Kimberly Persiani-Becker, Ed.D., is a tenured professor of Curriculum and Instruction at California State University, Los Angeles, teaching courses in classroom design and management, classroom discipline, English language acquisition and multicultural children's literature. She presents at local and international conferences for bilingual education, children's literature, gender equity and moral and character education.Steve Springeris a fulltime classroom teacher with a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University, with a special focus on the arts throughout the subject areas and the incorporation of technology into the curriculum. He also presents at bilingual… conferences, new teacher conferences and regularly attends children's literature conferences. He has written and/or illustrated six McGraw-Hill titles.
Steve Springeris the author of six books, including theNew York TimesbestsellerAmerican Son: The Oscar De La Hoya Story. Formerly a journalist for theLos Angeles Times, he is currently colunnist for ESPN Los Angeles. Blake Chavez is a professional writer who enjoyed a successful career as an amateur boxing trainer for more than a decade. Both authors live in California.