Dan Gutman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan Gutman
|
|
|---|---|
Gutman speaking at a school in 2011
|
|
| 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 a popular American author who writes books for kids and teenagers. He is famous for creating the hilarious My Weird School series, the time-traveling Baseball Card Adventures series, and the action-packed The Genius Files series.
Contents
From Student to Writer
Dan Gutman was born in New York City. When he was one year old, his family moved to Newark, New Jersey. When Dan was a boy, his father left home, so his mother, Adeline, got a job as a secretary to take care of him and his older sister, Lucy.
After graduating from Vailsburg High School, Gutman went to Rutgers University and earned a degree in psychology in 1977. He thought about continuing his studies in psychology but decided to follow his dream of becoming a writer. In 1980, he moved to New York City to start his career.
A Career in Writing
Starting with Video Games
In New York, Gutman became a magazine editor who wrote about computers and video games. In 1982, he even started his own magazine called Video Games Player. It was later renamed Computer Games. The magazine covered everything from personal computer games to arcade games, with news, reviews, and tips.
Video Games Player was one of the first magazines about the video game world. Gutman later said that running the magazine was the only "real" job he ever had. However, the magazine didn't sell very well, so he had to stop publishing it. It was during this time that he met an artist named Nina Wallace, who drew pictures for the magazine. They got married in 1983.
Gutman realized that writing for adults wasn't for him. He said, "It took me a long time to realize that what I was good at was writing for kids."
Writing Famous Books for Kids
Dan Gutman is best known for his many fun and exciting books for young readers. He has written over 70 books in the My Weird School series, which is loved by kids for its silly stories about A.J. and his friends at Ella Mentry School.
He also wrote the Baseball Card Adventures series. In these books, a boy named Joe Stoshack finds special baseball cards that let him travel back in time to meet legendary players like Honus Wagner, Jackie Robinson, and Babe Ruth. The first book, Honus & Me, was even made into a TV movie called The Winning Season.
Another popular series is The Genius Files, which follows twins named Coke and Pep McDonald on a wild road trip across the country while they dodge villains.
Popular Book Series
Dan Gutman has created many other exciting worlds for his readers.
- The Million Dollar series: These books are about kids who get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win a million dollars by doing something amazing in sports, like throwing a perfect football pass or sinking a basketball shot.
- The Genius Files series: Twins Coke and Pep McDonald are part of a secret group of geniuses. They go on a cross-country trip that turns into a dangerous adventure.
- Standalone Novels: Gutman has also written many books that are not part of a series. The Kid Who Ran for President is about a 12-year-old who decides to run for president. In 2016, the comedian John Oliver talked about this book on his TV show, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, because it seemed similar to the real presidential election happening at the time. This made the book a bestseller again!
Personal Life
Dan Gutman met his wife, Nina Wallace, when she worked as an illustrator for his video game magazine. They married in 1983 and have two children, Sam and Emma. The family has lived in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and New York City.
