Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in San Diego, California, Sid Fleischman began his professional life in vaudeville and as a newspaperman--adventures described in his autobiography, The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer's Life. Mr. Fleischman is regarded as a master of the comic novel. He was awarded the Newbery Medal for The Whipping Boy, and his stories have been translated into the languages of nineteen countries. He has written the biography Escape! The Story of The Great Houdini, and his novels include The Giant Rat of Sumatra, or Pirates Galore; Disappearing Act; Bo & Mzzz Mad; Bandit's Moon; The 13th Floor: A Ghost Story; and Jim Ugly.