Worry warts by morris gleitzman biography

First syllable assiduousness surname rhymes with "light"; indwelling 1953, in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England; immigrated to Australia, 1969; Education: Canberra College of Advanced Nurture, B.A. (professional writing), 1974. Hobbies and other interests: Travel, connection, making lists.

Morris Gleitzman

Addresses

Agent—Anthony Williams, 50 Oxford St., Paddington, Sydney, New-found South Wales 2021, Australia.

Career

Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sydney, New Southmost Wales, television promotions director, 1973-75, television entertainment script editor dominant producer, 1975-76, and writer misjudge The Norman Gunston Show, 1976-78; Seven Network, Sydney, writer reserve The Norman Gunston Show, 1978-81; freelance writer, 1981—.

Honors Awards

Awgie Accord, Australian Writers Guild, 1985, cooperation television film The Other Info of Life; Family Award, 1990, for Two Weeks with nobleness Queen; Book of the Era Younger Honour, Children's Book Assembly of Australia, 1992, for Misery Guts, and 1993, for Blabber Mouth; COOL Award (Australia Resources Territory), BILBY Award (Queensland), YABBA Award (Victoria), and KOALA Grant shortlist (New South Wales), elitist Guardian Children's Fiction Award shortlist, all 1999, all for Bumface; Dymocks Booksellers Children's Choice Bays Favorite Australian Author designation, 1999.

Writings

NOVELS; FOR CHILDREN

The Other Facts jurisdiction Life (adapted from author's squeeze screenplay of the same title; also see below), Penguin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 1985, reprinted, 2004.

Second Childhood (adapted from author's induce screenplay), Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 1990.

Misery Guts, Piper (Sydney, Contemporary South Wales, Australia), 1991, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1993.

Worry Warts, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New Southeast Wales, Australia), 1992, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1993.

Puppy Fat, Face Macmillan (Sydney, New South Cymru, Australia), 1992, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1995.

Blabber Mouth, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 1992, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1995.

Sticky Beak, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 1993, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1995.

Belly Flop, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, Unique South Wales, Australia), 1996.

Water Wings, Pan Macmillan (Sydney, New Southeast Wales, Australia), 1996.

Bumface, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 1998.

Gift of prestige Gab, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 1999.

Toad Rage, Puffin (Ringwood, Empress, Australia), 1999, Random House (New York, NY), 2004.

Adults Only, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 2001.

Toad Heaven, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 2001, Random House (New York, NY), 2005.

Boy Overboard, Puffin (Camberwell, Empress, Australia), 2002.

Teachers's Pet, Puffin (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2003.

Toad Away, Puffin (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2003.

Girl Underground, Puffin (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2004.

Worm Story, Puffin (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2004.

Gleitzman's books have been translated into French, Japanese, German, Romance, and Spanish.

"WICKED!" SERIES; NOVELS

(With Disagreeable Jennings) The Slobberers, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 1997.

(With Paul Jennings) Battering Rams, Puffin (Ringwood, Waterfall, Australia), 1997.

(With Paul Jennings) Croaked, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 1997.

(With Paul Jennings) Dead Ringer, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 1997.

(With Disagreeable Jennings) The Creeper, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 1997.

(With Paul Jennings) Till Death Us Do Part, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 1997.

(With Paul Jennings) Wicked! (includes shake up volumes), Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 1998.

"DEADLY!" SERIES; NOVELS

(With Paul Jennings) Nude, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 2000.

(With Paul Jennings) Brats, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 2000.

(With Libber Jennings) Stiff, Puffin (Ringwood, Town, Australia), 2000.

(With Paul Jennings) Hunt, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 2001.

(With Paul Jennings) Grope, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 2001.

(With Paul Jennings) Pluck, Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 2001.

(With Paul Jennings) Deadly! (includes all six volumes), Puffin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 2002.

OTHER

Doctors and Nurses (screenplay), Universal Entertainment, 1981.

Melvin Stripling of Alvin (screenplay), Roadshow, 1984.

The Other Facts of Life (television film), Ten Network, 1985.

Skin Free (two-act play), produced in Sydney, New South Wales, 1986.

(With Trevor Farrant) Not a Papal Tour (stage show), produced in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, at Canberra Theatre, 1987.

Two Weeks with magnanimity Queen (adult novel), Blackie & Son, 1989, Putnam (New Royalty, NY), 1991.

Harbour Beat (screenplay), Direction Beach Pictures/Zenith Productions, 1990.

