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About the Author

My name is Michael Northrop, and I am a writer living in New York City. I am the author of 16 books for young readers, including 12 novels for kids and teens. Book of the Dead, the first book in my five-book TombQuest series, spent three weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list and was named one of the best children's books of the year by the Los Angeles Public Library. My classic YA survival tale Trapped was an Indie Next List and American Library Association/YALSA Readers' Choice selection. My books have been selected for a Publishers Weekly Flying Start citation, the Junior Library Guild (five times!), NPR's Backseat Book Club, and numerous state and year-end lists.  

 

Altogether, my novels have sold more than one million copies, many of those in Scholastic's iconic Book Clubs (the flyer!) and Book Fairs. 

 

I have also written four graphic novels for DC Comics, including the critically acclaimed hit Dear Justice League, its nefarious sequel Dear DC Super-Villains, the deeply ridiculous Teen Titans Go! Undead?! and the obviously very serious Young Alfred: Pain in the Butler. 

 

I am originally from Salisbury, Connecticut, a small town in the foothills of the Berkshire mountains, where I mastered the arts of tree climbing and field goal kicking with only moderate injuries.

 

After graduating from NYU, I worked at Sports Illustrated for Kids magazine for 12 years, the last five of those as baseball editor. I have moonlighted as a standup comedian and earned a black belt, and I've been to the Olympics, the Super Bowl, and spring training. My writing has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated for Kids, The New York Times Upfront, Dance Magazine, Notre Dame Review, McSweeney's, Weird Tales, Archie Comics, and many other places.

 

Three random facts about me:
1) I am dyslexic and had to repeat second grade.
2) I once stepped on a yellowjacket nest and was stung approximately 75 times.
3) I am distantly related to Jonathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver's Travels.

 

Three of my favorite things:
1) Watership Down (book)
2) Jaws (movie)
3) Spicy tuna hand rolls (food)