Mark Siegel Explained

Nationality:	American & French
Notable Works:	"5 Worlds" "Sailor Twain, or the Mermaid in the Hudson" "To Dance" "Tiny Dancer" "Oskar and the Eight Blessings" "Long Night Moon"
Editor:	y
Artist:	y
Birth Place:	Ann Arbor, Michigan
Website:	marksiegelbooks.com

Mark Siegel (born June 2, 1967 in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is known both as an author, illustrator, and as the editorial director of First Second Books, a Macmillan imprint which publishes graphic novels for all ages.^[1] He grew up in France until the age of 18, after which he moved back to the United States where he presently lives.

Career

Published works

His books in print to date include Seadogs, An Epic Ocean Operetta (on a script by children's author Lisa Wheeler),^[2] Long Night Moon (on a script by author Cynthia Rylant),^[3] To Dance (on a script by his wife Siena Cherson Siegel),^[4] Moving House,^[5] his first picture book as author and illustrator.

He also illustrated Oskar and the Eight Blessings (on a script by Tanya and Richard Simon),^[6] winner of the 2015 National Jewish Book Award for Children's Literature;^[7] and How to Read a Story^[8] (on a script by Kate Messner.)

Siegel is the author of the graphic novel for adults Sailor Twain, or the Mermaid in the Hudson (2012), which was serialized online starting in 2010, a New York Times Bestseller.^[9] A 10th Anniversary edition of Sailor Twain^[10] was published in 2022, in a larger format and with additional back matter on the making of the work.

In 2017, Siegel launched the 5 Worlds graphic novel series,^[11] a five-volume science fiction story co-written with his brother Alexis Siegel, and illustrated with Matt Rockefeller, Xanthe Bouma, and Boya Sun.

• Book one: The Sand Warrior (2017)^[12]
• Book two: The Cobalt Prince (2018)^[13]
• Book three: The Red Maze (2019)^[14]
• Book four: The Amber Anthem (2020)^[15]
• Book five: The Emerald Gate (2022)^[16]

In 2020, he and Kate Messner released a sequel to their picture book How to Read a Story, called How to Write a Story.^[17]

In 2022, another collaboration with his wife Siena Cherson Siegel came out, the graphic novel memoir for young adults Tiny Dancer^[18] .

First Second Books, graphic novel publisher

Siegel is also the founder and Editorial & Creative Director of First Second Books, a Macmillan publisher of graphic novels for all ages. First Second publishes works by many acclaimed authors and artists, including Ben Hatke,^[19] Gene Luen Yang,^[20] Jillian Tamaki,^[21] Vera Brosgol, Jen Wang, Shannon Hale, LeUyen Pham, and the legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki.^[22]

In 2006, First Second published American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang,^[1] the first graphic novel ever nominated for a National Book Award,^[23] and the first ever to win the American Library Association's Edward L. Printz Award.^{[24] [25]}

In 2015, First Second published This One Summer by the cousins Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, the first book in any format ever nominated as a finalist for both the American Library Association's Randolph Caldecott Award, and the American Library Association's Edward L. Printz Award.^[26]

Some of First Second's biggest hits include The Adventure Zone graphic novel series, the InvestiGators series, and the Real Friends trilogy. First Second also publishes graphic non-fiction for young readers including the Science Comics and History Comics collections, and for adults, including the World Citizen Comics, a line of civics graphic books, and biographical works such as The Accidental Czar.

Lectures and workshops

Siegel has given lectures and workshops around North America, for authors, artists, librarians, students, executives in many venues, at trade shows, companies, Comic Cons, and animation studios, including Blue Sky, DreamWorks, Disney, and Pixar.^[27]

Awards

• In 2006, Siegel won the Texas Bluebonnet Award for Seadogs, An Epic Ocean Operetta, written by Lisa Wheeler.^[28]
• In 2007, Siegel and his wife, Siena Cherson Siegel, won a Sibert Honor for To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel.^[29]
• In 2015, Siegel and co-authors Tanya and Richard Simon won the Jewish National Book Award for Oskar and the Eight Blessings.
• In 2017, the New York Public Library selected 5 Worlds: The Sand Warrior in its Top Ten Best Books for Kids of 2017.^[30]

