On her Web site, Cornelia Funke proclaims, “Of course there are people who know already at the age of six that they want to become a doctor or a teacher. Just don’t worry if you’re not one of those people.” That’s appropriate advice from this bestselling German author who wrote her first story when she was nearly 35, which according to her own description, is “ancient!”

Born on December 10th in Dorsten, Westphalia, Cornelia Funke followed the advice she now gives to her readers and took her time finding out what work gave her the most joy. She experimented with several careers, but always remained devoted to her desire to make the world a better place. After university, Funke worked in an educational project with challenged children. After that, Funke, who loved to draw, became an artist, designing board games and illustrating children’s books.

But when the books she was assigned to illustrate disappointed her, Funke began to make up her own stories. She crafted tales meant to grasp the imaginations of all children – not just avid readers, but also children who had yet to encounter a positive reading experience.

Funke has written more than 40 books, including her most recent novels, The Thief Lord, Inkheart, Dragon Rider and Inkspell. She currently lives in Los Angeles with Rolf, her husband of 25 years, their 14-year-old daughter, Anna, and 9-year-old son, Ben (Benjy) and a host of family pets: two Icelandic horses, a crazy dog, Luna, nicknamed Looney, and a very shy guinea pig.

—Juli Friedberg