Marilyn Singer (1948-)

Marilyn Singer is an award-winning author of children's books in a wide variety of genres, including fiction and nonfiction picture books, juvenile novels and mysteries, young adult fantasies, and poetry. Among her many characters are a dog who insists he is not a dog, an armadillo, a young heart surgery patient, obsessive Lizzie Silver, Stryker the poltergeist, twin detectives named Sam and Dave—even a dog detective. Her ability to write for so many different audiences has won her awards in each area, from Children's Choice Awards to Edgar Award nominations for her mysteries, to awards for science titles, as well as Best Books for the Teen Age citations.

Singer began her writing career doing teaching guides on film and filmstrips, and, although she enjoyed the work for a while, she was not entirely satisfied. She also began looking into magazine writing. Her article proposals were not very successful, but she did manage to have some of her poetry published. The following year brought a major turning point in Singer's life. She was sitting in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden with a pad of paper and a pen in case she wanted to write a new poem, when she suddenly found herself writing a story instead. Upon seeing this first story, her husband encouraged her to write more, so Singer wrote a number of children's stories featuring animals and mailed them off to publishers. In the meantime, she joined a workshop for unpublished children's authors at Bank Street College and continued writing. Then one day she received a letter from Dutton, telling her that they wanted to publish one of her books—The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't. This was the beginning of Singer's new career.

In The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't Singer tells the story of Konrad, a dog who is absolutely positive that he is not a dog but a person instead. He is lucky enough to find Abigail, who convinces her family to go along with Konrad's whim and treat him as a human. Konrad sits at the table to eat, takes baths, and even goes to school. When the other dogs in the neighborhood decide that they too want to be treated like people, all chaos breaks loose. They are eventually convinced to go back to their carefree lives as dogs, and Konrad compromises by agreeing to pretend he's a dog. A reviewer for the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books praised Singer's portrayal of conversations between animals and humans and further observed that "the adult-child relationships are exemplary."

Singer often features dogs in her work, including the nonfiction book A Dog's Gotta Do What a Dog's Gotta Do: Dogs at Work and the poetry collection It's Hard to Read a Map with a Beagle on Your Lap. Chester the Out-of-Work Dog, one of Singer's most popular books, features a border collie who loses his job when he and his family move from their farm to the city. Writing in Booklist, Ilene Cooper claimed, "This picture book has it all—slapstick comedy, a touch of pathos, and an actual story with a beginning, a middle, and an end."

Singer's writing for younger children has also addressed a variety of people and places in the world. In the 1991 picture book Nine o'Clock Lullaby, her text explores what children around the world are doing at the time a child in Brooklyn is going to sleep. Complemented by the illustrations of Frané Lessac, the book provides a simple introduction to time zones and children of other cultures, as well as serving as a "rhythmic, pleasing lullaby," according to a Publishers Weekly critic. Patricia Dooley, writing in School Library Journal, praised the way Nine o'Clock Lullaby demonstrates "the connectedness of the inhabitants of our global village." Singer and Lessac again teamed up for On the Same Day in March, a picture-book look at weather in seventeen locations around the world. For each location, "Singer provides a few lines of lyrical text that vividly create the climate," noted Booklist reviewer Michael Cart, the critic concluding that the book "doubles as a delightfully agreeable introduction to both climatology and geography." Jody McCoy, writing in School Library Journal, called the same title a "useful and engaging addition." Singer and Lessac's more recent collaboration, Monday on the Mississippi, follows a trip down the fabled river from its source at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to the Gulf of Mexico.

Dramatically different picture books take young readers into the land of myth in The Golden Heart of Winter, an original folktale about three sons sent off to bring back a prize to their aging father. "The rich prose and haunting illustrations of this original story give it the texture of a folktale," wrote Miriam Martinez in Language Arts. In The Painted Fan readers are transported to ancient China where a cruel ruler destroys all the fans in the kingdom after a soothsayer tells him a painted fan will be his undoing. This is a story told with "simplicity and dignity," according to Carolyn Phelan in Booklist.

