Barbara Park is one of today's funniest and best-loved writers for middle graders. Her novels, which include Dear God, HELP!!! Love Earl; Skinnybones; The Kid in the Red Jacket; and Mick Harte Was Here have won numerous children's book awards. Barbara thinks that the wonderful thing about writing humor is that she is able to deal with serious issues in a more lighthearted way. Barbara's fans always want to know whether or not her characters are based on her own children (she has two sons) -- in fact, they are not. But having her sons has made it easier for her to know how kids talk and think. What matters most to Barbara is that her books are bringing a few smiles to her readers.