Michael O. Tunnell facts for kids

Michael O. Tunnell (born June 14, 1950) is an American writer and teacher. He is famous for writing books for children. He used to be in charge of the children's literature department at Brigham Young University (BYU). Mr. Tunnell has written many books about children's literature. He has a special interest in the works of another author, Lloyd Alexander.

About Michael O. Tunnell

Michael O. Tunnell was born on June 14, 1950. His parents were Billie Bob Tunnell and Mauzi Chupp. He was born in Nocona, Texas, in the United States. But he grew up far away in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. When he was a teenager, his family moved back to the U.S. They settled in Vernal, Utah.

From a very young age, Michael loved to read. His grandparents raised him. His grandmother would read to him every single day. This helped him develop a strong love for stories.

When he first went to college, he started studying law. But one day, he visited an elementary school. He was there for a job he had at a car dealership. That visit changed his mind. He realized he wanted to teach instead. He wanted to work with children.

Michael Tunnell earned several college degrees. He got his first degree from the University of Utah in 1973. Then he earned a master's degree from Utah State University in 1978. Finally, he received his doctorate degree in education from Brigham Young University in 1986.

Before becoming a college professor, Mr. Tunnell taught in public schools. He taught fifth and sixth graders for twelve years. This was from 1973 to 1985. He also worked as a reading teacher. And he was a media specialist. After these experiences, he decided to teach at the college level.

He taught at Arkansas State University from 1985 to 1987. Then he taught at Northern Illinois University from 1987 to 1992. After that, he began teaching children's literature at BYU. As a professor, he also does research. He studies how children's literature helps kids learn history.

Michael Tunnell's Books

Michael Tunnell started writing while he was a teacher. His very first children's book was sent to over thirty different publishers. But it was never published. He didn't give up!

While working at Northern Illinois University, his first picture book was published. It was called Chinook. Since then, he has published many books for children. These include novels, picture books, and non-fiction books.

His first novel was School Spirits. This book was inspired by his own childhood in the 1950s. Mr. Tunnell has also given talks at education conferences. He has written articles for journals. And he has published other children's stories.

Awards and Recognition

Michael Tunnell has been part of important committees. He served on the Newbery Award Committee in 1991 and 2009. The Newbery Award is a very famous award for children's books. He also helped choose winners for the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. He was even chosen to lead this poetry award committee.

Some of his books have been named "best books" by different groups. He won the Literacy award in 1987. This award came from the International Reading Association. He is also an honorary member of the Golden Key National Honor Society. He was inducted into this group in 1990. He has also been nominated for Who's Who in the West many times. This means he is recognized as an important person in the western United States.

Selected Works

Books for Young Readers

• The Prydain Companion: A Reference Guide to Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles (1989)
• Lloyd Alexander: A Bio-bibliography (1991) (with James S. Jacobs)
• The Story of Ourselves: Teaching History Through Children's Literature (1992) (with Richard Ammon)
• The Joke's on George (1993)
• Chinook! (1993)
• Beauty and the Beastly Children (1993)
• Children's Literature, Briefly, 1st ed. with CD-ROM (1996), by James S. Jacobs and Tunnell
• Mailing May (1997)
• School Spirits (1997)
• Halloween Pie (1999)
• Brothers in Valor (2001)
• Children's Literature: Engaging Teachers and Children in Good Books, 1st ed. with CD-ROM (2002), by Daniel L. Darigan, Tunnell, and Jacobs,
• Wishing Moon (2004)
• Moon Without Magic (2007)
• Children's Literature, Briefly, 4th ed. (2008), by Tunnell and Jacobs, ISBN: 9780131734906
• Wishes on the Moon (2009)
• Candy Bomber (2010)
• Children's Literature, Briefly, 7th ed. (forthcoming August 2022), by Young, Bryan, Jacobs, and Tunnell, ISBN: 978-0135185872