Albert Watkins Key, Jr., publishing under the name Watt Key and Albert Key, is an American fiction author who is known for writing young-adult survival fiction. A resident of

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

, his

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

Alabama Moon ''Alabama Moon'' is a 2006 novel by Watt Key. The story follows the adventures of Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , La ...

'' was published by

Farrar, Straus and Giroux Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG) is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger Williams Straus Jr. and John C. Farrar. FSG is known for publishing literary books, and its authors have won numerous awards, including Pulitzer ...

in 2006 and was the 2007 winner of the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award for older readers. It received a 2006

Parents' Choice Award The Parents' Choice Award was an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It was considered a "prest ...

. ''Alabama Moon'' has been translated and published in eight languages. In 2015 ''Alabama Moon'' was listed by

TIME Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...

as one of the top 100 young-adult books of all time. ''Alabama Moon'' was made into a 2009 feature film starring

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC comedy series ''Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he rec ...

Personal life

Watt Key is a graduate of Bayside Academy in Daphne, Alabama and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from

Birmingham–Southern College Birmingham–Southern College (BSC) is a private college in Birmingham, Alabama. Founded in 1856, the college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). More than 1 ...

in Birmingham, Alabama. He earned his Masters of Business Administration from

Spring Hill College Spring Hill College is a private, Jesuit college in Mobile, Alabama. It was founded in 1830 by Michael Portier, Bishop of Mobile. Along with being the oldest college or university in the state of Alabama, it was the first Catholic college in the ...

in Mobile, Alabama. While working as a computer programmer, he began submitting novels to publishers in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. When he was 34, he sold his debut novel, ''Alabama Moon'', to publisher

. Watt currently lives with his wife and three children in Mobile, Alabama.

Awards and honors

*''Alabama Moon'' (2006) **American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults ** ABC E.B. White Read Aloud Award, 2007 **ALLA Young Adult Book Award **Auckland Council librarian's choice ** SIBA Young Adult Book Award, 2007 **Parents' Choice Award Winner ** California Young Reader Medal ** Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Choice Award Master List **Indiana Young Hoosier Award Master List **James Medison University Book Award List: Best Books For Young Adults **Maine Student Book Award Master List **Missouri Truman Readers Award Master List **Massachusetts Children’s Book Award Master List for 2011 ** Volunteer State Book Award Nominees **Wildcat Book Award Nominees 2008-2009 *''Dirt Road Home'' (2010) **ALLA Young Adult Book Award **The Cybils Awards Master List *''Fourmile'' (2012) **Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year 2013 **2014-2015 Indian Paintbrush Nominee Titles **Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year **Indiana Young Hoosier Award Master List **Maine Student Book Award Master List **2014-2015 MASL Readers Awards Preliminary Nominees **The Mobile Bay Art & Music Awards (MODDYs) Master list **South Carolina Children's Book Award Master List 2014 ** Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Master List

Published works

Novels and collections

*''Alabama Moon'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006 *''Dirt Road Home'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010 *''Fourmile'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012 *''Among the Swamp People'',

The University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the public ...

Press, 2015 *''Terror at Bottle Creek'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016 *''Hideout'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017 *''Deep Water'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018 *''Bay Boy,'' The University of Alabama Press, 2019 *''Beast'', Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020 *''The Forgotten Coast,'' (as Albert Key) Penfish Press, 2021 *''The Black Hat and Other Tales of Horror,'' (as Albert Key) Penfish Press, 2021

Memoir, essays

* Swamp Writer series, Mobile Bay Magazine, August 2012 - June 2014 * Bay Boy series, Mobile Bay Magazine, July 2014

Screenplays

*''Alabama Moon'', Faulkner-McLean Productions, 2009 *''L.A. Dirt'', Tundra Films, 2014

References

External links

*
Watt Key
at Macmillan Publishers *
Alabama Moon Movie Official site
;Book reviews

''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

''

''

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 ...

'' Online

'' Decatur Daily'' ;Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Key, Watt 1970 births American children's writers Living people People from Baldwin County, Alabama Novelists from Alabama 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American male novelists 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers