Bruce Coville is well known as a writer of juvenile fiction and the author of children's best-sellers such as Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. His novels draw heavily on mythic creatures, such as unicorns and dragons, as well as on science-fiction traditions, such as aliens and space stations, often with a humorous twist. He has also contributed to and edited volumes of short stories and completed several musical plays for younger audiences. Coville cherishes memories of his childhood, and once noted that his early surroundings nurtured his vivid imagination: "I was raised in Phoenix, a small town in central New York. Actually, I lived well outside the town, around the corner from my grandparents' dairy farm, which was the site of my happiest childhood times. I still have fond memories of the huge barns with their mows and lofts, mysterious relics, and jostling cattle. It was a wonderful place...