Derrick Barnes is the author of several acclaimed books, including the Ruby and the Booker Boys series: BRAND-NEW SCHOOL, BRAVE NEW RUBY; TRIVIA QUEEN, THIRD GRADE SUPREME; THE SLUMBER PARTY PAYBACK; and RUBY FLIPS FOR ATTENTION, published by Scholastic. Barnes’s YA novel THE MAKING OF DR. TRUELOVE was an ALA Quick Picks selection, and has been hailed by the New York Public Library as one of the 100 Best Books for the Teen Age. Derrick and his wife, Tinka, reside in Kansas City, MO, with their three sons.