Peter Lerangis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Lerangis
Peter Lerangis
Born	1955 (age 69–70) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Author
Nationality	American
Education	Harvard University (BA)
Notable works	Seven Wonders series, 39 clues series
Spouse	Tina deVaron

Peter Duncan Lerangis, born in 1955 in Brooklyn, New York, is an American author. He writes exciting books for kids and young adults. He is famous for his Seven Wonders series. He also worked on the popular 39 Clues series.

Discover Peter Lerangis's Books

Peter Lerangis has written many popular books. His Seven Wonders series became a big hit. All five books in this series appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list for Children's Books.

Exploring the 39 Clues Series

Peter Lerangis also wrote two books in the 39 Clues series. These are The Viper's Nest and The Sword Thief. This series was also a New York Times bestseller. He also wrote part of Vespers Rising. This book helped introduce a new 39 Clues adventure. It was called Cahills Vs. Vespers. Peter wrote the third book in that series, The Dead of the Night.

Books Based on Movies and Games

Did you know Peter Lerangis has written books based on movies? He wrote novels for films like The Sixth Sense and Sleepy Hollow. He even wrote a book for Disney's Beauty and the Beast. He also turned five video games into books for the Worlds of Power series. Sometimes, he wrote as a ghostwriter. For these books, he used the name A. L. Singer.

Peter Lerangis's Life and Journey

Peter Lerangis grew up in Freeport, New York, on Long Island. He went to Harvard University. There, he studied biochemistry. But he also loved acting in musicals. He sang and directed an a cappella group called the Harvard Krokodiloes. After college, Peter moved to New York City. He worked as an actor and a freelance editor for eight years. Then, he became a full-time author.

Traveling the World for Books

In 2003, Peter Lerangis had a special trip. The First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush, chose him to go with her. They went to the first Russian Book Festival in Moscow. Other famous authors like R. L. Stine (who wrote Goosebumps) also joined them.

In 2016, Peter traveled to Patan Dhoka, Nepal. He was a special guest speaker there. It was Nepal's first children's literature festival.

Writing for Scholastic

In 2003, a company called Scholastic in the United Kingdom asked Peter to write a book. It was called X-Isle. This book was part of restarting the Point Horror series. He wrote a sequel, Return to X-Isle, in 2004.

In 2007, Scholastic started the 39 Clues series. Peter wrote the third book, The Sword Thief, which came out in 2009. He also wrote the seventh book, The Viper's Nest.

Peter's Family Life

Peter Lerangis lives in New York City. His wife, Tina deVaron, is a musician. They have two grown children named Nick and Joe.

Awards and Recognitions

Peter Lerangis has won several awards for his books:

• Last Stop, the first book in his Watchers series, was chosen as a Best Book for Reluctant Readers in 1999. This award is from the American Library Association.
• War, another book in the Watchers series, was named a Children's Choice book in 2000. This was by the International Reading Association and the Children's Book Council.
• His 2006 book, Smiler's Bones, won several honors. It was a Junior Library Guild selection. It was also named among the Best Books for Teens by the New York Public Library in 2006. The Bank Street also listed it as one of their Best Books of 2006.
• Somebody Please Tell Me Who I Am won the 2013 Schneider Family Book Award. This award from the American Library Association honors books that show the experience of disability. It was also chosen for the ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults list that year.
• All the books in the Seven Wonders series have been chosen as Junior Library Guild selections.