Erica lives in Brooklyn, New York. When not working, you might find her in a yoga class or binge-watching the Golden Girls.

SUSAN COHEN (agent) grew up not far from where David Greenberg did, on Long Island. She attended Princeton and had no idea what she wanted to do after that, but suspected it might have something to do with books.

She soon fell into a job at Writers House literary agency... and never left. And despite her youthful appearance, that was 35 years ago! While she does do some adult books (mostly non-fiction), her start was — and her heart remains — with children's books. Everything from picture book authors and illustrators through YA authors of both fiction and non-fiction.

She loves the agent's combination of roles: working with her clients editorially, as advocate, as contracts analyst, sometimes as therapist — and even uses her diplomatic skills in the sometimes frustrating role as intermediary between authors and editors. She sees herself as an explainer of the realities of both writing and publishing. Which is pretty much her role here at OCCBWW.

Her authors have won a Newbery, a Siebert Medal, the Jane Addams Medal, and one has been nominated 3 times for a National Book Award. And she loves seeing her illustrator clients' art on the covers and pages of books, and in the annual Original Art exhibit.

She lives in a town with a wonderful bookstore (Maplewood NJ), with her husband (a sometime author), and her son (who should be a kids book character).

CHRISTINE FLETCHER's (author) first young adult novel, Tallulah Falls,, was named a Book for the Teen Age by the New York Public Library and was optioned for film. Her second, Ten Cents a Dance,, was named a YALSA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults, chosen as a Jefferson Cup Honor Book by the Virginia Library Association, awarded a BCCB Blue Ribbon, and was a finalist for the Cybils Award in Young Adult Fiction, among other honors. For the past 26 years, Christine has also been a practicing veterinarian. Writing and veterinary medicine have this in common: no matter how much you know, there's always more to learn. Which means she sometimes feels like an idiot, but on the other hand, she's never bored. In her writing, Christine will follow a compelling story into just about any YA genre: contemporary, historical, and most recently, sci fi. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her boyfriend of many years, an assortment of rescued dogs and cats, and a hognose snake named Snappy Tom.

DAVID GREENBERG (author) has written illustrated, humorous picture books from Bantam, Little Brown, Farrar Straus Giroux, and Dutton (which has also published his first novel).

• Slugs
• Bugs!
• Skunks!
• Snakes!
• Whatever Happened to Humpty Dumpty?
• The Great School Lunch Rebellion
• Your Dog Might be a Werewolf, Your Toes Could All Explode
• The Book of Boys for Girls — The Book of Girls for Boys
• Don't Forget Your Etiquette: The Essential Guide to Misbehavior
• Crocs!
• A Tugging String (Greenberg's first novel about Dr. Martin Luther King's 1965 Selma-Montgomery Voting Rights March)
• Enchanted Lions
• Super Silly School Poems

His book, A Tugging String, is winner of the Oregon Spirit Award. The Great School Lunch Rebellion is winner of a Children's Choice Award.

Although he has written a novel, David specializes in picture books and sub-specializes in poetry. His books have been translated into French and Korean. He has taught at Portland State University, Lewis & Clark College, and The University of Idaho, among others. He speaks nationally to teachers on writing instruction and visits many schools nationwide to present assemblies and writing workshops.

If you wish to contact him personally, his e-mail address is authilus@teleport.com

You can find out more about David at his website.

RUTH A. MUSGRAVE (author) made her first attempt at combining nonfiction and humor failing miserably. However, it was a writing assignment for a 3rd grade teacher who lacked a funny bone. Fortunately, due her Midwestern upbringing, Ruth had a determination that would impress a terrier and she eventually found a welcoming audience for her brand of nonfiction.

Ruth is an award-winning children's nonfiction writer known for her entertaining and creative approach. She is also an animal and marine science expert and a lucky hitchhiker on ocean research adventures. Ruth's books include Everything Sharks, Funny Fill-Ins: My Pet Adventure, Just Joking 3, and Ultimate Weird But True (co-writer) (all National Geographic Children's Books), and Saving Endangered Animals (Heinemann Publishing). In 2016, she has three new books (also for National Geographic), including Mission Shark Rescue: All About Sharks and How to Save Them.

Ruth loves the pace and challenge of magazine writing, and is a frequent contributor to National Geographic Kids Magazine. She's also been published in Scientific American Explorations, Scholastic's SuperScience, Click and Ask. She estimates that during the last decade she has researched and written about more than 300 animals for 100+ published articles and projects. Examples of her recent National Geographic Kids Magazine articles include "Eat More Insects and other Tips for Being a Coati" (June/July 2015), "Extreme Parenting: Emperor Penguins" (November 2014), and "Parenting: Puffin Style" (April 2014).

Ruth's awards include Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Magazine Merit Honor Award for Nonfiction, two Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences-Southwest, and her most cherished award, "World's Best Mom" (though Ruth thinks her daughter rescinded it when she became a teenager).

When not writing, Ruth is either discussing current events with her dogs or searching for plesiosaurs while kayaking on a lazy Oregon river. You can find out more at: www.ruthamusgrave.com.

JENN REESE (author) got started writing science fiction and fantasy for the adult market and has published numerous stories in places such as The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and the World Fantasy Award-winning anthology Paper Cities. Her first adult novel, Jade Tiger, was the lead title for the Juno Books imprint in 2007. Since then, Jenn had returned to middle grade novels, her very first love. She has just completed her Above World trilogy for Candlewick, a series that combines science fiction, mythology, and martial arts. The first book was a finalist for the 2012 Andre Norton Award.

When she's not writing, Jenn works as a freelance graphic designer and occasional voice actor. She also enjoys playing video games, watching way too much TV, and studying martial arts. (She has over a dozen years of practice with kung fu, kempo, and weapons and is almost certainly more of a danger to others than herself now, although she would not recommend putting any money on that.) A recent transplant to Portland from Los Angeles, Jenn is busy soaking in the trees and fresh air as she works on her latest middle grade novel.

STEPHANIE SHAW (author) graduated from Oregon State University (Go Beavers) and earned her Master's degree from Lewis and Clark. She taught emotionally disabled children for several years before moving into school counseling and then administration. She knew early on in life that books give solace, humor, insight and inspiration. And, she drew on this passion for children's literature while working with kids. Her favorite room in any school was the library and her favorite activity was reading to kids or having them read to her (or playing on the swings outside but that's another story).

After retiring to care for her mom, Stephanie filled the time between care shifts with writing poems and stories. Connections with editors, agents and illustrators eventually led her to the publication of magazine stories, board books and picture books. She has been honored by Highlights for Kids Magazine as Author of The Month (this for her very first published story in 2013) and Story of the Year: High Five, 2014. Her book publishers include Tiger Tales, Sleeping Bear Press and Simon & Schuster UK.

• Bedtime in the Meadow, (2013)
• A Cookie for Santa, (2014)
• The Legend of the Beaver's Tale, (2015)
• Under the Sleepy Stars, (2015)
• By the Light of the Moon, (2016)
• Schnitzel, (2016)
• Moo La La!, (2017)

Stephanie lives with her husband in McMinnville, Oregon in a house generously shared with them by their mini labradoodle, Milo.

Instructor Panel 2015