David Baldacci facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Baldacci
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Baldacci at the 2015 National Book Festival
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| Born | August 5, 1960 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Education | Virginia Commonwealth University (BA) University of Virginia (JD) |
| Period | 1996–present |
| Genre | Thrillers, children's literature |
| Notable works | Absolute Power |
| Spouse |
Michelle Collin
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 2 |
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David Baldacci (born August 5, 1960) is a famous American novelist. A novelist is someone who writes novels, which are long stories. Before he became a full-time writer, Baldacci worked as a lawyer. He is best known for writing exciting suspense novels and legal thrillers.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Baldacci grew up in Richmond, Virginia. He went to Henrico High School. After high school, he studied political science at Virginia Commonwealth University. He earned a bachelor's degree there.
Later, he went to the University of Virginia School of Law. He earned a law degree, which is called a Juris Doctor. After finishing law school, he worked as a lawyer for nine years. He practiced law in Washington, D.C..
Becoming a Writer
David Baldacci started writing stories when he was a child. His mother gave him a notebook to write down his ideas. He kept writing for more than twenty years. During this time, he wrote many short stories and screenplays. A screenplay is a script for a movie.
While he was still working as a lawyer, he decided to write a novel. It took him three years to finish his first book, called Absolute Power. This book was published in 1996. It quickly became a huge international best-seller.
Since then, David Baldacci has written many books. He has published 50 novels for adults. He has also written seven novels for younger readers. His books are very popular all over the world.
Family and Helping Others
David Baldacci lives in Fairfax County, Virginia, with his family. He has two children, a daughter named Spencer and a son named Collin.
David and his wife, Michelle, started a charity together. It is called the Wish You Well Foundation. This foundation helps fight illiteracy in the United States. Illiteracy means not being able to read or write well. The foundation gives money to programs that teach adults to read.
Baldacci also helps the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He became involved after his sister, Sharon Baldacci, was diagnosed with MS. MS is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord.
For over ten years, Baldacci has been on the board of trustees for the Mark Twain House & Museum. This is a museum in Hartford, Connecticut. In 2019, he gave $1 million to the museum.
Books Made into Movies and TV Shows
Many of David Baldacci's popular books have been turned into movies or TV shows.
- His first novel, Absolute Power, became a movie in 1997. Famous actors like Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman starred in it.
- Baldacci also wrote the movie script for his novel Wish You Well. This movie was filmed in Virginia. It starred Ellen Burstyn, Josh Lucas, and Mackenzie Foy.
- His characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell became a TV series. It was called King & Maxwell and starred Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn.
- The Christmas Train, one of his novels, was made into a TV movie in 2017. It was shown on the Hallmark Channel. The movie featured actors like Dermot Mulroney and Kimberly Williams-Paisley.
- Another novel, One Summer, was adapted into a movie in 2021. It was shown on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
David Baldacci's novels have been translated into more than 45 languages. They are sold in over 80 countries. By 2018, more than 130 million copies of his books had been sold worldwide.
See also
In Spanish: David Baldacci para niños
