Laura Dower has written more than ninety books for young readers of all ages—from picture books to young adult fiction and nonfiction—and is the author of the popular series From the Files of Madison Finn. Laura was born in Massachusetts, and graduated from Columbia University. After a procession of odd jobs—babysitting, waitressing, coffee-making, switchboard-operating—she worked in children’s publishing for many years before becoming a full-time author. She lives in Yonkers, New York with her husband and three children. In her spare time, she is a Cub Scout den leader and Girl Scout Brownie troop co-leader.