Rita Williams-Garcia is an acclaimed American writer known for her novels for children and young adults. Born on April 13, 1957, in Queens, New York, she has become a celebrated figure in young adult literature.

Rita's talent was recognized early in her career. In 2010, her young adult novel Jumped was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. The following year, she received several prestigious awards for her book One Crazy Summer, including the Newbery Honor Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Her success continued with the 2013 book P.S. Be Eleven, which was a Junior Literary Guild selection, a New York Times Editors Choice Book, and won the Coretta Scott King Award in 2014. In 2016, Gone Crazy in Alabama also won the Coretta Scott King Award. Her work Clayton Byrd Goes Underground was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2017.

Williams-Garcia's passion for storytelling was evident even in her childhood. She recalls being a slowpoke at birth, dreaming up stories before she'd even taken her first breath, affectionately nicknamed "Pokey Mom" by her daughters for her unhurried pace. Growing up in the vibrant and challenging era of the 1960s, she was aware of the world around her, yet found joy and solace in creating her own narratives. Her mission to write stories for young people reflects her deep commitment to engaging teens, providing them with stories that resonate with their experiences.