Christina Li
CHRISTINA LI is the author of Clues to the Universe and the forthcoming Ruby Lost and Found, and is a recent graduate of Stanford University. At any given time she is probably daydreaming about characters and drinking too much jasmine green tea. She grew up in the Midwest and California but now calls New York home.
The Longer Bio
One of the first memories I have growing up is my mom reading Magic Tree House to me. I was learning how to read. She was learning how to speak English. And as the Midwestern winters got chilly and the wind drafted through the cracks of the windows, we snuggled up in bed together, making our way through new words and stories together with a Chinese-English dictionary at our side.
I was shy and fearful child growing up–the kind that gets scared at even the thought of speaking up in class–so naturally, books were my haven. I read about main characters going on epic adventures across space and time, developing incredible superpowers, and facing off lunchtime bullies and monsters alike. I searched for books that featured characters who looked like me for years, and finally came across a Chinese mythology-inspired fantasy, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin, that helped me fall in love with my own Asian identity. And as I read about these fictional characters overcoming their fears, I realized that I could too. And when I was twelve, I started writing on my family laptop the beginning chapters of what would become my first novel, and I haven’t looked back since.
These days, I write books about both fearless kids and the kids who are still learning to find their voices. My middle grade debut novel, CLUES TO THE UNIVERSE, came out from Quill Tree Books in January 2021, and it’s about space, friendship, and finding your own way in the world. My forthcoming book, RUBY LOST AND FOUND, is out from Quill Tree Books in May 2023, and is an intergenerational family story about love, loss, and memory, featuring a scavenger hunt and a Chinese bakery. When I’m not writing, you can find me drinking lots of tea, or being questionably productive over on Twitter and Instagram.
Christina Li 