Rosie Johnson She was born in England, but raised in Texas. Johnson started off college by attending University of Texas in Tyler to study Nursing. However, she quickly learned that her talents were better served in the English department with reading and writing. She transferred to University of Houston to spend time with her family after freshman year and to study Literature. Rosie Johnson ended up finishing her English and Education degrees at George Mason University in Virginia. She started teaching in Arlington while she was working on her Master's. Johnson taught there for six years before discovering the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley. She and her husband moved to a small farm outside of Harrisonburg in 2017, and has been teaching at Harrisonburg High School ever since. Johnson loves sharing her passion for reading with others and supporting all of her students in whatever way she can.
Nonieqa Ramos NoNieqa Ramos is an educator who wrote THE DISTURBED GIRL’S DICTIONARY, a 2018 New York Public Library Best Book for Teens. The Virginia Center for the Book selected their picture book YOUR MAMA illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara as Virginia’s GREAT READ for 2021 highlighted by the Library of Congress’ Center for the Book at the National Book Festival. Their pb BEAUTY WOKE illustrated by Paola Escobar,was a Kirkus Best Book of 2022, a Chicago Public Library and New York Public Library Best Book of 2022, and was a Bank Street Best Children's Book of 2023.In February 2024, Inkyard Press released EVERMORE, a queer retelling of THE RAVEN, in the Kirkus-starred SFF YA anthology RELIT: 16 LATINX REMIXES OF CLASSIC STORIES and their first picture book bio, Booklist-starred THE TRES HERMANAS: A SISTERHOOD of the COMMON GOOD. You can connect with NoNieqa at www.nonieqaramos.com.