Josepha Sherman Biography

Born in New York, NY; Education: Hunter College of the City University of New York, B.A., M.A.

Addresses

Office—Sherman Editorial Services, 500 E. 85th St., Suite 11F, New York, NY 10028.

Career

Writer, editor, and folklorist.

Member

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Authors Guild, American Folklore Society, Sierra Club.

Honors Awards

Compton Crook Award, 1990; Nebula Award nominee, 1991; Best Book citation, American Library Association, 1993, for Child of Faerie, Child of Earth.

Writings

JUVENILE NOVELS

The Invisibility Factor, Ballantine, 1986.

The Crystal of Doom, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1986.

(Reteller) Vassilisa the Wise: A Tale of Medieval Russia, illustrated by Daniel San Souci, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1988.

Gleaming Bright, Walker (New York, NY), 1994.

Orphans of the Night, Walker (New York, NY), 1995.

Vulcan's Forge (based on the Star Trek television series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Vulcan's Heart (based on the Star Trek television series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Deep Water, Pocket Pulse (New York, NY), 2000.

Vulcan's Soul. Book 1, Exodus (based on the Star Trek television series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Through the Looking Glass (based on the television series Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda ), Tor (New York, NY), 2005.

FANTASY NOVELS

Song of the Dark Druid, (interactive novel), TSR, 1987.

Secret of the Unicorn Queen, Book 1: Swept Away!, Fawcett (New York, NY), 1988, reprinted, Ballantine (New York, NY), 2004.

Secret of the Unicorn Queen, Book 5: Sorcery of the Dark Gods, Fawcett (New York, NY), 1989.

The Shining Falcon, Avon (New York, NY), 1989.

The Horse of Flame, Avon (New York, NY), 1990.

Child of Faerie, Child of Earth, Walker (New York, NY), 1992.

(With Mercedes Lackey) Castle of Deception, Baen Books (New York, NY), 1992.

A Strange and Ancient Name, Baen Books (New York, NY), 1993.

Windleaf, Walker (New York, NY), 1993.

The Chaos Gate, Baen Books (New York, NY), 1993.

Gleaming Bright, Walker (New York, NY), 1993.

(With Mercedes Lackey) A Cast of Corbies, Baen Books (New York, NY), 1993.

OTHER

Indian Tribes of North America, Portland House, 1990.

Once upon a Galaxy: Folktales, Fantasy, and Science Fiction, August House (Little Rock, AR), 1994.

The First American: Spirit of the Land and the People, Smithmark (New York, NY), 1996.

Xena: All I Need to Know I Learned from the Warrior Princess, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Puerto Rico, Benchmark Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Welcome to the Rodeo!, Heinemann Library (Chicago, IL), 2000.

Tricks and Optical Illusions Experiment Log, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2000.

Steer Wrestling, Heinemann Library (Chicago, IL), 2000.

Ropers and Riders, Heinemann Library (Chicago, IL), 2000.

Bull Riding, Heinemann Library (Chicago, IL), 2000.

Bronc Riding, Heinemann Library (Chicago, IL), 2000.

Bill Gates: Computer King, Millbrook Press (Brookfield, CT), 2000.

Barrel Racing, Heinemann Library (Chicago, IL), 2000.

Venus Williams, Heinemann Library (Chicago, IL), 2001.

Terrell Davis, Heinemann Library (Chicago, IL), 2001.

Stone Cold Steve Austin, Heinemann Library (Chicago, IL), 2001.

Jerry Yang and David Filo: Chief Yahoos of Yahoo!, Twenty-first Century Books (Brookfield, CT), 2001.

Jeff Gordon, Heinemann Library (Chicago, IL), 2001.

Jeff Bezos: King of Amazon, Twenty-first Century Books (Brookfield, CT), 2001.

Competitive Soccer for Girls, Rosen (New York, NY), 2001.

The Upper Limbs: Learning How We Use Our Arms, Elbows, Forearms, and Hands, Rosen (New York, NY), 2002.

The Ear: Learning How We Hear, Rosen (New York, NY), 2002.

Samuel de Champlain, Explorer of the Great Lakes Region and Founder of Quebec, Rosen (New York, NY), 2003.

Internet Safety, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2003.

The History of the Personal Computer, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2003.

The History of the Internet, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2003.

Henry Hudson: English Explorer of the Northwest Passage, Rosen (New York, NY), 2003.

Deep Space Observation Satellites, Rosen (New York, NY), 2003.

Nature's Fireworks: A Book about Lightening, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2004.

Hydroelectric Power, Capstone Press (Mankato, MN), 2004.

Gusts and Gales: A Book about Wind, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2004.

Geothermal Power, Capstone Press (Mankato, MN), 2004.

Fossil Fuel Power, Capstone Press (Mankato, MN), 2004.

Flakes and Flurries: A Book about Snow, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2004.

The Constitution, Rosen (New York, NY), 2004.

The Cold War, Lerner Publications (Minneapolis, MN), 2004.

The War against Germs, Rosen (New York, NY), 2004.

Sunshine: A Book about Sunlight, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2004.

Splish, Splash!: A Book about Rain, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2004.

Solar Power, Capstone Press (Mankato, MN), 2004.

Shapes in the Sky: A Book about Clouds, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2004.

Nuclear Power, Capstone Press (Mankato, MN), 2004.

Your Travel Guide to Ancient Israel, Lerner Publications (Minneapolis, MN), 2004.

Your Travel Guide to Ancient China, Lerner Publications (Minneapolis, MN), 2004.

Wind Power, Capstone Press (Mankato, MN), 2004.

