Introduction
Ofer Aronskind is an American author of young adult novels, as well as an attorney and a real-estate investor. His stories focus on kids' adventures and typical coming-of-age topics such as making new friends, self-discovery, and gaining confidence.
Inspiration
Aronskind's primary goal is to write books that boys will want to read. His writing frequently draws upon his own life experiences, as well as those of his sons. His first two books, Summer Sleep-Away and That Same Summer, are loosely based on adventures and anecdotes from the summer camp that his family operated in The Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.
Biography
Aronskind migrated to the United States from Tel Aviv, Israel, in the summer of 1969, at the age of six. His father was a professional soccer player in Israel and was recruited by Adelphi University on Long Island to play on the school team. The Aronskinds settled in Great Neck, Long Island, but soon moved to neighboring Little Neck in Queens. The entire family spent their summers at sleep-away camps in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, where both of his parents worked while he and his sister were campers. Aronskind graduated from Cardozo High School in 1981; he attended Binghamton University and then transferred to SUNY Albany, from which he graduated with a BA in English in 1985.
Aronskind then traveled to Los Angeles, where he wrote and optioned a screenplay. After a year he returned East to attend St. John's University School of Law. After graduating law school in 1989, Aronskind took a job with the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges where he practiced real estate law for the next decade. He remained there until 1997, at which time he left the practice of law in order to pursue real estate investment opportunities. Aronskind has three sons and currently lives in Short Hills, New Jersey. He spends his days writing, managing his real estate holdings, and raising his three teenage sons.
Publications
- Summer Sleep-Away (2006):
- That Same Summer (2009)
- Escape from Sunday School (2009)
- The Celebrities of Summer School (2010)
- This Side of the Street (2013)
- The Upstate Boys (2016)