The Illinois Center for the Book -- Get a Specific Author

Individual Author Record

General Information

Name: Greg Leitich Smith

Pen Name: None

Genre: Fiction

Born:

Sites:

Website -- http://gregleitichsmith.com/
WorldCat -- http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=greg+leitich+smith

E-Mail:

greg@gregleitichsmith.com

Illinois Connection

Leitich Smith grew up in a German American neighborhood on the north side of Chicago and attended Lane Tech High School. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Biographical and Professional Information

Greg Leitich Smith is co-author (with his wife, New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith) of the picture book Santa Knows and the young adult short story The Wrath of Dawn, which appeared in the Geektastic anthology.Originally from Chicago, Greg now lives in Austin, Texas. He holds degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Texas at Austin, and a degree in law from the University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor.

Published Works

Titles At Your Library

Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo
ISBN: 1623520290
IntoPrint Publishing. 2013
Honoria, Shohei, and Elias, who are "united together against That Which Is The Peshtigo School," face conflict over their budding romantic interest and a science project gone awry.

Tofu and T. rex
ISBN: 0316777226
Little, Brown Young Readers. 2005
Hans-Peter, who enjoys working in his family's Chicago delicatessen, applies for admission to the prestigious Peshtigo School that his cousin Freddie, a vegan and outspoken animal rights activist, attends. By the author of Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo.

Santa Knows
ISBN: 0525477578
Dutton Books for Young Readers. 2006
Cantankerous child Alfie F. Snorklepuss, who tells everyone who will listen that Santa Claus doesn't exist, gets a much-needed attitude adjustment from the man in red who takes him on an eye-opening journey to the North Pole.

Chronal Engine
ISBN: 0544022777
HMH Books for Young Readers. 2013
When Max, Kyle, and Emma are sent to live with their grandfather, they think their summer is ruined. But after Emma is kidnapped at the exact time that her grandfather predicted, Max and Kyle are forced to believe his story about the time machine in the basement.
To save Emma, Max, Kyle, and their new friend Petra must take the trip of a lifetime — to the Cretaceous period. Soon they find themselves dodging killer insects, velociraptors, and the terrifying T. rex. Can these
three contemporary teens hunt down a kidnapper, forage for food, and survive long enough to return home?

Little Green Men at the Mercury Inn
ISBN: 125006287X
Square Fish. 2015

Beach culture and UFOs collide in this lighthearted adventure story about an alien encounter at an aging Cocoa Beach motel.
Twelve-year-old Aidan lives and works at his parents' motel on the Space Coast in Florida, so he's seen a lot of weird stuff. Even his best friend, Louis, is a little bit crazy―he's obsessed with UFOs and swears he saw one two years ago. But things at the Mercury Inn are about to get a whole lot weirder. When an actual unidentified flying object suddenly appears in the sky over the motel, Aidan begins to realize that some of the residents of the Mercury Inn may be much more unusual than he thought. And Louis might not be so crazy after all. Filled with quirky characters and atmosphere, this beachy alien caper, like the aging motel where it takes place, is anything but ordinary.

Borrowed Time
ISBN: 0544237110
Clarion Books. 2015

Praise for Chronal Engine:

“Think Survivor and Robinson Crusoe, with a helping of Jurassic Park and a seasoning of The Time Machine.” —School Library Journal

“This is exactly the book young dino fans would write themselves.” —Booklist

In this time-travel dinosaur adventure, Max Pierson-Takahashi and his friend Petra return to the days of the dinosaurs, where they must survive attacks from mosasaurs, tyrannosaurs, and other deadly creatures, including a vengeful, pistol-toting girl from the 1920s. The fast pace, mind-bending time twists, and Greg Leitich Smith’s light, humorous touch make this an exciting, fun choice for readers looking for adventure and nonstop action.

Awards
-- Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo
Parents’ Choice Gold Award, 2003
Writers’ League of Texas Teddy, 2004
Junior Library Guild Selection
ALA Popular Paperback for Young Adult Readers, 2006
Featured Book, Texas Book FestivalTofu and T. Rex
Finalist, Writers League of Texas Teddy
Finalist, Texas State Reading Association Golden Spur Award
Featured Book, Texas Book FestivalChronal Engine
Junior Library Guild Selection

Illinois State Library

Illinois Center for the Book

Individual Author Record

General Information

Name: Greg Leitich Smith

Illinois Connection

Biographical and Professional Information

Published Works

Titles At Your Library

Awards

By Last Name

	Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo ISBN: 1623520290 IntoPrint Publishing. 2013 Honoria, Shohei, and Elias, who are "united together against That Which Is The Peshtigo School," face conflict over their budding romantic interest and a science project gone awry.
	Tofu and T. rex ISBN: 0316777226 Little, Brown Young Readers. 2005 Hans-Peter, who enjoys working in his family's Chicago delicatessen, applies for admission to the prestigious Peshtigo School that his cousin Freddie, a vegan and outspoken animal rights activist, attends. By the author of Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo.
	Santa Knows ISBN: 0525477578 Dutton Books for Young Readers. 2006 Cantankerous child Alfie F. Snorklepuss, who tells everyone who will listen that Santa Claus doesn't exist, gets a much-needed attitude adjustment from the man in red who takes him on an eye-opening journey to the North Pole.
	Chronal Engine ISBN: 0544022777 HMH Books for Young Readers. 2013 When Max, Kyle, and Emma are sent to live with their grandfather, they think their summer is ruined. But after Emma is kidnapped at the exact time that her grandfather predicted, Max and Kyle are forced to believe his story about the time machine in the basement. To save Emma, Max, Kyle, and their new friend Petra must take the trip of a lifetime — to the Cretaceous period. Soon they find themselves dodging killer insects, velociraptors, and the terrifying T. rex. Can these three contemporary teens hunt down a kidnapper, forage for food, and survive long enough to return home?
	Little Green Men at the Mercury Inn ISBN: 125006287X Square Fish. 2015 Beach culture and UFOs collide in this lighthearted adventure story about an alien encounter at an aging Cocoa Beach motel. Twelve-year-old Aidan lives and works at his parents' motel on the Space Coast in Florida, so he's seen a lot of weird stuff. Even his best friend, Louis, is a little bit crazy―he's obsessed with UFOs and swears he saw one two years ago. But things at the Mercury Inn are about to get a whole lot weirder. When an actual unidentified flying object suddenly appears in the sky over the motel, Aidan begins to realize that some of the residents of the Mercury Inn may be much more unusual than he thought. And Louis might not be so crazy after all. Filled with quirky characters and atmosphere, this beachy alien caper, like the aging motel where it takes place, is anything but ordinary.
	Borrowed Time ISBN: 0544237110 Clarion Books. 2015 Praise for Chronal Engine: “Think Survivor and Robinson Crusoe, with a helping of Jurassic Park and a seasoning of The Time Machine.” —School Library Journal “This is exactly the book young dino fans would write themselves.” —Booklist In this time-travel dinosaur adventure, Max Pierson-Takahashi and his friend Petra return to the days of the dinosaurs, where they must survive attacks from mosasaurs, tyrannosaurs, and other deadly creatures, including a vengeful, pistol-toting girl from the 1920s. The fast pace, mind-bending time twists, and Greg Leitich Smith’s light, humorous touch make this an exciting, fun choice for readers looking for adventure and nonstop action.