Bio

Esmeralda Santiago is renowned for her adult memoirs, When I Was Puerto Rican, Almost a Woman, and The Turkish Lover. The eldest of eleven children, she spent her childhood in Puerto Rico. She moved to New York in 1961 with her mother and siblings, at the age of thirteen. Esmeralda was once trained as an actress, includes Archie comics as one of her influences, and has attended Harvard University.

Her newest Scholastic title, A Doll for Navidades, is her first book for children. A Doll for Navidades tells the story of a house that smells of cinnamon and coconut, where music fills the air, and best of all, the Three Magi will soon bring presents to all of the children. Little Esmeralda hopes they will bring her a baby doll. But instead, she receives something far more precious: She experiences firsthand the magic of giving and the power of her family's love for her. The Spanish translation, Una Muneca Para El Dia De Reyes, will be published simultaneously.

Esmeralda lives in Katonah, New York with her husband and children.