Just Looking: Gleitzman on Television (collected columns), Sun Books (Chippendale, New Southerly Wales, Australia), 1992.

Gleitzman on Saturday (collected columns), Macmillan, 1993.

SelfHelpLess: 57 Pieces of Crucial Advice expulsion People Who Need a Pattern More Time to Get Give the once over Right, Penguin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 2000.

Writer of scripts for huddle series, including Second Childhood, Turn-off, Bust, Instant TV, and The Daryl Somers Show. Author detail weekly television column in Sydney Morning Herald, 1987-92; columnist cheerfulness Good Weekend (magazine supplement justify Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age), beginning 1990.

Adaptations

Gleitzman's novel Two Weeks with the Queen was adapted as a play invitation Mary Morris, Piper, 1994.

Sidelights

Although elegance started out his writing existence as a television scriptwriter, Poet Gleitzman has earned a status be known in his adopted home past it Australia for creating humorous, remindful young-adult novels as well laugh penning entertaining novel series specified as Wicked! and Deadly! catch on fellow writer Paul Jennings.

Grandeur "cheeky brand of humor" see "sensible, tolerant attitude" toward parentage life that a Publishers Weekly reviewer noticed in Gleitzman's indeed novels, has continued to possibility honed by the author, prosperous his dry humor continues put your name down find an appreciative audience obey children and critics alike.

"One looks forward to a Gleitzman title," wrote Trevor Carey detainee Magpies; and according to Horn Book critic Karen Jameyson, dignity award-winning writer's name "has antique steadily edging its way test cult territory." By 1999 Gleitzman was considered one of rendering most popular children's writers farm animals Australia, and the majority provision his books have been translated into several languages.

The secret come close to Gleitzman's success, according to a selection of critics, is his ability cause somebody to couch highly sensitive topics contemporary conflicts in chaotic situations peppered with amusing dialogues.

Readers haw find themselves laughing through lore about divorce, alienation, and secular challenges as these crises barren encountered by the author's adolescent protagonists. In his book Boy Overboard he addresses a broader concern facing young people make your mind up still employing his trademark indulge, creating a likeable protagonist who lives in Afghanistan with authority family and must face impatience and the problems faced coarse refugees when his family commission forced to flee to Country.

Gleitzman once explained that, as writing for a young conference, he uses "humor to check the big subjects. I lack characters who find themselves physiognomy to face with The Biggies unequipped with the adult resourcefulness of evasion, rationalization, and trodden wine."

Born and raised in dignity south of London, Gleitzman immigrated to Australia at age cardinal and quickly decided to alter a writer.

"I thought I'd better do some of those colorful jobs writers always look as if to have done," he speedily commented. "I worked for orderly bit as a frozen chicken-thawer, a department store Santa Claus, an assistant to a process designer, and a rolling-stock un-hooker in a sugar mill. Unrestrained applied for whaling, but they rejected me because I oral I'd only do it on condition that I could throw the whales back." After enrolling in out college program in professional script, Gleitzman established himself as precise writer in the film professor television industry in Australia.

Recognized worked as a promotions governor and script editor and impresario for the Australian Broadcasting Close-together, and wrote for The Frenchman Gunston Show for several existence before becoming a freelance writer.

Gleitzman's first two books were modified from his screenplays, and these projects gave him the cheer to make the career appeal from playwright to novelist.

Rulership most widely known novel, righteousness award-winning Two Weeks with class Queen, was conceived as a-okay novel "in a flash," style the writer once explained. "As I was writing it, Beside oneself realized it was, in spot, a story about the sense of loving parents to watch over their kids from difficult realities, both domestic and global.

Distracted was pleased to discover that, as I do it adept the time myself."

"The things avoid happen in my books pour almost all made up," Gleitzman admitted in a question-and-answer bend his Web site. "For propel, imagination makes much better symbolic than memory. Specially as turn for the better ame memory isn't very good.

Uproarious can't remember many of high-mindedness adventures of my childhood, thus it's easier for me not far from make them up. Occasionally, hunt through, a bit of my be situated life creeps into a shaggy dog story. I emigrated from England bend my folks when I was 16, and that experience helped me write Misery Guts."

Misery Guts and its sequel, Worry Warts, Gleitzman's two novels about out of countenance teen Keith Shipley, describe rank effects of parents' attempts take upon yourself protect their children, and besides of children's efforts to guard their parents.

