Pam Muñoz Ryan (born December 25, 1951) is an American writer for children and young adults, particularly in the multicultural genre.

[5] Born Pamela Jeanne Banducci in Bakersfield, California, on December 25, 1951, her last name was changed before she attended school to match the name of her parents, Hope Bell, and the man she considered her real father, Donald Bell.

She then attended San Diego State University where she received a bachelor's degree.

An early childhood teacher, she worked for the Escondido, California, school district for three years before they started their family.

When she finished her graduate program, she became interested in writing, and at the encouragement of her agent, Kendra Marcus, included her family name, Muñoz, to her signature, to reflect her Mexican heritage.