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[Picture Books] [Novels for Kids] [Fiction for Young Adults] [Poetry]
[Fairy Tales] [Mysteries] [Non-Fiction] [Forthcoming] [Biographical Info]
TWOSOMES: Love Poems from the Animal Kingdom
(Knopf, 2011)
Funny and punny couplets. Illustrated by Lee Wildish.
excerpt
MIRROR MIRROR
(Dutton, 2010)
Reversos (reversible verse) based on fairy tales. Illustrated
by Josee Masse.
An ALA Notable, nominee for the Texas Bluebonnet Award and finalist for a Cybil Award in Poetry. Horn Book Fanfare list, New York Public Libraryís 2010 Best 100 Children's Books, 2010 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books, Betsy Bird's 100 Magnificent Children's Books of 2010, Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books of 2010, Booklist's Editors' Choice list and Washington Post's Top 15 Children's Books of 2010.
excerpt
FIRST FOOD FIGHT THIS FALL (Sterling, 2008)
Poems about school seen through the eyes of a group of students. Illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa. Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best, 2009. excerpt
SHOE BOP! (Dutton, 2008)
A little girl goes shoe shopping with her mother, told in poems and prose. Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. excerpt
MONDAY ON THE MISSISSIPPI (Holt, 2005)
A lyrical trip down the Mississippi River. Illustrated by Frane Lessac. excerpt
A series of poems about the faces of fire. Illustrated by Meilo So. ALA Notable, 2005. excerpt
CREATURE CARNIVAL (Hyperion, 2004)
A collection of poems about fabled animals from mythology, fairy tales, movies, etc., set at a county fair. A companion to Monster Museum (Hyperion, 2001). llustrated by Gris Grimly. excerpt
HOW TO CROSS A POND: Poems About Water (Knopf, 2003)
A series of poems about water in its many forms. Illustrated by Meilo So. excerpt
FIREFLIES AT MIDNIGHT (Atheneum, 2003)
Poems in the voices of animals at different times of day. Illustrated by Ken Robbins. School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2003. excerpt
THE COMPANY OF CROWS (Clarion, 2002)
A group of poems in the voices of crows -- and the people and other beings that interact with them. Illustrated by Linda Saport. excerpt
FOOTPRINTS ON THE ROOF: Poems About the Earth (Knopf, 2002)
A series of poems celebrating the many aspects of the natural world of our planet. Illustrated by Meilo So. Riverbank Review Children’s Books of Distinction, Poetry, 2003. excerpt
MONSTER MUSEUM (Hyperion, 2001)
Zombies, vampires, banshees, Bigfoot and other creepsters abound in this series of nutty poems featuring the strange exhibits found in the Monster Museum. Illustrated by Gris Grimly. excerpt
ALL WE NEEDED TO SAY (Atheneum, 1996)
School and friendship from the points-of-view of two narrators, Tanya and Sophie. Photographs by Lorna Clark. excerpt
THE MORGANS DREAM (Holt, 1995)
The large Morgan family and the dreams they dream one night. Illustrated by Gary Drake.
PLEASE DON'T SQUEEZE YOUR BOA, NOAH! (Holt, 1995)
Silly poems about people and their pets. Illustrated by Clement Oubrerie.
FAMILY REUNION (Macmillan, 1994)
A collection of poems featuring the characters and events of a family reunion held one sunny August day in Small Park. An NCSS-CBC Notable Book, 1995. Illustrated by R.W. Alley. excerpt
SKY WORDS (Macmillan, 1994)
Poems about the sky. Illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray. excerpt
IT'S HARD TO READ A MAP WITH A BEAGLE ON YOUR LAP (Holt, 1993)
Silly dog poems. True doggerel. Illustrated by Clement Oubrerie. excerpt
IN MY TENT (Macmillan, 1992)
Episodic poems depicting one family's camping trip as seen through the eyes of a young girl. A Junior Library Guild selection. Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully.
