Keely Hutton is a children’s book author and former English teacher. She worked closely with Ricky Richard Anywar to tell his story in her debut novel, Soldier Boy. Booklist named Soldier Boy one of the top ten first novels in 2017 and one of the top ten historical novels for youth in 2018. Her second novel, Secret Soldiers, was a 2020 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year and 2020 Children's Book Council Notable Social Studies Book for Young People. Her third novel, Don’t Look Back, a YA memoir she co-authored with Achut Deng, was published in October 2022. Keely lives in Rochester, NY with her husband, two sons, and adorable dog, Maximus.
