Donald J. Sobol, the author of the popular Encyclopedia Brown and Two-Minute Mysteries series, died on Wednesday, Reuters reports. He was 87.
Born in New York City, Sobol served with the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II. He went on to earn his Bachelor's Degree from Oberlin College in Ohio.
Starting out his professional career writing for the New York Sun, Sobol eventually worked his way up to reporter, and then worked at the New York Daily News for two years.
But it wasn't until a move to Florida that his career really took off. Creating the popular Two-Minute Mysteries series in 1958, Sobol became a household name among children's book readers when he started his Encyclopedia Brown stories.
Based on amateur sleuth Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown who cracks cases involving juveniles, the series has never been out of print and has been translated into 12 languages.
"Thanks to Donald, generations of children have learned to read and solve mysteries alongside Encyclopedia Brown, one of the most iconic characters in children's literature," Don Weisberg, president of Penguin Young Readers Group, said in a statement.
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Soccer Scheme, the latest installment of the series, is set to be released in October.
source: people.com
