KaaVonia Hinton is a professor in the Teaching & Learning Department at Old Dominion University and the author of many articles and books about literature for youth. She is also the co-editor, with Lucy E. Bailey, of the book series, Research in Life Writing and Education (Information Age Publishing).

Karen Michele Chandler is an associate professor of English at the University of Louisville and the author of many articles on African American, American, and youth literature. She is the co-editor, with Michelle H. Martin, of a special issue of International Research in Children's Literature on Black spaces. Her book, Tending to the Past: Selfhood and Culture in Children's Narratives about Slavery and Freedom, is forthcoming in 2024.