Rita Williams-Garcia (born Rita Williams; April 13, 1957) is an American writer of novels for children and young adults.

Be Eleven, was a Junior Literary Guild selection, a New York Times Editors Choice Book,[7] and won the Coretta Scott King Award in 2014.

[8] In 2016 her book Gone Crazy in Alabama won the Coretta Scott King Award.

She graduated from Hofstra University in 1980, where she studied with Richard Price and Sonya Pilcer.

She taught for many years at Vermont College of Fine Arts.