Medieval England and verse prove the inspiration for Maiden on the Moor, a story about two shepherd brothers who find a young maiden on a snowy moor. Donna L. Scanlon, reviewing the picture book in School Library Journal, felt the tale "is sure to spark imaginations as it transcends ordinary fairy-tale conventions." Scanlon also noted that Singer "knows how to distill words into images, and she conveys the bleak beauty of the setting with clarity and precision." Singer presents another original fairy tale in The Palace of the Ocean King, in which traditional roles are reversed: it is the maiden who must save the imprisoned young prince.

Young readers are also taken onto the bustling streets of multi-cultural Brooklyn in Didi and Daddy on the Promenade, which is about an eager preschooler and her father on a Sunday morning outing. The two spend time together and view such sights as the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty. Shelle Rosenfeld, writing in Booklist, commented that both young and adult readers will "recognize and enjoy Didi's humorous enthusiasm (and Daddy's good-natured participation) as the walk brings anticipated joys and unexpected surprises." Also set in Brooklyn is Block Party Today! in which Lola must get over her anger at being left out by her friends or she'll miss all the fun of the neighborhood gathering. "Both text and art beautifully catch the excitement of an event that transforms ho-hum surroundings into a playground," wrote Jennifer Mattson in her review for Booklist. Genevieve Gallagher in School Library Journal called the book "a fun choice for welcoming summer or for exploring friendships."

In addition to this rich collection of fiction picture books, Singer has also produced a wide array of nonfiction works for young readers. In Exotic Birds, she presents a "fact-filled but readable introduction" to the subject, according to Booklist contributor Leone McDermott. Ellen Dibner, reviewing the same title in School Library Journal, concluded that Exotic Birds is a "most satisfying book for browsing, general information, and exotic bird watching." Other flying creatures are dealt with in A Wasp Is Not a Bee and A Pair of Wings. Animal anatomy is the subject of the engaging and often humorous Bottoms Up!, a "cheerful book about behinds and their uses," according to Booklist reviewer Ilene Cooper. In Prairie Dogs Kiss and Lobsters Wave, Singer shows how animals greet one another. The book, according to Booklist contributor Hazel Rochman, is noteworthy for its "friendly, immediate text and active, colorful pictures."

Some of Singer's nonfiction titles came about because she was annoyed: "When I heard one too many folks call a wasp a 'bee,' a gorilla a 'monkey,' and even a heron a 'duck,' I got bugged enough to write A Wasp Is Not a Bee," she explained in an article for School Library Journal. "Then there was the time at the Prospect Park Zoo when a little boy asked his mom why baboons have such big red butts. Despite a series of placards explaining the reason for these simian endowments, the mother loudly replied, 'Because they're sick.' Instead of howling at her, I came up with Bottoms Up!: A Book about Rear Ends.

Of her several poetry books for young readers, Singer's personal favorite is the award-winning Turtle in July, "a lovely picture book of poetry that moves through the seasons," according to Janet Hickman in Language Arts. Nancy Vasilakis, reviewing Turtle in July for Horn Book, felt that Singer and illustrator Jerry Pinkney creates a "vivid picture book that is visually as well as auditorily pleasing," and that Singer, by using the first person, "captures the essence of each animal." Fireflies at Midnight has been called a companion title to Turtle in July by critics. Set over the course of a single day, Fireflies at Midnight features poems on the various animals who live near a pond, beginning with the robin who wakes earliest in the morning, stopping to visit a lordly frog, and continuing on until at midnight, the fireflies are encountered. "This book is well suited for storytime," advised Marge Loch-Wouters in School Library Journal. Booklist reviewer Gillian Engberg commented that "Singer clearly imagines the voices and personalities of familiar animals in exuberant lines." A Kirkus Reviews critic cited teh book for featuring "luminous poems that will stand the test of time."

With Meilo So as her illustrator, Singer has produced three inter-related poetry collections: Footprints on the Roof: Poems about Earth, How to Cross a Pond: Poems about Water, and Central Heating: Poems about Fire and Warmth. Footprints on the Roof features nineteen poems dealing with various topics about the Earth, from volcanoes and mud to burrows and trees. Though the illustrations make the collection accessible for a younger audience, Gillian Engberg in her Booklist review recommended the title to "middle-school and teen writers," and Kathleen Whalin called it "a welcome addition to nature-poetry collections." How to Cross a Pond focuses on watery topics ranging from oceans to tears, discussing how dearly water was valued when it was hard to get in poems such as "Wells." Hazel Rochman reviewed the collection for Booklist, wrote that, "never pretentious, she celebrates the physical joy of splashing . . . as well as the wonder of the rain forest." Central Heating: Poems about Fire and Warmth covers birthday candles, marshmallow roasts, and a fire that destroys an old, abandoned house. "Its engaging design will surely entice readers to open and read," noted a contributor to Kirkus Reviews.

