Kevin Brooks is married and lives in Manningtree, Essex (officially the smallest town in England).

For most of his adult life, Kevin Brooks has tried to make a living out of music, art or writing. Until now, he has been mostly unsuccessful, so he had to take a lot of "proper" jobs in order to earn a living, all of which, to varying degrees, he has detested. Jobs such as - crematorium assistant, refreshments vendor at the London Zoo, civil servant, post office counter clerk and customer service for the railway, amongst many more.

In comparison to these jobs, being a writer is absolutely wonderful to him. It is what he does - thinking writing, creating new worlds, it is all so fantastic for him.

When people ask him what he does, instead of mumbling "Well, I'm in customer service, but....," he can proudly say "I'm an author, you know."

If you cross two of Kevin Brook's favorite authors - J.D Salinger and Raymond Chandler - you might approximate the hardboiled humor of the British author's first novel, Martyn Pig. The eponymous narrator, a hapless and motherless teenager, spends his Christmas vacation coping with the corpse of his alcoholic and abusive father, in a plot that gets thicker (and funnier) with every twist. British and American reviewers have praised the book for its edgy wit and intelligence.

Why did he decide to write for children? "There are not many differences, I don't think, between writing for children and writing for adults," Brooks says, "because children aren't that different from adults. But I would say the story is the main thing, with children. With adults you might use different styles and structures, perhaps indulge in fiddly niceties. Writing for children brings you down to basics."

Biography provided by Scholastic, Inc.