Todd Strasser was born in New York City on May 5, 1950. He recalls being a rebellious teenager. After graduating from Benoit College in 1974, he had a series of jobs which included street vendor, news reporter, and president of a fortune cookie manufacturer. He married Pamela Older in 1981. His first published novel for young adults, Angel Dust Blues, was well received by critics, and Strasser established himself during the 1980s as an extraordinarily productive and versatile writer of books for young people. He often visits high schools as part of his seemingly perpetual research into the interests, concerns, and activities of young adults.

Friends Till the End (1981) and Rock V Roll Nights (1982) were named to the American Library Association Best List and Workin' for Peanuts (1983; see separate entry, Vol. 8) and A Very Touchy Subject (1985) have been made into television motion pictures. Workin' for Peanuts, perhaps an...