Robert Cormier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Edmund Cormier
Born	(1925-01-17)January 17, 1925 Leominster, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	November 2, 2000(2000-11-02) (aged 75) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Writer
Nationality	American
Period	1962–2000
Genre	Realist young adult (YA) novels, crime fiction, thrillers
Notable awards	Margaret A. Edwards Award 1991 Phoenix Award 1997
Spouse	Constance Senay
Children	4

Robert Edmund Cormier (born January 17, 1925 – died November 2, 2000) was an American writer. He was also a journalist. He became famous for his novels, many of which were written for young adults. These books often explored serious topics.

Some of Cormier's most popular books include I Am the Cheese, After the First Death, We All Fall Down, and The Chocolate War. All of these books have won awards. The Chocolate War has faced challenges in some libraries. This means some people wanted it removed from shelves.

Early Life and Education

Robert Cormier was born in 1925 in Leominster, Massachusetts. This town had a French-Canadian area called French Hill. He was the second of eight children in his family. His family moved often to find affordable rent. However, they always stayed in Leominster. Even as an adult, his summer home was only about 19 miles from his hometown.

In some of his books, Cormier used his hometown as inspiration. Leominster became the made-up town of Monument. Its French Hill area became Frenchtown. The nearby city of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, became Wickburg in his stories.

Cormier went to St. Cecilia's Parochial School. This was a private Catholic school. He started writing when he was in first grade. His teachers praised his poetry. He first realized he wanted to be a writer in seventh grade. A nun encouraged him to write a poem. He later graduated from Leominster High School. He was the president of his class.

When he was a freshman at Fitchburg State College, his first short story was published. A professor, Florence Conlon, sent his story to a national Catholic magazine called The Sign. She did this without his knowing. He earned $75 for the story.

Writing Career

Cormier started his writing career by creating radio commercials. He later became a journalist and won awards for his work. Even after he became a well-known author, he kept writing for his local newspaper, the Fitchburg Sentinel.

Cormier became a full-time writer after his first adult novel, Now and at the Hour (1960), was successful. Other books followed, like The Chocolate War and After the First Death. He cared about the challenges young people faced in society. These ideas were often seen in his novels. He quickly became known as a talented and honest writer.

He received the Margaret Edwards Award in 1991. This award is given by the Young Adult Services Division of the American Library Association. It honors a writer's work that helps young adults understand themselves and the world. The award recognized The Chocolate War, I Am the Cheese, and After the First Death.

The Chocolate War has been challenged in many libraries and schools. This is because of the language used in the book. Between 1990 and 2000, it was the fourth most challenged book in the U.S. This information comes from the American Library Association.

Awards and Recognition

In 1991, the American Library Association gave Robert Cormier its Margaret Edwards Award. They specifically mentioned I Am the Cheese. They said it was one of three books from 1974 to 1979 that young adults truly loved. The ALA stated that Cormier's "brilliantly crafted and troubling novels" are now considered classics in young adult literature.

I Am the Cheese also won the 1997 Phoenix Award. This award comes from the Children's Literature Association. It is named after the mythical bird. The Phoenix Award celebrates the best English-language children's book that did not win a major award when it was first published twenty years earlier.

Later Life and Death

Robert Cormier passed away on November 2, 2000. He died due to problems from a blood clot.

Published Works

Non-Fiction

• I Have Words to Spend [Collected Newspaper Articles] (1991)

Fiction

Novels unless noted

• Now and at the Hour (1960)
• A Little Raw on Monday Mornings (1963)
• Take Me Where the Good Times Are (1965)
• The Chocolate War (1974)
• I Am the Cheese (1977)
• After the First Death (1979)
• 8 Plus 1 (1980), a collection of short stories
• The Bumblebee Flies Anyway (1983)
• Beyond The Chocolate War (1985)
• Fade (1988)
• Other Bells for Us to Ring (1990); known as Darcy in the UK (1991)
• We All Fall Down (1991)
• Tunes for Bears to Dance To (1992)
• In the Middle of the Night (1995)
• Tenderness (1997)
• Heroes (1998)
• Frenchtown Summer (1999)
• The Rag and Bone Shop (2000)

Film Adaptations

Many of Robert Cormier's books have been made into movies:

• I Am the Cheese (1983), where Cormier himself played a small role as "Mr. Hertz"
• The Chocolate War (1988)
• Lapse of Memory (1991), another movie based on I Am the Cheese
• The Bumblebee Flies Anyway (1999)
• Tenderness (2009)
• The Assignment (2012), a student film based on The Chocolate War

See also

In Spanish: Robert Cormier para niños