Becky Albertalli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Becky Albertalli
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Albertalli at YA Midwest on July 26, 2025
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| Born | Rebecca Goldstein November 17, 1982 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Period | 2015–present |
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| Spouse | Brian Albertalli |
| Children | 2 |
Rebecca Albertalli (born November 17, 1982), known as Becky Albertalli, is an American author. She writes books for young adults. Before becoming a writer, she worked as a psychologist.
She is famous for her first book, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, published in 2015. This book was made into a movie called Love, Simon in 2018. It also inspired a TV show, Love, Victor. Since then, Albertalli has written many more popular young adult novels.
Contents
About Becky Albertalli
Early Life and Education
Becky Albertalli grew up in the Atlanta metropolitan area in Georgia. She lived there with her sister Caroline and brother Sam. Today, she still lives in the same area with her husband, Brian, and their two sons, Owen and Henry. She was raised in a Reform Jewish family.
Albertalli went to Wesleyan University and studied psychology. Later, she moved to Washington, D.C. There, she earned her Doctor of Psychology degree from George Washington University.
Career as a Psychologist
As a psychologist, Becky Albertalli worked with teenagers. She specialized in helping young people who were part of the LGBTQ community. She also worked with children who were gender nonconforming. She continued working as a psychologist until 2012. That year, her first son was born. After that, she decided to try writing a novel. Albertalli has said that Australian author Jaclyn Moriarty inspired her to become a novelist.
Becoming a Novelist
On April 7, 2015, Becky Albertalli's first novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, was released. This book quickly became very popular.
A sequel to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda was published in 2018. It was called Leah on the Offbeat. This book won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction. In 2020, Albertalli released the third book in the series, Love, Creekwood. This book is like an "epilogue" to the story. Albertalli has given all the money from Love, Creekwood to The Trevor Project. This organization helps young LGBTQ people.
Other Books and Adaptations
Becky Albertalli has written other books too. These include The Upside of Unrequited. She also co-wrote the What If It's Us series with Adam Silvera. In 2018, the movie rights for What If It's Us were sold. In 2021, a UK company bought the film rights for The Upside of Unrequited.
In 2021, Albertalli released her novel Kate in Waiting. Her book Imogen, Obviously was published in 2023. This book became a New York Times best seller. It also received great reviews from many book critics. In 2024, Imogen, Obviously was recognized as a Stonewall Honor Book.
Personal Life
In August 2020, Becky Albertalli shared that she is bisexual. She explained this in an essay. She wanted to address people who had criticized her for writing about gay characters. She said that coming out was not to stop criticism of her books. She asked her critics to understand that careless words can cause real harm.
Film Adaptations
Some of Becky Albertalli's books have been made into movies.
| Year | Title | Director | Screenwriters | Based on | Ref. |
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| 2018 | Love, Simon | Greg Berlanti | Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger | Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda |
Awards and Recognition
Becky Albertalli has won many awards for her writing.
- 2015: American Library Association's William C. Morris Award for Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
- 2015: Longlisted for the National Book Award for Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
- 2015: Goodreads Choice Award finalist for Best Debut Author and Best Young Adult Fiction for Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
- 2015: Wall Street Journal Best Young Adult novel for Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
- 2016: Nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
- 2016: Lambda Literary Award finalist for LGBT Children's/Young Adult for Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
- 2016: YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults for Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
- 2017: German Youth Literature Prize for Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
- 2017: New York Public Library Best Books for Teens for The Upside of Unrequited
- 2018: American Library Association's Rainbow List for The Upside of Unrequited
- 2018: Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Novel for Leah on the Offbeat
- 2019: American Library Association's Rainbow Book List for Leah on the Offbeat and What If It's Us
- 2020: New York Public Library Best Books for Teens for Yes No Maybe So
- 2020: Goodreads Choice Award nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction for Yes No Maybe So
- 2021: YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults for Yes No Maybe So
- 2021: Boston Public Library Best Young Adult Book for Kate in Waiting
- 2022: YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults for Kate in Waiting
- 2023: School Library Journal Best Young Adult Book for Imogen, Obviously
- 2023: Goodreads Choice Award nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction for Imogen, Obviously
- 2023: Chicago Public Library Best Teen Fiction for Imogen, Obviously
- 2024: American Library Association's Rainbow List for Imogen, Obviously
- 2024: American Library Association's Stonewall Honor Book for Imogen, Obviously
- 2024: New York Public Library Summer 2024 Picks for Teens for Sí, No, Tal Vez (Spanish edition of Yes No Maybe So)
