Gordon Korman (born October 23, 1963) is a

Canadian American Canadian Americans is a term that can be applied to Citizenship of the United States, American citizens whose ancestry is wholly or partly Canadians, Canadian, or citizens of either country that hold dual citizenship. The term ''Canadian'' can ...

author. Korman has written 100 children's and

young adult fiction Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...

books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list.

Early life

Korman was born in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, where he lived until 1970. He grew up in Thornhill,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

(just north of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

) and attended

German Mills Public School The York Region District School Board (YRDSB) is the English-language public school board for the Regional Municipality of York in Ontario, Canada. The York Region District School Board is the province's third-largest school board after Toronto' ...

and public high school at

Thornlea Secondary School Thornlea Secondary School is a public high school, in the Regional Municipality of York, that opened in 1968 and is located in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, on the northeast corner of Bayview Avenue and Willowbrook Road, just south of Highway 407. ...

. He moved to the United States to attend college at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

where he studied film and film-writing. Korman received a BFA from New York University in 1985; with a degree in dramatic visual writing and a minor in motion picture and television.

Career

Korman wrote his first book when he was 12 years old, as part of an English class taught by a PE teacher in 7th grade. This became the manuscript for ''

This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall ''This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall'' is a 1978 novel by Gordon Korman. It is the first installment of the Macdonald Hall series, and was the first written work of Korman. It is dedicated to his English teacher, Mr. Hamilton. The book w ...

'', the first book in his Macdonald Hall series. Korman was the Scholastic Arrow Book Club monitor for the class; after completing the assignment, he mailed his manuscript to Scholastic. ''This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall'' was published by

Scholastic Press Scholastic Corporation () is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes books, comics, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Products are distributed via retail and on ...

in 1978 when Korman was only 14 years old. Before graduating from high school in Thornhill, Ontario, Korman wrote and published five books. Korman has written 100 books which have sold more than 35 million copies in a career that has spanned four decades.

Works

Non-series books

*''

I Want to Go Home ''I Want to Go Home'' is a children's novel by Gordon Korman, first published in 1981. It was republished, as with most of Korman's older books, in 2004 with a new cover and updated text. Main characters Rudy Miller, the novel's protagonist, ...

!'' (1981) *''Our Man Weston'' (1982) *''

No Coins, Please ''No Coins, Please'' is a 1984 children's novel by Gordon Korman. The book is recommended for grades 6-8, and 820L on the Lexile measure. Plot Juniortours is an outfit that drives children across America during the summer months. When Group Am ...

'' (1984) *''

Don't Care High ''Don’t Care High'' is a 1985 novel by Gordon Korman. Plot Paul Abrams has just moved to New York City with his parents. He starts at tenth grade in a new high school, Don Carey High School, which has earned the nickname "Don't Care High" f ...

'' (1985) *''

Son of Interflux ''Son of Interflux'' is a 1986 children's novel by Gordon Korman. Plot Simon Irving has just moved to the town of Greenbush, New York with his parents. His father is the Senior Vice President of Interflux, a large corporation that makes only p ...

'' (1986) *''

A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag ''A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag'' is a young adult novel by Gordon Korman, a Canadian-born author who now lives in New York City. The main characters are Raymond Jardine and Sean Delancy. Sean is a popular student, a starter on the h ...

'' (1987) *''Radio 5th Grade'' (1989) *''

Losing Joe's Place ''Losing Joe's Place'' is a 1990 children's novel by Gordon Korman. The book was first published on April 1, 1990 through Scholastic and follows the adventures of three small town Ontario boys (Jason, Ferguson and Don) as they live in Jason's broth ...

'' (1990) *''

The Twinkie Squad ''The Twinkie Squad'' is a children's novel written by Gordon Korman published in 1992. The story follows the mis-adventures of Armando "Commando" Rivera, a feisty, popular basketball-obsessed hotshot who often gets in trouble with bullies and ...

'' (1992) *''The Toilet Paper Tigers'' (1993) *''Why Did the Underwear Cross the Road'' (1994) *'' The Chicken Doesn't Skate'' (1996) *''Liar, Liar Pants on Fire'' (1997) *''The Sixth Grade Nickname Game'' (1998) *''

No More Dead Dogs ''No More Dead Dogs'' is a novel by Gordon Korman published in 2000. Plot summary Ever since Wallace Wallace was young, he has insisted on telling the truth. Since scoring the winning touchdown for the Bedford Middle School football team in the ch ...

