Photo Credit: Susan Sellers
Email:
gblackwood [at] hotmail [dot] com
c/o Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia
After spending most of his life in various parts of the United States, Gary immigrated to Canada several years ago. He lives on three acres of woods outside Tatamagouche.
At sixteen, Gary got his first encouraging letter from an editor and sold his first story at nineteen. After this promising start, he produced a seemingly endless string of unpublished books and collected a prodigious quantity of discouraging letters from editors. Finally, in 1987, Atheneum published his juvenile novel, Wild Timothy, followed by The Dying Sunand Beyond the Door. Then his editor was fired. Seven long years later - during which time he worked for The Institute of Children's Literature, teaching others how to write and not sell their work - the publication of The Shakespeare Stealer resurrected his writing career, which has been goig strong ever since. His work covers the whole spectrum of kids' books, from picture books to young adult, both fiction and nonfiction. Any time that's left over hedevotes to writing plays for adults and young audiences. His adaptation of The Shakespeare Stealer has been produced many times in the U.S. in such venues as the Kennedy Center and Seattle Children's Theatre.
- Around the World in 100 Days. Will be released by Dutton, November 2010. ISBN 978-0-525-42295-2.
- "Picking up where Around the World in Eighty Days left off, Harry Fogg, the son of Phileas Fogg, has just made a wager of his own. Harry bets that he can drive a steam-powered motorcar all the way around the world in only 100 days. Racing off with three companions, Harry undertakes a grueling journey that will pit him against flash fires, marauders, and even sabotage from within. In the tradition of the Jules Verne classic, this is one historical adventure that will have you racing to the finish!"
- Mysterious Messages: A History of Codes and Ciphers. Dutton, 2009. ISBN 978-0525479604.
- The Great Race: The Amazing Round-the-World Auto Race of 1908. Abrams Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0810994898.
- "Blackwood presents an extremely well-researched and detailed account of this large-scale publicity stunt [...] There's enough sheer adventure here, carried out by some eccentric characters, to attract almost every reader." - Booklist
- Click here for more information.
- The Just-So Woman. HarperCollins, 2006. ISBN 0-060-57727-4.
- An I Can Read book, Level 3. Illustrated by Jane Manning.
- "With a mix of mayhem and hands-on facts about daily work, this I Can Read! book tells a lively story [...] Manning's colorful cartoon-style pictures show the silly slapstick mess close-up." - Booklist
- Click here for more information.
- Second Sight. Dutton, 2005. ISBN 0-525-47481-1.
- "Brilliantly re-envisioned history [...] set in brawling, bustling Civil War Washington." - Kirkus Reviews
- "An absorbing tale of espionage, conspiracy, and political intrigue [...] well-researched engrossing story grounded in historical detail." - School Library Journal
- Unsolved History. Benchmark, 2005. ISBN 0-7614-1891-1,2,3,4.
- Four volume non-fiction series:
- Debatable Deaths
- Enigmatic Events
- Perplexing People
- Legends or Lies?
- "Expecting just another set of flashy collections of tidbits about lingering mysteries of the past? These titles offer more substance than most." - School Library Journal
- The Year of the Hangman. Dutton, 2002. ALA Best Books for Young Adults, School Library Journal's Best Books, Junior Library Guild selection, Recorded Books.
- "I love this premise! It's 1777. The British have won (what we now call) the Revolutionary War. George Washington, captured during a battle, awaits hanging for treason. Ben and Tom (Franklin and Jefferson) are chillin' in The Big Easy - still trying to stir up trouble [...] Filled with action, intrigue, suspense, and 'what-if's' galore." - Richie's Picks
- Click here to visit a site created by a high school teacher, with study questions and readers' comments about the book.
- The Shakespeare Stealer. Dutton, 1998. ISBN (paperback) 0-14-130595-9.
- Junior Library Guild selection, School Library Journal's Best Books, ALA Notable and Best Books for Young Adults, Scholastic Book Club, Recorded Books. Foreign editions: UK, Japan, Korea, China, Germany.
- Shakespeare's Scribe. Dutton, 2000. ISBN (paperback) 0-14-230066-7.
- ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Scholastic Book Club.
- Shakespeare's Spy. Dutton, 2003. ISBN (paperback) 0-14-240311-3. Scholastic Book Club.
- "Wry humor, cliffhanger chapter endings, and a plucky protagonist make this a fitting introduction to Shakespeare's world." - Horn Book
- "The skilled synthesis of historical details, believable characters, and exciting plot lines creates a story that is satisfying both as historical fiction and mystery." - VOYA
- "Rich language and descriptions of places, along with many details of actions, contribute to a setting that goes deeper than costumes and props to genuinely reach back into the reality of another place, another time." - Booklist
- The Shakespeare Stealer. Stage adaptation. Kennedy Center, 2002; Seattle Children's Theatre, Emerson College, 2003; First Stage, Milwakuee, 2005; Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Nashville Children's Theatre, Vittum Theatre, Chicago, 2006.
- Fateville. Winner Dayton, OH, FutureFest, 2003.
- The Count of One. Sunset Center Theatre, Carmel, CA, 2001. Winner Festival of Firsts.
- Dark Horse. Ferndale (CA) Repertory, 1993. Winner Ferndale Rep's playwriting competition.
- Click here to read the first act of Dark Horse and The Count of One.
- Ethan Frome. Stage adapation. Published Baker's Plays.
