Michael Sampson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Sampson
Sampson at the 2022 Texas Book Festival.
Born	Michael Roy Sampson Denison, Texas, USA
Occupation	Academic and writer
Period	1986–present
Genre	Children's fiction

Dr. Michael Sampson is an American author who writes fun, easy-to-read books for kids. His books often use rhythmic and repetitive language, which makes them enjoyable to read aloud. He is also a Fulbright Scholar, which means he's a respected expert who teaches and shares knowledge internationally.

Michael Sampson's first children's book, The Football That Won, came out in 1992. It was illustrated by Ted Rand. Later, he teamed up with his good friend and mentor, Bill Martin, Jr.. Together, they wrote 21 books, including popular titles like Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 and The Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry.

Besides writing, Michael Sampson has taught at several universities. He spent 25 years teaching at Texas A&M University–Commerce. He also taught at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. He has been a dean (a leader) at universities like Southern Connecticut State University, Northern Arizona University, and St. John's University in New York City. In 2021 and 2022, he taught in Europe as a Fulbright Scholar.

Michael Sampson's Early Life

Michael Sampson was born in Denison, Texas. His parents were Roy and Ida Faye Sampson. He went to school in Denison until third grade. Then, his family, including his brothers Bill and Bryan and sister Patsy, moved to Tom Bean, Texas.

Even as a young boy, Michael loved to write. He created his own series of books about characters like Frank and Joe from The Hardy Boys. He even had a poem published in a national magazine! During his summers, he worked as a lumberjack in Damariscotta, Maine.

Michael also played football in middle school and high school. In his senior year, he was a captain for the Tom Bean Tomcats football team. He won an academic award for his studies and was chosen for the Class B Texas State All Star Team.

Michael Sampson's Education Journey

After high school, Michael Sampson received a scholarship to East Texas State University. He earned a degree in Political Science in 1974, which also allowed him to teach. He started his career teaching in Commerce public schools, working with students from kindergarten to sixth grade.

While teaching, he continued his studies in the evenings. He earned a Master of Sciences degree in Reading. In 1977, he moved to Arizona to join a Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona. He finished his Ph.D. in Reading in 1980.

Working with Bill Martin Jr

Michael Sampson first met the famous children's author and educator Bill Martin Jr in 1978. They met at a reading conference in Tucson, Arizona. Within five years, they grew these conferences into something big called the Pathways to Literacy Conference. This conference was held in 12 different cities across America.

For the next 12 years, Sampson and Martin worked together almost every day. They wrote 21 children's books. Michael Sampson said that Bill Martin Jr loved poetry because it helped him learn to read. Bill focused on how his writing sounded, making sure it had a good rhythm. Poetry was a big inspiration for Bill's writing.

Michael Sampson's Later Career

After teaching at Texas A&M University–Commerce, Michael Sampson decided to focus on writing and consulting full-time in 2004. He traveled all over the United States and visited many countries in South America and Europe, including Italy, Great Britain, Germany, and Ukraine.

In 2007, Sampson returned to teaching at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. He taught writing and research there. In 2010, he became the Dean of the School of Education at Southern Connecticut State University. Then, in July 2012, he became the Dean of the College of Education at Northern Arizona University. Since 2014, he has lived and worked at St. John's University in New York City.

In 2020, the U.S. Department of State named Michael Sampson a Fulbright Scholar for Ukraine for 2021. His trip was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He eventually taught at Oles Honchar Dnipro National University and Alfred Nobel University in Ukraine in late 2021. However, he had to leave Ukraine in February 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He moved to Warsaw, Poland, but continued to support Ukraine through his work.

Awards and Recognition

Michael Sampson's books have won several awards:

• ALA Notable Children's Book (2003)
• Book Links Editor's Best of 2003
• Chicago Public Library Best Books for Children and Teens
• Parenting Magazine Book of the Year (2004)
• Kansas 2005 Picture Book Award
• Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award
• Philadelphia Children's Please Touch Museum Book of the Year (2007)
• New York Public Library 100 Best Books for Reading and Sharing (2008)
• Children's Literature Association of Utah's Beehive Book Award (2011)

Published Books for Children

Here are some of the children's books Michael Sampson has written:

• Si Won's Victory (1996) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Yummy Tum Tee (1996) – with Bill Martin Jr
• The Football That Won (1996)
• City Scenes (1997) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Wild Bear (1997) – with Mary Beth Sampson
• Football Fever (1997)
• Star of the Circus (1997) – with Mary Beth Sampson
• Swish! (1997) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Adam, Adam, What Do You See? (2000, 2001) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Little Granny Quarterback (2001) – with Bill Martin Jr
• The Little Squeegy Bug (2001) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Rocket, Socket, Number Line (2001) – with Bill Martin Jr
• I Pledge Allegiance (2002) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Caddie the Gold Dog (2002) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Trick or Treat (2002) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? (2003) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Chicken Chuck (2004) – with Bill & Bernard Martin
• Chicka, Chicka, 1, 2, 3 (2004) – with Bill Martin Jr
• I Love Our Earth (2006, 2009) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Baby Bear, Baby Bear, Baby, Bear, What Do You See? (2007) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are you waking up? (2008) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry (2008) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Brown Bear and Friends (2008) – (Sampson co-authored two stories)
• Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are you Going to Sleep? (2011) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are you Going to School? (2013) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Listen to Our World (2016) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Noah, Noah, What Do You See? (2017) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Spunky Little Monkey (2017) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Chica chica uno dos tres (2020) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Armadillo Antics (2022) – with Bill Martin Jr
• The Story of Ukraine: An Anthem of Glory and Freedom (2022) – with Olena Kharchenko
• Ten Little Squirrels (2022) – with Bill Martin Jr
• Bing! Bang! Chugga! Beep! (2023) – with Bill Martin Jr
• The Pig, the Elephant and the Wise Cracking Owl (2023) – with Bonnie Johnson