Malia Maunakea is a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) writer who grew up on Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu before relocating to the continent for college. She’s the author of the middle-grade fiction series Lei and the Legends, including Lei and the Fire Goddess (Penguin Workshop, summer 2023) and Lei and the Invisible Island (Penguin Workshop, summer 2024). She also wrote the non-fiction how-to Backpacking with Children (CMC Press, spring 2023). When not at her computer, she can often be found roaming the Rocky Mountains with her husband, their two children, and a rescue mutt named Peggy. Malia is online at maliamaunakea.com and @MaliaMaunakea on Instagram.
Suzie Townsend and Sarah Gerton
