Andy griffiths author biography page

Personal

Born September 3, 1961, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; son of an industrial apothecary and a midwife; married; wife's name Pauline (a nurse; wedding ended); married Jill Groves (an editor), 2002; children: (first marriage) Jasmine; (second marriage) Sarah.

Addresses

Office—P.O.

Stalk 731, Williamstown, Victoria 3016, State. Agent—Fiona Inglis, Curtis Brown, P.O. Box 19, Paddington, New Southerly Wales 2021, Australia.

Career

Writer. Has acted upon as a musician, English educator, and book editor and publisher.

Awards, Honors

Young Australian Best Book Confer (YABBA) and Kids Own Denizen Literature Award (KOALA) Children's Condescending designations, both 1999, both choose Just Annoying!, both 2000, both for Just Stupid!, and both 2001, both for Just Crazy!; ACB Packaging and Displays Eminent Designed Children's Series honor, 1999, for "Just" series; Children's Regularly Best Ever Reads (CYBER) Beginner Choice award, 2000, for Just Crazy!; Books I Love Chief Yearly (BILBY) Children's Choice confer, 2000, for Just Annoying!; Descendants Reading Oz Choice (KROC) Beginner Choice award, 2001, and Phalanger and BILBY Children's Choice laurels, both 2002, all for Just Tricking!; Young Australian Readers Stakes (YARA) Children's Choice award, coupled with Book Data/ABA Book of nobleness Year Award shortlist, both 2001, and YABBA Children's Choice accolade, and APA design awards embody best designed children's fiction tome, both 2002, all for The Day My Bum Went Psycho; YABBA, KOALA, and KROC (Northern Territory) Children's Choice awards, shoot your mouth off 2003, all for Just Disgusting!; YABBA, KOALA, BILBY, and Austronesian Capital Ter-

ritory's COOL award, cessation 2005, for The Bad Book; BILBY, COOL, KOALA, KROC, WAYRBA, and YABBA awards, all 2006, and ABIA Book of loftiness Year Award shortlist, and Bandicoot award, both 2008, all target Just Shocking!

Writings

Swinging on the Clothesline, Longman (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 1993.

Rubbish Bins in Space, Longman (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 1995.

The Day Discomfited Bum Went Psycho!, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2002, published as The All right My Butt Went Psycho!, Scholarly (New York, NY), 2003.

Zombie Homeless from Uranus (sequel to The Day My Bum Went Psycho!), Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New Southmost Wales, Australia), 2003, published by reason of Zombie Butts from Uranus, Hypothetical (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Material Denton) The Bad Book, Bolt Macmillan (Sydney, New South Principality, Australia), 2004.

The Cat on excellence Mat Is Flat, illustrated afford Terry Denton, Pan MacMillan (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2006.

Bumageddon: The Final Pongflict (sequel pact Zombie Bums from Uranus), Stick in Macmillan (Sydney, New South Princedom, Australia), 2004, published as Butt Wars!: The Final Conflict, Pedant (New York, NY), 2005.

What Buttosaur Is That?, illustrated by Towelling Denton, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2008.

Also author of "Stinky Stories" series illustrated by Jeff Raglus: Banana Boy, Hamburger Man, Defend Bean Girl, and Rose Petal Fairy; author of The Full Fat Cow That Goes Kapow. Editor of "Blasters" series run through short-story anthologies, including Fears skull Fantasies, Animal Tails, and Risks and Challenges, all 1997.

"JUST" SERIES

Just Tricking!, illustrated by Terry Denton, Reed Books (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 1997, published as Just Kidding!, Macmillan Children's Books (London, England), 2001, published as Just Joking!, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2004.

Just Annoying!, illustrated by Terry Denton, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New Southerly Wales, Australia), 1998, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2004.

Just Stupid!, explicit by Terry Denton, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 1999, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2004.

Just Crazy!, illustrated by Towelling Denton, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, Newborn South Wales, Australia), 2000, publicised as Just Wacky!, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2004.

Just Disgusting!, explicit by Terry Denton, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2002, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2005.

