About Albert Marrin

photo by James Kegley

Albert Marrin is the author of over three dozen books for young adults, numerous books for young readers, and four books of scholarship. Several of his books are available as audio recordings.

His books have won numerous awards, most recently the 2008 National Endowment for Humanities Medal, awarded by President Bush. Read the report on www.whitehouse.gov, or on www.neh.gov. Or read a PDF of the official report: Click here to download.

Other Awards include:

• 2008: National Endowment for Humanities Medal, awarded by President Bush. (See www.whitehouse.gov, www.neh.gov.)
• 2008: James Madison Book Award for Lifetime Achievement.
• 2007: James Madison Honor Book Award for Saving the Buffalo.
• 2005: James Madison Book Award in 2005. (See www.jamesmadisonbookaward.org/news072105.html.)
• 2005: Best Book of the Year List, American Library Association for The Great Adventure, Theodore Roosevelt and the Rise of Modern America.
• 2001: Carter G. Woodson Book Award - Secondary Level National Council for the Social Studies for Sitting Bull and his World.
• 2000: The Boston Globe Horn Book Award - Non Fiction for Sitting Bull and his World.
• 2000: Washington Post Children's Book Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.
• 1995: Washington Post Non-Fiction Award for an "outstanding lifetime contribution that has enriched the field of children's literature."
• 1995: Washington Children's Book Guild Award.
• 1995: Best Books, School Library Journal, for The Sea King: Sir Francis Drake.
• 1994: SLJ Best Book and American Library Association (ALA) Best Book for Young Adults for Virginia's General: Robert E. Lee and the Civil War (1994).
• 1994: Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book, 1994, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, ALA Best Book for Young Adults and Association of Christian Public School Teachers and Administrators Honor Award, 1995, all for "Unconditional Surrender": U. S. Grant and the Civil War.
• 1993: Western Heritage Award for best juvenile nonfiction book, National Cowboy Hall of Fame, and Spur Award, Western Writers of America, both for Cowboys, Indians, and Gunfighters: The Story of the Cattle Kingdom.
• 1988: Booklist Editor's Choice and School Library Journal Best Books for The War for Independence: The Story of the American Revolution.
• Booklist Editor's Choice for Aztecs and Spaniards: Cortes and the Conquest of Mexico.
• 1986: Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book for Aztecs and Spaniards: Cortes and the Conquest of Mexico.
• 1985: Notable Children's Trade Book selection, National Council for Social Studies and Children's Book Council, and Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book, for 1812: The War Nobody Won.

For more awards, Click Here.

In addition to writing, Marrin has been a teacher all of his life. He became interested in writing history books for young people while teaching social studies at a junior high school in New York City from 1959-68. Although he spent the rest of his teaching career as a professor of history at Yeshiva University, also in New York City, (visiting professor, 1967-68, assistant professor 1968-78, professor and chairman of history department, 1978 to 2005) he has never lost his abiding interest in making history interesting and accessible for young people.