Grace Lin is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of more than 25 books. She has won numerous literary awards for her work, including a Newbery Honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for Ling and Ting, and a Caldecott Honor for A Big Mooncake for Little Star. Her book When the Sea Turned to Silver was a National Book Award Finalist.

In 2016, Grace and her art were recognized by President Obama’s office as a Champion of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling. In 2022, Grace was awarded the Children’s Literature Legacy Award from the American Library Association for her “substantial and lasting contribution to children’s literature through books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children’s lives and experiences.”

Before Grace Lin was an award-winning author and illustrator, she was the only Asian girl (except for her sisters) at her elementary school in Upstate New York. That experience— good and bad—has influenced her books and made her an advocate for cultural diversity in children’s literature.

Grace is also an occasional commentator for New England Public Radio and created the video essay, “What to do when you realize classic books from your childhood are racist” for PBS NewsHour. Grace truly believes, “Books erase bias, they make the uncommon everyday, and the mundane exotic. A book makes all cultures universal.”