Marilyn Singer


Marilyn Singer is an author of children's books in a wide variety of genres, including fiction and non-fiction picture books, juvenile novels and mysteries, young adult fantasies, and poetry. Some of her poems are written as reverso poems.

Biography

Singer was born in the Bronx, New York City on October 3, 1948, and lived most of her early life in North Massapequa, NY. She attended Queens College, City University of New York, and for her junior year, the University of Reading, England. She holds a B.A. in English from Queens College and an M.A. in communications from New York University.
In 1974, after teaching English in New York City high schools for several years, Singer began to write – initially film notes, catalogues, teacher's guides and film strips. Then, one day, when she was sitting in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Singer penned a story featuring talking insect characters she'd made up when she was eight. Encouraged by the responses she got, Singer wrote more stories and in 1976 her first book, The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't, was published by E. P. Dutton.
Since then, Singer has published over one hundred books for children and young adults. Her genres are many and varied, including realistic novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books, mysteries and poetry.
In 2023 Singer appeared as a contestant on Jeopardy!.
Singer lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York.

Education

1971. Education: Attended University of Reading, UK, 1967–68; Queens College of the City University of New York, B.A., 1969; New York University, M.A., 1979.

Works

Poetry

  • Strange Place to Call Home
  • The Superheroes Employment Agency
  • The boy who cried alien!
  • A Stick is an Excellent Thing]
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  • '"Tricera-flops" in Dizzy Dinosaurs, edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
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  • "In My Hand" and "Spinners," in Falling Down the Page edited by Georgia Heard
  • "In Here, Kitty, Kitty" in Incredible Inventions edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
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  • "Making Soup," "Best Friend," and "Singing Down the Sun" in Lessons for Climb Inside a Poem edited by Georgia Heard and Lester Laminack
  • "Beach Time" and "Stargazing" in Here's a Little Poem edited by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters
  • "Diamond Dark" in Faith and Doubt edited by Patrice Vecchione
  • "Clay" in Behind the Museum Door edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
  • "For Me" in Poetry Aloud Here! edited by Sylvia Vardell
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  • "Haircut" in Oh, No! Where Are My Pants? edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
  • "Heart Art" in Valentine H arts edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
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  • "Kumquats" in Food Fight edited by Michael Rosen
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  • Turtle in July Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. A Scholastic Book Club selection, 1991; An NCTE Notable Book, 1989; Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1989, The New York Times; Best Children's Books of 1989, Time magazine; A Reading Rainbow review book, 1994

Picture books

Non-fiction

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  • ' An NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book, 2007
  • ' National Science Teachers Association/Children's Book Council Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students, 2002; Skipping Stones Honor Award Book for 2002; Society of School Librarians International Best Book for Science for 2001
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  • ' Society of School Librarians International Best Books, 1998–9
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Novels for children

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Mysteries For children

  • Sam and Dave Mysteries:
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  • Samantha Spayed Mysteries:
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Fiction for young adults

Fairy tales

  • The Maiden on the Moor
  • In the Palace of the Ocean King
  • The Painted Fan
  • ''The Golden Heart of Winter''

Magazine articles and other publications

  • "Pests and Pollinators," on insects and other garden animals in Click magazine
  • "Clay Castles," on African termites in Click
  • "A Safe Place," on Kruger National Park in Click
  • "Never-Ending Journey," on the Serengeti migrations in Click
  • "Raising the Bar," on Puppies Behind Bars, a program that prison inmates raise pups to become guide dogs for the blind in AKC Gazette
  • "A Dad Who Has Babies," on seahorses in Click
  • "A Farmer's Best Friend," on sheepdogs in Click
  • "Paper Houses," on wasp nests in Click
  • "The Mind of the Judge," on dog obedience trial judges in ''AKC Gazette''

Forthcoming

  • Cat-Chasing Day A poetry collection on holidays for dogs
  • The Boy Who Cried Alien A "silent movie" in poems about Larry the Liar, a spaceship, and a town
  • Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems
  • Rutherford B., Who Was He?
  • ''I'm Gonna Climb a Mountain in My Patent Leather Shoes''

Awards and nominations

  • Mirror, Mirror
  • *Cybil Award for Poetry, 2011
  • *ALA Notable, 2011
  • *CLA/NCTE Notable, 2011
  • *Nominee, Texas Bluebonnet Award
  • *Capitol Choice Book
  • *6 starred reviews
  • Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best, 2009
  • Orbis Pictus Honor Book, 2008
  • New York Public Library's One Hundred Best Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2007
  • Time Magazine's Top 10 Children's Books, 2007
  • NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book, 2007
  • Science Books & Film Best Trade Books, 2006
  • New York Public Library, Best Books for the Teen Age, 2006
  • ALSC Notable Book, 2005
  • Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book, 2005
  • New York Public Library's "Best Books for the Teen Age," 2005
  • Nominee:ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2004
  • NSTA-CBA Outstanding Science Trade Book, 2002
  • Canadian Children's Book Centre "Our Choice" Book, 2002
  • Children's Literature Choice Book, 2002
  • National Science Teachers Association/Children's Book Council Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students, 2002
  • Skipping Stones Honor Award Book for 2002
  • Society of School Librarians International Best Book for Science, 2001
  • Animal Behavior Society Children's Book Award, 2001
  • Society of School Librarians International Best Book for Science for 2001
  • New York Public Library's "Best Books for the Teen Age," 2001
  • Tayshas List, 2001–2002
  • Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2000
  • Booklist's Top Ten Science Books, 2000
  • NCSS-CBC Notable Book, 2000
  • Runner-up, Publishers Weekly Best Religious Books of 2000
  • Cooperative Children's Book Center CCBC Link, Book of the Week, Dec 11, 2000
  • Finalist, YA category, Edgar Award, 1998
  • Nominee: Edgar Award, 1998
  • Society of School Librarians International Best Books, 1997–1998
  • Scholastic Book Club selection, 1993
  • Scholastic Book Club selection, 1991
  • NCTE Notable Book, 1989
  • Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1989, The New York Times
  • Best Children's Books of 1989, Time magazine
  • Society of School Librarians International Best Books, 1998–1999
  • ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 1983
  • An American Library Association Best Book, 1983
  • Maud Hart Lovelace Award, 1983
  • Children's Choice Award
  • Turtle in July
  • *NCTE Notable, 1989
  • *New York Times Best Illustrated, 1989
  • *Time magazine Best Children's Books of 1989
  • *Reading Rainbow review book

Quotes, interviews, reviews and media

  • Celebrating Poetry: Marilyn Singer,
  • The New York State Reading Association Youth Book Blog
  • Reading Rockets: A video interview with Marilyn Singer
  • The Miss Rumphius Effect
  • David Harrison's Blog
  • Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations
  • TeensReadToo.com
  • Who Wrote That? by Patricia M. Newman
  • "Sidelights Sketch" from Something About the Author, Vols. 80 & 125
  • WritingWorld.com
  • "I don't know if I have a single poem that defines me. A lot of people think of me as a "nature poet" because I love writing about the natural world. But I also like to create characters and use them as narrators, and I'm fond of really silly verse."
  • Singer actually sits and writes with pen in hand for three to four hours a day. "But I think writing for twenty-four, it seems. I like to write in cafes, restaurants, subways—it's not fixed."
  • PEN American Center participating author
  • Teaching Pre-K-8
  • Commitment
  • New York Times review of "City Lullaby" November 2007
  • Parents Choice review of City Lullaby