Larry Dane Brimner was born in Florida, but he spent the early part of his life on Alaska’s Kodiak Island. He traces his love of reading to that time in his life. Since there was no television reception and only sporadic radio reception, entertainment came in the form of books and stories. Raised in a traditional Southern family—his parents hail from Birmingham, Alabama—telling falsehoods was frowned upon but embellishment was encouraged. His family relocated to rural Southern California in the mid-1950s. “It seemed as if there were only about four kids in the entire valley, and they were closer to my brother’s age than to mine and didn’t welcome a scrawny small fry tagging along after them. Fortunately, the branch library was a bike ride away, and the books I discovered there filled my imagination and introduced me to a wide range of ‘friends’ and topics.”
While in college, Larry was encouraged to write for publication. His first success came in the form of poetry for adults. Then, while teaching school, Larry turned away from poetry and began writing fiction and nonfiction for young people.
Today, Larry is a full-time writer and the author of more than 150 books for children. “I enjoy writing because it lets me try on other lives, in the case of fiction, or to delve into topics about which I’m curious, in the case of nonfiction.” When he isn’t writing, he is a much-sought-after speaker in schools and at conferences. For information about his programs, he invites you to visit his Web site: www.brimner.com.