TURTLE IN JULY (Macmillan, 1989)
Animal poems, one for each month of the year. A Scholastic Book Club selection (paperback), 1991. An NCTE Notable Book, 1989. Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1989, the New York Times. Best Children's Books of 1989, Time Magazine. A Reading Rainbow review book, 1994. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. excerpt
IN THE PALACE OF THE OCEAN KING (Atheneum, 1995)
At a duke's castle, Mariana meets and falls in love with Sylvain. When his ship is wrecked, she, who is afraid of water, must dive to the depths of the sea to rescue him from the powerful Ocean King. Illustrated by Ted Rand.
THE MAIDEN ON THE MOOR (Morrow, 1995)
Two shepherd brothers find a maiden sleeping on a frozen moor. The kind and lonely brother brings her to his house. Day after day, he and his dogs keep watch over her. One night as he sleeps, she awakes and is transformed into a snow goose. But the shepherd is rewarded for his kindness with a new love. Illustrated by Troy Howell.
THE PAINTED FAN (Morrow, 1994)
When the evil Lord Shang bans all the fans in his realm, Bright Willow manages to save hers, a magical heirloom passed down through generations, and uses it to defeat the villain, rescue her love, Seahorse, and reunite the divided houses of Li and Chen. Illustrated by Wenhai Ma.
THE GOLDEN HEART OF WINTER (Morrow, 1991)
To help him choose the next master of the forge, a blacksmith sends his three sons on a quest to bring him back something of value. Kindly Half, the youngest, stops in a magical wood to free an imprisoned raven, who tells him the secret of the most precious object in the world: the Golden Heart of Winter, a glowing heart that beats beneath the ground so that spring will follow winter forever and Life will rule equally with Death. When his two greedy brothers dig up the Heart, it is up to Half to rescue it and save his land from ruin. Illustrated by Robert Rayevsky.
I'M GETTING A CHECKUP
(Clarion, 2009)
Time for a doctor's checkup! Illustrated by David
Milgrim. excerpt
I'M YOUR BUS
(Scholastic, 2009)
What does your friendly school bus do all day? Illustrated
by Evan Polenghi. excerpt
CITY LULLABY
(Clarion, 2007)
The city is rumbling, banging, beeping, but baby keeps
on sleeping. Illustrated by Carll Cneut. Time
magazine's Top Ten Children's Books of 2007. excerpt
LET'S BUILD A CLUBHOUSE (Clarion, 2006)
An introduction to tools for young children. Illustrated by Timothy Bush. 2007 Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year. excerpt
BLOCK PARTY TODAY! (Knopf, 2004)
There's a merry block party going on. Will Lola stay angry all day, or will she join in the fun? excerpt
BOO HOO BOO-BOO (HarperCollins, 2002)
What do you do when you've got a boo-boo? A young picture book. Illustrated by Elivia Savadier. Beginning with Books’ Ten Best Books for Babies, 2003. excerpt
QUIET NIGHT (Clarion, 2002)
Frogs, raccoons, mosquitoes, yikes! How many animals are making noise on a quiet night? A cumulative picture book. Illustrated by John Manders. excerpt
DIDI AND DADDY ON THE PROMENADE (Clarion, 2001)
“Didi, go slow!” says Daddy. But Didi says, “No!” A lively picture book romp down the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay. A Canadian Children's Book Centre "Our Choice" Book, 2002. A Children's Literature Choice Book, 2002. excerpt
FRED’S BED (HarperCollins, 2001)
Fred needs a new bed—what kind should it be? A young picture book. Illustrated by JoAnn Adinolfi. excerpt
ON THE SAME DAY IN MARCH (HarperCollins, 2000)
A lyrical trip through the world's weather. A companion to Nine O'Clock Lullaby (HarperCollins, 1991). An NCSS-CBC Notable Book, 2000. Booklist's Top 10 Science Books for Children, 2000. Illustrated by Frane Lessac. excerpt
ONLY ME (HarperCollins, 2000)
A child discovers that, though she has features of several relatives, she's uniquely herself. A young picture book. Illustrated by Nicole Rubel. excerpt
SOLOMON SNEEZES (HarperCollins, 1999)
Solomon Snorkel has a very big sneeze! A picture book in verse. Illustrated by Brian Floca. excerpt
GOOD DAY, GOOD NIGHT (Marshall Cavendish, 1998)
A picture book in verse about daytime and nighttime animals. Illustrated by Ponder Goembel. excerpt
CHESTER, THE OUT-OF-WORK DOG (Holt, 1992)
When Chester's family moves from the country to the city, the poor border collie is out-of-work. Desperately missing his sheep, he tries to herd everything in sight, with disastrous consequences, until he finally gets a new and most satisfying job. Illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith. excerpt
NINE O'CLOCK LULLABY (HarperCollins, 1991)
A lyrical trip through the world's time zones, starting and ending in Brooklyn, NY. Children's Choice Award (IRA/CBC). A Scholastic Book Club selection (paperback), 1993. Illustrated by Frane Lessac. excerpt
MINNIE'S YOM KIPPUR BIRTHDAY (HarperCollins, 1989)
A little girl's birthday falls on Yom Kippur, and it turns out to be a very different one indeed. Illustrated by Ruth Rosner.
ARCHER ARMADILLO'S SECRET ROOM (Macmillan, 1985)
When Archer's family moves away from "the best burrow in the state of Texas," a distressed Archer runs back to his old home. A Junior Library Guild Selection. Illustrated by Beth Lee Weiner.
WILL YOU TAKE ME TO TOWN ON STRAWBERRY DAY? (HarperCollins, 1981)
A visit to a British country fair, in verse, with music. Illustrated by Trinka Hakes Noble.
THE PICKLE PLAN (E.P. Dutton, 1978)
Rachel tries different plans to get people to notice her. Illustrated by Steven Kellogg.
THE DOG WHO INSISTED HE WASN'T (E.P. Dutton, 1976)
Konrad refuses to believe that he is a dog. Abigail, a little girl, goes along with him until mayhem ensues. Children's Choice Award (IRA/CBC). A Trumpet Book Club selection (paperback), 1990. Illustrated by Kelly Oechsli.
THE CIRCUS LUNICUS (Holt, 2000)
A mysterious Cinderella story about a boy, a plastic lizard, and a circus that’s possibly from outer space. For middle-grade readers. excerpt
JOSIE TO THE RESCUE (Scholastic, 1999)
Josie’s attempts to raise money, in order to help her parents who are expecting a baby, result in big trouble. Illustrations by S.D. Schindler. excerpt
BIG WHEEL (Hyperion, 1993)
Twelve-year-old Wheel Wiggins is the head honcho of his neighborhood. Every year he masterminds the town's 4th of July extravaganza. But this time he's stuck for an idea and suffering from, as he puts it, "executive stress," made worse when everyone's favorite deejay, Wild Willie, announces a contest for the best Independence Day celebration. At last Wheel does dream up his greatest scheme ever - an amazing carnival. But then a new kid arrives in town - a hot shot, unicycle-riding rich kid named Topper, who wants not only to join Wheel's gang, but to take it over. And the war begins.
CALIFORNIA DEMON (Hyperion, 1992)
When fourteen-year-old, would-be witch Rosie Rivera tried to concoct a love potion, she accidentally let a nasty, not-so-little imp out of a bottle instead. The creature stows away to California in a Christmas gift opened by Danny Pauling and his sister Laura. The kids think they've hit the jackpot and acquired a genie, who calls himself Mr. Ed, to grant them endless wishes. But Mr. Ed's outlandish tricks soon wreak havoc all over L.A., landing Danny, Laura, and their mother in danger. It's up to Rosie and her mother Lydia, a retired witch, to save the day.
CHARMED (Atheneum, 1990)
Twelve-year-old Miranda and her invisible fenine friend, Bastable, who looks much like an upright cat, must join forces with several other beings from different worlds to defeat the evil Charmer.
