Fleischman, Sid (1920-2010), was an American author of children’s books noted for his humorous stories rooted in American folklore. Many of Fleischman’s books are set on the American frontier during the 1800’s. Critics have praised his skill in writing witty and exciting adventure stories. Although Fleischman wrote fiction, his works reflect careful historical research.
Fleischman won the 1987 Newbery Medal for his novel The Whipping Boy (1986). The Newbery Medal is awarded annually to the best children’s book written by an American. The story takes place in an imaginary land at an undefined time. It tells about the spoiled young Prince Horace who trades places with Jemmy, a poor orphan.
Fleischman created a comic series of tall tales for beginning readers about Josh McBroom, his wife, and 11 red-headed children. The family lives on a farm in Iowa. The series began with McBroom Tells the Truth (1966). Fleischman also wrote a series of mystery stories about a team of three young amateur detectives called the Bloodhound Gang. The series began with The Bloodhound Gang in the Case of the Flying Clock (1981).
Fleischman mixed magic and folklore in The Midnight Horse (1990). Jim Ugly (1992) is a comic Western that features several characters based on early movie stars, including W. C. Fields, Mae West, and Mary Pickford. By the Great Horn Spoon (1965) and Bandit’s Moon (1998) take place during the California gold rush of the mid-1800’s. A Carnival of Animals (2000) is a collection of tall tales about the impact of a tornado on animals living on Barefoot Mountain. Bo & Mzzz Mad (2001) and Disappearing Act (2003) are fast-paced adventure novels set in the West. Fleischman wrote the biography The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West (2008). He also wrote an autobiography, The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer’s Life (1996).
Albert Sidney Fleischman was born on March 16, 1920, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. He grew up in San Diego. He received a B.A. degree from San Diego State College (now San Diego State University) in 1949. Fleischman was a vaudeville magician and journalist before becoming a full-time writer in 1951, at first writing adult books. He also wrote screenplays, adapting his novel Blood Alley (1955) into a motion picture starring John Wayne. Fleischman’s first book for young readers was Mr. Mysterious & Company (1962). His son, Paul, is a children’s writer. Paul won the Newbery Medal in 1989 for Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices (1988). Sid Fleischman died on March 17, 2010.
