Singer, Marilyn

Marilyn Singer has been an editor and taught high school English and speech. Since her first book was published in 1974, she has earned many awards, including the International Reading Association Children's Choice Award (1977, 1979, 1988), Maud Hart Lovelace Award (1983), ALA best book for young adults citation (1983, 1988), Parents' Choice Award (1983), New York Times best illustrated children's book citation and Time (magazine) best children's book citation (both 1989), NCTE notable trade book (1990), Texas Bluebonnet Award nomination (1992), and Iowa Teen Award nomination (1993).

Marilyn Singer was born October 3, 1948, in New York, New York, and grew up on Long Island. She held a number of editorial jobs, and taught English and speech in a high school, before devoting herself to writing. Her first published works were teaching guides on films and filmstrips. She followed this up with poetry for magazines, much of which was not successful. Finally she began writing stories for children. She has written fiction and nonfiction, in genres including picture books, juvenile novels and mysteries, young adult fantasies, and poetry, and has created a number of very different characters, including a dog detective, a poltergeist, and a young heart surgery patient. She has received many awards and honors for her work. Biographical Sources: Something About the Author, vols. 38, 48, 80, 125 Something About the Author Autobiography Series, vol. 13 Children's Literature Review, vol. 48