Scott Westerfeld facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Scott Westerfeld
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Westerfeld at Utopiales 2010
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| Born | May 5, 1963 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation |
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| Education | Vassar College (AB) |
| Period | 1990s–present |
| Genre | Young adult, science fiction |
| Spouse |
Justine Larbalestier
(m. 2001) |
Scott David Westerfeld (born May 5, 1963) is an American writer. He is famous for his books for young adults. Some of his most popular series are the Uglies and Leviathan books.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Scott Westerfeld was born in Dallas, Texas. When he was a kid, his family moved a lot. This was because his dad, Lloyd, worked as a computer programmer for companies like Lockheed Martin and Electric Boat. His dad even worked on NASA's Apollo missions!
Moving often meant Scott met many new people. His friends and teachers often asked him about his hometown. This made him good at telling stories. He graduated from Vassar College in 1985, where he studied Philosophy.
Scott also started making music when he was a teenager. He even writes music for modern dance. In 2001, he married another author, Justine Larbalestier, who is from Australia. Today, Scott divides his time between Sydney, Australia, and New York City.
Scott Westerfeld's Books
Scott Westerfeld is best known for his Uglies series. These books are very popular with young readers. He has also written other exciting novels.
Popular Book Series
- The Uglies Series: This is his most famous series. It includes Uglies and its spin-offs.
- The Leviathan Series: This is a trilogy set in an alternate history during World War I. It features cool machines and creatures. The books are Leviathan, Behemoth, and Goliath. There's also an illustrated guide called The Manual of Aeronautics.
Other Novels for Young Adults
Scott Westerfeld started his writing career with books for adults. But he soon switched to writing for young adults. His first young adult series was the Midnighters trilogy.
He has written several young adult novels that take place in New York City. These include Peeps, The Last Days, So Yesterday, and Afterworlds. The Last Days is not a direct sequel to Peeps, but it happens in the same world with different characters. So Yesterday is a separate story, but it's also set in New York.
In 2017, Scott Westerfeld released a graphic novel called The Spill Zone. It has amazing illustrations by Alex Puvilland. The story is about a photographer who goes back to her hometown. The town was abandoned after a mysterious event, and she takes pictures of the strange things happening there.
Scott Westerfeld has also mentioned that he secretly wrote five Goosebumps books. One of them was All-Day Nightmare.
Books on the Big Screen
Some of Scott Westerfeld's books have been considered for movies. So Yesterday was once planned to be a film. The Uglies series was also optioned by Twentieth Century Fox in 2006. This means they thought about making it into a film series.
Main Ideas in His Books
Scott Westerfeld's novels often explore interesting ideas. He likes to write about characters who think for themselves.
Questioning Authority
A big idea in Westerfeld's books is about free thinking. His characters often question rules and authority. In Uglies, the main character, Tally, doesn't want to follow society's rules. She joins a group of "uglies" who refuse to change themselves with cosmetic surgery.
Similarly, So Yesterday looks at why some trends become popular. The book celebrates people who are creative and come up with new ideas on their own.
Growing Up and Finding Yourself
Since Scott Westerfeld writes mostly for young adults, his main characters are usually teenagers. They often go on journeys to figure out who they are. Tally in Uglies, Cal in Peeps, and Hunter in So Yesterday all struggle to find their place. By the end of their stories, they learn to accept themselves.
Showing Courage
Courage is another common idea in Westerfeld's stories. His characters often face scary or dangerous problems. They have to be brave and rely on themselves to solve these problems. Many times, adults are not around to help. For example, Cal in Peeps is trained to hunt vampires. But he has to go alone to catch them and complete his mission by himself.
Awards and Recognition
Scott Westerfeld's books have won many awards and honors:
- Evolution's Darling was named a New York Times Notable Book in 2000. It also won a special award called the Philip K. Dick Award.
- So Yesterday won a Victorian Premier's Award.
- The Secret Hour won an Aurealis Award.
- Peeps and Uglies were both chosen as "Best Books for Young Adults" in 2006 by the American Library Association (ALA). Peeps was even in the Top Ten! Uglies was also on the ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list in 2006.
- Leviathan won the 2010 Locus Award for Best Young Adult Fiction. It was also nominated for an ORCA (Oregon Reader's Choice Award). The Russian version of Leviathan won an award from Mir Fantastiki in 2011.
See also
In Spanish: Scott Westerfeld para niños
