Kimberly Willis Holt is an American chidren's book writer, most famous for writing When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, which won the National Book Award. That book was made into a film of the same name.

She was born to a US Navy chief in Pensacola, Florida and currently lives in Amarillo, Texas, but spent most of her childhood in Forest Hill, Louisiana. That theme is popularized by her first novel, My Louisiana Sky. As the child of a naval officer, Kimberly moved from place to place, most notably, France, Guam, and Louisiana. Holt now resides in Amarillo Texas.