TWENTY WAYS TO LOSE YOUR BEST FRIEND (HarperCollins, 1990)
Emma has been taught to "do the right thing." So she votes for a better actor rather than her best friend to play the lead in the fourth grade class play. When her friend, Sandy, finds out, Emma's in trouble. A Junior Library Guild selection. A Trumpet Book Club selection (paperback), 1992. Illustrations by Jeffrey Lindberg.
MITZI MEYER, FEARLESS WARRIOR QUEEN (Scholastic, 1987)
Mitzi is afraid of everything until a "psychic" named Madame Blini tells her that she was Queen Boadicea in a past life.
GHOST HOST (HarperCollins, 1987)
Sixteen-year-old Bart Hawkins, star quarterback, learns that his house is haunted when Millicent, a sixteen-year-old "spokespook" for nine other ghosts, asks his help in ridding the place of a new and obnoxious poltergeist. With her help, Bart, who has been hiding his brains and love of reading, learns to be truthful about himself to his friends and his girlfriend. Children's Choice Award (IRA/CBC). Published in paperback by Scholastic.
THE LIGHTEY CLUB (Four Winds Press, 1987)
Three sisters, forced to spend the summer with their grandparents whom they don't like, decide to form the Lightey Club. At each meeting, Henny, the oldest sister, recounts a new tale about Lightey the Lightning Bug and his insect pals. Henny's stories help change a bad vacation into a magical one. Illustrations by Kathryn Brown.
TARANTULAS ON THE BRAIN (HarperCollins, 1982)
Lizzie Silver wants a pet tarantula more than anything in the world. Her attempts to raise money to buy one result in a series of adventures and misadventures, including a missing wedding ring and a stint as a magician's assistant. Published in paperback by Scholastic. Illustrations by Leigh Grant.
LIZZIE SILVER OF SHERWOOD FOREST (HarperCollins, 1986)
Lizzie's latest obsession, in this sequel to Tarantulas on the Brain, is Robin Hood, leading to some misadventures at a Medieval Faire. In addition, to keep her best friend Tessa from going off to music school without her, Lizzie tries to learn the harp, with less than satisfactory results. Illustrations by Miriam Nerlove.
IT CAN'T HURT FOREVER (HarperCollins, 1978)
Eleven-year-old Ellie Simon is going to have heart surgery. The novel tells of her stay in the hospital, the people she meets, and how she gets through this difficult time. Children's Choice Award. Winner of the 1983 Maud Hart Lovelace Award. Illustrations by Leigh Grant.
Sam and Dave Mysteries (HarperCollins)
Sam and Dave Bean are eleven-year-old twins
with identical faces and different personalities who solve a
series of mysteries, many of which are set in and around their
school.
LEROY IS MISSING (1984)
Sam and Dave are hired by Rita O'Toole, their sidekick-to-be, to find her missing brother, Leroy. In the process, they stumble upon a bookmaking operation. Illustrations by Judy Glasser.
THE CASE OF THE SABOTAGED SCHOOL PLAY (1984)
Sam and Dave try to discover who is sabotaging the school play and why. Illustrations by Judy Glasser.
A CLUE IN CODE (1985)
The Bean brothers hunt for the thief who stole the class trip money. Their clue? A mysterious cipher found in a desk. Illustrations by Judy Glasser.
THE CASE OF THE CACKLING CAR (1985)
Sam and Dave uncover a parrot smuggling operation while visiting an aunt in a town on the Tex-Mex border. Illustrations by Judy Glasser.
THE CASE OF THE FIXED ELECTION (1989)
Dave is the victim of a crime when someone fixes the election for Student Council president. Illustrations by Richard Williams.
THE HOAX ON YOU (1989)
Is the new foreign exchange student a thief? Or is she something - someone - else? Sam and Dave do some sleuthing to find out. Illustrations by Richard Williams.
Samantha Spayed Mysteries
In this series of mysteries parodying the tough-guy detective
genre, Sam Spayed is a dog who solves the cases for which her
dumb human partner, Philip Barlowe, gets the credit.
THE FIDO FRAME-UP (Warne, 1983)
Sam tracks down the Black Feather Gang, jewel thieves. Parents Choice Award. Illustrations by Andrew Glass.
