Category: Middle Grade Novel

Henning, Sarah

Nominations:

Monster Camp (Margaret K. McElderry Books), Middle Grade Novel, 2023

BIO: Sarah Henning is the author of several books for young adults featuring witches, mermaids, princesses, gymnasts, a football quarterback, and other headstrong girls. Monster Camp is Sarah’s first book for middle grade readers, and she’s thrilled to add Sylvie and her monster buddies to her motley crew. When not writing, she runs ultramarathons, hangs out with her husband and two kids, and takes the world’s largest (and fluffiest) corgi for long walks. Sarah lives in Lawrence, Kansas, hometown of Langston Hughes, William S. Burroughs, and a really good basketball team. Visit her at www.sarahhenningwrites.com.

Senf, Lora

Awards:

The Nighthouse Keeper (Atheneum Books for Young Readers), Middle Grade Novel, 2023

Nominations:

The Losting Fountain (Union Square & Co.), Young Adult Novel, 2024

The Clackity (Atheneum Books for Young Readers), Middle Grade Novel, 2022

BIO: Lora Senf is a writer of dark and twisty stories for all ages, including The Clackity and the forthcoming The Nighthouse Keeper. She credits her love of words to her parents and to the public library that was walking distance from her childhood home. She credits her love of scary words to her first favorite books—the middle grade works of John Bellairs illustrated by Edward Gorey. Lora finds inspiration for her writing in her children’s retellings of their dreams, on road trips through Montana, and most recently while visiting the Anaconda Smoke Stack. She lives in Eastern Washington with her husband, their twins, and two cats who think they’re people. Their house may or may not be haunted. Visit her at lorasenf.com. 

Stringfellow, Lisa

Nominations:

A Comb of Wishes (Quill Tree Books), Middle Grade Novel, 2022

BIO: Lisa Stringfellow writes middle grade fiction and has a not-so-secret fondness for fantasy with a dark twist. Her debut fantasy A Comb of Wishes was selected as an ABA Indie Introduce Kids and Indie Next Kids title, a 2022 Horn Book and Today Read With Jenna Jr. summer reading selection, a 2022 New England Book Award finalist, and a Nerdy Book Club Award winner. Her work often reflects her West Indian and Black southern heritage. Lisa is a middle school teacher and lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with her children and two bossy cats.

Ottone, Robert P.

Awards:

The Triangle (Raven Tale Publishing), Young Adult Novel, 2022

Nominations:

There’s Something Sinister in Center Field (Cemetery Gates Media), Middle Grade Novel, 2024

BIO: Robert P. Ottone is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and is also the best-selling author of CURSE OF THE COB MAN, THE SLEEPY HOLLOW GANG, THE VILE THING WE CREATED and NOCTURNAL CREATURES.

His short fiction has been collected in WRAPPED IN PLASTIC AND OTHER SWEET NOTHINGS as well as HER INFERNAL NAME & OTHER NIGHTMARES. 

He holds two master’s degrees in Education, as well as an MFA in Children’s Literature.

A bagel-loving fabulist of spooky absurdity, Ottone enjoys cigars, cocktails and time with his wife.