Michael Leali
Adjunct Professor
Part-Time Faculty
Biography
Michael Leali is an award-winning author of books like The Civil War of Amos Abernathy, which won SCBWI’s Golden Kite Award. His work has been twice nominated for Lambda Literary Awards. He is a veteran high school English teacher, seasoned writing coach, and is currently a We Need Diverse Books mentor, among serving for other mentorship programs. He holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. He currently lives in Oakland, CA.
Expertise
- Children's literature
- Middle grade
- Young adult
- Secondary education
Research Areas
- Writing for young readers
- Literacy
- Children's and young adult literature
- Education
Appointments
- Chair, MFAY Curriculum Committee (2026-Current)
Education
- Vermont College of Fine Arts, MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, 2019
- University of Iowa, BA in English Secondary Education, 2013
Awards & Distinctions
- Golden Kite Award Winner, 2023
- Lambda Literary Award finalist, 2023 & 2024
- Rainbow List Top 10, 2023
- Jane Addams Children's Book Awards finalist, 2023
Books
- The Truth About Triangles (HarperCollins, 2024)
- Matteo (HarperCollins, 2023)
- The Civil War of Amos Abernathy (HarperCollins, 2022)