Biography

• Born March 20, 1954 in New York
• Attended Antioch College and the University of California at Berkeley 
• Worked as a teacher's aide and yard teacher at Hillside Elementary School while in college
• Working at Hillside Elementary School inspired him to write children's books
• Graduated college in 1976 and began working at a sweater factory while writing his first book, Sideways Stories from Wayside School
• Attended Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco
• Graduated law school in 1980 and did part-time legal work while writing children's books
• Began writing full-time in 1989
• In 1999, he won the Newbery Medal for Holes
• Currently lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and daughter