Gutman, Dan (1955-…), is an American author known for his children’s books about baseball. Gutman created the “Baseball Card Adventures” series. In these children’s novels, a boy named Joe Stoshak travels back in time to meet famous baseball players. Gutman includes many entertaining historical facts in the stories. The series began with Honus and Me (1997), in which Joe meets the famous shortstop Honus Wagner.
Gutman has written several nonfiction baseball books for young readers. They include Baseball’s Biggest Bloopers (1993) and Baseball’s Greatest Games (1994). He also wrote Casey Back at Bat (2007), a sequel to the famous baseball poem “Casey at the Bat.”
Gutman also created several “weird school” series, including the “My Weird School,” “My Weird School Daze,” “My Weirder School,” and “My Weirdest School” series. The main character is Arlo Jervis, commonly called “A. J.,” a boy who dislikes school. A. J. attends Ella Mentry School, and each story centers on a teacher or other adult in the school and how each is “weird” in his or her own way. The series began with Miss Daisy Is Crazy! (2004). Gutman introduced a new “My Weird School: Graphic Novel” series with Mr. Corbett Is in Orbit! (2021).
The “Million Dollar” series portrays children who get an opportunity to win a million dollars in a sports event. The first book in the series is The Million Dollar Shot (1997). In this story, a boy will win a million dollars if he can make a foul shot during halftime at a professional basketball playoff game. The “Genius File” series follows the adventures of twins Coke and Pepsi McDonald, members of a secret organization called the Genius Files. Gutman started the series with Mission Unstoppable (2011). Gutman wrote The Homework Machine (2006) with four fifth-graders as the heroes, and the mystery sequel Return of the Homework Machine (2009) with the heroes now in the sixth grade.
Gutman has written many books for adults, including several on baseball. Among them are It Ain’t Cheatin’ If You Don’t Get Caught (1990) and The Way Baseball Works (1996).
Gutman was born in New York City on Oct. 19, 1955, and grew up in Newark, New Jersey. He received a B.A. degree in psychology from Rutgers University in 1977. He moved to New York City in 1980 to be a humor writer. G utman edited two video game magazines from 1982 to 1985 before becoming a full-time writer. He has written more than 100 fiction and nonfiction books for children and adults.
See also Wagner, Honus.