A NOSE FOR TROUBLE (Holt, 1985)
Sam's powerful sniffer helps her discover who's been stealing the secret formulas in a cosmetics factory. Illustrations by Andrew Glass.
WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAG (Holt, 1986)
Did the wealthy Carlotta Bucks really leave all her money to a cat? Sam will find out. Illustrations by Andrew Glass.
MAKE ME OVER (Dutton,
2005)
Eleven stories about makeovers, physical, psychological,
spiritual, etc. edited by Marilyn and including her story
"Bedhead Red, Peekaboo Pink," as well as stories by
Joyce Sweeney, Rene Saldana, Jr., Peni Griffin, Joseph Bruchac,
Terry Trueman, Jess Mowry, Norma Howe, Marina Budhos, Evelyn
Coleman, and Margaret Peterson Haddix. New York Public Library's
"Best Books for the Teen Age, 2006." excerpt
FACE RELATIONS: Eleven Stories About Seeing Beyond Color(Simon & Schuster, 2004)
A young adult anthology of short stories about race relations, edited by Marilyn and including her story "Negress," as well as stories by Jess Mowry, Joseph Bruchac, Sherri Winston, Rene Saldana, Jr., Naomi Shihab Nye, Ellen Wittlinger, Kyoko Mori, M.E. Kerr, Marina Budhos, and Rita Williams-Garcia. Nominated for an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2004. New York Public Library's "Best Books for the Teen Age, 2005." excerpt
"Shattered," in SHATTERED (Knopf, 2002)
The title story in Jennifer Armstrong's young adult anthology of stories about war.
I BELIEVE IN WATER: Twelve Brushes With Religion (HarperCollins, 2000)
An anthology of short stories for teens about religion, edited by Marilyn and including her contribution “Fabulous Shoes, as well as stories by Nancy Springer, Gregory Maguire, Virginia Euwer Wolff, Jacqueline Woodson, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Kyoko Mori, Jennifer Armstrong, Joyce Carol Thomas, M.E. Kerr, Jess Mowry, and Naomi Shihab Nye. New York Public Library's "Best Books for the Teen Age, 2001." Runner-up, Publishers Weekly Best Religious Books of 2000. Cooperative Children's Book Center CCBC Link, Book of the Week, Dec 11, 2000. Tayshas List, 2001-2. excerpt
STAY TRUE:Short Stories for Strong Girls (Scholastic, 1998)
An anthology of short stories compiled and edited by Marilyn, featuring her story "The Magic Bow," as well as stories by M.E.Kerr, Norma Fox Mazer, Rita Williams-Garcia, Marion De Booy Wentzien, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Anne Mazer, Marian Flandrick Bray, Peni R. Griffin, Jennifer Armstrong and C. Drew Lamm. Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2000 (YALSA). New York Public Library's "Best Books for the Teen Age, 1999". excerpt
DEAL WITH A GHOST (Holt, 1997; Avon Tempest, 1999)
Forced to live with her cold, disapproving grandmother, sixteen-year-old Deal McCarthy plays the Dating Game to win - even if it means stealing other girls' boyfriends, then breaking their hearts. Two things can help her break through old patterns and old secrets, if she'll let them. One is a boy named Laurie Lorber. The other is a ghost. Society of School Librarians International Best Books, 1997-8. Tayshas List, 1998-9. Nominee for an Edgar Award. excerpt
STORM RISING (Scholastic, 1989)
Storm Ryder, age seventeen, a talented young pianist with a difficult home life, falls in love with his employer, a mysterious twenty-eight-year-old electrician named Jocelyn Sayers, who turns out to have supernormal powers.
SEVERAL KINDS OF SILENCE (HarperCollins, 1988)
Sixteen-year-old Franny Yeager, the "good girl" of the family, tries to hide her burgeoning love for a Japanese-American boy since her father is rabidly anti-Japanese. Complicating matters is the illness of her beloved grandmother with whom she shares a room. Published in Great Britain by Pan Macmillan.
