Jack Gantos was born in Norvelt, Pennsylvania, and has spent time living in Barbados and South Florida. He has written books for readers of all ages, including the acclaimed Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key and its sequels, the teenage novel Desire Lines, andthe youthful memoire Hole in My Life.

His latest work is Dead End in Norvelt, a semi-autobiographical novel about the importance of history and reading which won the prestigious Newbery Medal in 2012. He lives with his wife and daughter in Boston, Massachusetts.