Cathy Berner, a former school librarian, is the Children’s/Young Adult Specialist and Events Coordinator at Blue Willow Bookshop, an independent bookstore on the west side of Houston, Texas. She had the pleasure of serving as a judge for the 2021 Walter Awards administered by We Need Diverse Books. Cathy also serves as the programming coordinator for three literary festivals: Bookworm, TweensRead, and TeenBookCon, all of which promote reading and literacy by connecting young readers and authors.

(Photo credit: Mary Cate Stevenson & Noah Nofz)