HORSEMASTER (Atheneum, 1985)
Jessica's dreams of a flying horse become all too real when she and her friend Jack discover a tapestry that comes to life. When Jack is abducted, Jessica must travel through time and space to free him. Published in Great Britain by Pan Macmillan.
THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE NEVER DID RUN SMOOTH (HarperCollins, 1983)
Becky and Nemi, fast friends, find their relationship problematic when they both become involved in their high school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Their love lives, and those of their friends, parallel those of the play. An American Library Association Best Book, 1983.
THE FIRST FEW FRIENDS (HarperCollins, 1981)
In 1968, Nina Ritter returns from her junior year abroad at Reading University, England to New York, where things have radically changed. Her friends, The Whole Sick Crew, are wilder now. Their ringleader, Aviva, has joined a rock band, and they are all experimenting with sex and drugs. Nina, still in love with the poetic Welsh boyfriend she had to leave behind, is both attracted and repelled by this new world. It takes some new friends - Ruth, a committed Hispanic teacher, Billy, a dancer struggling with the specter of Vietnam, and especially Floyd, a brilliant Black activist - to force Nina herself to change from a self-involved romantic to a socially responsible woman.
NO APPLAUSE, PLEASE (E.P. Dutton, 1977)
Ruthie Zeiler, fourteen-year-old poet and singer, and her friend, Laurie, have always been a duo. But when Laurie's stage mother makes other plans, their friendship is tested to the limit.
EGGS
(Holiday House, 2008)
A non-fiction book all about animal eggs. Illustrated
by Emma Stevenson. Chicago Public Library's Best of the
Best, 2009. excerpt
VENOM
(Darby Creek, 2007)
A non-fiction book about venomous and poisonous animals.
New York Public Library's One Hundred Best Titles for Reading and
Sharing, 2007. Errata. excerpt
CATS
TO THE RESCUE (Holt, 2006)
True stories and legends about heroic cats around the
world. Illustrated by Jean Cassels. excerpt
WHAT STINKS? (Darby Creek, 2006)
A non-fiction book about smelly plants and animals. An NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book, 2007. Science Books & Films Best Books, 2006. NAPPA Honors, 2007. excerpt
TOUGH BEGINNINGS: How Baby Animals Survive (Holt, 2001)
A non-fiction picture book about difficult starts for baby animals. Illustrated by Anna Vojtech. National Science Teachers Association/Children's Book Council Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students, 2002. Skipping Stones Honor Award Book for 2002. Society of School Librarians International Best Book for Science for 2001. excerpt
A PAIR OF WINGS (Holiday House, 2001)
A non-fiction picture book about bird, bat, and insect wings. An American Bookseller's Association "Pick of the Lists" book. Animal Behavior Society Children's Book Award for 2002. A Parents' Choice Recommended Book, Spring 2001. Illustrated by Anna Wertheim. excerpt
A DOG'S GOTTA DO WHAT A DOG'S GOTTA DO: Dogs At Work (Holt, 2000)
A chapter book with photographs about the work that dogs do. excerpt
PRAIRIE DOGS KISS AND LOBSTERS WAVE: How Animals Say Hello (Holt, 1998)
And whales whistle and giraffes lick and chimps hug and zebras chew. Illustrated by Normand Chartier. excerpt
BOTTOMS UP! (Holt, 1997)
Animal rear ends and their many uses - from cats marking their territory to sea cucumbers housing pearl fish to spiders spinning silk. Society of School Librarians International Best Books, 1998-9. Illustrated by Patrick O'Brien. excerpt
A WASP IS NOT A BEE (Holt, 1995)
Animals that are easily confused with each other or with the wrong family. Taxonomy for kids. Illustrated by Patrick O'Brien. excerpt
EXOTIC BIRDS (Doubleday, 1991)
Exotic birds, including eighteen diverse environments and their avian inhabitants. Illustrated by James Needham.
THE FANATIC'S ECSTATIC, AROMATIC GUIDE TO ONIONS, GARLIC, SHALLOTS AND LEEKS (Prentice-Hall, 1981)
Everything you ever wanted to know about the allium family. Illustrations by Marian Parry.
