Elise Leonard is the author of the Junkyard Dan series (Itz Books), the LEADER series (Itz Books), the Al’s World series (Simon & Schuster), the Smith Brothers series (Nox Press), the A LEEG of His Own series (Nox Press), and the series entitled Pete’s Place (Nox Press). She was a teacher for many (MANY!) years before becoming a full-time author.  Due to her concern about the plummeting literacy rates in the U.S. and throughout the world, she now writes cool, funny, high-action books for struggling adult, adolescent and English Language learners, to help older struggling readers increase their reading levels and have a better life through literacy.