Janet Tashjian

Janet Tashjian is an award-winning children’s and young adult author based in Los Angeles. She has published 30 books including the trilogy of the bestselling series “My Life”, which follows the everyday adventures of a seventh grader. She is also a noted playwright and literary agent.

Born in to a Armenian family in Beirut, Lebanon, Tashjian spent the first 15 years of her life in the Middle East before emigrating to America in 1968 following a civil war in Lebanon. Since then, her love of writing has been an integral part of her life, and in 1975 she earned a B.A. in English from Barnard College in New York, followed by a Master's Degree from UCLA, where she studied Creative Writing in 1984.

Tashjian's work has been published in more than two dozen languages. Her debut book, "The Gospel According to Larry," was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age.The follow-up, "Vote for Larry," was on the ALA’s Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list, and was followed by the final installment of the “My Life” trilogy, "Keepin' It Real".

Books from her other series, such as "Tru Confessions," "Trueman Bradley: Free Culture Revolutionary," and "The Gospel According to Larry Universe," have also been popular. Tashjian’s “D’accord” series has been praised for its innovative and exciting approach to the study of French.

In addition to her novels, Tashjian has written for newspapers and magazines and has written several plays. Her play, “The Armenian Tornado,” earned the Robert L. Barto Award from the Theatre West Playwriting Festival. She also holds several important positions related to her work in the literary world, including the position of Literary Agent at the Irene Skolnick Literary Agency, where she represents authors and negotiates contracts.

Tashjian has won numerous awards, including the Washington Post-Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award, the Texas Institute of Letters Award for Best Book of the Year, and the Colorado Book Award for Best Young Adult Fiction. She has been a finalist for the National Book Award four times and has been named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults four times as well.

Janet Tashjian’s books offer something for everyone. Her stories use humor and adventure to explore the issues facing modern teenagers, from dealing with technology with to exploring religion and politics. Her work has earned her both critical and popular acclaim, and she continues to be a force in the world of children’s and young adult literature.