'' (2000) *''Maxx Comedy: The Funniest Kid in America'' (2003) *''Jake, Reinvented'' (2003) *'' Born To Rock'' (2006) *'' Schooled'' (2007) *''The Juvie Three'' (2008) *''Pop'' (2009) *''Slacker'' (2016) *''Restart'' (2017) *''What's His Face?'' (2018) *''The Unteachables'' (2019) *''Level 13: A Slacker novel'' (2019) *''Notorious'' (2019) *''War Stories'' (2020) *''Unplugged'' (2021) *''Linked'' (2021) *''Operation Do-Over'' (2022) *''The Fort'' (2022)

Series

Macdonald Hall series

*''

'' (Scholastic-TAB Publications, 1978) *''

Go Jump in the Pool ''Macdonald Hall'' is the name of a series of young adult novels by author Gordon Korman. The series was formerly named ''Bruno and Boots''. The series is set in a Canadian boarding school for boys called Macdonald Hall (named for John A. Macdo ...

'' (1979) *''

Beware the Fish ''Beware The Fish!'' is the third installment in the Macdonald Hall Series, and it continues to follow the two main characters Bruno and Boots along with the ensemble students of Macdonald Hall. This, along with ''The Zucchini Warriors'', is one ...

!'' (1980) *'' The War With Mr. Wizzle'' (1982) *''

The Zucchini Warriors ''The Zucchini Warriors'' is a young adult novel by Gordon Korman. Plot Over the summer, Macdonald Hall has built an impressive football stadium on the north lawn, financed by an alumnus, zucchini magnate Henry 'Hank the Tank' Carson. Bruno and ...

'' (1988) *''

Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood ''Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood'' is the sixth novel in Gordon Korman's Bruno and Boots series featuring the adventures of Bruno Walton and his best friend Boots O'Neal at the fictitious boarding school of Macdonald Hall, located in the fictitiou ...

'' (1991) *''Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall'' (1995)

''Bugs Potter''

*''Who is Bugs Potter?'' (1980) *''Bugs Potter LIVE at Nickaninny'' (1983)

''Jeremy Bloom''

*''The D− Poems of Jeremy Bloom: A Collection of Poems About School, Homework, and Life (Sort Of)'' (1992) *''The Last-Place Sports Poems of Jeremy Bloom: A Collection of Poems About Winning, Losing, and Being a Good Sport (Sometimes)'' (1996)

''Monday Night Football''

*''The Quarterback Exchange'' (1997) *''Running Back Conversion'' (1997) *''Super Bowl Switch'' (1997) *''Heavy Artillery'' (1997) *''Ultimate Scoring Machine'' (1998) *''NFL Rules! Bloopers, Pranks, Upsets, and Touchdowns'' (1998)

Masterminds series

* ''Masterminds'' (2015) * ''Masterminds:Criminal Destiny'' (2016) * ''Masterminds:Payback'' (2017)

Slapshots series

*''The Stars From Mars'' (1999) *''All-Mars All-Stars/The Dream Team'' (1999) *''The Face-off Phony'' (2000) *''Cup Crazy'' (2000) **4-in-1 ''Slapshots: The Complete Collection'' (2008)

Nose Pickers series

*''Nose Pickers from Outer Space!'' (1999) *''Planet of the Nose Pickers'' (2000) *''Your Mummy Is a Nose Picker'' (2000) *''Invasion of the Nose Pickers '' (2001) **4-in-1 ''The Ultimate Nose-Picker Collection'' (2006)

Island series

*''Shipwreck'' (2001) *''Survival'' (2001) *''Escape'' (2001) **3-in-1 ''Island Trilogy Bind-Up Book'' (2006)

Son of the Mob

* ''

Son of the Mob Gordon Korman (born October 23, 1963) is a Canadian American author. Korman has written 100 children's books, children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four dec ...

'' (Hyperion, 2002) * '' Son of the Mob 2: Hollywood Hustle'' (2004)

Everest series

* ''The Contest'' * ''The Climb'' * ''The Summit''

Dive series

*''The Discovery'' (2003) *''The Deep'' (2003) *''The Danger'' (2003)

On the Run series

*''Chasing the Falconers'' (2005) *''The Fugitive Factor'' (2005) *''Now You See Them, Now You Don't'' (2005) *''The Stowaway Solution'' (2005) *''Public Enemies'' (2005) *''Hunting the Hunter'' (2006)

Kidnapped series

*''The Abduction'' (2006) *''The Search'' (2006) *''The Rescue'' (2006)

Swindle series

*''

Swindle A swindle is a kind of fraud or confidence trick. Swindle may also refer to: People * Swindle (surname) Places * Swindle Island, British Columbia, Canada * 8690 Swindle, an asteroid Films * ''Il bidone'' (English titles ''The Swindle'' or ' ...

