Andy Griffiths (author) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andy Griffiths
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Griffiths at the 2019 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | Andrew Noel Griffiths 3 September 1961 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation | Author |
| Genre | Humour, children’s fiction |
| Spouse | Jill Griffiths |
Andrew Noel Griffiths (born 3 September 1961) is a super popular Australian writer. He writes funny books for kids and teens. You might know him best from his Just! series or the amazing Treehouse series.
His Just! books were even made into a TV show called What's with Andy?. Another one of his books, The Day My Bum Went Psycho, also became a TV series! Andy Griffiths often works with his friend, the illustrator Terry Denton, to bring his wild stories to life. Before becoming a writer, he used to sing in rock bands.
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Early Life
Andy Griffiths was born in Melbourne, Australia, on September 3, 1961. He has two younger sisters named Susan and Julie.
When he was a kid, Andy loved to read all sorts of books. Some of his favorites included Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. He also enjoyed reading sci-fi comics and MAD magazine, which is known for its silly humor.
Andy first tried writing his own stories when he was just six years old.
Becoming a Writer
Andy Griffiths used to be an English teacher. While teaching, he started writing short, fun stories for his students. He noticed that his students really enjoyed these stories.
Because people liked his writing so much, Andy decided to stop teaching and become a full-time author. His very first book published by a company was Just Tricking!. This happened in 1997, when he was 35 years old.
His Writing Style
Andy Griffiths' books are famous for their silly and sometimes gross humor. He likes to include jokes about things like toilets and other funny, messy stuff.
He tries to make his books a mix of "anarchy" (which means wild and crazy fun) and "nice" (which means friendly and kind moments). For example, he says his Just! series is more wild, while his Treehouse series is a bit nicer.
Life Outside Writing
Andy Griffiths is married to Jill, who works as a book editor. They have two daughters. He also has a cat named Ruby, who has only one eye!
Andy loves animals very much. He used to have a dog named Sooty and a cat named Silky. You can even find these pets as characters in some of his books, like the Just! series and the Treehouse series.
Andy believes that kids should have a voice and be able to explore the world freely. He has supported young people speaking up about important issues, like protecting the environment.
What Andy Loves to Do
When he's not writing, Andy Griffiths enjoys many different hobbies. He loves reading books, watching movies, and listening to music. He also likes to stay active by cycling and swimming.
Andy's Advice
Here are some wise words from Andy Griffiths himself:
- "My best advice for how to become an author is to practise—that’s the best way to get better at anything, whether it’s learning a musical instrument, playing a sport or writing. And to read as much as you can!"
- "The best story ideas come from a long slow process of thinking, reading, researching, experimenting, drafting, editing and lots and lots of re-working and re-writing. The ‘fuel’ for those ideas come from everywhere: from books I read, TV shows and movies I watch and, of course, all the things that happen in everyday life."
See Also
