e.E.

Charlton-Trujillo

Kid Lit Author

Stonewall Award Winner

Travels from: Bloomington, IN

“Charlton-Trujillo offers a hard-hitting third novel that swings between incredibly painful low moments and hard-won victories.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Described as a “force of nature” by Kirkus Reviews, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo is unquestionably one of the most dynamic and inspiring speakers for youth today. The one-time, small-town Texas native is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and youth literacy activist. They have written several books for teens and children such as the ALA winning Fat Angie series and Prizefighter en Mi Casa, a Parents’ Choice Silver Honor book. Their debut picture book, co-authored with NYT Bestseller Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Joe Cepeda, Lupe Lopez: Rock Star Rules was a Bank Street Best Book of the Year among other lists. Their short fiction appeared in the Read Across America pick Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America.

e.E.’s activism with youth featured in the documentary At-Risk Summer inspired them to cofound the literacy and storytelling non-profit Never Counted Out. Much of e.E.’s time off the page is dedicated to speaking or facilitating creative workshops. It’s part of their Your Story Is A Revolution campaign focused on empowering young people to be heard through storytelling.

Trujillo’s forthcoming work includes picture books A Girl Can Build Anything, also written with Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Keisha Morris, Lupe Lopez: Reading Rock Star, and short fiction in The Collectors anthology edited by Michael A. Printz and LA Times Book Prize winner A.S. King. e.E. is co-host of the Instagram Live series Off The Cuff and is a proud member of the Las Musas collective.

e.E.'s Featured Titles

What Will You Build?! - Elementary

Trujillo reads and reveals the inspiration their picture book A Girl Can Build Anything. Students get to share and interact in how all of us can build anything our imagination dreams of.
Audience Size: Assembly or Classroom
Grades: K – 4th, STEAM (45 – 60 min)

How To Be A Rock Star! - Elementary

Trujillo will read one or both Lupe Lopez picture books and share the real-life inspiration for each. This interactive presentation will give kids the chance to shine their own rock star light!
Audience Size: Assembly or Classroom
Grades: K – 4th, STEAM (45 – 60 min)

Where do stories come from? (2nd-5th)

Trujillo’s interactive and energetic presentation takes kids from concept to creation. Allowing students to peek behind the creative curtain and imagine themselves as storytellers.
Audience Size: Assembly or Classroom
Grades: K – 4th, STEAM (45 – 60 min)

Rock the Word - Teens

Part rock concert, part literary pep rally, this electrifying workshop ignites imagination and excites young people to craft on-the-spot stories as well as small-group collaborations and independent narratives.
Audience Size: Classroom
Grades: 6th – 12th, STEAM (Workshop)

The Playlist of Your Life - Teens

Music becomes a fulcrum in the Fat Angie series. In this presentation, we see how music informs the internal and external transformation of Angie and other characters. Then together we’ll help create a playlist that explores the story of student’s lives. One title track at a time.
Audience Size: Classroom
Grades: 6th – 12th, STEAM (Workshop)

What's Your Story Gonna Be? - Teens

Trujillo’s high-octane, immersive workshop guides students to explore story telling from prose, poetry, slam and beyond. By the end of the workshop, young writers will produce a final collaborative project, with a contribution from each student in the medium of their choosing.
Audience Size: Classroom
Grades: 6th – 12th, STEAM (In-Person, Day-Long or Multi-Day Workshop)

From Homeless to Published - Keynote

Converting grief into story and story into hope, Trujillo shares their harrowing journey from loss to lost to new beginnings. In this keynote Trujillo shows how, through the power story, there can be something amazing on the other side of struggle.

How An At-Risk Summer Became a Worthwhile Life - Keynote

Trujillo’s trek across America to mentor at-promise youth is the focus of the documentary At-Risk Summer, but that’s only the beginning. This keynote shares stories beyond the film. The challenges, hopes, and new beginnings found in the most unlikely places. A testament to the power of showing up, standing up, and being heard.

All The Way To The Back: Engaging Every Kid In The Room - Professional Development

Award-winning author, filmmaker, and youth literacy activist e.E. Charlton-Trujillo shares their rationale and methods for motivating creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking in every kind of student — by meeting them exactly where they are.

Story In The Digital Age: Professional Development

TikTok, YouTube, IG, Snapchat can distract students from the lesson you’ve planned. Rather than fight the technology, what are ways to incorporate it into the work you’re doing? How can students’ knowledge of technology become an asset to their creative learning? Trujillo will share insights and methods of digital interest to your classroom.

Fat Angie (Book Series) . Behind The Book

At Risk Summer (Full Movie)

“e.E. Charlton-Trujillo brings their energetic and compassionate voice to diverse audiences, connecting with students of all ages and encouraging educators to truly listen to their students and see them for who they are.” – Ohio University/Athens County Public Libraries, 2024

“e.E. empowered our students during small group writing conferences, private conferences in ISS, as well engaging the entire student body. Trujillo changes lives and is easily one of the best authors visits we’ve experienced!” – Eva Goins, TCTELA Vice President 2023 & 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher

“e.E. connected with our school community in a way that few visitors do. We all felt like we mattered.” – Erin Blad-Johnson, Library Media Specialist, Will Rogers Middle School

“Expect a high energy presentation that your conference attendees will be talking / tweeting / posting / thinking about for a long time afterwards. They remain in the top 1% of presentations.” – Kendra Kelly Hughes, Ph.D., The Norfolk Public Library

“e.E. was the keynote speaker for our 2022 AmeriCorps Swearing In day and their words were filled with encouragement, humor, and hope. Our tutors were lining up to connect with them as they left the auditorium, and their message has continued to resound throughout our year. There are not enough words to adequately express how grateful we are for their beautiful and inspiring words, both on and off the pages.” – Rachel Mallernee, CFRE, Development Director, Literacy First

“e.E. is a dynamic presenter who engages audiences with heart, humor, and wisdom. They offer insights not only from their own unique creative journey but from their collaborations, too.” – Evan Griffith Events & Youth Programming Specialist, The Writing Barn

“The simple power of an author visit lasts far beyond the initial event, especially with a writer and speaker like e.E. whose dedication to empowering youth through the arts is undeniable.” – Jenny Cameron Paulson, Iowa Council Teachers of English President 2013

“While watching e.E. Charlton-Trujillo interact with my students and inspire them to their voices, I felt moved to add a creative writing component to the curriculum.” – Kim Summer, English & Creative Writing Teacher, Urbana High School

e.E’s News and Events

e.E’s Films

e.E’s Media Kit Link

Las Musas Link

e.E’s TikTok

Off The Cuff

600 Books of Hope

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Michael L. Printz Award Winner
National Science STEM Winner
ALA Stonewall Book Award Winner
Bronze Award International Latino Book Awards Winner
Bronze Award FORWARD Indies Winner
Delacorte Dell Yearling Award Winner
Westchester Book Award Winner
Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Winner
FORWARD Indies Finalist
Lambda Literary Award Finalist
Writer’s League of Texas Finalist
Selected for Choose to Read Ohio
ALA Rainbow List
EBSCO Core Collection List
National Council for the Social Studies Notable Book List
New York Public Library List for the Teenager List

Media clips

San Antonio Magazine | San Antonio Author Wants Girls to Know They Can Build (and Do!) Anything
Madison Magazine | Madison Reading Project celebrates donating 300,000 books
Candlewick Press | Candlewick Grows Its Spanish-Language Publishing Program
Arizona State University | Pride Month: Summer Reading List

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.