Pat Schmatz Explained
Alma Mater: | Michigan State University University of California, Berkeley |
Genre: | young adult fiction |
Notableworks: | Lizard Radio |
Awards: | 2010 PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship, 2012 Crystal Kite Award, 2015 James Triptee Jr. Award, 2015 Josette Frank Award, 2019 Minnesota Book Award |
Years Active: | 2001-now |
Pat Schmatz (born ca. 1960)[1] is an American author of young adult fiction and middle grade fiction, best known for their James Tiptree Jr. Award winning novel Lizard Radio. Other of their well-known and award-winning works include Bluefish and The Key to Every Thing.
Personal life
Schmatz grew up in rural Wisconsin.[2] They read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton in sixth grade, which made them decide that they wanted to start writing for children.[3] [4]
Selected works
Their second novel and first young adult book, Mousetraps, tells the story of a teen dealing with homophobia and bullying after her childhood best friend who suddenly disappeared turns up again.[5] It was published in 2008 by Carolrhoda and a nominee for the Lambda Literary Award in Children's/Young Adult in 2008.[6]
Bluefish, their fourth novel, is about a boy moving to a new town where he lives with his alcoholic grandpa. He is befriended by a difficult and hilarious classmate who helps him see things in a new way.[7] It was published by Candlewick in 2011 and received several starred reviews.[8] [9] [10] Bluefish was a nominee for the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award in 2013[11] and the California Young Reader Medal for Middle School/Junior High in 2015.[12] It won the Crystal Kite Award in 2012[13] and the Josette Frank Award in 2015.[14]
Schmatz's fifth novel, Lizard Radio, is set in a world just slightly tilted from our own, where teens have to commit to a gender and "benders" are dealt with harshly.[15] In the novel, a fifteen-year-old bender teen struggles in a culture that tries to define everyone by strict binaries. It was published by Candlewick in 2015.[16] Lizard Radio won the James Tiptree Jr. Award in 2015.[17] [18]
Bibliography
Young adult fiction
- Mousestraps (Carolrhoda, 2008)
- Circle the Truth (Carolrhoda, 2010)
- Lizard Radio (Candlewick, 2015)
Middle grade fiction
- Mrs. Estronsky and the U.F.O. (Little Blue Works, 2001)
- Bluefish (Candlewick, 2011)
- The Key to Every Thing (Candlewick, 2018)
Awards
Won
2012
- Crystal Kite Award for Bluefish (Candlewick, 2011)
2015
- James Tiptree Jr. Award for Lizard Radio (Candlewick, 2015)[19]
- Josette Frank Award for Bluefish (Candlewick, 2011)
2019
- Minnesota Book Award for "The Key to Every Thing."
Nominations
2008
- Lambda Literary Award in Children's/Young Adult for Mousestraps (Carolrhoda, 2008)
2013
- Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award for Bluefish (Candlewick, 2011)
2015
- California Young Reader Medal for Middle School/Junior High for Bluefish (Candlewick, 2011)
Notes and References
- Web site: Pat Schmatz Blog Tour: Book Birthday – YA Pride. www.gayya.org. 8 September 2015. en-US. 2018-11-26.
- Web site: Pat Schmatz Author Interview + Giveaway. Booksnob. Laura. 2015-07-30. Book Snob. 2018-11-26.
- News: Bluefish by Pat Schmatz - Interview BookPage . en . BookPage.com . 2018-11-26.
- News: Interview with Author Pat Schmatz. 2015-10-15. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt. 2018-11-26. en-US.
- Book: MOUSETRAPS by Pat Schmatz, Bill Hauser Kirkus Reviews. en-us.
- News: 21st Annual Lambda Literary Awards. Cerna. Antonio Gonzalez. 2010-02-18. Lambda Literary. 2018-11-11. en-US.
- Book: BLUEFISH by Pat Schmatz Kirkus Reviews. en-us.
- News: Review of Bluefish. 2011-12-07. The Horn Book. 2018-11-11. en-US.
- Web site: Junior Library Guild : Bluefish by Pat Schmatz. www.juniorlibraryguild.com. en-US. 2018-11-11.
- Coats. Karen. 2011-09-18. Bluefish (review). Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. en. 65. 2. 106–107. 10.1353/bcc.2011.0717. 201770795. 1558-6766.
- Web site: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Department of Libraries. libraries.vermont.gov. en. 2018-11-11.
- Web site: Nominees. California Young Reader Medal. en-US. 2018-11-11.
- Web site: The Official SCBWI Blog: The 2012 Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: Wisconsin's PAT SCHMATZ. M.ed. Lee Wind. 2012-07-31. The Official SCBWI Blog. 2018-11-11.
- News: Awards - Bank Street College of Education. Bank Street College of Education. 2018-11-11. en-US.
- News: Children's Book Review: Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz. Candlewick, $16.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-7636-7635-3. PublishersWeekly.com. 2018-11-11. en.
- Spisak. April. 2015-11-12. Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz (review). Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. en. 69. 4. 222. 10.1353/bcc.2015.0919. 201783431. 1558-6766.
- Web site: 2015 James Tiptree, Jr. Award « James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award. James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award. en-US. 2018-11-11.
- Web site: Interview with Pat Schmatz About Lizard Radio – The Pirate Tree. www.thepiratetree.com. en-US. 2018-11-26.
- Web site: 2015 Winners, Honor List, and Long List Announced! « James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award. Notkin. Debbie. 2016-04-01. James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award. en-US. 2019-04-09.