As the author of numerous titles for young readers, Alden R. Carter has written books about history, technology, and physical ailments, but is best recognized for his award-winning juvenile fiction titles. Writing in Something about the Author Autobiography Series (SAAS), Carter noted, "I like to write for young adults because they have yet to develop the protective layers of emotional experience that desensitize our adult recollection of what it felt like to be teenagers." Praised especially for his mastery of characterization, Carter writes realistically about the personal problems that young people sometimes face as they mature, including serious issues such as death, alcoholism, and mental illness. Aware that these problems might easily overburden his young readers, Carter commented in SAAS: "I'm always concerned that my novels sound bleak, when actually there's a fair amount of humor in all of them." This successful balance has earned Carter recognition from...