BY CATHRYN BETZ John Green

Biography and Career Born in Indianapolis, Indiana on August 24, 1977, grew up in Orlando, Florida. Graduated from Kenyon College in 2000 with a double major in English and Religious Studies. After college he worked as a chaplain in a children’s hospital, then at Booklist as a publishing assistant and production editor. Has critiqued books for The New York Times Book Review, created original radio essays for NPR's All Things Considered and WBEZ, Chicago's public radio station. In 2007 began vlogbrothers with his brother. Co-organizer of Vidcon and Project Awesome.

Bibliography Books Looking for Alaska (2005) An Abundance of Katherines (2006) Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances (2008) with Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle Paper Towns (2008) Will Grayson, Will Grayson (2010) with David Levithan The Fault in Our Stars (2012) Has been published in more than a dozen languages. Awards Michael L. Printz Award – Looking for Alaska (2006) Michael L. Printz Award – An Abundance of Katherines (2007) (Nominated) Edgar Allan Poe Award – Paper Towns (2009) Best Young Adult Novel Corine Literature Prize – Paper Towns (2010) Young Adult Novel Indiana Authors Award – (2012) National Author Award Children’s Choice Book Award – The Fault In Our Stars (2013) Teen Book of the Year Los Angeles Times Book Prize – (2013) Innovator’s Award

Paper Towns Quentin Jacobsen and Margo Spiegelman were good friends growing up. Finding a dead man in the park near their home seemed to only bring them closer, though it raised several questions in their young minds. But fast-forward to high school and Quentin and Margo have grown apart. Then Margo sneaks into Quentin's room one night with plans of adventure, determined to get revenge on everyone who's ever hurt her. After wreaking havoc on several characters, including Margo's ex- boyfriend, Quentin returns home wondering what will happen at school the next day. All of Quentin's assumptions evaporate when Margo doesn't show up for school. After learning she's run away, Quentin enlists his friends on a road trip through many "paper towns," or fictional towns, to search for her. As things get crazier and crazier, Quentin realizes he didn't know as much about Margo as he thought he did. "Paper Towns" was given a starred review by Booklist, which says the novel is "deeply thoughtful and insightful" and "wonderfully witty."

An Abundance of Katherines When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram- happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy–loving best friend riding shotgun— but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

Looking For Alaska "Looking for Alaska" is Green's debut novel. It's the story of Miles Halter, the boy with a penchant for remembering famous last words, who craves adventure. He sends himself off to boarding school and meets a group of friends who will change his life forever. His short roommate calls himself the Colonel and introduces him to Lara, a Romanian exchange student; a Japanese whiz kid named Takumi; and Alaska, the mysterious, self- destructive girl who Miles immediately falls in love with. "Looking for Alaska" is divided into two parts, simply titled Before and After. The group spends most of the Before section living it up in dorm rooms or sneaking out on daring escapades. Miles begins to get to know the Colonel, Lara and Takumi, but Alaska remains an enigma. During the After portion of the book, the group begins looking for answers, only to discover things growing more and more complicated. It's a coming- of-age story with plenty of rule-breaking, memory-making and tragedy. The book also is the winner of a 2006 Michael L. Printz award.

Sources Katherines-John-Green/dp/ Katherines-John-Green/dp/ /07/dig-great-john-green-summer- reads/ / 7/07/dig-great-john-green-summer- reads/ / johngreenbooks.com