Paul Fleischman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Fleischman
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Fleischman in 2022
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| Born | 1952 (age 72–73) Monterey, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer, playwright |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley University of New Mexico |
| Period | 1979–present |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Parents | Sid Fleischman (father) |
Paul Fleischman, born in 1952, is a famous American author who writes books for kids. He and his father, Sid Fleischman, both won the Newbery Medal. This award is given by the American Library Association for the best children's book of the year. In 2012, Paul Fleischman was nominated for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award for all his amazing books.
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Paul Fleischman's Early Life
Paul Fleischman was born in Monterey, California, and grew up in Santa Monica, California. His father, Sid Fleischman, was also a well-known children's book author. When Paul was 19, he went on a long trip across the country by bicycle and train. This adventure ended with him living in a very old house in New Hampshire.
This experience inspired him to write historical fiction. These are stories set in the past, like tales about the Puritans and their conflicts, traveling salespeople from colonial times, the yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia, and the American Civil War. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of New Mexico. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked at different jobs, including baking bagels and shelving books in a library.
Paul Fleischman's Writing Career
Paul Fleischman started writing his first books while he was still in college. He was inspired by reading old folk tales and stories. His love for music can be seen in his poetry collections, which are written for two or four voices. These are like "chamber music" but for speaking.
A special feature of his stories is using many different points of view. This means the story is told by several characters. He first used this style in his novel Bull Run (1993), which was one of the first children's books to do this. He continued this style in books like Seedfolks, Seek (which has 50 voices), and Zap (which is seven plays in one). He also combined different Cinderella stories in Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal. Important ideas in his books often include history, community, art, and imagination.
Awards and Recognition
Paul Fleischman has won many awards for his books. In 1989, he won the Newbery Medal for his book Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. This was just two years after his father won the same award for The Whipping Boy. His book Graven Images also received a Newbery Honor award in 1983.
Other awards he has won include:
- A National Book Award nomination for Breakout in 2003.
- The 1994 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for Bull Run.
- The 2002 California Young Reader Medal for Weslandia.
- Boston Globe–Horn Book Award honors for Joyful Noise and Saturnalia.
- The PEN Center USA Literary Award for The Dunderheads (2010).
- The Christopher Medal for The Matchbox Diary (2013).
His book Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines (2014) was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It also won the Green Earth Book Award and the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award. Paul Fleischman has also received awards from the Commonwealth Club of California and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. In 2012, he was the United States' nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award, which honors a writer's entire body of work.
Paul Fleischman's Works
Books for Adults
- "Swat Radio", The New Yorker (1997)
- He Walked Among Us (2012), a novel
Books for Children
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