William E. "Bill" Brittain was born in Rochester, New York on December 16, 1930. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked as a teacher. He wrote two mystery serials from 1964 to 1983, as well as other stories, before moving on to children's books. His children's books include Devil's Donkey, Dr. Dredd's Wagon of Wonders, Professor Popkin's Prodigious Polish, and The Fantastic Freshman. The Wish Giver was a Newbery Honor Book in 1984 and All the Money in the World won the 1982-1983 Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award and was adapted for an ABC-TV Saturday Special. He died on December 16, 2011 at the age of 81.