Renée Watson is a New York Times bestselling author, educator, and activist whose latest novel for teens is "Watch Us Rise," co-written with Ellen Hagan. A native of Portland, Oregon, Renée writes books for kids and teens that reflect the diversity she often found missing in books when she was a child. Renée is also a community advocate and the founder of the I, Too, Arts Collective, based in the home of Langston Hughes.