She has lent her voice to numerous projects, and she relishes any opportunity to breathe life into a character. An alumnus of The Second City Training Center in Hollywood, she co-wrote and performed in two acclaimed original sketch comedy shows there. She received her bachelor's degree in theatre from the University of Southern California and trained and performed with the prestigious British American Drama Academy in London. For more information, visit, or follow her on Twitter Jesse Vilinsky is an accomplished voice actor and improviser. Born and raised in Massachusetts, she lives in Northern Ireland, where she's always on the lookout for castle ruins and secret gardens. She's been a writer-in-residence at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts as well as the Art Commune program in Armenia, and she's taught at George Mason University and Queen's University Belfast. This award winning book offers kids an authentic depiction of selective mutism and a story of the experience of middle school interactions and mental. It is a story that will hopefully foster empathy and maybe even communication with our ‘quiet’ peers.Christina Collins holds an MFA in creative writing from George Mason University. After Zero reminds us of so many loved ones of those suffering from anxiety or depressive disorders. “This tender and truthful book stays with you long after the words have gone.” -Patricia Forde, author of The List Her debut novel, After Zero, was a 2019 NCTE/CLA Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts. Then, the discovery of a shocking family secret helps Elise realize that her silence might just be the key to unlocking everything she's ever hoped for. Elise carries a notebook full of tallies, each page marking a day spent at her new public school, each stroke of her pencil marking a word spoken. Zero means no wrong answers called out in class, no secrets accidentally spilled, no conversations to agonize over at night when sleep is far away.īut now months have passed, and Elise isn't sure she could speak even if she wanted to-not to keep her only friend, Mel, from drifting further away-or to ask if anyone else has seen her English teacher's stuffed raven come to life. Sometimes silence is all you can count on. Bixby’s Last DayĮlise carries a notebook full of tallies, each page marking a day spent at her new public school, each stroke of her pencil marking a word spoken.

“Powerful and poetic.” -John David Anderson, author of Posted and Ms.

After Zero by Christina Collins