Just Shocking!, illustrated by Terrycloth Denton, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, Recent South Wales, Australia), 2002, Visionary (New York, NY), 2006.

Just MacBeth! (play), illustrated by Terry Denton, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New Southeast Wales, Australia), 2009.

"SCHOOLING AROUND" SERIES

Treasure Fever!, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2008.

Pencil of Doom!, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2008.

Mascot Madness!, Stab Macmillan (Sydney, New South Principality, Australia), 2009.

Robot Riot!, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2009.

Adaptations

Just Tricking!, Just Stupid!, Fair-minded Crazy!, Just Disgusting!, Just Annoying!, and Zombie Bums from Uranus were adapted for audio fillet and CD, Bolinda Audio (Tullamarine, Australia and Newport Beach, CA).

The Day My Butt Went Psycho! was abridged and appointed for audio CD by Hit or miss House Audio. The "Just" playoff was adapted as the xxvi segment, half-hour animated television program What's with Andy?, by Cinegroupe for Canada's TELETOON network; Just Disgusting! was adapted as dialect trig stage play by RMIT College Theatre.

Sidelights

With a 1920s Underwood typewriter he bought at a institute "fête," Australian children's writer Sneaky Griffiths wrote his first promulgated story when he was shut in year eight at school.

Known as "Lost in Time," the edifice appeared in Pursuit magazine. Neglect this early success, Griffiths was more interested in rock theme and spent most of emperor creative talents writing rock songs. After high school, when very many of the punk rock bands he had formed disbanded, subside decided to return to educational institution and earned a degree delete education.

He then became well-ordered high-school English teacher and has also worked as an redactor and publisher of educational books focusing on English and writing.

The urge to write stories on no account left Griffiths, however, and fair enough returned to writing short traditional when he became a conservative dad in the early Nineties.

When he tried to rattan a book of short mythic published, eight publishers rejected turn out well until one finally suggested upsetting it into a textbook portray writing exercises. The result was Swinging on the Clothesline, which Griffiths followed with Rubbish Bins in Space. Both collections see in your mind's eye stories and writing exercises train on different genres, styles, duct subject matter, all designed nominate inspire and stimulate students in half a shake write.

Griffiths' first books, which became widely used in schools all through Australia, incorporate large doses assault humor, fun, and play, inclusive of suggestions for annoying parents, produce on riding spiders without descent bitten, and revealing the just the thing story behind the demise intelligent dinosaurs.

In these books Griffiths focuses on eliminating routine, which he sees as the "greatest enemy" in the classroom. Restructuring he told Christopher Bantick mention the Sunday Tasmanian, "Before Rabid began to write, I was an English teacher, and Rabid noticed there was a undivided faultless lack of funny books miserly kids….

My aim was interruption update book humor and Hilarious didn't see why it difficult to be any less buoyant than a video game ebb tide a movie."

Griffiths has earned clever large following from his "Just!" books, all illustrated by Toweling Denton. These books contain temporary stories about the young Sly, billed as the world's farthest, craziest, most annoying, and governing stupid practical joker.

In Just Tricking!, Andy's adventures—which usually humble his best friend Danny—include act dead so he can procure out of school, convincing uncut friend that he is unobserved, and getting stuck in swell gorilla suit and nearly curve up in a zoo. Blackhead Just Annoying! Andy continues make annoy friends and family disruption the point that his parents dump him from their auto and drive away.

Writing remit Magpies, Margaret Phillips noted: "I suspect Terry Denton and Arch Griffiths had a great over and over again dreaming them [the stories] be redolent of and I suspect numerous readers are going to have calligraphic great time poring over them."

The "Just!" series continues with Just Stupid!, Just Crazy!, and Just Disgusting!, the last which includes pranks involving everything from Brussel sprouts to a humongous layabout.

In Just Stupid! Andy does "just stupid" things, like prep twenty marshmallows into his oral cavity. Commenting on Griffiths' "effective" involve yourself in of the first person, blame on tense to tell the romantic, Russ Merrin noted in Magpies that the style "lends instancy to the author's conversational anecdotes.

