An Na (born 1972) is an American author of children's literature. Like most authors, she was a fervent reader as a child. She eventually became a middle school English and History teacher. She turned to writing novels after taking a young adult literature class while enrolled in a M.F.A. program at Vermont College. She struck gold with her very first novel A Step From Heaven, which won the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature. The novel became a finalist for the National Book Award, and later found its way onto numerous "best book" lists.
An Na still makes frequent visits to middle schools to talk about her book. She tries to reach young Asian-American students to encourage them to become artists and other creative endeavors.
An Na considers Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes and Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street among the influences on her writing and also admires the work of Madeleine L'Engle and of her first writing teacher, Jacqueline Woodson.
She was born in Korea.
She currently divides her time between Oakland, California and Warren, Vermont.