Bio: Moni Ritchie Hadley, a half-Japanese military brat, bounced back and forth from the USA to Japan. Daydreaming was a favorite pastime. She received a BA in Psychology at UCLA and later became a home/hospital teacher for the LAUSD, where she taught students unable to attend regular school due to medical needs.
She is the author of MISO MAGIC(‘24),ANZU AND THE ART OF FRIENDSHIP (‘23), and THE STAR FESTIVAL (‘21), a 2022 Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year which received a starred review from the School Library Journal, and an honorary mention for the Freeman Book Award given by the National Consortium for teaching about Asia. Her work can also be found in HighlightsandHigh Five Magazine.
An advocate for education, Moni develops content for Kern County District's California Educators Together Program, and runs the annual Write Kidlit NOW! Scholarship fund to empower aspiring children’s book writers to pursue their dreams. Today, she lives in Los Angeles, where she turns her sky-gazing daydreams into stories for children. Check out her art explorations here.
