 |
 |
 |
 |
Steven Kroll grew up in New York City, the son of a diamond merchant and a lady of society. But, as he explains, ”I also had my Upper West Side neighborhood, a wonderful ethnic stew of Jewish, Latino, Chinese, and Viennese. Wandering those streets, experiencing the restaurants and the pastry shops, the delicatessens and the movie theater, the corner drug store and the corner book shop, I began to recognize a wider world, a world outside my own that would make me want to tell stories, travel, and be a writer.”
Steven attended Harvard University, from which he received a degree in American history and literature. He moved to London to take a job as editor at Chatto and Windus, a renowned publishing firm. Later, he worked as an editor at Holt, Rinehart and Winston in New York. He reviewed books for, and was editor of, the Transatlantic Review.
The urge to write stories was strong, so Mr. Kroll retired from editing and worked for four years to become a published author. After many rejection letters, he met Margery Cuyler, who was an editor working at Holiday House. She took a shine to Steven Kroll and published a number of his books.
Working with other editors and houses as well, Mr. Kroll wrote 96 books, including picture books, nonfiction, and young adult novels. Three more books are set to be published in the 2011-2012 season.
In 1997, Steven married Kathleen Beckett, a freelance writer whose specialties are travel, food, and style. They lived in New York City and Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Steven Kroll died from complications following elective surgery. He was 69 years old.