Jack Ferraiolo's first novel, The Big Splash , is a hard-boiled detective story for middle-graders. It's being published by Amulet (Harry N. Abrams) and will be released in Fall 2008. Jack is also the developer, writer, and director of the WordGirl animated shorts for PBS, and now serves as the head writer of the half-hour series based on those shorts. Previously, he served as the producer, director, editor, and sometime writer of O'Grady (for which he was co-nominated for an Annie Award). He was also the producer and editor of Home Movies for Cartoon Network. He and his wife recently had a daughter, who has helped Jack explore new avenues of writing through the art of sleep deprivation.