Margarita Engle

Margarita Engle is a Cuban-American poet, novelist, and author of numerous award-winning verse novels, picture books, and memoirs for children, young adults, and adults, often reflecting her Cuban heritage and appreciation for nature. Born in Pasadena, California, to a Cuban mother and American father, she earned degrees in biology and served as the Poetry Foundation's Young People's Poet Laureate from 2017 to 2019. Her works, such as The Surrender Tree (Newbery Honor) and Enchanted Air, have garnered multiple accolades including Pura Belpré Awards and the NSK Neustadt Prize.