A. J. Sass comprehensive bio
A. J. Sass (he/they) is an author whose narrative interests lie at the intersection of identity, neurodiversity, and allyship. He is an award winning and critically acclaimed author of books for young readers, including Just Shy of Ordinary (2025 Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor), Camp QUILTBAG, co-written with Nicole Melleby (2024 ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10 Title; Golden Poppy Award finalist), Ellen Outside the Lines (2023 Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor; 2023 ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10 Title; multiple state awards list nominations), and Ana on the Edge (2021 ALA Rainbow Book list Top 10 Title; Bank Street College of Education selection; multiple state awards list nominations). Many of his books have also been Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections.
Andrew’s debut picture book is Shabbat Is …, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. His short stories and essays have also appeared in the This Is Our Rainbow (Knopf), Allies (DK/PRH), On All Other Nights (Abrams), Athlete is Agender (Christy Ottaviano/Little, Brown), and No Brain the Same (Candlewick) anthologies.
When he’s not writing, Andrew figure skates, tinkers with typewriters, and travels as much as possible. Originally from Minnesota, he currently divides his time between the San Francisco Bay Area and northwestern Vermont with his husband. Visit him online at sassinsf.com and follow him on Bluesky and Instagram.
Author photo
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Please credit photographer Deven Sass-Cao.
Ana on the Edge
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Ellen Outside the Lines
Camp QUILTBAG
Just Shy of Ordinary
General Author Info
Writing as: A. J. Sass
Goes by: Andrew Sass-Cao (aka, feel free to call me Andrew in casual conversation :))
Pronouns: he/they (pick one or feel free to use interchangeably)
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA + NW Vermont
Social media: Bluesky | Instagram | Facebook
Representation
Literary, subrights & film/TV/dramatic: Jordan Hamessley at JABberwocky Literary Agency
Publisher Info
Ana on the Edge
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette)
Editor: Lisa Yoskowitz
Publicist: Sadie Trombetta
Cover artist: Ellen Shi
Cover designer: Angelie Yap
Release date: October 20, 2020 (hardcover + audiobook); October 19, 2021 (paperback)
Awards/Accolades: 2021 ALA Rainbow List Top Ten Title for Young Readers; 2020 Booklist Editors’ Choice; Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection; 2024 Connecticut Nutmeg Children’s Book Award nominee; 2024 Washington Sasquatch Award nominee; A Bank Street Children’s Best Book of the Year
Ellen Outside the Lines
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette)
Editor: Lisa Yoskowitz
Publicist: Sadie Trombetta
Cover artist: Ana Hinojosa
Cover designer: Angelie Yap
Release date: March 22, 2022 (hardcover + audiobook); September 19, 2023 (paperback)
Awards/Accolades: 2023 Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor book; 2023 ALA Rainbow List Top Ten Title for Young Readers; 2022 Booklist Editors’ Choice; 2022 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year; Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection; 2024 Georgia Children’s Book Award nominee
Camp QUILTBAG
Co-Author: Nicole Melleby
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers (Workman/Hachette)
Editor: Krestyna Lypen
Publicist: Meghan O’Shaughnessy
Cover artist: Violet Tobacco
Cover designer: Carla Weise
Release date: March 21, 2023 (hardcover + audiobook); May 30, 2023 (paperback)
Awards/Accolades: Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection; 2024 ALA Rainbow List Top Ten Title for Young Readers; Golden Poppy Award finalist
Just Shy Of Ordinary
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette)
Editors: Erika Turner; Caitlyn Averett; Lisa Yoskowitz
Publicist: Sadie Trombetta
Cover artist: Rebecca Shieh
Cover designer: Gabrielle Chang
Release date: January, 30 2024 (hardcover + audiobook); July 29, 2025 (paperback)
Awards/Accolades: 2025 Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor book
Shabbat Is …
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette)
Editor: Erika Turner; Lisa Yoskowitz
Illustrator: Noa Kelner
Publicist: Sadie Trombetta
Release date: September 2, 2025 (hardcover + audiobook)
Awards/Accolades: CCBC Choices Best of the Year List 2026
Allies: Real Talk About Showing Up, Screwing Up, And Trying Again
My status: Contributor
My story title: This Is What It Feels Like
Publisher: DK Children (Penguin Random House)
Acquiring editor: Tori Kosara
Co-Editors: Shakirah Bourne and Dana Alison Levy
Release date: July 29, 2021 (UK paperback; audiobook); September 14, 2021 (US hardcover; audiobook)
Awards/Accolades: 2021 Eureka! Gold Award winner (judged by the California Reading Association); A Bank Street Children’s Best Book of the Year
This is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us
My status: Contributor
My story title: Balancing Acts
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (Penguin Random House)
Acquiring editor: Marisa DiNovis
Co-Editors: Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby
Cover artists: Jessica and Jacinta Wibowo (Jes & Cin)
Release date: October 19, 2021 (hardcover + audiobook); April 11, 2023 (paperback)
Awards/Accolades: A Kirkus Reviews 2021 “Best Book of the Year”; A NAIBA Best Book of the Year; A Bank Street Children’s Best Book of the Year; 2022 ALA Rainbow Book List book; A CCBC Choices 2022 Book
On All Other Nights
My status: Contributor
My story title: The Awful Omen
Publisher: Abrams
Acquiring editor: Erica Finkel
Editors: Chris Baron; Joshua S. Levy; Naomi Milliner
Release date: April 2024
Athlete Is Agender
My status: Contributor
My story title: My Life on the Ice
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano
Acquiring editor: Jessica Anderson
Editors: Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby
Release date: May 2025