Charles Waters

Charles Waters is an award-winning author, poet, and former actor whose creative journey has taken him from his childhood in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, to the stages of Walt Disney World and into the pages of celebrated books for young readers. Born in Philadelphia and raised in the Philadelphia suburb of Yeadon, Charles discovered the power of performance and poetry after graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He toured with several theater companies, including Poetry Alive!, before spending eight years acting at Walt Disney World, where he famously performed as a judge for The American Idol Experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Since 2007, Charles has been a proud member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). He is best known for his collaborative works with Irene Latham, including African Town (winner of the 2023 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction), Dictionary For A Better World: Poems, Quotes and Anecdotes from A–Z, Be A Bridge, and the Charlotte Huck Honor book Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship. Charles also co-wrote Mascot with Traci Sorell, which received an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor and a Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Honor. His poems have appeared in numerous anthologies, and he continues to write stories that build bridges, spark conversation, and inspire young readers.