External links

• Author website.
• Mark Siegel live illustration session on The New York Times.
• Review of 5 Worlds, book 1, The Sand Warrior in The New York Times Book Review
• BeeLocal interview with Mark Siegel and Siena Cherson Siegel

Notes and References

1. Web site: It's Time for First Second. Publishers Weekly. February 8, 2020.
2. Book: Seadogs, An Epic Ocean Operetta (review). Publishers Weekly. 978-0-689-85689-1. Wheeler. Lisa. February 2004. Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books .
3. Book: Long Night Moon (Review). 978-0-689-85426-2. Rylant. Cynthia. December 2004. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers .
4. Book: To Dance, A Ballerina's Graphic Novel (Review). 978-0-689-86747-7. Siegel. Siena Cherson. October 2006. Simon and Schuster .
5. Book: Children's Book Review: Moving House. September 1, 2011. Publishers Weekly. 978-1-59643-635-0 . Siegel . Mark . Macmillan .
6. Book: Oskar and the Eight Blessings (Review). MacMillan Press. 9781596439498. Simon. Richard. Simon. Tanya. September 8, 2015. Macmillan .
7. Web site: Past Winners Jewish Book Council. www.jewishbookcouncil.org. February 8, 2020.
8. Web site: How to Read a Story . 2022-10-16 . Chronicle Books . en.
9. News: Hardcover Graphic Books – Best Sellers. November 4, 2012. The New York Times. February 8, 2020. 0362-4331.
10. Web site: Sailor Twain Or: The Mermaid in the Hudson, 10th Anniversary Edition . 2022-10-16 . Macmillan . en-US.
11. Book: 5 Worlds Book 1: The Sand Warrior by Mark Siegel, Alexis Siegel. 2017. Penguin Random House. 9781101935866.
12. Book: 5 Worlds Book 1: The Sand Warrior. Siegel, Mark. Siegel, Alexis. May 2, 2017. Penguin Random house. Random House Children's Books . 9781101935866.
13. Book: 5 Worlds Book 2: The Cobalt Prince. Siegel, Mark. Siegel, Alexis. May 8, 2018. Penguin Random house. Random House Children's Books . 9781101935897.
14. Book: 5 Worlds Book 3: The Red Maze. Siegel, Mark. Siegel, Alexis. May 7, 2019. Penguin Random House. 9781101935927.
15. Book: 5 Worlds Book 4: The Amber Anthem. Siegel, Mark. Siegel, Alexis. May 12, 2020. Penguin Random house. 9780593120552.
16. Book: 5 Worlds Book 5: The Emerald Gate. Siegel, Mark. Siegel, Alexis. January 18, 2022. Penguin Random house. 9780593120606.
17. Web site: How to Write a Story . 2022-10-16 . Chronicle Books . en.
18. Book: Tiny Dancer . 2021-11-02 . 978-1-4814-8666-8 . en . Siegel . Siena Cherson . Simon and Schuster .
19. Web site: 01 Creators. Bauer, Caitlin. First Second Books. February 8, 2020.
20. Web site: 01 Creators. Bauer, Caitlin. First Second Books. February 8, 2020.
21. Web site: This One Summer (Review). McMillan Publishing. February 8, 2020.
22. Web site: September 13 . Christian Holub . EDT . 2022 at 12:00 PM . See how Hayao Miyazaki's graphic novel 'Shuna's Journey' foreshadowed his classic films . 2022-10-16 . EW.com . en.
23. Web site: MacDonald . Heidi . 2007-01-23 . Syndicated Comics . 2022-10-16 . The Beat . en-US.
24. YALSA, Michael L. Printz Winners and Honor Books.
25. George Gene Gustines, Library of Congress Anoints Graphic Novelist as Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, The New York Times, January 4, 2016.
26. News: CALDECOTT, PRINTZ HONORS: 'This One Summer' co-authors 'grateful' for graphic-novel milestone as Honor Book. Cavna. Michael. February 2, 2015. The Washington Post. April 14, 2018. 0190-8286.
27. News: Mark Siegel. Macmillan Speakers Bureau. April 14, 2018.
28. http://www.txla.org/TBA-winners Texas Bluebonnet Award Winners
29. http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/sibertmedal/sibertpast/sibertmedalpast Robert F. Sibert Medal and Honor Books, 2001–present
30. Web site: Best Books for Kids 2017: 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing. The New York Public Library. April 14, 2018.