Candace Groth Fleming (born May 24, 1962) is an American writer of

children's books A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...

, both fiction and non-fiction. She is the author of more than twenty books for children and young adults, including the ''Los Angeles Times'' Book Prize-honored ''The Family Romanov'' and the

Boston Globe–Horn Book Award The Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards are a set of American literary awards conferred by ''The Boston Globe'' and ''The Horn Book Magazine'' annually from 1967. One book is recognized in each of four categories: Fiction and Poetry, Nonfiction, and P ...

-winning biography, ''The Lincolns'', among others. In 2013, the Children's Book Council named Fleming a Children's Book Month Champion, and in 2014, Fleming was awarded the Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award. In 2016, she was a finalist for the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature, which "celebrates the importance of children's and young-adult literature and the impact it has on our children's minds." Thirty-two of her books are

Junior Library Guild Junior Library Guild, formerly the Junior Literary Guild, is a commercial book club devoted to juvenile literature. It was created in 1929 as one of the enterprises of the Literary Guild, an adult book club created in 1927 by Samuel W. Craig and H ...

selections.

Biography

Fleming was born May 24, 1962, in Michigan City, Indiana to Charles and Carol Groth. She received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

from Eastern Illinois University in 1985. She married Scott Fleming November 9, 1985 and has two children, Scott and Michael, with him. From 1997 to 2005, Fleming was a teacher at William Rainey Harper College near Chicago. Since that time, she has worked full-time as a writer, educator, and speaker. Her first picture book ''Professor Fergus Fahrenheit and his Wonderful Weather Machine'' was published by

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pu ...

in 1994 as written by "Candace Groth-Fleming" and illustrated by Don Weller (). Subsequent publications have all appeared under the name Candace Fleming.

Selected texts

''The Lincolns'' (2008)

''The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary,'' published October 14, 2008 by

Schwartz & Wade Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

, is a nonfiction children's book about

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

and his wife, Mary. The book is a

selection. ''The Horn Book Magazine'', '' Kirkus Reviews'' and ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

'' named it one of the best nonfiction children's books of 2008.

''The Great and Only Barnum'' (2009)

''The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum'', published September 8, 2009 by

and illustrated by Ray Fenwick, is a nonfiction children's picture book about

P. T. Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017) with James Anthony Bailey. He was ...

. The book is a

selection. ''Publishers Weekly'' named it one of the best children's books of 2009. In 2010, ''Booklist'' included ''The Great and Only Barnum'' on their "Top 10 Biographies for Youth" list.

''Amelia Lost'' (2011)

''Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart'', published February 8, 2011 by

, is a nonfiction middle-grade children's book about Amelia Earhart. In 2011, ''The Horn Book Magazine'' named it one of the best nonfiction children's books of the year, and

Bank Street College of Education Bank Street College of Education is a private school and graduate school in New York City. It consists of a graduate-only teacher training college and an independent nursery-through-8th-grade school. In 2020 the graduate school had about 65 full ...

named it a book of outstanding merit for children aged nine to twelve and twelve to fourteen.

''Oh, No!'' (2012)

''Oh, No!'', published September 11, 2012 and illustrated by

Eric Rohmann Eric Rohmann (born 26 October 1957) is an American author and illustrator of children's books. He is a graduate of Illinois State University and Arizona State University. He won the 2003 Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration, recog ...

, is a fictional picture book about a series of animals who fall into a hole.

named it one of the best books of the year for children age five to nine.

''The Family Romanov'' (2014)

''The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia'', published July 8, 2014 by

, is a nonfiction children's book about the

Romanovs The House of Romanov (also transcribed Romanoff; rus, Романовы, Románovy, rɐˈmanəvɨ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after the Tsarina, Anastasia Romanova, was married to t ...

. Both the book and audiobook editions of ''The Family Romanov'' are

selections. In 2014,

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books ''The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books'' is an academic journal established in 1945 by Frances E. Henne (Graduate Library School, University of Chicago).Wedgeworth, Robert. ''World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services''. Ch ...

, ''

The Horn Book Magazine ''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietres ...

