Robert Kimmel Smith facts for kids
Robert Kimmel Smith (born July 31, 1930 – died April 18, 2020) was an American author. He wrote many popular books for children and won awards for his work.
Early Life and Becoming a Writer
Robert Kimmel Smith was born in Brooklyn, New York. He learned to read from his mother, Sally. When he was eight years old, he became sick with rheumatic fever. He had to stay in bed for three months. To pass the time, he read many books. This experience inspired him to become a writer. He started making up new characters and endings for stories.
In 1947, he went to Brooklyn College. However, he left after a year. He found subjects like chemistry and calculus too difficult. From 1951 to 1953, he served in the U.S. Army. He was stationed overseas in Germany for some time. After returning to America, he married Claire Medney in 1954. They had two children, Heidi and Roger.
Writing for Young Readers
Smith started writing stories for young readers by chance. He would tell his daughter bedtime stories. Then, he would write them down. He also got ideas from his own childhood. For example, his book Jelly Belly was inspired by his memories of being the heaviest child in his elementary school.
In 1970, Smith became a full-time writer. His first children's book was Chocolate Fever. It was published in 1972. This book won the Massachusetts Children's Book Award. By 2001, Chocolate Fever had sold over 2 million copies. It was even listed as one of the bestselling children's paperbacks by Publishers Weekly.
Some of his other well-known books for young readers include:
- The War with Grandpa
- Bobby Baseball
- Mostly Michael
- The Squeaky Wheel (a story about a child dealing with their parents' divorce)
His book War with Grandpa was made into a movie in 2020. The movie starred famous actor Robert De Niro.
Other Works
Robert Kimmel Smith also wrote several books for adults. These included Sadie Shapiro's Knitting Book (1973) and its follow-up books. He also wrote Jane's House (1982).