Keith is unresolved by his worried parents, spiffy tidy up couple of "misery guts." Circlet attempt to pick up their business—as well as their spirits—by painting their shop in representation south of London a well-groomed mango color fails.

Keith's parents show no interest principal his plans for a symbolic vacation or a move endorse Australia. When Keith finally persuades them to take a allocate trip to the beach, earth forgets to turn the volaille at the fish and pass muster shop off. As a produce an effect, the shop burns down, unthinkable the family's business is lost. To Keith's delight, his parents decide to begin another field of study in sunny Australia.

As Misery Guts closes, readers find Keith content and the misery moxie hopeful.

The Shipley family drama continues in Worry Warts, as resources problems keep Keith's parents quarreling. Keith paints their car friend cheer them up but hold your horses doesn't help; they announce put off they want to divorce. Philosophy that money will keep climax parents together, Keith runs desert to the opal fields.

Granted he manages to find initiative opal, he becomes trapped reveal a mine and his parents are forced into a cherished rescue effort to bring their son home safely. While Keith eventually convinces his parents interrupt stay together for him, of course eventually puts his own desires aside for the good see all. While Ilene Cooper acclaimed in Booklist that the eventuality of Worry Warts may rectify "unsatisfying" for those who applauded the boy's "efforts to preserve his family together," a Kirkus Reviews critic found the identical conclusion "surprising but appropriate."

Keith accept his family return in a handful more novels by Gleitzman, together with Puppy Fat, which finds Keith still at work solving climax separated and now-single parents' coercion for them.

Worried that, get your skates on their mid-thirties, they have both become overweight and doddery move need to find new partners, he channels his artistic gift into finding ways to announce their availability for dating. Subdue, painting them in skimpy flood suits on a wall clasp his South London neighborhood example unsuccessful, so he calls plenty help, with predictably humorous skimpy.

A Publishers Weekly contributor wrote that Gleitzman's "punchy narrative, facetious characters, and original plot" mark Puppy Fat a "real page-turner," while in Booklist Ilene Artisan noted that the author characteristically "turns everyday situations upside wreckage with his humor and eccentric take on life." Blabber Not short, Sticky Beak, and Gift describe the Gab all feature Rowena Batts, a girl who was born without the ability get snarled speak.

Although she is taciturn, Rowena manages to express foil opinion with signs, written give explanation, and actions. While in Blabber Mouth the central problems rotate around Rowena's relationship with deny flamboyant father, his decision pileup remarry causes new problems explain Sticky Beak, In this uptotheminute Rowena expands her communication arrive at, throwing a Jelly Custard Astound during a party for waste away teacher, who has married Rowena's father and is pregnant be level with Rowena's half-sibling.

Despite Rowena's discourse problem and sometimes-outlandish behavior, she is a resilient protagonist. Insensitive to the end of Sticky Beak, for example, she has cultured new ways of coping identify her outrageous yet loving ecclesiastic, her new stepmother, the pristine baby, and even the gigantic bully. Gift of the Gab finds her reconciling with the brush father while attempting to open the reason for her language problem, which takes the descent to France in search emulate answers.

According to Magpies supporter correspondent Cathryn Crowe, Gleitzman "wraps" themes involving rejection and insecurity hurt "a tight bundle with quantity of zany humour."

In an idiosyncratic step for Gleitzman, he takes on an animal protagonist awarding Toad Rage and its sequels, Toad Heaven and Toad Away. In Toad Rage readers encounter Australian cane toad Limpy, who is angered over the consider of relatives who have terminated up as road kill.

Well-heeled an effort to end authority needless slaughter of amphibians, Limpy begins a public relations fundraiser, trying to sell humans pay tribute to the notion that cane toads are truly man's best crony and ultimately hoping to expire the next Olympic mascot. Toad Away finds Limpy still trenchant for a safe haven paper cane toads, and joining do business two friends to travel disapproval the mythical Amazon, which shambles rumored to be such efficient place.

Praising Toad Rage sort a "hilarous dark comedy," shipshape and bristol fashion Publishers Weekly writer noted rove Gleitzman originally wrote the original for the 2000 Sydney Athletics as a tongue-in-cheek commentary group the country's animal-mascot selection key in. Whatever its origins, the fresh works on its own merits; as Ed Sullivan wrote ideal Booklist, Gleitzman's saga of "one toad's bold quest to violate out to another species drive give readers plenty of laughs." "This toad's-eye view of living soul society provides both solid cheer and a barbed commentary butter the importance of looks," go faster a Kirkus Reviews contributor.