Nicholas Sparks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicholas Sparks
Sparks in 2006
Born	Nicholas Charles Sparks (1965-12-31) December 31, 1965 (age 59) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Occupation	Novelist Screenwriter Producer
Alma mater	University of Notre Dame
Genre	Romantic fiction Romantic drama
Spouse	Cathy Cote ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 2015)​
Children	5

Nicholas Charles Sparks, born on December 31, 1965, is a famous American writer. He writes novels, helps create movie scripts, and produces films. He has written 23 novels, and all of them have been on The New York Times bestseller list. Over 115 million copies of his books have been sold around the world in more than 50 languages.

Some of his most well-known books include The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, and Message in a Bottle. These books, along with eight others, have been made into popular movies. Nicholas Sparks lives in North Carolina, which is also where many of his stories take place.

Early Life and School

Nicholas Sparks was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 31, 1965. His father, Patrick Michael Sparks, was a business professor. His mother, Jill Emma Marie Sparks, was a homemaker and helped an eye doctor. Nicholas has German, Czech, English, and Irish family roots.

He was the middle child of three. He had an older brother named Michael and a younger sister named Danielle. Danielle sadly passed away at age 33 from a brain tumor. This event inspired Nicholas to write his book A Walk to Remember. As a child, Nicholas lived in several different places before his family settled in Fair Oaks, California, in 1974.

In 1984, Nicholas graduated at the top of his class from Bella Vista High School. He went to the University of Notre Dame on a scholarship for track and field. He studied business finance and graduated with high honors. While in college, he started writing. He wrote two novels, The Passing (1985) and The Royal Murders (1989), but these were never published. In 1989, he married Cathy Cote and moved to New Bern, North Carolina.

Becoming a Published Author

Nicholas Sparks' first published book was a nonfiction work called Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding. He wrote it with Billy Mills, and it was about the spiritual beliefs of the Lakota people. This book sold 50,000 copies in its first year.

In 1995, a literary agent named Theresa Park helped Nicholas get a big deal for his novel The Notebook. This book became his first major success. It was published in October 1996 and quickly became a The New York Times bestseller, staying on the list for 56 weeks.

After The Notebook, Nicholas wrote Message in a Bottle. In 1999, this book became the first of his novels to be made into a movie. In total, eleven of his books have been adapted into films. These include Message in a Bottle (1999), A Walk to Remember (2002), The Notebook (2004), Nights in Rodanthe (2008), Dear John (2010), The Last Song (2010), The Lucky One (2012), Safe Haven (2013), The Best of Me (2014), The Longest Ride (2015), and The Choice (2016). He has also sold the rights for screenplays of True Believer and At First Sight.

Fifteen of Nicholas Sparks's novels have reached the No. 1 spot on The New York Times Best Sellers list. All of his novels have been bestsellers both in the U.S. and internationally. He has also often appeared on Forbes magazine's list of highest-paid authors.

In September 2020, he released his twenty-first novel, The Return. This was followed by The Wish in 2021 and Dreamland in 2022. All of these books have also been chosen to be made into movies.

Nicholas Sparks' Life

Nicholas Sparks lives in New Bern, North Carolina. He has three sons and twin daughters. In 2015, he and his wife, Cathy Cote, divorced after 25 years of marriage.

Helping Others

Nicholas Sparks is also known for his charity work. In 2008, he gave almost $900,000 to New Bern High School for a new running track. He also volunteered to coach there. In the same year, he donated nearly $10 million to help start a private school called The Epiphany School of Global Studies.

He has also provided money for scholarships, internships, and special programs at the University of Notre Dame for students who want to write. In 2012, he started The Nicholas Sparks Foundation. This is a nonprofit organization that helps fund global education experiences for students. The foundation has given more than $15 million to different charities, scholarship programs, and other projects.

Books Made into Movies

Eleven of Nicholas Sparks's books have been turned into films. He produced four of these movies himself: The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, and Safe Haven.

Other movies based on his books include The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, The Last Song, and The Notebook. These films have earned a lot of money worldwide.

In April 2021, it was announced that a movie based on The Return was being planned. Nicholas Sparks is a producer for this film. In May 2021, it was also shared that three more movies based on his novels were being developed by Universal Pictures. The Wish was the first book chosen, followed by Dreamland, and another book that has not yet been named.

In February 2024, Nicholas Sparks mentioned that four of his books were being developed for film. He said he was interested in adaptations for The Guardian and See Me, suggesting See Me might work well as a TV miniseries. In October 2024, a movie based on Counting Miracles was announced. Alan Ritchson is set to star in and produce this film.

In January 2025, it was revealed that Nicholas Sparks worked with director M. Night Shyamalan on a new story. They co-wrote a supernatural romantic thriller. Sparks is writing the book, and Shyamalan is writing and directing the movie. Jake Gyllenhaal will star in the film. In April 2025, the movie's title was announced as Remain. Nicholas Sparks shared that his manager asked him and Shyamalan to come up with original stories that would appeal to both their audiences. Shyamalan chose Sparks's story for the film.

Film Adaptations

TV Adaptations

See also

In Spanish: Nicholas Sparks para niños