Candice Ransom was born in Virginia in 1952. She grew up in the country and spent most of her time daydreaming, creating stories in her head once she'd read all the books in her school library. After writing her first book at age 7, she has gone on to write over 100 books for children and young adults. She has a Masters in Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College and is earning a Masters in Children's Literature from Hollins University. Among her popular titles are The Big Green Pocketbook (1993), One Christmas Dawn (1996), The Promise Quilt (2002), and Liberty Street (2003). Her books have received numerous awards, including the Hodge Podge Society Best… Children's Book; Pick of the List; Notable Trade Book in Social Studies; New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Book; New York Library Best One Hundred Book; IRA/Children's Choice; and ALA Recommended Book for Reluctant Readers. Ransom is also a ghostwriter for the Boxcar Children Mysteries, having written 18 titles for the series. She has started the Promise Quilt Literacy Project, which gives books to the children of the Virginia Appalachians. Instead of donating to individuals or to school libraries, Ransom sends 30 new books to a classroom, choosing a different school each month and giving the teacher the option of keeping the books in the classroom or letting each child take one home.
Karen Ritz has illustrated more than forty books. She has a degree in Children's Literature from the University of Minnesota, and much of her original work is housed there in The Children's Literature Research Collection. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota