Brian Selznick is an award winning children's book author and illustrator whose innovative work has redefined what a children's book looks like. His work combines the structure of a novel, picture book, graphic novel, and flip book into a new form of story telling. For middle school readers, this tell-all and fascinating biography will expose this artist's childhood, early influences, and insights into his struggle to get published. It includes interviews with the author, family and colleagues, excerpts from popular works, and provides a list of Selznick's professional influences. Readers will also discover how this widely celebrated author and illustrator continues to keep his current writing fresh and focused.

A biography of the author best known for his book, "Where the Wild Things Are," provides details on his childhood, career, and personal achievements.

It all began with a bedtime story about modern-day demigods, told to a youngster who recommended that his Dad write it down. As a middle-school English teacher, Rick Riordan asked his students to "test drive" the work-in-progress that would become The Lightning Thief-the first novel in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. More series, a film, awards, and even real-life camps based on the books followed, and now Rick's classroom has gone global.

Shel Silverstein's works have sold over 20 million copies and have been translated into more than 30 languages. A cartoonist, songwriter, poet, playwright, and author, Silverstein's style is unforgettable. His wacky illustrations and poems are thought provoking, engaging, and smart. Readers will be inspired to learn more about how this incredible artist approached his work, and what techniques he utilized to create and illustrate his unmistakable style.

Lois Lowry took her quiet, introverted view of the world and started writing a book about her sister. Soon her books were bringing readers to far-off places: into the war-torn past with Number the Stars and the science fiction future with The Giver.