On May 16th, Bruce Coville celebrates his birthday. He’s lived in central New York state all his life, except for a stay at Duke University and two years in New York City. The author of more than 60 books, he was an avid reader as a child. He read many series books, including Tom Swift, the Hardy Boys, and “a zillion comics.” He says that his “only real regret is the time I spent watching television, when I could have been reading instead.”

He was only 11 when he decided he would like to become a writer, thanks to a teacher who gave him time to write a long story in class. He began working at the profession seriously when he was 17. At age 19, he married Katherine Dietz, an artist with whom Mr. Coville has collaborated on several books.

His often-zany, always high-energy science fiction and fantasy titles have won him legions of fans all over the world. From the AI Gang (Forever Begins Tomorrow, Operation Sherlock) to Alien Adventures (I Left My Homework in Dimension X, Aliens Stole My Body) to the Magic Shop books to his retellings of Shakespeare (The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet) to his book co-authored with Jane Yolen (Armageddon Summer), Mr. Coville is the answer for many parents and librarians who are trying to find the right book to interest readers.