Unlike her more environmentally based collections, the poetry book Creature Carnival covers animals that are anything but natural. Featuring monsters and other creatures from myth, legend, and popular movies, Singer introduces new readers to famous monsters such as the Pegasus of Greek mythology and Godzilla of monster-movie fame. "The poems will bring appreciative smiles from readers who know the stories," promised Kathleen Whalin in School Library Journal, noting that unfamiliar readers can use a glossary in the back of the book to identify each monster. Gillian Engberg of Booklist felt that even with the glossary, some references "may fly over kids' heads." Engberg concluded, however, that the book as a whole is "a playful collection of shivery delights." A Kirkus Reviews critic praised, "This attention-getting menagerie will have readers and listeners sitting on the edges—and probably falling out—of their seats." Creature Carnival was named a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award honor book in 2005.

Singer's first middle-grade novel, It Can't Hurt Forever, recounts a trauma Singer experienced as a child. In this fictionalized version of her experience, Ellie Simon is to enter the hospital for the same corrective heart surgery Singer had. Unlike Singer, however, Ellie is told what is going to happen to her, with the exception of the catheterization she must undergo. When she learns about it, she argues with the doctors and her parents, just as Singer wished she had done. Singer "provides an honest and thorough look at pre- and postoperative care and at the concerns of a girl facing a major trauma," pointed out Karen Harris in School Library Journal. A Kirkus Reviews contributor concluded that It Can't Hurt Forever is "sharp, fast, funny, genuinely serious, and helpfully informative."

Among her other early works for middle-grade children are two novels about the obsessions of a young girl named Lizzie Silver. Tarantulas on the Brain has ten-year-old Lizzie doing everything she can to earn enough money to buy a pet tarantula. She tries having a junk sale and even works as a magician's assistant to get the necessary money, lying to her mother about what she is doing. In the end, her secret desire and activities are discovered and everyone is much more sympathetic than Lizzie imagined they would be. The pace of Tarantulas on the Brain "is fast and exciting; the characters are sufficiently quirky to keep the readers engrossed and narrator Lizzie Silver, 10, wins their affections," asserted a Publishers Weekly reviewer. In the sequel to Tarantulas on the Brain, Lizzie Silver of Sherwood Forest, Lizzie's new preoccupations include her desires to be one of Robin Hood's merry followers and to learn how to play the harp so she can attend the same music school as her best friend. Lizzie Silver of Sherwood Forest is a "funny, touching sequel," stated another Publishers Weekly contributor, adding: "This is an adroitly balanced and enjoyable tale about a naive and eager girl."

Singer has also produced a fantasy novel for younger readers, Charmed. Miranda, a twelve year old with an active imagination, travels to worlds around the galaxy in a quest to collect the "Correct Combination"—a group of characters who must unite to destroy an evil being known as the Charmer. Besides Miranda and the humanoid named Iron Dog, the group includes Bastable, Miranda's invisible feline friend, Rattus, a clever rodent, and the wise cobra-goddess, Naja the Ever-Changing. The fact that the characters manage to work together even though some of them represent animals that are natural enemies was appreciated by Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Jennifer Langlois, who stated that the book's plot is "a good way to show young people that just because someone is different doesn't mean they are bad." Sally Estes declared in Booklist that in Charmed "the various worlds created by Singer are fascinating," and School Library Journal reviewer Susan L. Rogers lauded the fantasy's "somewhat surprising and quite satisfying conclusion."

Other middle-grade and juvenile novels by Singer include Twenty Ways to Lose Your Best Friend, California Demon, Big Wheel, Josie to the Rescue, and The Circus Lunicus. Rosie Rivera opens up the wrong bottle in her mother's magic shop and unleashes a genie in California Demon, a book in which "humor keeps the story buoyant, magic gives it sparkle," according to Kathryn Jennings in Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. Wheel Wiggins, a leader of a gang, is trying to organize a Fourth of July Carnival, but is running into problems from a rival in Big Wheel, a "surefire story from a popular author," as a writer for Kirkus Reviews noted.

