Andy Griffiths: Treehouse Author and Children’s Laureate

If your bookshelf has a child who giggles at the thought of a 26‑storey treehouse or cheers for an author who writes “with my brain, my heart, and my funny bone,” you’ve likely met Andy Griffiths. The Australian children’s writer has turned a knack for absurd humour into a career that spans 43 books and more than 20 million copies sold worldwide. This guide untangles his biography, pinpoints his best‑selling series, and explains how he rose to become Australia’s Children’s Laureate for 2026‑2027.

Full Name: Andy Griffiths ·
Born: 3 September 1961 ·
Nationality: Australian ·
Notable Series: Treehouse, JUST!, YOU & ME ·
Awards: Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award (2012) ·
Current Role: Australian Children’s Laureate (2026–2027)

Here are six key facts about Andy Griffiths.

What is Andy Griffiths doing now?

Andy Griffiths’ role as Australian Children’s Laureate (2026‑2027)

• On 10 February 2026, the Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation announced Griffiths as the 2026‑2027 Laureate. His mission: “Reading is an Adventure!” (Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation).

Release of his Let’s Go series

• Griffiths launched the Let’s Go series in 2025, continuing his streak of humorous early‑reader books (Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation).

Recent public appearances or events

• Stage adaptations of the Treehouse books have played sell‑out seasons at the Sydney Opera House and toured in the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the USA (Andy Griffiths – official site).

The implication: Griffiths’ Laureate term may expand his audience beyond existing readers.

What is Andy Griffiths best selling book?

Overview of his best‑selling titles in Australia and internationally

• The Treehouse series has sold over 10 million copies and is published in more than 35 countries (Andy Griffiths – official site).
• The 65‑Storey Treehouse was the number‑1 bestselling book of 2015 in Australia (Andy Griffiths – official site).

How the Treehouse series achieved bestseller status

• The series won 80 children’s choice awards and 10 Australian Book Industry Awards (Andy Griffiths – official site). The 52‑Storey Treehouse won Book of the Year at the 2015 Australian Book Industry Awards (Andy Griffiths – official site).

Sales figures and rankings

• Griffiths has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide (Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation).

The pattern: Griffiths’ bestseller status rests on a single franchise that keeps expanding.

Where does Andy Griffiths live?

Andy Griffiths’ hometown in Australia

• Griffiths is Australian and has lived in Australia his entire life (Andy Griffiths – official site). He keeps the exact town private for family reasons.

Current residence details

• Public records and interviews indicate he resides in a coastal area of New South Wales, but the precise city is not confirmed.

Mention of his family life

• Griffiths is married to Jill Griffiths, who occasionally appears in his acknowledgements (Andy Griffiths – official site).

The catch: The lack of a precise address keeps his family life offline.

What is Andy Griffiths most famous book?

The Treehouse series as his most famous work

• The Treehouse series, starting with The 13‑Storey Treehouse (2011), is his signature franchise (Britannica Kids).

Other notable books like the JUST! series

• The JUST! series — including Just Shocking! — made him the first Australian author to win six children’s choice awards in one year (2008) (Andy Griffiths – official site).

Critical reception and popularity

• Griffiths has won more than 100 children’s choice awards overall and the Dromkeen Medal in 2015 for outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature (Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation).

What this means: While the Treehouse series dominates public recognition, the JUST! series established his award-winning reputation earlier.

What are Andy Griffiths’ Treehouse books and in what order should they be read?

List of Treehouse books in order

1. The 13‑Storey Treehouse (2011)
2. The 26‑Storey Treehouse (2012)
3. The 39‑Storey Treehouse (2013)
4. The 52‑Storey Treehouse (2014)
5. The 65‑Storey Treehouse (2015)
6. The 78‑Storey Treehouse (2016)
7. The 91‑Storey Treehouse (2017)
8. The 104‑Storey Treehouse (2018)
9. The 117‑Storey Treehouse (2019)
10. The 130‑Storey Treehouse (2020)
11. The 143‑Storey Treehouse (2021)
12. The 156‑Storey Treehouse (2022)
13. The 169‑Storey Treehouse (2023)
14. The 182‑Storey Treehouse (2024)

All books are illustrated by Terry Denton and published by Pan Macmillan Australia (Andy Griffiths – official site).

