Born in Saint Louis, Missouri on March 12th, Naomi Shihab Nye is a poet, an essayist, a songwriter, and the author of many wonderful books for children.
Her first poem was published when she was seven years old!
She has a Palestinian-American background and she was fortunate to grow up in Saint Louis, Jerusalem, and San Antonio, Texas. She draws on her rich experiences traveling the world to create books that promote international good will. Her poetry is rich and beloved by many.
She has won the Guggenheim Fellowship, two Jane Addams' Children's Book Awards and the Lavan Award from the American Academy of Poets.
Her books include the autobiographical YA novel, Habibi, as well as 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East, This Same Sky, and Hugging the Jukebox.
