Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas taught in public schools for several years after graduating from Florida A&M, a historically Black university in Tallahassee, Florida. After earning her doctorate from the University of Michigan in 2010, she returned to her master's degree institution, Wayne State University, as an assistant professor of Reading, Language, and Literature in the College of Education. In July 2012, she came to Penn GSE, where she is Associate Professor in the Division of Literacy, Culture, and International Education. Her program affiliation is Reading/Writing/Literacy. Her expertise on race and representation in children’s and young adult literature has been sought after nationally and internationally. She has been interviewed by MSNBC, the BBC, the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Chicago Tribune, to name a few. She is a former reviewer for Kirkus’ children’s book section, and has written book reviews for the Los Angeles Times. She and her graduate students select Penn GSE’s Best Books for Young People annually. Currently, Dr. Thomas is hard at work on her first novel for young adults. Her literary fiction is represented by Brooks Sherman, Janklow Nesbit.