Acclaimed children's author of the Sideways Stories from Wayside School book series. He is also known for his 1998 book, Holes, which won both the U.S. National Book Award and the Newbery Medal.
He earned a degree in Economics from the University of California-Berkeley in 1976. During his undergraduate years, he student taught at a local elementary school, an experience that inspired his career in children's fiction.
His 1992 book, Monkey Soup, was illustrated by Artist Cat Bowman Smith.
He was born in East Meadow, New York. He and his wife, Carla Askew, became parents to a daughter named Sherre.
His book, Holes, inspired a Hollywood film starring Shia LaBeouf.
