Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Christopher Paolini
When he was only fifteen, author Christopher Paolini began the first draft of what would later become a successful book worldwide. He was the author of a bestseller before he was twenty years old. Paolini quickly completed two more installments of his trilogy with the promise of more to come. All of this began within the creative mind of a gifted teenage boy.
Christopher Paolini was born in Southern California on November 17, 1983, to parents Kenneth and Talita. He spent most of his childhood, however, in Paradise Valley, Montana, with his parents and sister, Angela. Upon becoming a parent, Paolini's mother chose to leave her job as a Montessori preschool teacher in order to be a full-time mother. She used the Montessori Method as well as other creative approaches to educate Christopher and later Angela. Both were working at the first-grade level by the time they were three years old. The teaching methods used by Talita Paolini proved to be quite successful. Because of this success and a concern that public schools would bore Christopher and later Angela, Paolini's mother decided to home school her children throughout their childhoods.
Growing up, Paolini enjoyed writing short stories and poetry. During his first trip to the library, Paolini found himself attracted to some mystery books with colorful spines. Once he discovered the fascinating characters, dialogue, and storylines, he was hooked and loved reading. Christopher tackled all types of books, but he was especially drawn to the fantasy genre and such things as dragons, heroes, swordfights, and quests. Some of his favorite books have been Bruce Coville's Jeremy Thatcher and Dragon Hatcher, Frank Herbert's Dune, and Raymond E. Feist's Magician. Christopher also appreciates books written by Anne McCaffrey, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Yolen, Brian Jacques, and many others.