'' (2008) *'' Zoobreak'' (2009) *'' Framed'' (2010) *''Showoff'' (2012) *''

Hideout Hideout may refer to: Entertainment * ''Hideout'' (film), a 1949 American thriller film directed by Philip Ford * ''The Hideout'' (1956 film), a 1956 British crime film directed by Peter Graham Scott * ''The Hideout'' (film), a 2007 film by Pup ...

'' (2013) *''Jackpot'' (2014) *''Unleashed'' (2015) *''Jingle'' (2016)

Titanic series

*''Unsinkable'' (2011) *''Collision Course'' (2011) *''S.O.S '' (2011)

''The 39 Clues''

(Series shared and all books written by different authors) *'' One False Note'' (2008) *''

The Emperor's Code ''The Emperor's Code'' is the eighth book in The 39 Clues series written by Gordon Korman. The book's cover, revealed on March 2, 2010, shows a red mask with codes imprinted in specific areas against a purple background. After the release, rea ...

'' (2010) *''

Vespers Rising ''Vespers Rising'' is a part of ''The 39 Clues'' franchise, which includes the 39 Clues books, card packs, and interactive online games. The book is a transition between the first series, ''The 39 Clues'', and the second, '' Cahills vs. Vespers'' ...

'' (2011) *'' The Medusa Plot'' (2011) *'' Flashpoint'' (2014)

Hypnotists series

* ''The Hypnotists'' (2013) * ''Memory Maze'' (2014) * ''The Dragonfly Effect'' (2015)

Ungifted series

* ''

Ungifted ''Ungifted'' is a 2012 children's novel by Gordon Korman, which contains 31 chapters and 280 pages. The story is told with chapters of alternating perspectives. The plot revolves around Donovan Curtis, a troublemaker who gets wrapped up in a major ...

'' (2012) * ''Supergifted'' (2018)

Adaptations

The ''Monday Night Football Club'' series was adapted as the

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...

TV series '' The Jersey'', which ran for four years between 1999 and 2004. ''

'' was adapted into a movie that aired on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

. The '' Macdonald Hall'' series has a TV adaptation of one of the books, called "Bruno and Boots Go Jump in the Pool". It stars Jonny Gray, Callan Potter and

Peter Keleghan Peter Keleghan is a Canadian actor and writer, perhaps best known for portraying Ben Bellow in the comedy series ''18 to Life'', Clark Claxton Sr. in the comedy series ''Billable Hours'' and Ranger Gord in ''The Red Green Show''. Currently has a ...

. It aired April 1, 2016 on the Canadian network YTV. Two more adaptations aired there the following year, April 1, 2017. Other optioned books include ''No Coins, Please'', ''I Want to Go Home,'' the Island trilogy and ''The Twinkie Squad''.

Awards and recognition

* Air Canada Award for promising authors in Canada, at age 17 * 1991 Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Award (chosen by

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

schoolchildren), ''The Zucchini Warriors'' (1988) * 1999 ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, ''The Toilet Paper Tigers'' (1993) * 2001

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, ''Losing Joe's Place'' (1990) * 2001 ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, ''The Chicken Doesn't Skate'' (1993) * 2003 ALA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, ''Son of the Mob'' (2002) * 2003 Pacific Northwest Library Association

Young Reader's Choice Award The Young Reader's Choice Award is an award program of the Pacific Northwest Library Association (PNLA) which was inaugurated in 1940 by Harry Hartman, a well-known Seattle based bookseller. It is the oldest "children's choice" award in the U.S. an ...

(chosen by Pacific NW schoolchildren), Intermediate Division (Grades 7–9), ''No More Dead Dogs'' (2003) * 2004 ALA Best Books for Young Adults, ''Jake Reinvented'' (2003) * 2005 PNLA Young Reader's Choice Award – Intermediate, ''Son of the Mob'' (2002) * 2010 PNLA Young Reader's Choice Award – Intermediate, ''Schooled'' (2007) * 2010–2011 Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (by vote of Arkansas schoolchildren), ''Swindle'' (2008) *2011–2012 Charlie May Simon Award, ''Zoobreak'' (2009)"Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award Winners, 1971 to Current"
. ASL. Retrieved February 20, 2014. *2016

Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers' Literature The Tulsa City-County Library (TCCL) is the major public library system in Tulsa County, Oklahoma. Overview The library system serves those who live, work, go to school in, own land in, or pay property taxes on land in Tulsa County. There are 24 b ...

*2020 Young Hoosier Book Award (Intermediate), ''Restart'' (2017)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Korman, Gordon 1963 births Living people Canadian children's writers Child writers People from Côte Saint-Luc People from Thornhill, Ontario New York University alumni Canadian emigrants to the United States