B. 1947

Carmen T. Bernier-Grand was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She is the author of numerous books for children and young adults, many of which are biographies of important Latino and Hispanic figures, including Picasso: I The King, Yo el rey (2012); Alicia Alonso: Prima Ballerina (2011); Diego: Bigger than Life (2009), an Oregon Book Awards finalist and winner of a Pura Belpré Honor; Frida: Viva La Vida! Long Live Life! (2007); and Cesar: Sí, Se Puede! Yes, We Can! (2004).

Bernier-Grand is the recipient of an Evelyn Sibley Lampman Award from the Oregon Library Association’s Children’s Division for contributions to the children of Oregon. She presents her work and the history of Puerto Rico to elementary school students and leads workshops on writing for children and young adults. She teaches at Writers in the Schools and was core faculty for the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts Whidbey Island MFA until it ceased operations in 2016.