As the reader, you quite get the feeling that Andy's prank has only just illustration a few minutes ago, abide you have just stumbled talk about its aftermath." In a Magpies review of Just Crazy!, Neville Barnard commented on the welfare of the "Just!" series all but books: "The content of integrity stories is only a subsidiary detail.

It is the prodigal humour and imagery that Griffiths creates that ensnares the reader." As Griffiths himself noted accomplish the "Just" books in upshot interview with West Australian, "kids always seem to love nobility disgusting stories … so Rabid thought it would be elegant good thing to do simple book with nothing but nauseating stories in it."

Getting the "Just!" books published was not go off at a tangent easy; after Just Tricking! was rejected more than twelve epoch, Griffiths decided to publish prospect himself and get feedback exotic his readers.

Eventually, a owner discovered the book and publicized it, uniting Griffiths' text peer Denton's cartoon illustrations.

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Tess Marsh-Neubecker, Zara Pranskunas, and Cherie de Clerck reported in Books Alive! Education Age that grandeur stories included in the

"Just" program "are exaggerated versions of [Griffiths's] childhood stories. A hit the highest point of the stories are good the experiences that Andy would have loved to have locked away, but never had the firmness to do.

He also in no way had the stupidity to carry out them."

Griffiths once again pushed say publicly envelope of propriety in justness first novel of his "Bum" trilogy, The Day My Group Went Psycho! The storyline contempt the book, which is precious by U.S. readers under goodness title The Day My Force Went Psycho!, centers on Zack Freeman, whose crazy "runaway bum" tries to unite all outcast to conquer the world.

Calligraphy in the Sunday Age, Michelle Griffin described the book reorganization a "carefully plotted comedy fantasy, one part Lara Croft affair and two parts Monty Python daftness." The Day My Rump Went Psycho! also includes adroit glossary of "bum" terms, containing "bum-plug," which is "used tolerate cork bums for the goal of harnessing their gas power," and "runaway bum," which deterioration "a bum that has sprouted arms and legs, detached strike from its owner's body pole run away." And, in data his readers are worried admiration the intentions of their slash bums, Griffiths includes a through to determine whether one's assembly is "psycho," with questions become visible "Has your bum ever strained you in public?" Evans, divide an in- terview with Griffiths for Australia's Sunday Age, illustrious that the author claims The Day My Bum Went Psycho! is based on a estimate story: "He got the entire after suffering an itchy penetrating, which, he says, drove him psycho." Griffiths told her, "It's a very common question free yourself of the kids: ‘Is this true?

Did it really happen?’ Bring in a teacher, the kids would ask me a question mount I'd say something completely absurd with a straight face, be first they'd say, ‘Really?’ and I'd say, ‘Yeah, it's true.’ Like that which you don't know if indicate is true or not, do business seems fantastic and it drives you batty trying to make a hole it out, and I contemplate that's really good, because it's how your imagination grows."

The Short holiday My Bum Went Psycho! fitting its author numerous new fans.

With readers clambering for excellent adventures of Zack Freeman tell his bum, Griffiths produced Zombie Bums from Uranus, the subordinate volume of the "Bum" threesome, while Bum Wars: The Terminal Conflict rounds out the additional room. In Zombie Bums from Uranus Zack and his bum crew back up with the bumfighters in order to save ethics planet from an invasion ceremony zombie bums.

Much worse elude a bum rebellion, an foray from Uranus means facing demonstration against the smelliest bums sight the universe. The boys visage one final challenge in Bum Wars, and this time confront is the smelliest one still. A

reviewer for the Age was convinced that kids will happen "plenty of loopy action" dynasty the concluding volumes of authority series.

Evans, in her meeting for the Sunday Age, simultaneous that "Griffiths was delighted flavour discover that nine rings flawless methane gas cover the ordinal planet from the sun, which was terrific fuel for creativity."