'' named it of the best nonfiction children's books of the year. ''Publishers Weekly'' named it one of the best young adult books of the year''.'' ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'' included it on their 2014 "Top of the List" and 2015 "Top 10 Biographies for Youth" lists. ''School Library Journal'' included the audiobook edition in their list of the top ten best audiobooks of the year.

''Giant Squid'' (2016)

''Giant Squid'', published September 27, 2016 by

Roaring Brook Press A roar is a type of animal vocalization that is deep and resonating. Many mammals have evolved to produce roars and other roar-like vocals for purposes such as long-distance communication and intimidation. These include various species of big cat ...

and illustrated by

, is a nonfiction children's book about giant squids. ''Giant Squid'' is a

book. In 2016, ''

Horn Book Magazine ''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietres ...

'' and the New York Public Library named it one of the best nonfiction children's books of the year. In 2017,

named it one of the best books for children ages five to nine.

''Honeybee'' (2020)

''Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera'', published February 4, 2020 by Neal Porter Books and illustrated by

, is a nonfiction picture book about

honey bees A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosm ...

. ''Honeybee'' is a

book. ''Publishers Weekly'' and ''Shelf Awareness'' named it one of the best picture books of 2020, and

and ''

'' included it on their list of the best nonfiction children's books of the year.

named it a book of outstanding merit for children aged nine to twelve.

''The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh'' (2020)

''The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh'', published February 11, 2020 by

, is a nonfiction children's book about

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

. Both the book and audiobook editions of ''The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh'' are

selections. ''Publishers Weekly'' named it one of the best young adult books of 2020, and ''

'' included it on their 2020 "Top 10 Biographies for Youth" list.

, ''Horn Book Magazine'','''' and ''School Library Journal'' included it on their lists of the best nonfiction children's books of the year.

Publications

Picture Books

* ''Professor Ferguson Fahrenheit and his Wonderful Weather Machine'' (1994) * ''Women of the Lights'' (1995), illustrated by James Watling * ''Madame LaGrande and Her So High, to the Sky, Uproarious Pompadour'' (1996), illustrated by S.D. Schindler * ''Gabriella's Song'' (1997), illustrated by Giselle Potter * ''Westward Ho, Carlotta!'' (1997), illustrated by

David Catrow David Catrow (born December 16, 1952) is an American artist, cartoonist, and illustrator of children's books. Catrow has illustrated over 60 children's books and prior to this, worked as a cartoonist at the ''Springfield News-Sun'' (Ohio). Hi ...

* ''The Hatmaker's Sign'' (1998), illustrated by Robert A. Parker * ''When Agnes Caws'' (1999), illustrated by Giselle Potter * ''A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar'' (1999), illustrated by S.D. Schindler * ''Who Invited You?'' (2001), illustrated by George Booth * ''Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!'' (2002), illustrated by G. Brian Karas * ''Boxes for Katje'' (2003), illustrated by Stacey Dressen-McQueen * ''Smile, Lily!'' (2004), illustrated by Yumi Heo * ''Gator Gumbo: A Spicy-Hot Tale'' (2004), illustrated by Sally Anne Lambert * ''This Is the Baby'' (2004), illustrated by Maggie Smith * ''Sunny Boy!: The Life and Times of a Tortoise'' (2005), illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf * Tippy-Tippy-Tippy ** ''Tippy-Tippy-Tippy, Hide!'' (2007), illustrated by G. Brian Karas ** ''Tippy-Tippy-Tippy, Splash!'' (2014), illustrated by G. Brian Karas * ''Imogene's Last Stand'' (2009), illustrated by Nancy Carpenter * ''Seven Hungry Babies'' (2010), illustrated by Eugene Yelchin * ''Clever Jack Takes the Cake'' (2010), illustrated by G. Brian Karas * ''Oh, No!'' (2012), illustrated by

* ''Papa's Mechanical Fish'' (2013), illustrated by Boris Kolikov * Bulldozer ** ''Bulldozer's Big Day'' (2015), illustrated by

** ''Bulldozer Helps Out'' (2017), illustrated by

* ''Go Sleep In Your Own Bed!'' (2017), illustrated by Lori Nichols * ''Emma's Circus'' (2017), illustrated by

Christine Davenier Christine Davenier is a French author and illustrator of children's books. She has illustrated a large number of books, the authors of which include Jack Prelutsky, Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, Madeleine L'Engle, and Juan ...

