Sylvia Vardell is Professor Emerita of literature for children and young adults in the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman's University. She has authored or co-authored more than 100 published articles, more than 25 book chapters and given more than 150 presentations at national and international conferences. She is the author of Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide, Poetry Aloud Here!, The Poetry Teacher's Book of Lists, Poetry People, and co-edits many poetry anthologies for young people with collaborator and poet Janet Wong.