Because of the popularity aristocratic his "Bum" books, Griffiths ready fans to a further abundance, mining pre-history to produce What Buttosaur Is That?, which likewise features Denton's art.

While books such as this are unplanned for children, Griffiths has violent that his readership includes fit lovers of the absurd. Renovation he explained to SATA, "My aim with each new accurate now is to continue devising stories which aren't necessarily full of any readership. I hope for to make them universal enough—and well-crafted enough—to bring enjoyment explicate both adults and children.

Take example, The Bad Book, converge one foot planted in rectitude nineteenth-century cautionary verse tradition avoid the other foot planted positively in nonsense, is designed be acquainted with be read and enjoyed invitation a whole family." He likewise seduces the reluctant reader take on The Cat on the Idea Is Flat, which includes ennead stories that feature slapstick walkout, a basic vocabulary, a verse text, and enough sophomoric cleverness to please Griffiths' many fans.

A Kirkus Reviews contributor alleged The Cat on the Matt Is Flat "definitely not your parents' easy reader," and knoll Publishers Weekly a reviewer by that "Denton's edgy, stick-figure-filled sketches enhance the zaniness factor pole the offbeat, ironic humor" drift is characteristic of Griffiths' writing.

On his home page, Griffiths ruminated about writing: "It's a version of making a living build up of something I would hue and cry even if nobody was profitable me and because I've disclosed it's a way of neighbourhood awake—of keeping a small end of my mind detached remarkable observing experience—it's a way time off finding value in the accumulate mundane and boring places existing experiences—a way to recapture go off childlike sense of wonder defer can so easily get sidelined in the day-to-day grind cataclysm being a practical goal-oriented grownup." As for his subject issue, Griffiths added: "I sometimes sight if that's the writer's job—to have the courage to evenly out and say the characteristics that other people only think."

Biographical and Critical Sources

BOOKS

Griffiths, Andy, The Day My Bum Went Psycho!, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2003.

PERIODICALS

Age (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), August 11, 2001, Sophie Douez, "Bummer, Says the Author.

I Wasn't recklessness It, Says the Minister"; Jan 2, 2002, Sophie Best, "In-Your-Face with a Bum"; September 13, 2003, review of Zombie Vagabond from Uranus.

Australian Book Review, Nov, 1998, Ruth Starke, "Infectious Laughter," p. 44.

Books Alive! Education Age, August 19, 2002, Tess Marsh-Neubecker, Zara Pranskunas, and Cherie state-run Clerck, "Creatively Stupid."

Cairns Post (Cairns, Queensland, Australia), June 12, 2003, "Ex-Teacher Has the Good Word."

Herald Sun (Victoria, Australia), November 14, 2002, Shaunagh O'Connor, "Bottoms Be cautious about Tops!"

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2007, review of The Cat product the Mat Is Flat.

Magpies, Sep, 1997, review of Just Tricking!, p.

33; September, 1998, Margaret Phillips, review of Just Annoying!, pp. 34-35; July, 1999, Russ Merrin, review of Just Stupid!, p. 24; November, 2000, Neville Barnard, review of Just Crazy!, pp. 33-34.

Publishers Weekly, March 31, 2003, review of The Unremarkable My Butt Went Psycho!, proprietor.

67; September 10, 2007, debate of The Cat on class Mat Is Flat, p. 60; January 7, 2008, review pageant What Buttosaur Is That?, holder. 55.

School Library Journal, August, 2004, Kirsten Martindale, review of Just Tricking!, p. 75; January, 2008, Pat Leach, review of The Cat on the Mat Disintegration Flat, p. 60.

Sunday Age (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), September 9, 2001, Michelle Griffin, "The Bottom scope the Matter"; March 23, 2003, Kathy Evans, "The Day Round the bend Books Sold Out."

Sunday Tasmanian (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia), October 13, 2002, Christopher Bantick, "Quirky Humour Enthrals Kids," p.

T18.

West Australian, Oct 5, 2002, "Disgustingly Funny."

ONLINE

Andy Griffiths Home Page,http://www.andygriffiths.com.au (January 9, 2009).