CATERPILLARS
(EarlyLight)
Non-fiction book about moth and butterfly larvae.
EVERY DAY'S A DOG'S DAY
(Dutton)
Holidays for dogs. A poetry collection
TALLULAH'S TUTU (Clarion)
Tallulah finds out that getting a tutu is harder than
she thought.
THE BOY WHO CRIED ALIEN (Hyperion)
A "silent movie" in poems about Larry the
Liar, a spaceship, and a town.
WHAT IS YOUR DOG DOING? (Atheneum)
A rhymed picture book about different things that dogs
do.
A STICK IS AN EXCELLENT THING (Clarion)
Poems about everyday games.
TALLULAH'S SOLO (Clarion)
Tallulah is sure she'll be picked for the lead in The
Nutcracker. But will she?
TALLULAH'S TOE SHOES (Clarion)
Tallulah thinks it's high time that she gets to dance en
pointe.
Marilyn Singer was born in the Bronx (New York City) on October 3, 1948 and lived most of her early life in N. Massapequa (Long Island), NY. She attended Queens College, City University of New York, and for her junior year, Reading University, England. She holds a B.A. in English from Queens and an M.A. in Communications from New York University.
In 1974, after teaching English in New York City high schools for several years, she began to write - initially film notes, catalogues, teacher's guides, and film strips. Then, one day, when she was sitting in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, she penned a story featuring talking insect characters she'd made up when she was eight. Encouraged by the responses she got, she wrote more stories, and in 1976, her first book, The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't, was published by E.P.Dutton & Co.
Since then, Marilyn has published over eighty books for children and young adults. Her genres are many and varied, including realistic novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books, mysteries and poetry. She likes writing many different kinds of books because it's challenging and it keeps her from getting bored. She has won several Children's Choice and Parents' Choice Awards, as well as the following: Eggs and First Food Fight This Fall, Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best, 2009; Venom, Orbis Pictus Honor Book, 2008; New York Public Library's One Hundred Best Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2007; City Lullaby, Time Magazine's Top Ten Children's Books, 2007; What Stinks?, NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book, 2007; Science Books & Film Best Trade Books, 2006; Central Heating, ALSC Notable Book, 2005; Creature Carnival, Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book, 2005; Tough Beginnings: How Baby Animals Survive, NSTA-CBA Outstanding Science Trade Book, 2002; Society of School Librarians International Best Book for Science, 2001; A Pair of Wings, Animal Behavior Society Children's Book Award, 2001; Believe in Water: Twelve Brushes with Religion, New York Public Library's "Best Books for the Teen Age," 2001; Stay True: Short Stories for Strong Girls, Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2000 (YALSA); On the Same Day in March, Booklist's Top Ten Science Books of 2000; NCSS-CBC Notable Book, 2000; Deal with a Ghost, finalist, YA category, Edgar Award, 1998; It Can't Hurt Forever, Maud Hart Lovelace Award, 1983; The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 1983; Turtle in July, NCTE Notable, N.Y.Times Best Illustrated and Time Magazine Best Children's Books of 1989; Turtle in July was also a Reading Rainbow review book.
Marilyn currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Steve; their standard poodle Oggi, seen in the home page photo; a cat named August ; two collared doves named Jubilee and Holiday; and a starling named Darling. Her interests include ballroom/Latin dancing, dog training, reading, hiking, bird-watching, gardening, playing computer adventure games, and going to the movies and the theatre. She's also a major Star Trek fan.
To find out more about Marilyn's writing and her life, see her interview in Poetry People: A Practical Guide to Children's Poets by Sylvia Vardell (Libraries Unlimited, 2007); Speaking of Poets 2 by Jeffrey S. Copeland and Vicky C. Copeland (NCTE, 1992); and her autobiography in Something About the Author, Autobiographical Series, Volume 13 (Gale Research, Inc., 1992).
Marilyn is the former host of the AOL Children's Writers Chat and currently co-hosts thePoetry Blast at various conferences.
