2022 Mentees
ILLUSTRATION MENTEES
Alana Ladson (Mentored by Nick Bruel)
Alana Ladson is an illustrator and character designer who loves to read, write, and draw. Her experiences are rooted in the arts, education, and advocacy—she loves working with youth, making art, and sharing what her students call “sage-wisdom”. You can find Alana sipping chai lattes with oat milk, taking online courses, or reading all types of books—from adult fiction to young adult to poetry to comics to picture books. Alana’s favorite picture books are The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Bilal Cooks Daal, and The Proudest Blue. She is currently working on writing and illustrating her own children’s picture book. You can find her illustration work at alanaladsonart.com.
Ariana Padron (Mentored by Andy Passchier)
Gabriela Vega (Mentored by Olivia Aserr)
PICTURE BOOK MENTEES
Remi Kathawa (Mentored by Janet Costa Bates)
Ashley Murray (Mentored by Valerie Bolling)
Jane Palmer (Mentored by Kyle Lukoff)
Melanie Singer (Mentored by Silvia López)
MIDDLE GRADE MENTEES
Kris Fields
Madhuri Mukhtyar Messenger (Mentored by Saadia Faruqi)
Crystal Roget (Mentored by Sundee T. Frazier)
Rita D. Russell (Mentored by Varsha Bajaj)
Maureen Tai (Mentored by Cindy Baldwin)
YOUNG ADULT MENTEES
Alexandra Bazrafshan (Mentored by S. K. Ali)
Marianna Leal (Mentored by Gloria Chao)
Marianna Leal is a Venezuelan writer of Young Adult, currently focused on contemporary stories and with great fantasy and sci-fi ideas. She is determined to represent her gente and writes about strong and vulnerable girls who make their way in a world that tells them they don't belong or are not enough, and boys who are not afraid to show emotion and grow from it. And yes, her stories usually have a little campiness. She currently resides in Florida, after a couple of years in the US Midwest which were preceded by a few years in Scandinavia. Fortunately for her, she enjoys traveling and learning about other cultures, and this has been a wonderful adventure she sometimes worries has been a dream all along. In her spare time, she is a full-time employee for an engineering company that does care about the planet. Even though she's an awkward turtle with the YOLO energy of a bull in a china shop, she has deep feelings about the environment and social issues. You can also count on her terrible sense of humor and colorful language.
Meg Rao (Mentored by Padma Venkatraman)
Silvia Rodriguez Kembel (Mentored by Francisco X. Stork)
Elle Zhang (Mentored by Sabina Khan)
2022 Mentors
ILLUSTRATION MENTORS
Olivia Aserr
Olivia's Mentor Statement
Working with me will include critiques on illustrative pieces geared for a children's book portfolio, suggestions and ideas for additional pieces to be created, answering questions on the process and timeline of children's books, as well as discussing any other aspects of being a children's book illustrator.
Nick Bruel
Nick's Mentor Statement
I've been writing and illustrating books for kids since 2004 when my first picture book was published. I'm perhaps best known for a series called Bad Kitty which has appeared on the NY Times Bestseller list several times in three different categories. Currently, there are around 15 million Bad Kitty books in print.
Prior to doing what I do now, I was a freelance cartoonist and illustrator as well as a full-time bookseller. It was the combination of these two disciplines that brought me to this career. As a mentor to those of you who are just starting out, here is what we'd discuss:
• Story. Whether your target audience is a toddler or a teenager, creating a compelling story that will draw in your audience and communicate your intentions is key to a successful career as a writer.
• Illustration. I do not consider myself an illustrator as much as a writer who uses words and pictures to tell a story. Balancing these two tools is also critical to communicating your story.
• The Industry. As the children's book industry has grown over the years, so has the demand to be a part of it. Breaking into this competitive career is challenging, but clearly not impossible. I will help any mentee navigate past the ever-changing obstacles and pitfalls that can block anyone's pathway into this glorious profession.
