Rita Golden Gelman facts for kids

Rita Golden Gelman (born July 2, 1937) is an American writer. She has written over 70 books for children and two books for adults.

She also started an organization called Let's Get Global. This group helps high school graduates take a "gap year." A gap year is a break before college or work. It often includes traveling and experiencing other countries.

Rita Golden Gelman has also given speeches at many colleges and organizations.

Early Life and Learning

Rita's family owned a small pharmacy in Bridgeport, Connecticut. When she was a teenager, she worked at the soda fountain there. Her favorite part was talking to customers who had moved from other countries.

She went to Beardsley Elementary School. Then she attended Warren Harding High School for one year and Bassick High School for her last three years. She graduated in 1954. Rita earned a degree in English and American Literature from Brandeis University in 1958. Later, in 1984, she earned another degree in anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Anthropology is the study of human societies and cultures.

After college, she lived in New York City until 1976. Then she moved to Los Angeles. She lived there until she started her traveling life.

Writing Books

Rita Golden Gelman has written many interesting books.

Children's Books

Some of Rita Gelman's children's books include:

• Dumb Joey (1972): This was her first book. It's about kids in New York City who needed a place to play.
• Body Noises (1983): This book explains the sounds our bodies make. These include yawns, sneezes, and cracking joints.
• Rice is Life (2000): This book teaches about how rice is grown and harvested on the island of Bali.
• More Spaghetti, I Say! (1993): This fun story is about a monkey named Minnie who loves spaghetti so much she can't stop eating it!
• Body Battles (1992): This book explains how our bodies fight off germs and other things that can make us sick.

Adult Books and Travel Stories

Rita wrote a book about her own life called Tales of a Female Nomad, Living at Large in the World. It was published in 2001. In this book, she shares stories from her first 15 years of living in different countries. She sold all her belongings to travel the world. In October 2014, this book became very popular. It reached number 4 on The New York Times Best Seller list in the "Love and Relationships" category.

In June 2010, she wrote another book called Female Nomad and Friends, Breaking Free and Breaking Bread Around the World. This book features stories from 41 different authors, mostly women. They share their experiences of connecting with people from different cultures. Rita Gelman contributed eight stories to this book. It also includes 33 recipes from around the world. All the money earned from this book helps high school graduates from poor areas in New Delhi go to special training schools. This is done through scholarships organized by Rotary International.

Her Traveling Life

In 1960, Rita married Stephen Gelman. Their son, Mitch, was born in 1962, and their daughter, Jan, was born in 1963. She divorced around 1986.

In 1987, Rita Gelman decided to sell everything she owned. She chose to become a "citizen of the world." This means she travels and lives in different places, not settling down in one home. On her website, she calls herself a "modern day nomad." Even though she travels a lot, she sometimes lives in New York City for a short time.