Jon Scieszka
Jon Scieszka is a prominent American children's book author known for his engaging and innovative storytelling. Born in 1954 in Flint, Michigan, he developed a passion for writing early in life, eventually earning an MFA from Columbia University. Scieszka's breakout work, "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales," challenged traditional storytelling and won numerous awards, highlighting his belief in the intelligence of young readers. Throughout his career, he has written various acclaimed books, including "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" and "Knucklehead," and has collaborated closely with illustrator Lane Smith.
Scieszka has also been an advocate for improving literacy among boys, founding the "Guys Read" program, which encourages reading through tailored resources and themed anthologies. His contributions to children's literature were recognized when he was named the first U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature in 2008. With a diverse portfolio that spans multiple genres and formats, including picture books and a multiplatform series, Scieszka continues to captivate and inspire young readers with his unique blend of humor and imagination.
Jon Scieszka
American children's book author.
- Born: September 8, 1954
- Place of Birth: Flint, Michigan
Biography
As a children’s book writer, Jon Scieszka was guided by the motto, “Never underestimate the intelligence of your audience.” He realized that kids can be smart as well as silly when he read an auditorium filled with children “The Stinky Cheese Man,” one of the stories he had consigned to his “unacceptable” file. To his surprise, the children loved this story, so he sent it to his publisher. The Stinky Cheese Man, and Other Fairly Stupid Tales became one of his most celebrated children’s books, winning the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award, the Georgia Choice Award for children’s books, and Wisconsin’s Golden Archer Award.
Scieszka was born in 1954 in Flint, Michigan, the second oldest of six sons of Louis Scieszka, an elementary school teacher and principal, and Shirley Scieszka, a registered nurse. From his earliest childhood, Scieszka wanted to be a writer. In his teens, he went to Culver Military Academy in Indiana, graduating in 1972. He then entered Albion College in Michigan as a premedical student. Following his graduation from Albion in 1976, he was accepted by the prestigious Johns Hopkins Medical School but decided instead to study writing at Columbia University. He received an MFA from Columbia in 1980.
Scieszka taught elementary school for a time, but he also took a variety of stopgap jobs as a painter, carpenter, lifeguard, and freelance writer. Such jobs tided him and his family over until he could devote more of this time to writing. He began writing in earnest when he discovered the Dr. Seuss books, particularly Green Eggs and Ham (1960), which he acknowledged was the nudge he needed to write The Stinky Cheese Man. The book went on to be named a 1993 Caldecott Honor Book by the Association for Library Service to Children.
When he writes his stories, Scieszka said he always bears in mind that “Our audience is hardcore, silly kids.” Illustrator and long-time collaborator Lane Smith also understands the silliness of his young readers. Their shared awareness accounts for the success of their books, which have won a vast panoply of awards and honors for children’s literature. The Library of Congress selected Scieszka as its first US National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2008–9. Two of his books, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheese Man, were listed among the one hundred all-time favorite children’s books in a 2012 School Library Journal poll. In 2013, he received the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for his contributions to children’s literature.
As a teacher, Scieszka noticed that boys in his classes struggled with reading and writing. In response, he started Guys Read, an online literacy program dedicated to encouraging boys to read by showcasing what they want to read in ways that they like to read. The Guys Read website includes reading suggestions as well as resources for students, parents, and educators. In addition to the website, Scieszka has edited an anthology, Guys Write for Guys Read (2005), as well as several volumes in the Guys Read series of themed anthologies. Volumes in the series include Guys Read: Funny Business (2010), Guys Read: Thriller (2011), Guys Read: The Sports Page (2012), Guys Read: Other Worlds (2013), Guys Read: True Stories (2014), and Terrifying Tales (2015).
Scieszka has written dozens of books in the 2000s and 2010s. His works include Knucklehead (2008), an autobiography for kids; the picture books Baloney, (Henry P.) (2001), Science Verse (2004), Seen Art? (2005), Cowboy and Octopus (2007), and Robot Zot (2009); and several series, including the Time Warp Trio (1991–2008) series, the Trucktown series (2008–), and the Frank Einstein series (2014–). Scieszka’s Spaceheadz series (2010–13) is a multiplatform story series told in print, video, and online.
In 2022, Scieszka published The Real Dada Mother Goose: A Treasury of Complete Nonsense, a collection of classic fairy tales reworked in a unique word style.
