Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is an American writer best known for children's and young adult fiction. Born on January 4, 1933, in Anderson, Indiana, she grew up in a family with strong religious and conservative, Midwestern values. Much of her childhood involved moving frequently due to her father's job as a salesman.

Despite growing up during the Depression with limited financial resources, Naylor did not feel deprived, as her family owned a collection of good books. Her parents actively nurtured her love for literature, with her father enlivening characters from Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer and her mother reading to the children every evening.

Naylor is celebrated for her children's novel quartet Shiloh, which won the 1992 Newbery Medal, and the "Alice" book series, which has been among the most frequently challenged books of the last decade. Her writings have been significant in promoting themes of tolerance and acceptance, particularly regarding race and sexuality, profoundly impacting many readers' perspectives.