Paul Zindel was born on Staten Island, New York, on May 15,1936. His father abandoned his family when he was still very young, and this abandonment may by the source of the many broken families in his writings. His family moved around frequently in New York, dogged by poverty.

At fifteen years old, Zindel was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was placed in a sanatorium for a year and a half, delaying his graduation from high school by a year. He attended Wagner College, earning a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1958, and eventually a master's degree in chemistry. After a brief stint as a technical writer, he became a high school chemistry teacher, teaching on Staten Island from 1959 to 1969. Zindel married on October 25, 1973, and has two children. He presently lives in New York and has become one of the most admired writers for young adults.

He...