Gary began his career as a reporter for The Washington Post. He stood out because of an innate ability to unjam the copy machine under deadline pressure. He has spent the past 17 years working for children and families at nonprofits such as the Welfare to Work Partnership, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and Safe Kids Worldwide. He is also the author of No Free Lunch: One Man's Journey from Welfare to the American Dream (Ballantine, May 2002). Gary lives in Virginia with his wife, two sons, and dog.
Gary came up with the idea for the Brody Boondoggle series after a birthday party he created for his younger son. The party started with a poem about special powers and animals and magic. Then, the kids at the party had to accomplish seven fun challenges. If they were successful, they were connected to their spirit animals. The kids loved it (which is more than could be said for some of Gary’s other party ideas), and Gary started writing the next day.
Check out his blog post about growing up with a learning disability.