Carol Gorman facts for kids

Carol Gorman (born February 16, 1952) is an American author who writes books for kids. She first wanted to be an actress. For a few years, she taught seventh grade at a middle school in Iowa. Her husband, Ed Gorman, was also a writer. He inspired her to start writing in the mid-1980s. Carol Gorman has published over 22 books. She still writes and teaches today.

Carol Gorman's Early Life and Dreams

Carol Gorman was born Carol Maxwell in Iowa City, Iowa. Her father was a pediatrician, a doctor for children. Her mother stayed home to care for the family. Carol grew up with her sister and two brothers.

Becoming an Actress

When Carol was young, she loved to perform. She dreamed of becoming an actress. While studying at the University of Iowa, she got lead roles in plays. These included West Side Story and Peter Pan. After college, she became a teacher. She taught seventh grade in Iowa. In the 1980s, she married Ed Gorman, who was a writer. He encouraged her to start writing her own stories.

Carol Gorman's Writing Career

Carol Gorman began writing because of her husband. He read letters she sent to her siblings. He told her she would be a good writer. Since he was already a published author, Carol took his advice. She read books to learn how to write well. She wrote two books before one was published.

Books and Pseudonyms

Carol Gorman has published at least 22 books. She writes under her own name, Carol Gorman. She also uses the pen name Jane Ballard. Sometimes, she has even worked as a ghost writer for other authors. This means she wrote books for them without her name on the cover.

Writing for Kids

Carol Gorman has written many mystery and suspense novels for children. She was one of the authors who wrote for the famous Nancy Drew mystery series. She wrote three of these books in 1989 and 1990.

She also leads writing workshops. She visits elementary and middle schools to teach kids about writing. She teaches part-time at Coe College in Iowa.

Nonfiction and Awards

Most of Carol Gorman's books are fiction. But she also wrote a nonfiction book called "America’s Farm Crisis." This book was for sixth-grade students. People praised it for explaining the American farm crisis very well.

Several of her books have won awards:

• Chelsey and the Green-Haired Kid was named an outstanding book for kids who don't like to read much. This was by the American Library Association. It also won the Ethical Culture Book Award. It was nominated for four state young readers' awards. Ladies' Home Journal even recommended it in an article about helping kids love books.
• Dork in Disguise won the 2002 South Carolina Association of School Librarians (SCASL) Junior Book Award.
• Stumptown Kid, which she wrote with Ron Findley, received an honorable mention. This was from the Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights in 2005.

Carol Gorman's Books

Here are some of the books Carol Gorman has written:

• America's Farm Crisis - Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 1987
• Chelsey and the Green-Haired Kid - Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1987
• T. J. and the Pirate Who Wouldn't Go Home - Scholastic (New York, NY), 1990
• It's Not Fair - Concordia Publishing House (St. Louis, MO), 1992
• The Biggest Bully in Brookdale - Concordia, 1990
• Die for Me - Avon Books (New York, NY), 1992
• Graveyard Moon - Avon Books, 1993
• The Great Director - Concordia Publishing House, 1993
• Skin Deep - Concordia Publishing House, 1993
• Nobody's Friend - Concordia Publishing House, 1993
• The Richest Kid in the World - Concordia Publishing House, 1993
• Brian's Footsteps - Concordia Publishing House, 1994
• The Taming of Roberta Parsley - Concordia Publishing House, 1994
• Million Dollar Winner - Concordia Publishing House, 1994
• The Rumor - Concordia Publishing House, 1994
• The Miraculous Makeover of Lizard Flanagan - HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1994
• Jennifer-the-Jerk Is Missing - Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1994
• Back from the Dead - Avon Books (New York, NY), 1995
• Vrai Ou Faux - Hachette, 1996
• The Bugman Lives! - 1996 (with R. L. Stine)
• Lizard Flanagan, Supermodel? - HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998
• Dork In Disguise - HarperCollins, 1999: Children's Choice Award (2001–02) Mark Twain Readers Award (2002), Sequoyah Children's Book Award (2002) Sasquatch Reading Award (2002) Honor Book - Massachusetts Children's Book Award (2003-2004)
• Felonious Felines - Five Star Press (Unity, ME), 2000 (editor with Ed Gorman)
• L'Homme Insecte - 2000
• Dork on the Run - HarperCollins, 2002
• A Midsummer Night's Dork - HarperCollins, 2004
• Games - HarperCollins, 2007
• Stumptown Kid - 2005 (co-author with Ron J. Findley): Paterson Prize for Books for Young People (2006)