Judy Bradbury is the author of several children's books as well as professional resources for educators and parents. A literacy specialist who has taught students from preschool through college, Judy's monthly column for LibrarySparks inspired the creation of the popular Children's Book Corner blog (www.blog.judybradbury.com) where she interviews authors and illustrators and offers suggestions for using their books to connect social-emotional learning to curriculum in Grades Pre-K--8. Judy welcomes the opportunity to visit schools to share her books with students as well as offering one-day or in-depth writing workshops. She presents at conferences and leads professional development nationwide on topics related to English Language Arts and connecting kids and curriculum to great books. A lifelong advocate for promoting reading through community initiatives, Judy pioneered a New York State-funded summer community reading program and has developed remedial and enrichment reading and writing curricula. She has served as the Educator Event Coordinator of the Western New York Children's Book Expo since its inception in 2015. She is an active member of the New York State Reading Association (NYSRA) and the Niagara Frontier Reading Council (NFRC), for whom she is the Professional Development Chair. She has received awards from both NYSRA and the NFRC for her service in promoting literacy. A first-generation Italian American, Judy is a Cayuga Island Kid with a large and loving extended family. Judy grew up on the island, which is located a few miles upstream from the mighty Niagara Falls. In the summers, she rode the bicycle her father built for her across the island searching for mysteries to solve. Now, she is the mom of a voracious reader with whom she shares books and giggles. Judy also laughs with her husband over the misadventures of their goofy dog and spunky cat. When not at her desk or chasing the dog, Judy enjoys jogging, cycling, traveling, reading, gardening, and showing up at the barre (It keeps her on her toes!) Although she has always loved to draw, Gabriella became an illustrator via a circuitous route that allowed her to explore many other interests including theater, music, teaching, and languages. Her work in these fields all had a common thread: communication. And this is what she loves best about illustrating children's books--the opportunity to visually communicate a story in a way that will indelibly imprint it on young minds, just as she still has with her the illustrated stories from her childhood. The daughter of a Brazilian mother and an Italian dad, Gabriella Vagnoli was born in Pisa. With her heart in two different countries, she added a third by moving to the U.S. and marrying an American. Her two beautiful multicultural sons consider the world a very small place. Gabriella has a BFA in Children's Book Illustration from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design and a BA in English and Spanish Language and Literature from the Universita degli Studi di Pisa.
