William Durbin is the award-winning author of many titles for young readers, including THE JOURNAL OF SEAN SULLIVAN, A TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILWORKER and THE DARKEST EVENING, both published by Scholastic. A winner of the Great Lakes Book Award and a two-time winner of the Minnesota Book award, his other books are SONG OF SAMPO LAKE; THE WINTER WAR; BLACKWATER BEN; EL LECTOR; and THE BROKEN BLADE, as well as its companion, WINTERING. Born in Minneapolis, William and his wife have lived on Lake Vermilion in the canoe country of Northeastern Minnesota for the past 20 years.