* ''The Amazing Collection of Joey Cornell'' (2018), illustrated by

Gérard DuBois Gérard DuBois (born 1968) is a French illustrator. In 2017, he received the Hamilton King Award. DuBois works in a variety of styles, which have been described as a consistent and remarkable blend of beauty, passion, and intelligence. Early ...

Fiction

* Aesop Elementary ** '' The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School'' (2005) ** ''The Fabled Fifth Graders of Aesop Elementary School'' (2010) * ''Lowji Discovers America'' (2005) * ''On the Day I Died: Stories from the Grave'' (2010) * History Pals ** ''

Ben Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading intel ...

's in My Bathroom!'' (2017), illustrated by Marc Fearing ** ''

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

's in My Garage!'' (2018), illustrated by Marc Fearing * ''Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen'' (2018), illustrated by

Non-fiction

* ''Ben Franklin's Almanac: Being a True Account of the Good Gentleman's Life'' (2003) * ''Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at Eleanor Roosevelt's Remarkable Life'' (2005) * ''The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary'' (2008) * ''The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman

'' (2009) * ''Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart'' (2011) * ''The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia'' (2014) * ''Presenting Buffalo Bill: The Man Who Invented the Wild West'' (2016) * ''Giant Squid''(2016), illustrated by

* ''The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh'' (2020)

Anthologies

* ''Guys Read True Stories'' (2014) edited by

Jon Scieszka Jon Scieszka ( :) (born September 8, 1954) is an American children's writer, best known for picture books created with the illustrator Lane Smith. He is also a nationally recognized reading advocate, and the founder of Guys Read – a web-based li ...

. Contributed “A Jumbo Story” about

Jumbo Jumbo (about December 25, 1860 – September 15, 1885), also known as Jumbo the Elephant and Jumbo the Circus Elephant, was a 19th-century male African bush elephant born in Sudan. Jumbo was exported to Jardin des Plantes, a zoo in Paris, and t ...

the elephant. * ''Our Story Begins: your favorite authors and illustrators share fun, inspiring, and occasionally ridiculous things they wrote and drew as kids'' (2017) edited by Elissa Brent Weissman. * ''Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All'' (2018) concept by Candace Fleming. Written by M.T. Anderson ( Henry VIII), Candace Fleming ( Katharine of Aragon), Stephanie Hemphill (

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key ...

Lisa Ann Sandell Lisa Ann Sandell is an American author of young adult novels. She has written and published three books, ''A Map of the Known World'', '' Song of the Sparrow'' and ''The Weight of the Sky''. Biography Before she published her first book, Sande ...

(

Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (c. 150824 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII of England from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne ...

Jennifer Donnelly Jennifer Donnelly (born August 16, 1963) is an American writer of young adult fiction best known for the historical novel '' A Northern Light''. ''A Northern Light'' was published as ''A Gathering Light'' in the U.K. There, it won the 2003 Ca ...

( Anna of Cleves),

Linda Sue Park Linda Sue Park (born March 25, 1960) is a Korean-American author who published her first novel, ''Seesaw Girl'', in 1999. She has written six children's novels and five picture books. Park's work achieved prominence when she received the presti ...

(

Catherine Howard Catherine Howard ( – 13 February 1542), also spelled Katheryn Howard, was Queen of England from 1540 until 1542 as the fifth wife of Henry VIII. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, a cousin to Anne Boleyn (the se ...

), and

Deborah Hopkinson Deborah Hopkinson is an American writer of children's books, primarily historical fiction, nonfiction and picture books. She was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. Selected books *''Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt'' (1993) *''Maria's Comet'' (1999 ...

(

Kateryn Parr Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...

References

External links

*
Candace Fleming on PBS LearningMedia
*
Princeton University, Cotsen Children's Library

Reading Rockets interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleming, Candace 1962 births Living people 21st-century American women 21st-century women writers American children's writers American non-fiction writers American women children's writers American women non-fiction writers Eastern Illinois University alumni Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal winners