James cross giblin biography of donald

If he had done well, at the end of the summer he would have a pole of construction paper fish or a multicolored feathered headdress to memorialize his achievement. These summer reading contests were the brainchild of Ms. Abbott, the local librarian. Though he spent most of his young life in Painesville, Giblin was born in Cleveland.

His family moved to follow his father's law practice, and his mother, a former French teacher, took care of Giblin until he went to school. He credits his mother with fostering his love for reading.

James cross giblin biography of donald: An Interview with Jim Giblin

His particular favorites were always comic books, so she helped him to create his own. Giblin describes himself growing up as "shy, bookish, and probably a little spoiled. Giblin had hopes of becoming a playwright in New York, and set out writing several television plays. He also adapted a novel for Broadway, but when none of his work sold, he took a job at the British Book Centre as a special order clerk.

Giblin remembers this early letdown left him "depressed, disappointed, and broke. In , he joined Seabury Press, becoming the editor-in-chief of its children's division.