Adam Gidwitz

Adam Gidwitz is an American children's author. He received a 2017 Newbery Honor for The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog. He also created the podcast Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest for kids.

Adam Gidwitz was born in San Francisco. At the age of two and a half, he embarked on a new chapter in Baltimore, where he would spend his formative years. His early life was marked by spirited defiance of rules, leading to numerous visits to the principal's office during middle school, inspiring tales he promised to share someday.

As Adam transitioned to high school, he transformed, ultimately pursuing higher education in New York City. After considering majors in religion and philosophy, he chose English literature, recognizing that fiction often holds profound truths. The joy of English literature homework, with its endless array of captivating books, further fueled his passion for storytelling.

During Adam's third year of college, he spent a semester in England studying. There, amidst the cobblestone streets of the old university town, he immersed himself in the poetry of John Keats, revelling in the beauty of English literature. With minimal class commitments, he discovered the allure of freedom, spending 98.8% of his time exploring his imagination and the world around him.

After earning his degree, Adam remained in New York and began working in a second-grade classroom at Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn while pursuing a degree at Bank Street College of Education.

One fateful day, a chance encounter with a literary agent after a puppet show for his students changed everything. Encouraged by her positive feedback, Adam wrote down the stories he had been sharing with his students, leading to the birth of his first book, A Tale Dark and Grimm (2010).

A Tale Dark and Grimm was celebrated as a New York Times Editor's Choice and earned recognition from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Shelf Awareness as one of the best children's books of 2010. In October 2021, an animated series based on the book ranked among the top ten most-watched shows for kids on Netflix.

In 2012, Adam and his wife travelled to France to research medieval monks. While publicly discussing Grimm's fairy tales, Adam privately explored medieval ruins, dungeons, and ancient forests, collecting stories, facts, and experiences. As a result of this exploration, he came up with The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog, a work that would earn him the prestigious Newbery Honor Award in 2017.

The Inquisitor's Tale achieved New York Times Bestselling status, earned a place in the Junior Library Guild, and received acclaim from Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and The Washington Post as one of the best children's books of 2016. It also found its place on Booklist's prestigious lists for religion and spirituality, historical fiction, and audiobooks.

Driven by a desire to connect with elementary school students, Adam created The Unicorn Rescue Society series. This imaginative adventure series follows two kids as they travel the world, protecting mythical creatures from danger. Each book features creatures from different cultures around the world. Collaborating with authors from the cultures explored, this project has been one of his most cherished endeavours, resulting in the Unicorn Rescue Society Card Game.

Adam Gidwitz resides in Brooklyn. He also records episodes of the Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest podcast and visits schools worldwide, sharing his passion for storytelling and literature.

Photo credit: www.adamgidwitz.com