Paul Acampora writes novels and short stories for young readers. Kids, parents, and critics praise his work for its laugh-out-loud humor, rollicking dialogue, and heartfelt characters. His most recent novel is Danny Constantino’s First Date (Dial, 2020), a MG romantic comedy featuring a seventh grader who lands a Halloween date with a major Hollywood teen superstar; when the date gets tangled up in small-town politics, overenthusiastic fans, Halloween costume disasters, and a school pep rally gone wrong, he wonders if his first date ever might also be his last. He and his family live in Allentown, Pennsylvania.