q       Before he wrote books for children, Mr. Lester played the banjo and guitar, recorded two albums, produced and hosted a radio show as well as authored several adult books.

q       Mr. Lester lives in Massachusetts with his wife, stepdaughter, 4 computers, 15,000 books, and his cat, Labrys.

q       An accomplished photographer, Julius Lester's photographs of the Civil Rights Movement were included in an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution.

q       Mr. Lester is a professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.