"In My Hand" and "Spinners," Falling Down the Page, edited by Georgia Heard (Roaring Brook Press, 2009); "In Here, Kitty, Kitty," Incredible Inventions, edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins (Greenwillow, 2009); "Making Soup," "Best Friend," and "Singing Down the Sun, Lessons for Climbing Inside a Poem, edited by Georgia Heard and Lester Laminack (First Hand Heinemann, 2008); "Beach Time" and "Stargazing," Here's a Little Poem, edited by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters (Walker, 2007);"Diamond Dark," Faith and Doubt edited by Patrice Vecchione (Holt, 2007); "Clay," Behind the Museum Door, edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins (Abrams, 2007); "For Me," Poetry Aloud Here! by Sylvia Vardell (ALA Editions, 2006); "Haircut," Oh, No! Where Are My Pants? edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins (HarperCollins, 2005); "Heart Art," Valentine Hearts, edited by Lee Bennnett Hopkins (HarperCollins, 2005); "Kumquats," Food Fight, edited by Michael Rosen (Harcourt, 1996).
The following poems from Turtle in July are featured in these books: "april Is a dog's dream" and "Cat," Lee Bennett Hopkins's Sharing the Seasons (Simon & Schuster, 2010); "Deer Mouse," Laura Whipple's A Snowflake Fell (Barefoot Books, 2003); "april is a dog's dream" and "Turtle in July," Jack Prelutsky'sThe 20th-Children's Poetry Treasury (Knopf, 1999); "January Deer," "March Bear," and "Beavers in November," Jack Prelutsky's The Beauty of the Beast (Knopf, 1997); Cow" and "Timber Rattlesnake," Paul B. Janeczko's Poetry from A to Z: A Guide for Young Writers (Bradbury Press, 1994). "Rain Forest" and "Prehistoric Praise" from Footprints on the Roof" can be found in Mary Ann Hoberman and Linda Winston's The Tree That Time Built (Sourcebooks, 2009). "Fog," from Sky Words is in Paul Janeczko's Seeing the Blue Between (Candlewick, 2002). "Nothing on a Bulldog's Face" from It's Hard to Read a Map With a Beagle on Your Lap is featured in Dilys Evans's Weird Pet Poems (Simon & Schuster, 1997).
"Shattered" in Shattered: Stories of Children and War edited by Jennifer Armstrong (Random House, 2002); "Word of the Day" in Twice Told: Original Stories Inspired by Original Artwork (Dutton, 2006); Scott Hunt, illustrator; "First Position" in SPORTS SHORTS edited by Tanya Dean (Darby Creek, 2005).
In addition, Marilyn has written innumerable teacher's guides,
catalogues and program notes on films and filmstrips. Among these
are guides for Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man, David
Attenborough's The Tribal Eye, The Originals: Women in
Art, and a number of films from PBS's Nova series. She edited
and wrote the introduction to A History of the American
Avant-Garde Cinema, published by The American Federation of
Arts in 1976. She has also written scripts for The Electric
Company, including an original lyric she sang on the TV show, and
the narration for several shows of Video and Film Review (WNET).
She was the curator of Superfilmshow!, a series of
avant-garde films selected for children. She studied
screen-writing at N.Y.U. with Terry Southern. Her poems have also
been published in several magazines, including Yes, Encore,
Corduroy and The Archer.
Her article on dog obedience trial judges, "The Mind of the Judge," can be found in the AKC Gazette, March 1998. In October, 2000, the AKC Gazette featured "Raising the Bar," her piece on Puppies Behind Bars, a unique program in which prison inmates raise pups to become guide dogs for the blind. She has also written six articles featured in Click magazine: "Paper Houses," about wasp nests (February, 1999), "A Farmer's Best Friend," about sheepdogs (May/June, 1999), "A Dad Who Has Babies," on seahorses (February, 2000); "Never-Ending Journey," about the Serengeti migrations, October, 2000; "A Safe Place," about Kruger National Park (March 2001); "Clay Castles," about African termites, February 2002; and "Pests and Pollinators," about insects and other garden animals, July/August, 2002.
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