All About the Author

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the best-selling book written by author Stephen Chbosky is to today's young adults what J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye was to teens of decades past. In poignant, knowing language and characterization, Chbosky captures the joys, anguish, confusion, and once-in-a-lifetime experience that is adolescence. Readers will find out about the book, the movie, and the engaging author in this singular account about how one man wrote a story that has become an emotional touchstone for a generation.

Though best known for transporting readers to Nazi Germany in his equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking bestselling novel, The Book Thief, Markus Zusak has many credits to his name. Penning the Underdogs trilogy, The Messenger, and The Book Thief, all before the age of forty, Zusak has left fans eager to see what he will come up with next. This biography of the award-winning author examines his early influences, including his parents' tales of life during World War II, and his development into a writer beloved by readers of all ages.

Sherman Alexie won the 2007 National Book Award for young people's literature with his acclaimed novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The novel was inspired by the problems, struggles, and occasional triumphs he experienced as a teenager. Alexie had a long career before writing a YA novel. He has been a poet, a short story writer, a novelist, a screenwriter, a comedian, and a musician. No matter what medium he works in, Alexie attracts fans that love exploring the gorgeous, lonely, magical, and terrifying worlds he creates. This enthralling narrative gives teen readers an intimate portrait of Alexie, from his birth, when he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, and youth on the Spokane Indian Reservation to his establishment as a rising star in American literature. Among his acclaimed books are Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Reservation Blues, and Indian Killer, and his screenplay Smoke Signals. He also wrote and directed the film The Business of Fancydancing. He won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 2010 with War Dances, a collection of short stories interspersed with poems. Also included are fact sheets on Alexie and his writing, critical reviews of his works, and a timeline.

Fans of Green's novels get an insider's look at the path he took to becoming a best-selling author and Internet sensation. This captivating resource follows Green from his youth and introduces readers to the teachers and school that served as inspiration for one of his best-loved novels. This book takes readers through Green's college years and the job at a children's hospital that changed his career path, and even his outlook on life. For Internet fans, Green's passion for being a "nerdfighter" is also well-documented in this rich account of a beloved writer's life and inspirations.

Suzanne Collins is the critically acclaimed author of the Hunger Games trilogy. But how did she get her start? Where does she find her inspiration? This biography of the media-shy Suzanne Collins offers a peek into the life and career of one of today's most successful authors, including where she finds inspiration, how she got her start, and much more. Her youth as a military kid through the height of her current success is also explored.

Riding on a wave of popular demand for YA fantasy and science fiction, Marissa Meyer's success in the genre is the latest stage in the steady rise of an up-and-coming author. Meyer's career milestones are discussed, including her education in creative writing, her work as an editor on other writers' books, and her writing of the manga comic fan fiction Sailor Moon under a pseudonym. The book provides an in-depth look at the writing process and creative origins behind her first book, Cinder, the first in an ambitious four-part series that reworks traditional fairy tales in a modern context.

Veronica Roth published her first book at the age of twenty-one and had the pleasure of seeing it quickly become a best-seller. Her dystopian trilogy about Tris Prior has made Roth a favorite with fans around the world. It inspired a series of hit movies and helped feed the current appetite for YA novels with strong female protagonists and tense, exciting plots. Readers will learn about Roth's childhood and college years, how she got published, and where she gets some of the ideas for her novels. A treat for her many fans!

Her books fly off the shelves, and throngs of fans flock to the theatres to see Cassandra Clare's stories and characters brought to the silver screen. Although Clare writes for a young adult audience, her best-selling novels continue to enchant readers of all ages. Readers will learn about Clare's childhood and early work history and how they have shaped her writing. Writing tips and suggestions from Clare encourage and guide aspiring writers. Insights into Clare's writing practices and her musical preferences offer an entertaining and memorable biography about one of the best-selling YA authors.

This highly entertaining and enlightening biography features the story of Christopher Paolini, whom Guinness World Records has recognized as the "Youngest Author of a Best-selling Book Series." Paolini wrote his debut novel, Eragon, about a boy and his adventures with a telepathic dragon when he was just fifteen. The author has taken the publishing world by storm with his four-book Inheritance Cycle. Fans of science fiction and fantasy will enjoy learning the fascinating backstory of the books, including the author's creative methods and sources of literary inspiration.