Dan Gutman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan Gutman
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Gutman speaking at a school in 2011
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| Born | October 19, 1955 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Alma mater | Rutgers University |
| Genre | Children's historical fiction, historical, fantasy, humor |
| Subject | Video games, baseball history, sports biography |
| Spouse |
Nina Wallace
(m. 1983) |
| Children | 2 |
Dan Gutman (born October 19, 1955) is an American writer. He is best known for his fun and exciting books for children.
His popular works include the Baseball Card Adventures series, which started with Honus & Me. He also wrote The Genius Files series and the very funny My Weird School series.
Discovering Dan Gutman: A Fun Author for Kids
Early Life and Education
Dan Gutman was born in New York City. About a year later, his family moved to Newark, New Jersey. His mother, Adeline, became a secretary and took care of Dan and his older sister, Lucy.
After attending Vailsburg High School in Newark, Dan Gutman went to Rutgers University. He earned a degree in psychology in 1977. He started a higher education program in psychology, but decided to leave it. In 1980, he moved back to New York City to follow his dream of becoming a writer.
Starting a Career in Writing
From Video Games to Children's Books
When Dan Gutman first moved to New York City, he worked as a magazine editor and writer. He focused on computers and technology. He even started his own magazine called Video Games Player. This magazine later changed its name to Computer Games.
The magazine was published for about three years, from 1982 to 1985. It covered all sorts of exciting things about video games, like personal computer games, video game consoles, and arcade games. It included news, interviews, tips, and reviews. Video Games Player was one of the few magazines at the time dedicated to the growing world of video games.
The magazine didn't become a huge success, and eventually, he stopped publishing it. He later said that editing this magazine was the only "real" job he ever had. It was during this time that he met Nina Wallace, a freelance illustrator who drew for the magazine. They later married in 1983.
He realized something important about his writing during this time. He said, "I started a magazine about video games and suddenly I was an expert in video games. I started writing about them and computers. All for grownups. It took me a long time to realize that writing for grownups was not my thing. It took me a long time to realize that what I was good at was writing for kids." This discovery changed his career path forever.
Amazing Books by Dan Gutman
The My Weird School Series and More
Dan Gutman has written many, many books for children. He is especially famous for his My Weird School series, which has over 70 books! These books are illustrated by Jim Paillot and are known for their hilarious stories about A.J. and his friends at Ella Mentry School. There are also related series like My Weird School Daze and My Weirder School.
He also created the Million Dollar series, where kids get a chance to win a million dollars in different sports challenges. Other popular series include The Genius Files, Tales from the Sandlot (fantasy sports stories), and the Funny Boy series about an alien boy living on Earth.
Dan Gutman has also written standalone novels. These include They Came from Center Field, about aliens who want to learn baseball. Johnny Hangtime tells the story of a young movie stuntman. Race for the Sky is a historical novel about the famous Wright brothers.
Time Travel with Baseball Card Adventures
One of Dan Gutman's most beloved series is Baseball Card Adventures, with illustrations by Steve Chorney. These books follow a boy named Joe Stoshack. Joe has an amazing ability to travel back in time by touching old baseball cards! He gets to meet legendary baseball players.
The first book, Honus & Me, begins when Joe finds a rare Honus Wagner T206 baseball card. Through the series, Joe meets many other baseball heroes. These include Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Satchel Paige, Roberto Clemente, and Willie Mays. The original story, Honus & Me, was even made into a TV movie called The Winning Season.
Running for President and The Genius Files
Dan Gutman's 1996 novel The Kid Who Ran for President became very popular. It tells the story of a 12-year-old who decides to run for president of the United States. This book explores what it might be like for a kid to be in such an important role.
He also wrote The Genius Files series, which has five books. This series follows twin siblings, Coke and Pep McDonald. They go on an exciting cross-country road trip to their aunt's wedding in Washington D.C.. Their journey is full of adventure and mystery. In one book, their RV even explodes, and they end up driving a Ferrari for the rest of their trip!
Dan Gutman's Family Life
Dan Gutman met his wife, Nina Wallace, when she was an illustrator doing freelance work for his Computer Games magazine. They married in 1983. They have two children, a son named Sam and a daughter named Emma. The family has lived in places like Haddonfield, New Jersey, and New York City.
Selected bibliography
Flashback Four Series (2016-2019)
- "The Lincoln Project" (2016)
- "The Titanic Mission" (2017)
- "The Pompeii Disaster" (2018)
- "The Hamilton-Burr Duel" (2019)
The Kid (1996-1999)
- The Kid Who Ran for President (1996)
- The Kid Who Became President (1999)
Baseball Card Adventures (1997–2015)
- Honus and Me (1997)
Million Dollar (1997-2006)
- The Million Dollar Shot (1997)
- The Million Dollar Kick (2001)
- The Million Dollar Goal (2003)
- The Million Dollar Strike (2004)
- The Million Dollar Putt (2006)
My Weird School (2004-2008)
My Weird School Daze (2008-2011)
My Weirder School (2011-2014)
My Weird School Special (2013–)
My Weirdest School (2015-2018)
My Weird School: I Can Read (2016-2018)
My Weird School Fast Facts (2016-2019)
My Weirder-est School (2019–2022)
My Weird School Graphic Novel (2021-2023)
My Weirdtastic School (2023–Present)
Qwerty Stevens Books (2002-2005)
- The Edison Mystery (2002)
- Stuck in Time with Benjamin Franklin (2005)
The Genius Files (2011-2015)
- The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable
- The Genius Files: Never Say Genius
- The Genius Files: You Only Die Twice
- The Genius Files: From Texas with Love
- The Genius Files: License to Thrill
