The First Lantern Festival

Zhang, L. Sam: - L Sam Zhang has a BS in Biology from Cornell and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan. She left academia early on to explore various other career opportunities. She worked for startups, non-profits, and research institutes. Yet through her wanderings, thoughts regarding her childhood goal of being an author became more persistent as the years went by. Finally, she gave in to her urges and started to write in earnest.While taking a break from working on a YA Fantasy novel, she wrote and illustrated "The First Lantern Festival." She fell in love with the process of creating children's books, and hopes to make the enchanting world of Chinese history and mythology more accessible to everyone.Saw was born in Shanghai and grew up in Buffalo, NY. She spent a decade on the West Coast, and now calls Michigan her home. There she lives with her husband, children, a dog rescued from Taiwan, and two Bengal cats. Currently, she is the Executive Director of Kalamazoo Chinese Academy. For more information, visit LSamZhang.com.