For T. A. (Tom) Barron, life is truly a gift. And writing is a way of exploring that gift-"the best way I know to roam the universe, and ask some of life's biggest questions." From his Colorado home, Barron writes powerful, poetic, and inspiring books. He writes novels featuring heroic young people, books which are treasured by children and adults alike; nature books about Colorado wilderness; and picture books for younger children. All his books shine with the wisdom of kids, the wonders of nature, and the power of imagination to create new worlds. As Family Life magazine puts it: "Barron weaves a writer's brand of magic that connects the past to the present, myth to reality, and the human heart to the infinite universe."

Barron has led a diverse life, but it has always been marked by his love of family, the great outdoors, and writing. Throughout his youth-growing up on a ranch in Colorado, winning a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, and traveling widely with his backpack in Asia and Africa-those themes were paramount. During his years as president of a successful venture capital business, his own family grew, along with his passion for writing. Finally, in 1989, he surprised his business associates by resigning his management position, so that he could move back to Colorado and write books full time.

In Barron's words: "The world around us is full of wonder, mystery, and surprise. It gives us a chance to follow our dreams. And I love to explore it, whether by foot or by pen."

Barron, who lives with his wife and five children on a small farm in Colorado, spent much of his youth on a ranch outside of Colorado Springs. As a child he loved to hike and camp-and also to write. In elementary school, he wrote, illustrated, and printed his own magazine called The Idiot's Odyssey. As an Eagle Scout, he won a scouting speech competition that sent him to Washington, D.C. to meet the President. He continued to write in college, founding two publications at Princeton-and was awarded the Pyne Prize, Princeton's highest honor to an undergraduate for outstanding service to the university.

Later, as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, he composed stories and poems while sitting beneath the boughs of an English oak that he named "Merlin's Tree". He also traveled widely-backpacking through parts of Asia and Africa, venturing into the Arctic, and thatching a roof in a remote Japanese village. He even paused to scribble some lines (as well as catch his breath) while running the Boston Marathon.

He spent the following years in business, as president of a fast-growing venture capital firm in New York. As exciting as his job was-chairing the board of the major U.S. importer of Swiss Army Knives, developing a national child care operation, and helping build a new environmental testing business, among other responsibilities-the allure of returning to Colorado with his family to write books proved even stronger. Finally, in 1989, he surprised his business associates by resigning from the management in order to do just that.

Every one of Barron's novels - featuring heroic young people in a wide variety of settings and times - have been highly acclaimed. His books include Heartlight (called "a joy to read" by Madeleine L'Engle); The Ancient One (labeled "august and compelling" by The New York Times); The Merlin Effect (hailed as "a remarkable achievement" by Natalie Babbitt), and most recently, The Lost Years of Merlin and its sequels, The Seven Songs of Merlin, The Fires of Merlin, The Mirror of Merlin and The Wings of Merlin (acclaimed as "brilliant-an intense and profoundly spiritual adventure" by Newbery Award-winning author Lloyd Alexander). In The Lost Years of Merlin epic, which follows a young boy from the day he washes ashore on the coast of Wales all the way to his ultimate destiny as the great wizard Merlin, Barron has added a spellbinding new dimension to Arthurian lore. "Merlin," he explains, "is more than just a legendary hero. He is a metaphor for the idea that all of us have a heroic person somewhere down inside of ourselves, waiting to be discovered."

Barron is also an accomplished nature writer. He wrote the prose and poetry for two books with photography by John Fielder: To Walk in Wilderness (described as "glorious" by Backpacker Magazine), and also the award-winning coffee table book Rocky Mountain National Park: A One Hundred Year Perspective.

In addition, he writes picture books for children. Where is Grandpa? is a loving tribute to his own father-and the wisdom of kids. With remarkable paintings by Chris K. Soentpiet, the book was hailed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Coles, M.D., author of The Spiritual Life of Children, as "a poignant, touching, and spiritually evocative tale." He has also written High as a Hawk, the story of a brave young girl and a mountain guide on Colorado's Long's Peak, which will be published by Penguin Putnam. Barron's favorite pastime is hiking with his wife, Currie, and their five kids, on the trails near their Colorado home. In addition, he often speaks to schools and conventions around the country, and also supports an array of environmental and educational causes. He continues to serve on several nonprofit organization boards. A former trustee of Princeton University, he helped to found the university's program in environmental studies. And he recently received The Wilderness Society's highest honor, the Robert Marshall Award, for his efforts to protect America's wilderness heritage. Barron and his wife have also created the Gloria Barron Young Heroes Prize, to honor and inspire heroic young people.

Biography provided by Penguin Books for Young Readers.