J. J. Thomson and the Discovery of Electrons, Mitchell Lane Publishers (Hockessin, DE), 2005.

How Do We Know the Nature of Time?, Rosen (New York, NY), 2005.

How Do We Know the Nature of the Cell?, Rosen (New York, NY), 2005.

Henry Cavendish and the Discovery of Hydrogen, Mitchell Lane Publishers (Hockessin, DE), 2005.

Exploring the North Pole: The Story of Robert Edwin Peary and Matthew Henson, Mitchell Lane Publishers (Hockessin, DE), 2005.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Mitchell Lane Publishers (Hockenssin, DE), 2005.

Charles Babbage, Mitchell Lane Publishers (Newark, DE), 2005.

Barbara Park, Mitchell Lane Publishers (Hockessin, DE), 2005.

Syd Hoff, Mitchell Lane Publishers (Hockessin, DE), 2005.

The Story of Harley-Davidson, Mitchell Lane Publishers (Hockessin, DE), 2005.

Shaquille O'Neal, Mitchell Lane Publishers (Hockessin, DE), 2005.

Queen Lydia Liliuokalani, Last Ruler of Hawaii, Carolrhoda Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2005.

Pearl Harbor and the Story of World War II, Mitchell Lane Publishers (Hockessin, DE), 2005.

Mark Twain, Mitchell Lane Publishers (Hockessin, DE), 2005.

Johnny Gruelle, Mitchell Lane Publishers (Hockessin, DE), 2005.

Also author of "The Space Sorcerers," an episode for the television series Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers. Contributor of numerous short stories to anthologies, including Sword and Sorceress IV, DAW Books, 1987; Vampires, HarperCollins, 1991; Horse Fantastic, DAW, 1991; and Sisters in Fantasy, New American Library, 1993. Also contributor to periodicals, including Cricket, Children's Digest, Jack and Jill, Highlights for Children, and Dragon. Consulting editor for Baen Books; field editor for Walker & Company.

ANTHOLOGIES

(Reteller) A Sampler of Jewish-American Folklore, August House, 1992.

(Reteller) Rachel the Clever and Other Jewish Folktales, August House (Little Rock, AK), 1993.

(Reteller) Told Tales: Nine Folktales from around the World, Silver Moon Press (New York, NY), 1995.

(Editor) Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts: The Subversive Folklore of Childhood, August House (Little Rock, AR), 1995.

(Reteller) Trickster Tales: Forty Folk Stories from around the World, illustrated by David Boston, August House (Little Rock, AR), 1996.

(Reteller) Merlin's Kin: World Tales of the Hero Magician, August House (Little Rock, AR), 1998.

(Reteller) Mythology for Storytellers: Themes and Tales from around the World, Sharpe Reference (Armonk, NY), 2003.

(Reteller) Magic Hoofbeats: Horse Tales from Many Lands, illustrated by Linda Wingerter, Barefoot Books (Cambridge, MA), 2004.

(Editor with Tamora Pierce) Young Warriors, Random House (New York, NY), 2005.

Adaptations

Vulcan's Soul, Book 1: Exodus was adapted as an audio recording, Simon & Schuster Audio, 2004.

Sidelights

Josepha Sherman is a prolific writer whose works for children span a number of genres. In addition to creating folklore anthologies and fantasy novels for older readers, Sherman has produced a long list of nonfiction works, including biographies of sports stars, business leaders, and famous explorers as well as books on a variety of other topics. As Sherman once told Something about the Author: "I've led the usual checkered life of a writer, having been everything from an archaeologist to a scientific book indexer, and am right now a writer/ editor/folklorist. Like many a fantasy writer, I came under the influence of J. R. R. Tolkien at an early age. But it was his essay 'On Fairy-Stories' that turned me on to the fascinating world that is comparative folklore. Many of my books and stories reflect my love of folklore."

One of Sherman's books inspired by folklore is Vassilisa the Wise: A Tale of Medieval Russia, a retelling of a twelfth-century Russian legend. The main character, Vassilisa, is, like most storybook heroines, very intelligent; she is also the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. Her proud husband foolishly boasts about his wife in front of royalty, claiming that Vassilia is lovelier than the princess and smarter than the prince; not surprisingly, he soon finds himself imprisoned in the royal dungeon. When Vassilisa learns that the prince now intends to abduct her, she cuts off her beautiful blonde hair, disguises herself as a man, and sets about to rescue her husband. Woven into the plot are three seemingly impossible tasks which the clever Vassilisa must accomplish during her quest. Washington Post Book World contributor Michael Dirda dubbed Vassilisa the Wise a "fine" retelling of the eastern European tale.

Sherman's volumes of collected folk tales include Magic Hoofbeats: Horse Tales from Many Lands and Merlin's Kin: World Tales of the Hero Magician both of which draw on her interest in fantasy. Magic Hoofbeats, which collects eight tales about talking horses, was praised by School Library Journal contributor Susan Hepler as a "rich combination of scholarly … historical information and well-told story." Sherman's Mythology for Storytellers: Themes and Tales from around the World takes a broad look at mythology as it has evolved within several cultures around the world. Sherman discusses the origins of myth, explaining that some form of mythology is woven into the cultural fabric of every human society on Earth. Ellen M. J. Keane, writing in Reference & User Services Quarterly, called Sherman's work a "handy reference tool," while Judy Sokoll wrote in School Library Journal that for storytellers who wish to "promote greater understanding" of a variety of cultures, Mythology for Storytellers will provide them with a "fascinating, demanding, and well-researched" resource.