Biography
Erin Entrada Kelly has received numerous awards and recognition for her work, including the 2025 Newbery Medal for The First State of Being, the 2018 Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe, a 2021 Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space, and the 2017 APALA Award for The Land of Forgotten Girls, among many other honors. She is a National Book Award Finalist and the author/illustrator of Marisol Rainey and Felix Powell, stand-alone stories for younger readers. Her books are New York Times bestsellers. Erin is also a short story writer. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Philippines Free Press Literary Award for Short Fiction and the Pushcart Prize.
Erin was raised in Louisiana and worked there as a journalist and magazine editor. She has a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies and liberal arts from McNeese State University and an MFA in fiction from Rosemont College. She currently lives in Delaware and teaches in the MFAC program at Hamline University.
Erin is mestiza (opens in a new window) and identifies as Filipina-American. Her mother is Visayan and lives in Cebu, which is why many of Erin’s Filipino characters speak Cebuano rather than Tagalog.
Learn more about Erin on her official website (opens in a new window), and follow her on Facebook (opens in a new window) and Instagram (opens in a new window).
Books by this author
Future rock star or friendless misfit? That’s no choice at all. Twelve-year-old Apple grapples with being different, with friends and backstabbers, and with following her dreams. A story about family, friendship, popularity, and going your own way.
Blackbird Fly
Four very different kids each with unique problems and personalities, come together over a short period to find a lost boy, come to appreciate each other, and discover new friendships. Each character is recognizable, likeable, and when they come together create a fast-paced story sure to engage young readers.
Hello, Universe
Lalani and her mother live on Sanlagita, an island under constant threat from the mountain Isa. Lalani’s quest begins when her mother falls gravely ill. Steeped in Filipino lore, this is a riveting fantasy, enhanced by evocative illustrations in a handsome format. Lalani confronts and overcomes all odds for a satisfying conclusion.
Lalani of the Distant Sea
Marisol has a vivid imagination. She names most things, including a backyard tree which she is afraid to climb. Illustrated by the author, Kelly makes Marisol and her family and friends come to life in a quiet but engaging story in which readers will see themselves as well as common concerns, and overcoming fear.
Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey
It’s August 1999. For twelve-year-old Michael Rosario, life at Fox Run Apartments in Red Knot, Delaware, is as ordinary as ever—except for the looming Y2K crisis and his overwhelming crush on his sixteen-year-old babysitter, Gibby. But when a disoriented teenage boy named Ridge appears out of nowhere, Michael discovers there is more to life than stockpiling supplies and pining over Gibby. A story of time travel, friendship, found family, and first loves, this thematically rich novel is distinguished by its voice, character development, setting, and exploration of the issues that resonate with middle grade readers.
The First State of Being
Soledad and Ming have migrated to Louisiana from the Philippines. Their father has returned to their homeland leaving the girls with Vea, the girls’ unhappy, mean-spirited stepmother. As their world expands and fact and fantasy collide, the real world, friendships, and understanding also expand.
The Land of Forgotten Girls
Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas are three siblings in seventh grade together in Park, Delaware. In 1986, as the country waits expectantly for the launch of the space shuttle Challenger, they each struggle with their own personal anxieties. They exist in their own orbits, circling a tense and unpredictable household, with little in common except an enthusiastic science teacher named Ms. Salonga. As the launch of the Challenger approaches, Ms. Salonga gives her students a project — they are separated into spacecraft crews and must create and complete a mission. When the fated day finally arrives, it changes all of their lives and brings them together in unexpected ways. This heartfelt story of family and the bond of siblings is old in three alternating points of view.
We Dream of Space
Charlotte and Ben — friends connected only by an online Scrabble game — will intersect in unexpected ways as they struggle to navigate the turmoil of middle school. A sensitive look at friendship, bullying and coming of age.
You Go First
Find this author’s books on these booklists
Themed Booklist
Building Confidence and Following My Dreams
Themed Booklist
Celebrating Asian Pacific American History and Culture
Themed Booklist
Holiday Buying Guide 2016
Themed Booklist
Holiday Buying Guide 2019
Themed Booklist
Picture Books Featuring Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Characters
Themed Booklist
Summer Reading Guide 2017
Themed Booklist
Summer Reading Guide 2021
Themed Booklist