Ron Koertge was born on April 22, 1940 in Olmay, Illinois. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois in 1962 and his master's degree from the University of Arizona in 1965. That same year, he began teaching English at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California, a position he still holds. Koertge says he "could always write a little . . . So I tried my hand at it, beginning with poetry and then trying adult novels before turning to Young Adult novels."

His list of published work is impressive, including several volumes of poetry as well as a textbook, but he has gained the most notice for his young adult books, all of which have received excellent reviews from such journals as Kirkus and the Horn Book, and four of which have been named "ALA Best Books for Young Adults."

Koertge writes about growing up with an humorous...