Nicola Yoon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nicola Yoon
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Yoon in 2022
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| Born | 1972 (age 52–53) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Cornell University Emerson College |
| Occupation | Author |
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Notable work
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Everything, Everything The Sun Is Also a Star |
| Spouse(s) | David Yoon |
Nicola Yoon is a famous Jamaican-American author. She writes popular books for young adults. Her most well-known books are Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star. Both of these books became New York Times best sellers. They were also made into movies!
Contents
Early Life and Education
Nicola Yoon grew up in Jamaica and Brooklyn, New York. When she went to Cornell University, she studied electrical engineering. But she took a creative writing class and really loved it. This class made her want to become a writer. After college, she studied writing even more at Emerson College.
Nicola Yoon's Writing Career
Before becoming a full-time author, Nicola Yoon worked as a computer programmer. She did this for 20 years!
Writing Everything, Everything
Her first book, Everything, Everything, was inspired by her daughter. Nicola wanted to write a story that showed kids like her daughter. She also worried about keeping her baby safe. This gave her the idea for a story about a 17-year-old girl who needed a lot of protection.
It took Nicola three years to write Everything, Everything. She wrote early in the mornings while working and raising her baby. Her husband, David Yoon, who is also an author, drew the pictures for the book.
Success of Everything, Everything
Everything, Everything came out in September 2015. It quickly became the number one New York Times best seller for young adult books. The book stayed on the best seller list for 40 weeks! A movie based on the book was released in May 2017. It starred Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson.
The Sun Is Also a Star
Nicola Yoon's second book, The Sun Is Also a Star, was released in November 2016. This book also reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. It was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2016. Many magazines and newspapers, like Entertainment Weekly and the Los Angeles Times, listed it as one of the top books of 2016.
The Sun Is Also a Star won the John Steptoe Award for New Talent in 2017. A movie based on this book came out on May 17, 2019. It starred Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton.
Promoting Diverse Books
Nicola Yoon supports the We Need Diverse Books organization. This group works to make sure books show many different kinds of people and experiences.
In 2023, Nicola and her husband David started their own book company called Joy Revolution Books. This company publishes young adult romance novels. They focus on stories about people of color, written by authors of color.
Personal Life
Nicola Yoon lives in Los Angeles, California. She lives there with her husband, David Yoon, and their daughter.
Nicola Yoon's Books
- Blackout. Quill Tree Books. 2021. ISBN 978-0063088092. (co-authored with Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, and Angie Thomas)
- Whiteout. Quill Tree Books. 2023. ISBN: 9780063088153. (co-authored with Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, and Angie Thomas)
- Instructions for Dancing. Delacorte Press. 2021. ISBN 978-1524718961
- One of Our Kind. Penguin Random House. 2024. ISBN 9780593470671
See also
In Spanish: Nicola Yoon para niños
