American children’s writer best known for the Origami Yoda seven-book series, Tom Angleberger celebrates Oct. 24 as his birth date in Shenandoah Valley, Va.

It was seeing his first Star Wars movie at six years of age that inspired his lifelong passion for his series. In fifth grade, Tom won second place ($10) in an essay contest about why he liked the American flag. He then started writing comic strips about cowboys riding on snails. He describes himself as a “nerdy kid,” and began his first novel in eighth grade, but never completed it. Remembering his middle school years, his series speaks to middle school kids about emotional ups and downs.

Tom studied art at the College of William and Mary, and worked as a staff artist on the college newspaper. He met his wife Cece Bell, who is also a children’s author, at the College of William and Mary, where they both majored in Art. They married and have two children.

He spent 15 years working as a reporter and one day was sent to the sewage treatment plant for a story. He came back and wrote “its chocolate waters would dance no more,” which the editor rejected, and he had to write a boring story about them shutting down the part of the plant that shoots sewage in the air.

Tom has more than 3.3 million copies of his books sold worldwide. He illustrates all of his books, cartoon-style. He did write two children’s books under the name Sam Riddleburger, but his grandmother was upset because she wanted the family name on his books. His latest tasks are a three-book easy-reader detective series he plans to write with his wife, and he is also working on a book with illustrator John Hendrix.

Tom and his wife Cece live in Christianburg, Va. right next to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

We have one of his (JF) books, “The Strange Case of Origami Yoda.”