Shelley Diaz

Photo by Rob Lloyd Photography 1. Congrats on your YA debut! How would you describe your book to readers? Thank you so much! I’m so thrilled to get to share this story with readers. The Lure of Wolves and Whispers is everything I adore about fantasy and romantasy combined into one world, and I had SO much fun writing these characters.

From sci-fi to rom-coms, these works celebrate and explore the lives of neurodivergent young adults. Holloway by Elana K Arnold. HarperCollins/Clarion. ISBN 9780062990884. Gr 10 Up–Nora, 18, has lost everyone in her life. Her grandmother died when she was four, and her mother passed away from COVID-19. Now, in 2021 she is headed from California to Paris to release her mother’s ashes. In rural France, Nora is chased through a forest and ends up running through a holloway.

The 2023 Children’s Legacy Award recipient created the wordless picture book to shed light on the experience of the unhoused and working poor. Librarians select the winning titles after a year of reading and reflection. What does this honor mean to you and how does knowing librarians selected the winners shape your feelings about being honored? I’m just thrilled to be chosen from all the wonderful books that are published each year.