Stephen Krensky, a contemporary free-lance writer and critic, has authored several successful books for children and young adults. Born on November 25, 1953, in Boston, Massachusetts, Krensky grew up in the Boston area and has been a professional writer ever since his graduation from Hamilton College in 1975. He currently lives in Lexington, Massachusetts, with his wife, a textbook editor, and their son.

Since 1977, when he published his first book for young people, Krensky has written more than twenty books. He credits his ability as a children's writer to his vivid childhood imagination and experiences that continue to color his view of the world. Drawing on this source for his books, he creates fantasy worlds of witches, trolls, and dragons, combining familiar themes from folklore with his own humor in works such as A Big Day for Scepters (1977), The Perils of Putney, Castles in the Air and...