Jack Gantos

Children's Author

Birthday July 2, 1951

Birth Sign Cancer

Birthplace Mount Pleasant, PA

Age 72 years old

#144417 Most Popular

About

A popular American children's author, he won the 2011 Newbery Medal for his work, Dead End in Norvelt. His most famous characters are a cat named Rotten Ralph and a boy with ADHD named Joey Pigza.

Before Fame

He studied at Emerson College in Boston. He published his first children's book, Rotten Ralph, in 1976.

Trivia

His 2002 memoir, Hole in My Life, was a finalist for the National Book Award.

Family Life

He was born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania to Elizabeth Weaver (a banker) and John Gantos (a construction worker).

Associated With

He was influenced by fellow children's author, Roald Dahl.