 1 New York Times best-selling author
Founder, ReadKiddoRead.com, winner of the National Book Foundation’s Innovations in Reading Prize 2009
Founding partner, Children’s Reading Fund (UK)

Allister Fa Chang

Former Executive Director, Libraries Without Borders

Chantal Francois, Ed.D.

Assistant Professor, College of Education, Towson University

John Jacobs

Senior Technical Assistance Specialist

Karen Lotz

President and Publisher, Candlewick Press
Group Managing Director, Walker Books Limited

Meg Medina

2023-2024 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature
2019 Newbery Award winner

Donalyn Miller

Teacher, Author, and Staff Development Leader

Gholdy Muhammad, Ph.D.

Best-selling author
Associate Professor of Language, Literacy and Culture, University of Illinois at Chicago

Nawal Qarooni

Founder and Lead Educational Consultant at NQC Literacy

Karen M. Ristau, Ed.D.

Former President, National Catholic Educational Association
Professor, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn., Retired

Loriene Roy, Ph.D.

Distinguished Service Professor Emerita, School of Information, University of Texas at Austin
2007-2008 President, American Library Association
1997-1998 President, American Indian Library Association

Michael F. Suarez. S.J.

Director, Rare Book School
University Professor and Professor of English, University of Virginia
Co-editor, The Oxford Companion to the Book (2010)

Don Vu, Ed.D.

Author of Life, Literacy, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Coordinator, School of Education, Sacramento County Office of Education