2017 Judge: Eliot Schrefer

Eliot Schrefer is a longtime fan of the Battle of the Books. He’s written many novels for young readers, including two installments of the New York Times-bestselling Spirit Animals series and the “Great Ape Quartet” of young adult books, two of which have been finalists for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature. His novel Endangered was once a Battle of the Books contender, until it suffered the misfortune of going up against The Fault in Our Stars. (RIP, bonobos!) Eliot is also the children’s book reviewer for USAToday. He is a friend among apes and an ape among friends. Find him at www.eliotschrefer.com.

Photo credit: Priya Patel

Ellen Oh is a very busy person. She has 3 kids that demand to be fed on a daily basis and 2 dogs that demand to be walked. When she has free time, she works for a nonprofit company called We Need Diverse Books where she gets to hang with some of the most awesome people in children’s literature. She also tries to fit in some writing so that her editor won’t get too mad at her. That means no more epic K-Drama binge marathoning sessions until deadlines are met! But she couldn’t resist the chance to judge Battle of the Books. Just somebody please take the sword away from her…

Brendan Kiely is The New York Times bestselling author of All American Boys (with Jason Reynolds), The Last True Love Story, and The Gospel of Winter. Someone once told him that if he became a writer he could read for a living. He can’t. He has deadlines. They loom. He loves to write, but reading for the Battle of the Books brings him back to the original dream. He is grateful.  

Cynthia Kadohata is the author of the Newbery Medal–winning book Kira-Kira, the National Book Award winner The Thing About Luck, the Jane Addams Peace Award and Pen USA Award winner Weedflower, Cracker!, Outside Beauty, A Million Shades of Gray, and several critically acclaimed adult novels, including The Floating World. She lives with her son and dog in West Covina, California.

Varian Johnson is the author of six novels, including the Jackson Greene middle-grade caper series. The first novel in the series, The Great Greene Heist, was named an ALA Notable Children’s Book Selection and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year among other accolades. In addition to middle grade, Varian writes novels and short stories for YA audiences. Varian holds an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is one of the founders of The Brown Bookshelf, a website that celebrates established and up-and-coming African-American authors and illustrators.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Varian worked as a bridge engineer, designing structures all across the country. The way he sees it, he still designs bridges, just more metaphorical than literal.

Varian was born in South Carolina, and now lives outside of Austin, TX with his family. When he’s not writing, he’s usually chasing his kids around the house, trying not to step on their Lego bricks.

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Gail

Sara Farizan is the author of the Lambda award winning If You Could Be Mine and the non-award winning but super fun Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel. She lives in Massachusetts, misses Prince and George Michael, and thanks you for reading her work.You can follow her on twitter @SaraFarizan even though tweeting makes her anxious.

Photo credit: Mark Karisberg