Tony Abbott is an American author, best known for his children's books. He is the writer of the Secrets of Droon series, which includes over 40 books and has sold over 12 million copies worldwide. His books have been translated into several languages, including Italian, Spanish, Korean, French, Japanese, Polish, Turkish, and Russian. Apart from the Secrets of Droon series, Abbott has also written several standalone novels, including the bestseller Firegirl.
Tony Abbott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952. He grew up in a house filled with books, as both his parents were teachers. His father was a university professor who had an extensive library, which became one of Abbott's first sources of literature. When he was eight, his family moved to Connecticut, where he went through elementary school and high school. Abbott attended the University of Connecticut and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in English literature. He further developed his writing skills by attending the workshops of Patricia Reilly Giff after college.
Abbott's interest in literature was sparked by reading bedtime stories to his children. After many failures, he wrote his first published book, Danger Guys, while taking a writing class with renowned children's author, Patricia Reilly Giff. His first book and the series that it began became the cornerstone of his writing career and have become something of a cult favorite. Over 8 million of his books have been sold worldwide, and his series and novels have been translated into several languages. In 2007, his novel Firegirl won the Golden Kite Award for Fiction presented by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. In 2009, his novel The Postcard won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Mystery.
In addition to his writing career, Abbott also keeps up a blog called Friday Book Report and became a member of Lesley University's Creative Writing faculty. He currently lives in Trumbull, Connecticut, with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs. Abbott had one brother and two sisters. His literary and cultural interests include the films of Preston Sturges, the Road pictures of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, and the Marx Brothers, and the writings of Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, P.G. Wodehouse, Jules Verne, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Seamus Heaney, Emily Dickinson, Ted Hughes, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, The Arabian Nights, Beowulf, James Thurber, Philip Roth, Ralph Ellison, and William Faulkner. He is currently a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the Yale Center for British Art, and other esteemed organizations.