Amber Brown Is Tickled Pink

Paula Danziger grew up wanting to be an author . . . and then she became one.  She wrote over 25 books, traveled to more than 15 countries, and was the kind of colorful character you might find in one of her books. She loved to play, make new friends, and wear purple clothes and nail polish. Sadly, Paula Danziger passed away on July 8, 2004. Amber Brown—and the rest of her book characters—will continue to live on.

Bruce Coville is the author of 101 books for children and young adults, including the international bestseller My Teacher Is an Alien, and the wildly popular Unicorn Chronicles series. His works have appeared in over a dozen languages and won children’s choice awards in over a dozen states. He has been, at various times, a teacher, a toy maker, a magazine editor, a gravedigger, and a cookware salesman. He is also the founder of Full Cast Audio, an audiobook publishing company devoted to producing full-cast, unabridged recordings of material for family listening. Mr. Coville lives in Syracuse, New York, with his wife, author and illustrator Katherine Coville. Visit him at BruceCoville.com.

“I grew up in Buffalo, New York. I loved to daydream, and through my fantasies I learned a lot about good writing. I had a crush on Elvis, and I made up what he would say to me. When I became a writer as an adult, I could make my daydreams almost come true. I put Elvis in several of my books. Kids have sent me pictures of Fletcher as Elvis. Principals have even dressed as Elvis when I visited their school.  ”I went to Brown University where I majored in history. After I graduated, I came to New York City and worked for ABC-TV and Radio, and then for Senator Robert Kennedy. My first book was written shortly after Senator Kennedy’s death. It was called The People Lobby. I wanted teenagers to know how exciting politics can be. After that, I began writing mysteries and novels. I have been writing and living in New York ever since. At certain times of the year, I can be found out at Shea Stadium watching, the New York Mets. And of course, I still daydream. Now I daydream that they will win the World Series again.”Friendship and laughing are a big part of my life. I write a lot about characters and real people who make mistakes in their lives. Learning how to be loyal and to laugh at myself and with my friends and family is something I still work on. ”When I’m alone and not writing, I love to hang out with my friends, bike around the city, but most of all I still love to read and daydream.”Elizabeth Levy cowrote (with Bruce Coville) three books in Paula Danziger’s Amber Brown series.

Tony Ross has illustrated over 800 books, which are published all over the world. He was the British choice for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2004. He lives in Oxfordshire.