Jack Gantos
Inspiration to write began for Jack Gantos in the sixth grade when he read his sister’s diary and decided he could write better than she could. He collected anecdotes he overheard at school into a diary his mother gave him and later incorporated many of these into stories. He and illustrator friend Nicole Rubel, published their first book, Rotten Ralph (1976). Additional Rotten Ralph books followed along with his popular Joey Pigza series. His books have received many honors, including School Library Journal’s Best Book of the Year Award and a National Book Award nomination. His most recent book is Best in Show for Rotten Ralph (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2005). He lives in Massachusetts.