# Carolyn Coman

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Carolyn_Coman
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Carolyn_Coman.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Coman
> Source revision: 1308945335
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

American writer

Carolyn Coman Born (1951-10-28) October 28, 1951 (age 74) Evanston, Illinois, U.S. Occupation Writer Genre Children's literature Children 2

**Carolyn Coman** (born October 28, 1951)[1][2] is an American writer best known for [children's books](/source/Children's_books). Her novels *[What Jamie Saw](/source/What_Jamie_Saw)* (1995) and *Many Stones* (2000) were among the runners-up for major annual awards by the [American Library Association](/source/American_Library_Association) (ALA) and the [National Book Foundation](/source/National_Book_Foundation).

## Biography

Carolyn Coman was born October 28, 1951, in [Evanston, Illinois](/source/Evanston%2C_Illinois), near [Chicago](/source/Chicago).[1][2] She worked as a [bookbinder](/source/Bookbinder) 1975-84 and later as an editor with [Heinemann](/source/Heinemann_(book_publisher)) before she became a full-time writer.[1] She edited *Body and Soul*, a photo-portrait documentary by [Judy Dater](/source/Judy_Dater), and wrote the text of a children's [picture book](/source/Picture_book), prior to completing four [young-adult novels](/source/Young-adult_novel) from 1993 to 2000. Her novels for middle-grade readers (2004 and 2007) combine humour, investigation and a sense of nostalgia.

In the YA novels, "She explores the darker sides of growing up: dealing with parent's abandonment through death in *Tell Me Everything*, abuse by a stepparent in *What Jamie Saw*, sibling incest in *Bee and Jacky* and a political-inspired tragedy in *Many Stones*."[1] *Many Stones* was inspired by the murder of [Amy Biehl](/source/Amy_Biehl).[1]

*[What Jamie Saw](/source/What_Jamie_Saw)* (1995) was [Newbery Medal](/source/Newbery_Medal) honor book and a [National Book Award for Young People's Literature](/source/National_Book_Award_for_Young_People's_Literature) finalist. *Many Stones* (2000) was a [Michael L. Printz Award](/source/Michael_L._Printz_Award) Honor Book and another National Book Award finalist.[1] (From 1922 the ALA Newbery Medal recognizes the previous year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children", with some designated runners-up now called "Honor Books". From 2000, the Newbery and Printz separately recognize books for "children" and "teens".)

Coman has two children and lives in [South Hampton, New Hampshire](/source/South_Hampton%2C_New_Hampshire).[3]

## Works

- *Body and Soul: ten American women*, edited by Coman, photographs by [Judy Dater](/source/Judy_Dater) (Boston: Hill & Co., 1988), [LCCN](/source/LCCN_(identifier)) [87-32696](https://www.loc.gov/item/87032696)

- *Losing Things at Mr. Mudd's*, illustrated by [Lance Hidy](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lance_Hidy&action=edit&redlink=1) ([Farrar, Straus & Giroux](/source/Farrar%2C_Straus_%26_Giroux), 1992), picture book - "Youngsters at the book's intended age range may be put off by Mr. Mudd's gruffness--even his eventual relenting bears a grudging tone. Despite the collaborators' evident talents, their work generally lacks child appeal."[4]

- *Tell me Everything* (Farrar, 1993)

- *[What Jamie Saw](/source/What_Jamie_Saw)* ([Arden, NC](/source/Arden%2C_NC): Front Street, 1995)

- *Bee and Jacky* (Front Street, 1998) - "Coman's (What Jamie Saw) latest is the literary equivalent of a Diane Arbus photograph: it presents a sharp, shocking picture of pathology, but leaves it to the audience to imagine the world beyond the frame."[5]

- *[Many Stones](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Many_Stones&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Front Street, 2000), Berry (16) reconnects with her father during their journey to South Africa.[6] - "Writing with her usual economy and penetrating insight, Coman (Bee & Jacky, 1998, etc) portrays a young person searching for something—she's not sure what—and finding it in keeping the link that her sister forged with an amazing people. It's an uplifting tale: harsh, complex, but lit at the end by a promise of reconciliation."[7]

- *The Big House*, illustrated by [Rob Shepperson](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rob_Shepperson&action=edit&redlink=1) (Front Street, 2004)

- *Sneaking Suspicions*, illus. Shepperson (Front Street, 2007) – sequel to *The Big House*

- *The Memory Bank*, illus. Shepperson ([Arthur A. Levine Books](/source/Arthur_A._Levine_Books), 2010), 288 pp.[2] - "Brilliantly crafted, thoroughly enjoyable and, though so very like Dahl, unique as a fascinating new way to ponder dreams and memories."[8]

- *Writing Stories: ideas, exercises, and encouragements for teachers and writers of all ages*, illus. Shepperson (Portland, ME: [Stenhouse Publishers](/source/Stenhouse_Publishers), 2011), [LCCN](/source/LCCN_(identifier)) [2011-7002](https://www.loc.gov/item/2011007002)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-SAA_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-SAA_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-SAA_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-SAA_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-SAA_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-SAA_1-5) *Something about the Author*; Vol 197; pp. 32–36. Gale, 2009. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4144-2169-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4144-2169-8).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-isfdb_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-isfdb_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-isfdb_2-2) ["Carolyn Comans – Summary Bibliography"](http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?144169). [ISFDB](/source/ISFDB). Retrieved 2014-09-24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-RH_3-0)** ["Carolyn Coman"](http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=5460). [Random House](/source/Random_House). Retrieved 2014-09-24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Losing Things at Mr. Mudd's"](http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-374-34657-7). *www.publishersweekly.com*. PWxyz LLC. Retrieved 20 July 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Bee and Jacky"](http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-886910-33-1). *www.publishersweekly.com*. PWxyz LLC. Retrieved 20 July 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Many stones](http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/many-stones) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180909150557/https://www.teenreads.com/reviews/many-stones) 2018-09-09 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine); teenreads.com

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Many Stones"](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/carolyn-coman/many-stones/). *www.kirkusreviews.com*. Kirkus Media LLC. 15 October 2000. Retrieved 20 July 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["The Memory Bank"](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/carolyn-coman/memory-bank/). *www.kirkusreviews.com*. Kirkus Media LLC. 16 September 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2015.

## External links

- [Works by Carolyn Coman](https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL222042A) at [Open Library](/source/Open_Library)

- [Carolyn Coman](https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?144169) at the [Internet Speculative Fiction Database](/source/Internet_Speculative_Fiction_Database)

- [Carolyn Coman](https://lccn.loc.gov/n87880937) at the [Library of Congress](/source/Library_of_Congress), with 13 library catalog records

- [Children's literature portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Children%27s_literature)

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND WorldCat National United States France BnF data Netherlands Korea Israel Belgium Other IdRef Open Library SNAC Yale LUX

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Carolyn Coman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Coman) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Coman?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.