Paul Volponi is a writer, journalist and teacher living in New York City. For six years he taught incarcerated teens on Rikers Island to read and write, and for six years taught teens in drug day-treatment centers, influencing many of his novels.

Mr. Volponi holds an MA in American Literature from the City College of New York and a BA in English from Baruch.

Young Adult Novels:
      BLACK AND WHITE (Viking 2005)
      ROOFTOP (Viking 2006)
      RUCKER PARK SETUP (Viking 2007)
      HURRICANE SONG (Viking 2008)

Literary Awards for BLACK AND WHITE:
      Winner of the IRA Children’s Book Award (Young Adult Fiction)
      ALA Best Book Young Adult
      ALA Quick Pick Top Ten
      New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
      Tayshas List (Texas Library Association

Literary Awards for ROOFTOP:
      ALA Best Book Young Adult
      ALA Quick Pick
      New York City Library Book for the Teen Age
      Tayshas List (Texas Library Association

Both ROOFTOP and RUCKER PARK SETUP are Junior Literary Guild selections.