Author Works
Children's/Young Adult Fiction:
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, 1989 (illustrated by Lane Smith)
The Frog Prince, Continued, 1991 (illustrated by Smith)
The Not-So-Jolly Roger, 1991 (illustrated by Smith)
Knights of the Kitchen Table, 1991 (illustrated by Smith)
The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy, 1992 (illustrated by Smith)
The Stinky Cheese Man, and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, 1992 (illustrated by Smith)
Your Mother Was a Neanderthal, 1993 (illustrated by Smith)
The Book That Jack Wrote, 1994 (illustrated by Daniel Adel)
Math Curse, 1995 (illustrated by Smith)
2095, 1995 (illustrated by Smith)
Tut, Tut, 1996 (illustrated by Smith)
Summer Reading Is Killing Me, 1998 (illustrated by Smith)
Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals, Beastly Fables, 1998 (illustrated by Smith)
It's All Greek to Me, 1999 (illustrated by Smith)
See You Later, Gladiator, 2000 (illustrated by Adam McCauley)
Sam Samurai, 2001 (illustrated by McCauley)
Baloney (Henry P.), 2001 (illustrated by Smith)
Hey Kid, Want to Buy a Bridge?, 2002 (illustrated by McCauley)
Viking It and Liking It, 2002 (illustrated by McCauley)
Me Oh Maya, 2003 (illustrated by McCauley)
My Dog Does My Homework, 2004
Science Verse, 2004 (illustrated by Smith)
Da Wild, Da Crazy, Da Vinci, 2004 (illustrated by McCauley)
Oh Say, I Can't See, 2005 (illustrated by McCauley)
Seen Art?, 2005
You Can't, but Genghis Khan, 2006
Nightmare on Joe's Street, 2006
Marco? Polo!, 2006 (illustrated by McCauley)
The Seven Blunders of the World, 2006
Lewis and Clark. . . and Jodie, Freddi, and Samantha, 2006
Wushu Were Here, 2007
Plaid to the Bone, 2007
South Pole or Bust (an Egg), 2007
The High and the Flighty, 2007
Meet You at Waterloo, 2007
Cowboy and Octopus, 2007
Pete's Party, 2008 (illustrated by David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon)
Snow Trucking!, 2008 (illustrated by Shannon, Long, and Gordon)
Zoom! Boom! Bully, 2008 (illustrated by Shannon, Long, and Gordon)
Robot Zot, 2009
Uh-Oh, Max, 2009 (illustrated by Shannon, Long, and Gordon)
Spooky Tire, 2009 (illustrated by Shannon, Long, and Gordon)
Kat's Mystery Gift, 2009 (illustrated by Shannon, Long, and Gordon)
Melvin's Valentine, 2010 (illustrated by Shannon, Long, and Gordon)
Smash! Crash!, 2010 (illustrated by Shannon, Long, and Gordon)
Melvin Might?, 2010 (illustrated by Shannon, Long, and Gordon)
Truckery Rhymes, 2010 (illustrated by Shannon, Long, and Gordon)
Spaceheadz Book #1, 2010 (illustrated by Shane Prigmore)
Spaceheadz Book #2, 2010 (illustrated by Prigmore)
Spaceheadz Book #3, 2011 (illustrated by Prigmore)
Spaceheadz Book #4, 2013 (illustrated by Prigmore)
Battle Bunny, 2013 (illustrated by Matthew Myers)
Who Done It? Investigation of Murder Most Foul, 2013
Race from A to Z, 2014 (illustrated by Dani Jones)
Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor, 2014 (illustrated by Brian Biggs)
Frank Einstein and the Electro-Finger, 2015 (illustrated by Biggs)
Frank Einstein and the BrainTurbo, 2015 (illustrated by Biggs)
Frank Einstein and the EvoBlaster Belt, 2016 (illustrated by Biggs)
Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland, 2016 (illustrated by Mary Blair)
Frank Einstein and the Bio-Action Gizmo, 2017 (illustrated by Biggs)
The Real Dada Mother Goose: A Treasury of Complete Nonsense, 2022
Nonfiction:
Knucklehead, 2008 (juvenile)
Edited Text:
Guys Write for Guys Read: Boys' Favorite Authors Write about Being Boys!, 2005
Guys Read: Funny Business, 2010
Guys Read: Thriller, 2011
Guys Read: The Sports Pages, 2012
Guys Read: Other Worlds, 2013
Guys Read: True Stories, 2014
Terrifying Tales, 2015
Guys Read: Heroes & Villains, 2017
Bibliography
"About Jon Scieszka." Jon Scieszka Official Website, 2024, jonscieszka.com/author. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.
Bird, Elizabeth. “Top 100 Picture Books Poll Results.” School Library Journal, 6 July 2012, afuse8production.slj.com/2012/07/06/top-100-picture-books-poll-results/. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.
Carter, Betty. "Review of The Real Dada Mother Goose: A Treasury of Complete Nonsense." Horn Book, 8 Dec. 2022, www.hbook.com/story/review-of-the-real-dada-mother-goose-a-treasury-of-complete-nonsense-nov22. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.
Gilmore, Natasha. “Jon Scieszka: Reaching Out to Reluctant Readers.” Publishers Weekly, 10 Apr. 2015, www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/66217-jon-scieszka-reaching-out-to-reluctant-readers-children-s-institute-2015.html. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.
“‘Guys Read’: Encouraging Boys to Love Books.” NPR, 12 May 2005, www.npr.org/transcripts/4649807. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.
Vitale, Tom. “Jon Scieszka, A Seriously Funny ‘Knucklehead.’” NPR, 29 Nov. 2008, www.npr.org/transcripts/95104334?ft=nprml&f=137986810. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.