Description of the series’ premise

• Best friends Andy and Terry live in a constantly expanding treehouse filled with inventions, a bowling alley, a marshmallow machine, and a shark tank. Each book adds 13 storeys.

Illustrator Terry Denton’s role

• Terry Denton has illustrated every Treehouse book, and the duo have been collaborators since the late 1990s (Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation).

The implication: Griffiths designed the series to reward sequential reading, but each book still works as a standalone.

How to start reading Andy Griffiths’ books

1. Choose an entry point. For the Treehouse series, begin with The 13‑Storey Treehouse. For younger readers (ages 5‑7), try the JUST! books or the newer Let’s Go series.
2. Read in publication order. The Treehouse books build continuity. Reading out of order will still be fun, but in‑jokes land better sequentially.
3. Pair with the illustrator. Terry Denton’s drawings are half the humour. Let kids linger on the illustrations — the series is as much a picture‑book experience as a chapter‑book one.
4. Explore beyond the series. After finishing the Treehouse titles, move to YOU & ME or the standalone Just Doomed! to see Griffiths’ range.

The pattern: each book is a self‑contained adventure, but the cumulative joy of watching the treehouse grow keeps readers hooked.

Andy Griffiths career timeline

• 3 September 1961 — Born in Australia (Andy Griffiths – official site)
• 2008 — Becomes first Australian author to win six children’s choice awards in one year for Just Shocking! (Andy Griffiths – official site)
• 2010 — Publishes Just Doomed!, winner of Fiction for Older Readers award (Andy Griffiths – official site)
• 2011 — Publishes The 13‑Storey Treehouse (Britannica Kids)
• 2012 — Wins Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award (Andy Griffiths – official site)
• 2015 — Dromkeen Medal for outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature (Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation); The 65‑Storey Treehouse becomes fastest‑selling Australian book in a decade (Andy Griffiths – official site)
• 2024 — Announced as Australian Children’s Laureate for 2026‑2027 (Australia Reads)

The pattern: Griffiths’ trajectory moved from debut awards to national recognition in about 15 years.

What we know for sure

• Birth date: 3 September 1961 (Andy Griffiths – official site)
• Nationality: Australian (Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation)
• Occupation: Children’s author (Andy Griffiths – official site)
• Key series: Treehouse, JUST!, YOU & ME (Andy Griffiths – official site)
• Award: Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award (2012) (Andy Griffiths – official site)
• Role: Australian Children’s Laureate 2026‑2027 (Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation)

These facts are corroborated by multiple tier‑1 sources.

What remains uncertain

• Exact current residence city
• Net worth
• Details of personal family life beyond spouse name
• Exact number of stage adaptations (only partial list known)
• Whether more Treehouse books are planned beyond 182‑Storey
• Precise number of children’s choice awards (stated as “more than 100”)

In his own words

“Reading is an Adventure!”

— Andy Griffiths, Australian Children’s Laureate 2026‑2027 (via Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation)

“I wanted to write the kind of book that I would have loved to have read as a kid—silly, irreverent, full of drawings, and with no boring bits.”

— Andy Griffiths, official website (Andy Griffiths – official site)

Both quotes reflect Griffiths’ mission to make reading playful.

What it all means

Andy Griffiths is no longer just an author — he is a national ambassador for childhood literacy. With 43 books, 20 million copies sold, and a two‑year Laureate platform, he occupies a unique intersection of commercial success and public‑service mission. For Australian parents and educators who want to ignite a love of reading, the choice is clear: hand a child any Treehouse book and watch the laughter begin. For the author himself, the next two years will define whether that laugh travels beyond bookshelves into classrooms and living rooms nationwide.

Frequently asked questions