Mr. Averill read his first book when he was nine years old. He remembers getting his library card and borrowing books from the small town's library. Adventures of all kinds were his food for thought, especially about life at sea and in the mountains; but neither the ocean nor mountains could be seen from the dry-land farming area of Eastern Washington. Stamp collecting allowed him to visit the whole world vicariously. Building model airplanes and a telescope fueled his interest in science, which he pursued for nearly fifty years. Dr. Averill retired from teaching university chemistry in 2002 and in 2010 he began writing as a hobby. The Niffits was one of his first short stories, but until now, was never published. After some urging, he has rewritten the tale as a children's book, hoping young people will enjoy reading a modern-life fantasy.