The Most Important Thing: Stories about Sons, Fathers, and Grandfathers

Avi is a prolific and award-winning American author who is best known for his contributions to children’s literature. Born Edward Irving Wortis in 1937 in New York, he adopted the pen name “Avi,” which was a childhood nickname that his twin sister gave him. Over the course of his career, he has published more than 70 books in various genres, including historical fiction, mystery, adventure, and contemporary realism.

Avi was raised in Brooklyn in a family of writers and artists. As a child, he had dysgraphia, which is a learning disability that affects a person’s ability to write legibly and to translate thoughts into words. This led him to work especially hard at developing his writing style. His early challenges with language and structure helped shape his sensitivity to voice, tone, and narrative accessibility in storytelling. These qualities went on to become hallmarks of his style.

Avi’s writing is notable for its diversity in subject matter and form, covering a range from historical fiction to animal stories. His works often feature strong, complex characters exploring themes of identity, justice, family, and personal growth.