Tom Avery grew up in Lewisham and trained as a primary teacher at the University of Greenwich. He taught in South London for two years, and then in inner-city Birmingham. He is now co-ordinator of English, Communication and Language at a primary school in Kentish Town, London. He loves working with young people, helping them to develop their interests and encouraging them to think about the world around them. The issues of street crime and unaccompanied refugee children, addressed in Too Much Trouble, affect the lives of many of the children he's met through his work. Avery lives in North London with his wife and young son.