Ann M. Martin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ann M. Martin
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Ann M. Martin at the 2019 National Book Awards
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| Born | Ann Matthews Martin August 12, 1955 Princeton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Smith College |
| Genre | Children's books and young adult fiction |
| Subject | English |
| Notable works | The Baby-Sitters Club series (1986–2000) |
| Notable awards | Newbery Honor (a Newbery Medal runner-up) Josette Frank Award (winner) |
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Ann Matthews Martin (born August 12, 1955) is an American writer. She is best known for her popular The Baby-Sitters Club book series.
Contents
Ann M. Martin's Early Life
Ann Matthews Martin grew up in Princeton, New Jersey. Her mother, Eden Martin, was a preschool teacher. Her father, Henry Martin, was a cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine. Ann has a younger sister named Jane.
Growing Up with Books
Ann loved reading and writing from a young age. Before she could write herself, she would tell stories to her mother. Her mother would write them down for her. Some of her favorite authors were Lewis Carroll and Roald Dahl.
Ann discovered her love for writing in second grade. She started writing short stories in notebooks. Her fourth-grade teacher even wrote that Ann would be a wonderful writer. In middle school and high school, her favorite subjects were English and French.
Helping Children
As a teenager, Ann enjoyed working with kids. She decided she wanted to be a teacher. She spent summers helping children with disabilities. She worked at the Eden Institute, a school for children with autism in her hometown.
College Years
After high school, Ann went to Smith College from 1973 to 1977. She studied how children learn and think. Her college experience helped her see the importance of strong, independent women. This inspired her to create female characters who were like the women she knew.
Ann M. Martin's Writing Career
After college, Ann taught fourth and fifth graders for a year. Her students had learning challenges like dyslexia and autism. Ann has said that working with these children influenced her writing.
Becoming a Writer
After teaching, Ann decided to work in publishing. She started as an assistant and worked her way up to a senior editor. She worked for famous children's book publishers like Scholastic. Now, she is a full-time writer.
In 1983, Ann published her first book, Bummer Summer. It won an award in 1985.
The Baby-Sitters Club
Ann started writing The Baby-Sitters Club series in 1985. She was working as an editor at Scholastic at the time. She wrote the first 35 books in the series. Later, other writers helped continue the series. In 2010, Ann wrote a book called The Summer Before, which tells what happened before The Baby-Sitters Club series began.
Other Popular Books
Ann now focuses on writing single novels. Many of her stories are set in the 1960s. One of her novels, A Corner of the Universe, won a Newbery Honor award in 2003. In 2015, she won the Josette Frank Award for her book Rain Reign.
Ann gets ideas for her books from many places. Some ideas come from her own experiences or childhood memories. Many of her stories are about problems and challenges kids face today. Her characters are fictional, but many are based on real people she knows.
Helping Others Through Books
In 1990, Ann and her friends started "The Lisa Libraries." This group gives new books to children and creates libraries in places that need them. In the same year, Ann also started the Ann M. Martin Foundation. This foundation helps art, education, and reading programs. It also supports programs for abused and stray animals.
Ann helped produce the 2020 Netflix TV show based on The Baby-Sitters Club.
Ann M. Martin's Life Today
Ann Martin lives a quiet life. After living in New York City for many years, she moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. She enjoys nature and takes care of foster kittens. Ann shares updates about her life on her Facebook page. She also stays busy with book events and new versions of her works, like the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels.
Ann M. Martin's Books
Ann M. Martin has written many books for young readers.
Standalone Novels
- Bummer Summer (1983)
- Inside Out (1984)
- Missing Since Monday (1986)
- With and Without You (1986)
- Just a Summer Romance (1987)
- Slam Book (1987)
- Yours Turly, Shirley (1988)
- Ma and Pa Dracula (1989)
- Belle Teal (2001)
- A Corner of the Universe (2002)
- On Christmas Eve (2006)
- Rain Reign (2014)
Novels and Sequels
- Stage Fright (1984)
- Me and Katie (The Pest) (1985)
- Ten Kids, No Pets (1988)
- Eleven Kids, One Summer (1991)
- A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray (2005)
- Everything for a Dog (2009)
- Ten Rules for Living with My Sister (2011)
- Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So Far) (2012)
Picture Books
- Rachel Parker, Kindergarten Showoff (1992)
- Leo The Magnificat (1996)
Short Stories
- 8 x 2 = Sweet Sixteen (2000)
- The Lost Art of Letter Writing (2011)
Book Series
- The Baby-Sitters Club (1986–1990 and 2010)
- The Baby-Sitters Little Sister (1988 to 2000)
- The Kids in Ms. Colman's Class (1995 to 1998)
- California Diaries (1997 to 2000)
- Main Street (2007 to 2011)
- Welcome to Camden Falls (2007)
- Needle and Thread (2007)
- 'Tis the Season (2007)
- Best Friends (2008)
- The Secret Book Club (2008)
- September Surprises (2008)
- Keeping Secrets (2009)
- Special Delivery (2009)
- Coming Apart (2010)
- Staying Together (2011)
- The Doll People (2000 to 2014) – written with Laura Godwin
- The Doll People (2000)
- The Meanest Doll in the World (2003)
- The Runaway Dolls (2008)
- The Doll People Set Sail (2014)
- Family Tree (2013-2014)
- Better to Wish (2013)
- The Long Way Home (2013)
- Best Kept Secret (2014)
- Home Is the Place (2014)
- Missy Piggle-Wiggle (2016 to 2018) – written with Annie Parnell
- Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure (2016)
- Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Won't-Walk-the-Dog Cure (2017)
- Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Sticky-Fingers Cure (2018)
Images for kids
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Ann M. Martin's signature
See also
In Spanish: Ann M. Martin para niños
