50 Word Bio

Janae Marks is the New York Times bestselling author of the Zoe Washington series, A Soft Place to Land, and A Split Second. She has an MFA in Writing for Children from The New School, and lives in Connecticut with her family. Learn more at janaemarks.com.

150 Word Bio

Janae Marks is the New York Times bestselling author of the Zoe Washington series, A Soft Place to Land, and A Split Second. Her work can also be found in the middle grade anthologies Hope Wins, edited by Rose Brock, and Black Girl Power, edited by Leah Johnson. Her novels have been named Best Book of the Year by Parents Magazine, Chicago Public Library, the Boston Globe, the Bank Street College of Education, and others. 
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Janae grew up in the New York City suburbs, where she loved to read and write. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from Tufts University and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children from The New School. She lives in Connecticut with her family. Learn more about her at janaemarks.com.

How to Pronounce Janae's Name

Awards and Accolades

Janae was named one of Connecticut Magazine's 40 Under 40 in 2022.
From the desk of zoe washington
  • ​Indie Bestseller
  • 4 starred reviews (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal)
  • Named a Best Book of the Year by Parents Magazine, Book Riot, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Chicago Public Library, the Boston Globe, the Bank Street College of Education, and the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature
  • NPR 100 Favorite Books for Young Readers
  • #1 Kids' Indie Next List Title
  • Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
  • Project LIT Book Club Selection
  • ​2020 Cybils Award Winner
  • 2021 Edgar Award Nominee
  • 2021 Agatha Award Nominee
  • ​2021 Anthony Award Nominee
  • Finalist, NEIBA New England Book Award (2020)
  • Finalist, Connecticut Book Award (2021)
  • Finalist, GoodReads Choice Awards (2020)
  • ​Amazon Best Book of the Month and Teachers' Pick
  • 2021-2022 Lectio Book Award Nominee

State Honors:
  • Arizona: 2025 Grand Canyon Reader Award nominee
  • Arkansas: 2022-23 Charlie May Simon Book Award nominee
  • ​Connecticut: 2023 Intermediate Nutmeg Book Award nominee
  • Delaware: 2022 Blue Hen Book Award nominee
  • Florida: 2021-22 Sunshine State Young Readers Award nominee
  • Georgia: 2022 Georgia Children's Book Award runner up
  • Hawai‘i: Nēnē Award 2023 nominee
  • Illinois: 2022 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award nominee
  • Indiana: 2021-22 Young Hoosier Book Award nominee
  • Iowa: 2021-2022 Children's Choice Award List
  • Louisiana: 2022-23 Reader's Choice Award nominee
  • Maine: 2021-22 Student Book Award reading list 
  • Michigan: 2021-22 Great Lakes Great Book Award honor book
  • Minnesota: 2021-22 Maud Hart Lovelace award nominee
  • Nebraska: 2021-22 Golden Sower Award nominee
  • Nevada: 2023 Young Readers Award nominee
  • New Hampshire: 2020/2021 Great Stone Face Award nominee
  • North Carolina: 2021 Children's Book Award nominee
  • Ohio: 2021 Buckeye Children's Book Award nominee
  • Oklahoma: 2022 Children’s Sequoyah Masterlist
  • Oregon: 2022-23 Battle of the Books title
  • Pennsylvania: 2021-22 Young Readers Choice Award nominee
  • Rhode Island: 2022 Rhode Island Children’s Book Award nominee
  • South Carolina : 2021-22 Junior Book Award nominee
  • Texas: 2022 Lone Star Reading List
  • Pacific Northwest Library Association 2023 Young Readers Choice Award nominee
  • Washington, DC: 2021 Three Stars Book Award nominee
A soft place to land
  • 2 starred reviews (Publishers Weekly, Booklist)
  • September/October 2021 Kids Indie Next Pick
  • 2021 Project Lit Book Club Selection
  • 2022 Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year

State Honors:
  • Iowa: 2023-24 Children's Choice Award nominee
  • New York: 2023 Charlotte Award nominee
  • Rhode Island: 2024 RI Middle School Book Award nominee
ON AIR WITH ZOE WASHINGTON
  • Instant New York Times bestseller
  • Indie bestseller
  • Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
  • Nerdy Book Award Winner
  • 2024 Children's Book Council Librarian Favorites Award

State Honors:
  • Iowa: 2024-25 Children's Choice Award nominee
A SPLIT SECOND
  • Starred review (Booklist)

Hi-res Headshot and Cover Images

Book Specs

FROM THE DESK OF ZOE WASHINGTON
  • Age range: 8-12
  • Pages: 304
  • Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins
  • Language: English
  • Hardcover ISBN-13: 9780062875853
  • Paperback ISBN-13: 9780062875860
  • Available in print, ebook, and audio
  • Teacher Guide

Also available in the following territories:
  • UK (Chicken House Books) 
  • Italy (Il Castoro)
  • Turkey (Timas Publishing)
  • Farsi translation (Porteghal) - coming soon

Sales Links:
A SOFT PLACE TO LAND
  • Age range: 8-12
  • Pages: 288
  • Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins
  • Language: English
  • Hardcover ISBN-13: 9780062875877
  • Paperback ISBN-13: 9780062875891
  • Available in print, ebook, and audio​
  • Teacher Guide

Sales Links:
ON AIR WITH ZOE WASHINGTON
  • Age range: 8-12
  • Pages: 304
  • Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins
  • Language: English
  • Hardcover ISBN-13: 9780063212312
  • Paperback ISBN-13: 9780063212329
  • ​Available in print, ebook, and audio
  • Teacher Guide

​Sales Links:
A SPLIT SECOND
  • Age range: 8-12
  • Pages: 256
  • Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
  • Language: English
  • Hardcover ISBN-13: 9780063212367
  • ​Available in print, ebook, and audio
  • Discussion Guide

​Sales Links:

Social Media Links

Contact Information


​Janae Marks is part of Black Creators HQ and Renegades of Middle Grade.