Louis Sachar (1954 – )

He has won numerous awards, including the Newberry Medal and the National Book Award. He has written several successful plays and the screenplay for the film version of his book Holes, in which he makes a brief appearance.

Louis was born in East Meadow, New York, moved to Tustin, California when he was nine, and now lives in Austin, Texas.

While attending college, he went to work at an elementary school, where he was asked to be the "Noon Time Supervisor" to watch over the kids during lunch. He played games with the kids and earned the nickname, "Louis, the Yard Teacher." Sachar's first book for children, Sideways Stories From Wayside School, was accepted for publication during his first week of law school. Although Sachar graduated and passed the bar exam, he decided to be a full-time writer for children rather than a lawyer.