My life has always been with, around, and for books. I’ve published over 30 books since then.įor some 25 years I worked as a librarian, first at the New York Public Library, then at Trenton State College in New Jersey. Since then, I’ve never written anything else. It was only when my eldest son, Shaun, was born, that I took to writing for kids. I began by writing plays, and wrote a lot of bad ones. I made up my mind to focus on this when I was 17 and a senior in high school. I did get help, and that help led me to think that I might become a writer. I got it when an English teacher insisted I get some help with my writing. But flunking out of the science high school brought me to a small private school that provided some of the attention I needed. When I went to high school I wanted to be a designer of airplanes. Guess who wasn’t thought to be that smart? He isn’t, but he did go to college at the age of 15. My older brother was considered a genius. Growing up in Brooklyn, I went to a public school, and sat in the same class with my sister until eighth grade.

The third is a journalist.) When we get together there is much talk, disagreement, and laughter. (Two of my sons are in the rock music world. And today we have all that, plus filmmakers, actors, and theater and TV directors. I came from a family of writers, artists, and musicians. Early on, I had my own collection of books. I always received at least one book for my birthday. Every Friday we were taken to the library. My father was a doctor, and my mother, later on, became a social worker. It was Emily, for reasons no one knows – she certainly doesn’t – who called me Avi. “I was born in New York City, along with a twin sister. On top of that, rumors have been circulating about a student who went missing shortly before Tony arrived.Born 23 December 1937 (Edward Irving Wortis) The Penda School is eerie enough without his uncle's ghost making it worse. Then he starts seeing Uncle Charlie everywhere! It doesn't help that Tony switched schools - it was Uncle Charlie's dying wish that Tony attend the Penda School, where Uncle Charlie himself went as a kid.

When Uncle Charlie dies suddenly, Tony is devastated. Uncle Charlie is still odd, of course - talking about spirits and other supernatural stuff - but he and Tony become fast friends, and Tony ends up having a lot of fun with Uncle Charlie. That is, until Uncle Charlie moves in with Tony and his family. In this spine-tingling story from Newbery Medal winner Avi, a boy must solve the mystery of the ghost haunting him. For most of Tony Gilbert's life, he has thought of his uncle as 'Weird Uncle Charlie'. In this spine-tingling story from Newbery Medal winner Avi, a boy must solve the mystery of the ghost haunting him.

School of the Dead by Avi