More magic and fantasy is served up in The Circus Lunicus when young Solly's toy lizard turns into a fairy godmother and helps him to learn some home truths about himself, his supposedly dead mother, and his evil stepmother and siblings. "This loony, fast-paced mystery-fantasy . . . is full of surprises and clever plot twists," observed Cart in Booklist, "and it's as much fun as a three-ring circus." A Kirkus Reviews critic described The Circus Lunicus as "luminous and humorous."

Mysteries and young adult fantasy novels are also among Singer's writings. The "Sam and Dave" series stars a pair of twins who solve mysteries, some set in school, some further afield. A Clue in Code has the detectives in search of the thief who stole the class trip money. There is an obvious suspect who insists he is innocent, so Sam and Dave embark on an investigation. "Singer's ability to subtly incorporate the necessary facts of the case into the narrative demonstrates her respect for young readers eager for satisfying mysteries they can solve on their own," pointed out a Booklist reviewer.

Elements of the supernatural are introduced into Singer's young adult novel Ghost Host. Bart Hawkins seems to have an ideal life—he is the quarterback of the high school football team and dates Lisa, the captain of the cheerleading squad. He secretly loves to read, though, and fears that if this gets out he will be labeled a nerd. When he discovers that his new house is haunted by Stryker, a nasty poltergeist, his life is thrown into chaos and he must enlist the help of a friendly ghost and the class brain to pacify Stryker. "Ghost Host is above all else fun to read," maintained Randy Brough in Voice of Youth Advocates. "Singer's deft introduction of the supernatural into the world of a high school junior, his family, and friends creates headaches for everyone, ghosts included."

Ghosts are also at the center of the 1997 title Deal with a Ghost in which fifteen-year-old Delia thinks she is terribly sophisticated until she comes face to face with a ghost who knows her name. Booklist critic Chris Sherman described this novel as "fast-paced" and "engrossing."

Singer has written several other books for young adult readers, including The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth, which deals with the difficulties encountered by Becky and Nemi, a girl and boy who, during the production of a high-school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, find that their friendship is changing from one of childhood buddies to something more sexually charged. "Singer neatly uses Shakespeare's comedic mix-up as a foil for the tangled web woven by her teenage protagonists," noted Estes in a Booklist review of the novel. Highlighting Singer's writing style, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Book reviewer Zena Sutherland found much merit in The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth, noting that "the minor characters are sharply defined [and] the familial relations are strongly drawn, with perceptive treatment of the dynamics of the acting group and especially of its gay members."

In Several Kinds of Silence Singer tackles the theme of prejudice when young Franny falls in love with a Japanese boy, and in Storm Rising the author tells an intergenerational tale of lonely Storm, who finds comfort with an older woman who possesses unusual powers.

Additionally, Singer has edited volumes of short stories for young adult readers, including Stay True: Short Stories for Young Girls and I Believe in Water: Twelve Brushes with Religion. She followed these collections with Face Relations: Eleven Stories about Seeing Beyond Color, the proceeds from which were donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance project. The stories, by well-known authors including M. E. Kerr, Rita Williams-Garcia, Jess Mowry, and Naomi Shihab Nye, all deal with characters striving to overcome racial differences to build a relationship with another character. Though commenting that some pieces in the collection are stronger than others, a critic for Kirkus Reviews commented that the best stories "will engage teens point blank, though all will be appreciated in a classroom setting." Kathleen Isaacs in her School Library Journal review also commented on the educational value, noting that the stories "raise questions that could lead to good classroom discussion." A Publishers Weekly reviewer noted that the stories offer "upbeat conclusions and an even balance of funny and sad moments" concluding that the collection is "as much about appreciating color as it is about looking beyond it."

According to an essayist for St. James Guide to Young Adult Writers, "Singer's stories include such a variety of genres—mysteries, medical tales, romances, fantasies, as well as picture books for children—one doesn't know what she is going to write next. Every young adult knows, however, that whatever Singer writes for them will be enjoyable, entertaining reading." When discussing why she writes in an article for School Library Journal, Singer explained that she was enchanted by words as a child, "and I still am. And what better to do with such enchantment than to bring the magic to others, children in particular, by becoming a writer?"