Andy Passchier
Andy's Mentor Statement
I've been working as a professional illustrator since 2015 and as a full-time freelancer since 2018. I started out in surface design (gift packaging, fabric, etc.), but decided I wanted my work to pertain a little closer to my identity and aimed at LGBTQIA+ young people. If you're interested in any or all of the below, I'm your person!
- Working in children's books
- Focusing on illustration and building a portfolio for children's publishing
- Creating a story pitch along with art
- Behind the scenes insights on working with book publishers
- Advice on transitioning to self-employment
- Seeking agency representation for art or writing for children
- Incorporating LGBTQIA+ advocacy and activism into your work
PICTURE BOOK MENTORS
Valerie Bolling
Valerie's Mentor Statement
As an author and educator, I love connecting with both children and adults. Having benefited from the generosity of so many in the writing community—including my WNDB mentor, Kelly Starling Lyons—I want to “pay it forward” and be a sounding board, information provider, and, most of all, a cheerleader for another PB writer. In particular, I'd be happy to answer questions about the path to publication and querying, provide feedback on a manuscript, and share any and all news about conferences, organizations, and writing opportunities that may be of interest to my mentee.
Janet Costa Bates
Janet's Mentor Statement
My writing focus is on picture books and chapter books. With my strong background in career coaching for college students, I’m adept at helping people to create plans to bring them closer to reaching their goals.
Kyle Lukoff
Kyle's Mentor Statement
My strengths lie in editing texts, whether that's your manuscript or your query letter, and also affirming that publishing is really hard and can be really distressing and that it's okay to get frustrated. So I guess you say that I'm best equipped to offer editorial work and emotional labor.
Silvia López
Silvia's Mentor Statement
I consider myself an eclectic writer. I love writing about anything that catches my interest and I think will spark the interest of a child. My published work consists of picture books on various genres, from nonfiction to biography, realistic fiction, and folktale retellings. I am bilingual and have an interest in Hispanic culture, but don’t feel limited by it because I consider myself a global citizen. I enjoy mentoring any writer who has a true belief in, and is excited about, what their manuscript has to say regardless of the topic.
MIDDLE GRADE MENTORS
Varsha Bajaj
Varsha's Mentor Statement
Writing is a solitary act and can therefore at times be lonely. As a mentor, I hope to be a friend and advisor who you can trust to read, listen, guide, and cheer for you on your writing and publishing journey. I will share things that I’ve learned from experiences and colleagues who helped me along the way.
Cindy Baldwin
Cindy's Mentor Statement
Throughout my career, I've benefited from the guidance and mentorship of many wonderful writers, and I love the chance to pay that gift forward. I have a rigorous, in-depth mentoring style; I love digging deep into a manuscript to find the emotional heart of the story and make that shine. I've written or mentored books across multiple formats, including graphic novels, verse, and epistolary, and I love working with unique styles and innovative formats. I consider mentorship an ongoing relationship, and still keep in touch with many writers who I've mentored in the past.
Saadia Faruqi
Saadia's Mentor Statement
I would like to mentor a middle grade writer on their journey towards publishing. My area of expertise is contemporary fiction full of rich, authentic representations of culture and faith. Mentorship to me means not only offering craft expertise, but also in-depth guidance and sharing of connections.
Jarrett Lerner
Jarrett's Mentor Statement
I am an author-illustrator who writes and draws for a broad range of ages (for the youngest and all the way up through upper Middle Grade), creates a variety of kinds of books (early readers, chapter books, graphic novels, novels, novels in verse, and activity books), and has developed a sizable social media presence and active following. As a Mentor, I hope to help equip my Mentee with the tools, knowledge, and skills to both achieve their short-term goals and launch a long, successful career in the kid lit world.
