Ashley Granillo is the author of the Pura Belprè Honor book, Cruzita and the Mariacheros. She is a proud, Mexican American hailing from the San Fernando Valley. Her educational background includes a BA and MA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Fiction from California State University Northridge, and an MFA in Fiction with a cross-study in Screenwriting from UCR Palm Desert’s Low Residency program.​  

 

​While she grew up in a predominantly Latine and Hispanic community, Ashley was one of the only children in her neighborhood who spoke one language. She was not taught about her family’s heritage or traditions––aside from making delicious tortillas and other dishes.​ She came to discover one tradition, Dia de los Muertos, after reading Ray Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree in fourth grade. The power of books, how they exchange cultural knowledge and emotion, made Ashley realize how important her stories would become one day.

 

Many of the themes Ashley writes about are inspired by her upbringing. Themes of home, family, friendship, and music are integral parts of her storytelling. Cruzita and the Mariacheros (Lerner 2024), is a testament to home, family, and music, as well as her Mexican American heritage. Her sophomore middle grade novel, Choir Grrrl (2026), emphasizes the need for women in music spaces, especially queer, Latina musicians. 

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When she isn't writing, Ashley is a musician known as Miss Ashley Jean.