Newbery Medal (John Newbery Medal)
1 appearances
-
Edition 68 (1989) Winner
Paul Fleischman
ポール・フライシュマン
Pōru Furaishuman
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- null （Monterey, California, U.S.）
- Died
- null
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Born in Monterey, raised in Santa Monica, California → Lived in a 200-year-old house in New Hampshire in young adulthood
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Playwright
- Active Years
- 1979-2025
- Influenced By
- Sid Fleischman (father)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Berkeley | — | — | — | — | United States |
| University of New Mexico | — | — | — | — | United States |
University of California, Berkeley
Country:
United States
Attended (details unknown)
University of New Mexico
Country:
United States
Attended (details unknown)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Newbery Medal | Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices | — | American Library Association (Association for Library Service to Children) | Winner |
| 1983 | Newbery Honor | Graven Images | — | American Library Association (Association for Library Service to Children) | Honor |
| 1994 | Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction | Bull Run | — | Scott O'Dell Award | Winner |
| 2002 | California Young Reader Medal | Weslandia | — | California readers organization | Winner |
| 1989 | Boston Globe–Horn Book Award | Joyful Noise | — | Boston Globe / The Horn Book Magazine | Honor |
| 2010 | PEN Center USA Literary Award | The Dunderheads | — | PEN Center USA | Winner |
| 2013 | Christopher Award | The Matchbox Diary | — | Christopher Awards | Winner |
| 2014 | Green Earth Book Award | Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines | — | The Nature Generation | Winner |
| 2014 | Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award | Eyes Wide Open | — | Sigurd Olson Award organization | Winner |
| 2012 | Hans Christian Andersen Award (U.S. nominee) | — | — | International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) | Nominee |
| 2005 | Leo Politi Golden Author Award | — | — | California Readers | Winner |
| 2014 | Horace Mann Upstanders Lifetime Achievement Award | — | — | Antioch University | Winner |
Newbery Medal
1989
Work:
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
Organization:
American Library Association (Association for Library Service to Children)
Result:
Winner
Newbery Honor
1983
Work:
Graven Images
Organization:
American Library Association (Association for Library Service to Children)
Result:
Honor
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
1994
Work:
Bull Run
Organization:
Scott O'Dell Award
Result:
Winner
California Young Reader Medal
2002
Work:
Weslandia
Organization:
California readers organization
Result:
Winner
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
1989
Work:
Joyful Noise
Organization:
Boston Globe / The Horn Book Magazine
Result:
Honor
PEN Center USA Literary Award
2010
Work:
The Dunderheads
Organization:
PEN Center USA
Result:
Winner
Christopher Award
2013
Work:
The Matchbox Diary
Organization:
Christopher Awards
Result:
Winner
Green Earth Book Award
2014
Work:
Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines
Organization:
The Nature Generation
Result:
Winner
Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award
2014
Work:
Eyes Wide Open
Organization:
Sigurd Olson Award organization
Result:
Winner
Hans Christian Andersen Award (U.S. nominee)
2012
Organization:
International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY)
Result:
Nominee
Leo Politi Golden Author Award
2005
Organization:
California Readers
Result:
Winner
Horace Mann Upstanders Lifetime Achievement Award
2014
Organization:
Antioch University
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Jane Addams Children's Book Award
1 appearances
Works
Major Works
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
1988 Poetry (Children's)A collection of poems written to be read by two voices, emphasizing rhythm and call-and-response.
MusicalityCollaborative performance
Graven Images
1982 Short story collection (Children's)A collection of short stories; received a Newbery Honor in the 1980s.
Human relationshipsImagination
Bull Run
1993 Historical fiction (Children's)A multi-viewpoint historical novel set around the American Civil War; won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.
HistoryMultiple viewpoints
Seedfolks
1997 Young adult / Children's novelA multi-character novel about community transformation; short chapters by different residents form a connected whole.
CommunityDiversity
Weslandia
1999 Children's picture bookA humorous picture book about a boy who invents his own civilization; winner of the California Young Reader Medal.
CreativityOriginality
Bibliography
- The Birthday Tree
- The Animal Hedge
- Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
- Graven Images
- Bull Run
- Seedfolks
- Weslandia
- The Dunderheads
- The Matchbox Diary
- Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Multi-viewpoint narrationPoetic, performance-oriented rhythm (so-called 'chamber music' for voices)Short-chapter and dialogic constructions
- Recurring Motifs
- History and past narrativesCommunity and collaborative actionMusicality and rhythm
Legacy
Paul Fleischman is highly regarded for his use of multi-voiced narratives and performative poetry in children's literature. A Newbery Medal winner among many honors, he is considered a prominent American children's author.
Academic Societies
- Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (associated honors)
Archives
- Library of Congress catalog records
Trivia
- His father, Sid Fleischman, also won the Newbery Medal — a rare father-and-son occurrence.
- Began publishing while in college; previously worked as a bagel baker, library shelver, bookstore clerk, and proofreader.
- Known for 'chamber music' poems for two or more voices (e.g., Joyful Noise).