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 a well-known American children's author. He writes books that are easy to read and often use fun, rhyming words and repeated phrases. His first children's book, The Football That Won, came out in 1992. It was illustrated by Ted Rand.

Later, Michael Sampson worked with his good friend and teacher, Bill Martin, Jr.. Together, they wrote 21 books. Some of their famous books include Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 and The Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry.

Dr. Sampson also taught at universities for many years. He taught at Texas A&M University–Commerce for 25 years. Then he moved to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. He also became a dean (a leader) at other universities. These included Southern Connecticut State University and Northern Arizona University. In 2014, he moved to New York City to work at St. John's University. In 2021–2022, he was a Fulbright Scholar. This meant he taught at a university in Europe.

Growing Up in Texas

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 moved to Tom Bean, Texas. He has two brothers, Bill and Bryan, and a sister, Patsy.

Even when he was young, Michael loved to write. He wrote his own stories about Frank and Joe from the famous The Hardy Boys books. He even had a poem printed in a national magazine! During his summer breaks, he worked as a lumberjack in Damariscotta, Maine.

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

Michael Sampson's Education

After high school, Michael Sampson received a scholarship. He went to East Texas State University. In 1974, he earned a degree in Political Science. He also got a teaching license.

He started teaching in Commerce public schools. He taught different grades, from kindergarten to sixth grade. While teaching, he took evening classes. He earned a Master of Sciences degree in Reading. In 1977, he moved to Arizona. He joined a special program at the University of Arizona. He earned his Ph.D. (a high-level degree) in Reading in 1980.

Working with Bill Martin Jr

Michael Sampson met Bill Martin Jr in 1978. Bill Martin Jr was also a children's author and teacher. They met at a reading conference in Tucson, Arizona. Within five years, they made these conferences very popular. They called them the Pathways to Literacy Conference. They held them in 12 cities across America.

For the next 12 years, Sampson and Martin wrote together every day. They created twenty-one children's books. Michael Sampson said that Bill Martin Jr loved poetry. He said, "Poetry allowed him to become a reader – if he could hear it, he could read it." He also said that Bill focused on how his writing sounded. Poetry was a big inspiration for Bill's writing.

What Michael Sampson Did Next

After teaching at Texas A&M University–Commerce, Michael Sampson left in 2004. He decided to focus on writing and working as a consultant. He traveled all over the United States. He also visited countries in South America and Europe. These included Italy, Great Britain, Germany, and Ukraine.

In 2007, Sampson went back to teaching at a university. He taught writing and research at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. In 2010, he became the Dean of the School of Education at Southern Connecticut State University. In 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 chose Sampson as a Fulbright Scholar for Ukraine. This meant he would teach there in 2021. His trip was delayed because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. He finally taught at two universities in Ukraine in late 2021. But he had to leave Ukraine in February 2022 because of the conflict there. He moved to Warsaw, Poland, and 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)

Books by Michael Sampson

Children's Books

• Si Won's Victory. By Bill Martin Jr & Michael Sampson. Illustrations by Floyd Cooper. Celebration Press, 1996
• Yummy Tum Tee. By Bill Martin Jr & Michael Sampson. Illustrated by Olivier Dunrea. Celebration Press, 1996
• The Football That Won. Illustrated by Ted Rand. Henry Holt, 1996.
• City Scenes. By Bill Martin Jr & Michael Sampson. New Zealand: Learning Media, 1997.
• Wild Bear. By Mary Beth and Michael Sampson. New Zealand: Learning Media, 1997
• Football Fever. New Zealand: Learning Media, 1997
• Star of the Circus. By Michael and Mary Beth Sampson. Illustrated by Jose Aruego. Holt, 1997.
• Swish! By Bill Martin Jr & Michael Sampson. New York: Henry Holt, 1997.
• Wild Bear. Mary Beth & Michael Sampson (Reprinted in Spanish). New Zealand: Learning Media, 1999.
• City Scenes. By Bill Martin Jr & Michael Sampson (Reprinted in Spanish). New Zealand: Learning Media, 1999.
• The Football That Won... New York: Henry Holt, 1999.
• Adam, Adam, What Do You See? By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. Illustrated by Cathy Felstead. Nashville: Thomas Nelson & Co, 2000.
• Adam, Adam, What Do You See? By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. Illustrated by Cathy Felstead. Boston: Candlewick Press, 2001.
• Little Granny Quarterback. By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. Illustrated by Michael Chesworth. Boston: Boyds Mills Press, 2001.
• The Little Squeegy Bug. By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. Illustrated by Patrick Corrigan. New York: Winslow Press, 2001.
• Rocket, Socket, Number Line. By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. Illustrated by Keith Baker. New York: Henry Holt, 2001.
• I Pledge Allegiance. By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. Boston: Candlewick, 2002
• Caddie the Gold Dog. By Michael Sampson & Bill Martin Jr. New York: Walker & Co, 2002
• Trick or Treat. By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2002
• Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? With Bill Martin Jr (Ghost). New York: Henry Holt, 2003
• Chicken Chuck By Bill & Bernard Martin and Michael Sampson. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2004.
• Chicka, Chicka, 1, 2, 3. By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.
• I Love Our Earth. By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2006
• Baby Bear, Baby Bear, Baby, Bear, What Do You See? With Bill Martin Jr (Ghost). New York: Henry Holt, 2007.
• Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are you waking up? By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2008.
• Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry. By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008
• Brown Bear and Friends. New York: Henry Holt, 2008. (Compilation; Sampson co-authored two of the four stories)
• I Love Our Earth. By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2009. (new paperback edition)
• Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are you Going to Sleep? By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2011.
• Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are you Going to School? By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. New York: Two Lions Press, Amazon, 2013.
• Listen to Our World By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2016.
• Noah, Noah, What Do You See? By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. New York: HarperCollins, 2017.
• Spunky Little Monkey By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. New York: Scholastic, 2017.
• Chica chica uno dos tres. By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020.
• Armadillo Antics. By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. Dallas: Brown Books Kids, 2022.
• The Story of Ukraine: An Anthem of Glory and Freedom. (2022) By Olena Kharchenko and Michael Sampson. New York: Brown Books Kids, 2022.
• Ten Little Squirrels. By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. New York: Brown Books Kids, 2022.
• Bing! Bang! Chugga! Beep! By Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson. New York: Brown Books Kids, 2023.
• The Pig, the Elephant and the Wise Cracking Owl. By Michael Sampson and Bonnie Johnson. New York: Brown Books Kids, 2023.