Jason Reynolds is a poet and a celebrated author of middle grade and young adult novels. He aims to write stories that children will find inspiring and entertaining to encourage them to develop a love of reading. Reynolds grew up writing poetry, inspired by the poetry he heard in hip-hop. However, like many young people, he hated reading and found hanging out with friends or watching television more interesting. Reynolds’s hope is that none of his books will ever be considered “boring.” Reynolds also aims to promote understanding and empathy, creating works that deal with difficult subject matter like divorce and mental health and depicting those with flaws as “heroes” in their own way (“Jason Reynolds.” JasonWritesBooks). After publishing a number of award-winning novels, Reynolds marked his return to poetry in Long Way Down, which is written in verse and takes place over the course of a single minute in a teenage boy’s life as he plans revenge against his brother’s murderer.

Raúl the Third and Elaine Bay are an artistic duo who have worked together on several projects, including Stuntboy, in the Meantime and works authored by Raúl. Raúl’s work features Mexican American protagonists and sheds light on the unique circumstances that Mexican American youth experience.