For Kids Who Love the Spirit Animals: Get to Know Brandon Mull

Can you name a superstar author who spent most of his childhood daydreaming?

Do you know an author who won a gold medal as a child for winning a pudding eating contest?

What if I told you that one author believed that as long as he could write a good scene, he could eventually write a good novel?

The author I'm talking about is the amazing Brandon Mull!  If your child is a fan of the Spirit Animal series, then he or she will want to learn more about this author. Encourage your child to print out the Author Hunt sheet to keep his or her learning a bit more focused, and then let him or her at the links below!

Name: Brandon Mull
Born: November 8, 1974
Grew up:  Southern California and Connecticut
Current home: near Salt Lake City, Utah
Some of his books:
•    Spirit Animals: Wild Born
•    Five Kingdoms series
•    Beyonders series
•    Fablehaven
•    and many, many more!

Fun facts about Brandon Mull:
•    Brandon Mull was inspired by the Narnia books and Lord of the Rings series
•    Fablehaven, Mull's debut novel, has sold millions of copies and has been translated into more than 30 languages.
•    The idea for Beyonders was in his head for more than ten years.
•    There are four kids in the Mull family.
•    Brandon Mull spent two years living in the desert in Chile where he learned Spanish and juggling.

Interview with Brandon Mull:
•    http://www.scholastic.com/teachers
 
Video Interview with Brandon Mull:
•    http://www.scholastic.com/parents

Printable Brandon Mull bio:
•    http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/brandon-mull

Official author website:  http://brandonmull.com/

Official author Twitter page: https://twitter.com/brandonmull

Official author Facebook page:
•    https://www.facebook.com/authorbrandonmull

Other cool sites worth checking out:
•    Spirit Animals microsite
•    Spirit Animals Discussion Guide
•    Five Kingdoms trailer and games

Happy reading and learning about Brandon Mull!

This post is part of a mini-series over here, a "get to know the authors" series.  I'm hoping that it helps to give parents that extra push they need to support their kids' enjoyment of reading and help their children get to know the authors they are growing to love.

The posts include links to sites, resources, and pages about the author and we've even got a little sheet for kids that you can print out and have them complete during their "author hunt." Download the sheet here.

And check out previous posts in the series:
•    Rachel Renee Russell
•    Mary Pope Osborne
•    Rick Riordan

How do you get your children or students to feel connected to the authors they read?

Share your thoughts on the Scholastic Parents Facebook page, or find Amy on Twitter, @teachmama, and let's continue the conversation!


Read all posts by Amy Mascott.