YOUNG ADULT MENTORS
S. K. Ali
S. K. Ali is the author of Saints and Misfits, a finalist for the American Library Association's 2018 William C. Morris award, winner of the APALA Honor Award and Middle East Book Honor Award, and Love from A to Z, the first YA title chosen as an NBC Today Show’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club selection. Both novels were critically acclaimed and named top ten YA books of the year by various media including Entertainment Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. Her newest novel, Misfit in Love, is a People magazine best book of summer 2021. She's also the co-editor of the MG anthology, Once Upon an Eid,and the co-author of the New York Times bestselling picture book, The Proudest Blue. She has a degree in Creative Writing and lives in Toronto with her family — which includes a very vocal cat named Yeti.
S. K.'s Mentor Statement
I would love to help guide mentees through the writing and publishing process and can offer monthly check-ins via audio or video zoom sessions. I've learned a lot since becoming a published author five years ago and will use my experience working on eleven books under contract (some TBA) to try to answer all your questions — to the best of my ability — as you embark on the amazing journey that is authordom. Please note: due to several deadlines, I will not be able to read and give input into any works in progress; however, through our monthly sessions, I can be a sounding board/detangler for your projects.
Gloria Chao
Gloria's Mentor Statement
I am looking to mentor a contemporary young adult writer who is pursuing traditional publication. I hope to help a passionate writer bring their manuscript to the next level and help them navigate the publishing industry. My expertise lies in character development, voice, balancing humor and heart, and writing complicated family dynamics and romance inspired by real-life experiences.
Sundee T. Frazier
Sundee's Mentor Statement
I received incredible mentoring through the Vermont College MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and look forward to passing on what I learned there, as well as through 25 years of practice! I am a connector who enjoys helping writers dig deep into their work to find the emotional heart, develop characters who are active, and put the most effective scenes in the most effective order to create a compelling narrative. I encourage with positive feedback and will point out elements I believe can be strengthened without giving answers as to how. I strongly believe solutions for our stories lie within and hope to embolden mentees to look inward for these. I am happy to provide guidance along the lines of seeking representation, working with editors, and building awareness of one’s work, if that is desired. I also will encourage being a part of an artistic community, the best way I’ve found to stay energized and committed on this creative journey!
Sabina Khan
Sabina Khan
Sabina's Mentor Statement
I’m hoping to mentor a young adult writer who is passionate about sharing their culture and relevant experiences through their writing. I would also love to help them navigate the publishing industry and share what I’ve learned so far. I believe my strengths lie in voice, character development, and packing an emotional punch, as well as writing about sweet and sometimes sour family dynamics. Together, I hope to build a relationship based on honesty, trust, and hard work to bring their manuscript to the next level.
Francisco X. Stork
Francisco's Mentor Statement
My vision for the mentorship is to work with my mentee via e-mail and telephone conversation to conceive, draft, revise and complete a final manuscript for a novel that will be deemed publishable by an agent and a mainstream publisher. I also hope to provide the mentee with a realistic and heartfelt experience of the writing of fiction as a way of life.
Padma Venkatraman
Padma's Mentor Statement
To me, mentorships are opportunities for friendship, the first step in a lifelong relationship based on mutual regard, an invitation to broaden one's writing community in an intensely meaningful way. As a mentor, compassion is my compass, just as it is to me as a writer; sincere and honest respect is essential, from both mentor and mentee. I believe in centering the mentee’s needs, listening to the mentee’s specific visions for and struggles with the manuscript, providing concrete suggestions as well as pep talks if the mentee feels free to share disappointments and fears, and giving tips on navigating the writing life, and general feedback on aspects of craft, which often include recommended book lists— became exposure to excellent storytelling is a vital part of every author’s growth. I like to enter into discussions and understand what the mentee wishes for their own work. I view my mentees as colleagues with whom I'm delighted to share my experiences and any wisdom I've gained in my journey; as for aspects of craft, ultimately, my desire is to find, celebrate and help mentees hone individual strengths to create unique stories that they will love and be proud of.
For mentor and mentee bios from past years, click the link below.