Lisa Graff author page

Lisa Graff biography

Lisa Graff is an American author acclaimed for her middle-grade novels and picture books. Born in 1981, she grew up in Big Bear, California. Her interest in writing began at age eight, when her mother encouraged her to “go write a book or something,” leading to her first story, The Strangest Flower.

Graff earned a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Cognitive Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. During a study abroad program in Italy, she translated one of her children’s novels into Italian, an experience that deepened her commitment to writing. She later obtained a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing for Children from The New School in New York City.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Graff worked as an associate editor at Farrar, Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers for five years. Her debut novel, The Thing About Georgie, was published in 2007. She has since authored numerous books, including The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower (2008), Umbrella Summer (2009), Sophie Simon Solves Them All (2010), Double Dog Dare (2012), A Tangle of Knots (2013), Absolutely Almost (2014), Lost in the Sun (2015), A Clatter of Jars (2016), The Great Treehouse War (2017), Far Away (2019), and Rewind (2024).

Her work has received critical acclaim and has been included in over 70 state award lists. A Tangle of Knots was long-listed for the National Book Award in 2013, and Absolutely Almost received a Charlotte Huck Honor from the National Council of Teachers of English. Graff has also written under the pen name Isla Neal, co-authoring the Ever Expanding Universe series.

In addition to writing, Graff has taught children’s literature at McDaniel College in Maryland.