Bookelicious Presents

Katherine Applegate is the Newbery Medal-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous books for young readers, including The One and Only Ivan, the Endling series, Crenshaw, Wishtree, the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter books series, and the Animorphs series. She lives with her husband, who writes as the author Michael Grant, and their children in California.

Kaylin Melia George grew up listening to the stories of Molokaʻi. She breathed in the epic Hawaiian legends her mother gifted her as bedtime stories. It was the planting of these early seeds that drove Kaylin to dedicate her life to storytelling. Before working in children’s literature, Kaylin began her professional journey in filmmaking as an award-winning director and screenwriter. Working across the United States and Japan, her portfolio has included narrative work recognized by The Academy (of Oscars notoriety), as well as documentary pieces created for some of the most recognizable non-profits, including the World Wildlife Fund and The Asian Cultural Council, and national commercials for publicly traded companies.
Today, Kaylin collaborates with Mythify Studios in the creation of epic world-building art books. With Aloha Everything, Kaylin found a story close to her heart and celebrates her native Hawaiian ancestry. This is the story she has always dreamed of telling.

Mae Waite was adopted at the age of three from Yunnan, China and she found her home in Hawai’i. From that point on, the sparkling vibrancy and rich texture of the islands would become a constant source of inspiration for Mae’s work. Mae is a graduate of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa where she earned a B.A. in Studio Arts. She has won many accolades for her artwork from around the globe, including the Lorenzo De’ Medici Student Exhibition in Florence, Italy; the Honolulu Printmakers 91st Annual Exhibition; the Exhibition at the ʻIolani Gallery in Kaneohe; and the Hankyu Hawai’i Fair in Osaka, Japan. In 2019, Mae won the Kailua Night Market Urban Art Battle amongst many other spectacular showings.

Erika J. Kendrick is a national speaker, mental health advocate, and former NBA cheerleader. She is a Stanford University graduate with an MBA in marketing and international business from the University of Illinois. She is the author of Squad Goals, her debut middle grade novel, and Cookie Monsters.

Dwayne Reed is America’s favorite rapping teacher from Chicago and the author of the Simon B. Rhymin’ series. He is known for his viral music videos and hit songs, “Welcome to the 4th Grade” and “Welcome to Kindergarten”. When he’s not writing, rapping, or teaching, Dwayne can be found presenting at educator conferences across the US, or loving on his beautiful wife, Simoné, and their son, Chase.