Gary Blackwood
  After spending most of his life in various parts of the United States, Gary immigrated to Canada several years ago. He lives on three acres of woods outside Tatamagouche.
At sixteen, Gary got his first encouraging letter from an editor and
sold his first story at nineteen. After this promising start, he produced
a seemingly endless string of unpublished books and collected a prodigious
quantity of discouraging letters from editors. Finally, in 1987, Atheneum
published his juvenile novel, Wild Timothy, followed by The
Dying Sun and Beyond the Door. Then his editor was fired.
Seven long years later--during which time he worked for The Institute
of Children's Literature, teaching others how to write and not sell
their work--the publication of The Shakespeare Stealer resurrected
his writing career, which has been going strong ever since. His work
covers the whole spectrum of kids' books, from picture books to young
adult, both fiction and nonfiction. Any time that's left over he devotes
to writing plays for adults and young audiences. His adaptation of The
Shakespeare Stealer has been produced many times in the U.S. in
such venues as the Kennedy Center and Seattle Children's Theatre.
Photo credit: Susan Sellers
Selected List of Publications
|
Mysterious Messages: A History of Codes and Ciphers. Dutton, 2009. ISBN 978-0525479604
The Great Race: The Amazing Round-the-World Auto Race of 1908.
Abrams Books, 2008.
ISBN 978-0810994898
"Blackwood presents an extremely well-researched and detailed account of this large-scale publicity stunt . . . There’s enough sheer adventure here, carried out by some eccentric characters, to attract almost every reader." - Booklist 
The
Just-So Woman.
HarperCollins, 2006. ISBN 0-060-57727-4.
An I Can Read book, level 3. Illustrated by Jane Manning.
"With a mix
of mayhem and hands-on facts about daily work, this I Can Read! book tells
a lively story ... Manning's colorful cartoon-style pictures show the silly slapstick
mess close-up."
--Booklist |
Second Sight. Dutton, 2005. ISBN 0-525-47481-1.
"Brilliantly
re-envisioned history . . . set in brawling, bustling Civil War Washington."
--Kirkus Reviews
"An absorbing tale of espionage, conspiracy, and political intrigue . . . a well-researched
engrossing story grounded in historical detail."
--School Library Journal |
| Unsolved History. Benchmark, 2005. ISBN 0-7614-1891-1,2,3,4.
Four volume nonfiction series: Debatable Deaths, Enigmatic Events, Perplexing People,
Legends or Lies?
"Expecting just another set of flashy collections of tidbits about lingering
mysteries of the past? These titles offer more substance than most."
--School Library Journal
   
|
The Year of the Hangman. Dutton, 2002. ALA Best Books for Young Adults, School
Library Journal's Best Books, Junior Library Guild selection, Recorded Books.
"I love this premise! It's 1777. The British have won (what we now call) the Revolutionary
War. George Washington, captured during a battle, awaits hanging for treason. Ben and
Tom (Franklin and Jefferson) are chillin' in The Big Easy--still trying to stir up trouble.
. . . Filled with action, intrigue, suspense, and 'what-if's' galore."
--Richie's Picks
www.theyearofthehangman.blogspot.com
(A site created by a high school teacher, with study questions and readers' comments about
the book) |
The Shakespeare Stealer. Dutton, 1998. ISBN (paperback) 0-14-130595-9.
Junior Library Guild selection, School Library Journal's Best Books, ALA Notable and Best
Books for Young Adults, Scholastic Book Club, Recorded Books. Foreign editions: UK, Japan,
Korea, China, Germany.
www.ctccharlotte.org/Shakespeare%20Stealer%20SG.pdf
(A Teacher's Resource Guide to the play and book) |
Shakespeare's Scribe. Dutton, 2000. ISBN (paperback) 0-14-230066-7.
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Scholastic Book Club. |
Shakespeare's Spy. Dutton, 2003. ISBN (paperback) 0-14-240311-3. Scholastic Book
Club.
"Wry humor, cliffhanger chapter endings, and a plucky protagonist make this a
fitting introduction to Shakespeare's world."
--Horn Book
"The skilled synthesis of historical details, believable characters, and exciting
plot lines creates a story that is satisfying both as historical fiction and mystery."
--VOYA
"Rich language and descriptions of places, along with many details of actions, contribute
to a setting that goes deeper than costumes and props to genuinely reach back into the
reality of another place, another time."
--Booklist |
Selected List of Plays
The Shakespeare Stealer, stage adaptation. Kennedy Center,
2002; Seattle Children's Theatre, Emerson College, 2003; First Stage,
Milwakuee, 2005; Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Nashville Children's
Theatre, Vittum Theatre, Chicago, 2006.
Fateville. Winner Dayton, OH, FutureFest, 2003.
The Count of One. Sunset Center Theatre, Carmel, CA, 2001. Winner Festival of Firsts.
Dark Horse. Ferndale (CA) Repertory, 1993. Winner Ferndale Rep's playwriting competition.
www.singlelane.com/proplay
(Click on author or title and you can read the first act of Dark Horse and The
Count of One)
Ethan Frome, stage adapation. Published Baker's Plays.
You can send mail to Gary Blackwood
c/o Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia
or emil him at gblackwood@hotmail.com |
