Gordon Korman had his first book published when he was 14 years old. In the 30 years since then, he has written more than 60 books. While his early work was mainly humorous realistic fiction, Korman's recent books such as the Kidnapped series and the Island Trilogy have included elements of adventure and suspense. His next book is Book 2 of The 39 Clues: One False Note.

Start your author study by reading a short biography of Gordon Korman and choosing some of his books to read . Then use the activities and lessons below to go in depth with his engaging characters and thrilling stories. For more information about Korman and his books, visit Gordon Korman's Web site . For information about the other authors in The 39 Clues series, visit The 39 Clues Teaching Resources.

Also, watch our exclusive video interview with Korman to hear how he researches a new story and what advice he has for young writers.

Watch video from the December 2008 live webcast event when Korman was interviewed by Whoopi Goldberg.