Jeff Gottesfeld
American novelist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Howard Jeffrey Gottesfeld[3][4] (born 1956) is an American novelist, playwright, and screen and television writer.
1956 (age 69–70)[1]
University of San Francisco (JD)[2]
- Novelist
- playwright
- writer
The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window (illustrated by Peter McCarty)
Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry (illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha)
The Christmas Mitzvah (illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha)
The World’s Strongest Librarian (play adaptation of the book by Josh Hanegarn)
Jeff Gottesfeld | |
|---|---|
Jeff Gottesfeld in 2023 | |
| Born | Howard Jeffrey Gottesfeld 1956 (age 69–70)[1] |
| Education | Colby College (BA)[2] University of San Francisco (JD)[2] |
| Occupations |
|
| Notable work | Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (illustrated by Matt Tavares) The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window (illustrated by Peter McCarty) Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry (illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha) The Christmas Mitzvah (illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha) The World’s Strongest Librarian (play adaptation of the book by Josh Hanegarn) |
Gottesfeld is an author of children's literature. Together with ex-wife Cherie Bennett, he has written under the pen name Zoey Dean,[5] including How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls which was developed into the series Privileged.[6][7] Gottesfeld has also written freelance for numerous magazines and newspapers and continues to publish essays on subjects such as the effect of the Gaza conflict on American-Jewish family relations, Confederate flag, immigration policy, and trends in young adult fiction. For television, he has written for such shows as Smallville and The Young and the Restless.
Gottesfeld has won a Sydney Taylor Book Award for The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window,[8][9][10] while his No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan was named the Freeman Book Award’s best picture book.[11] Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry won the Christopher Award.[12][13][14] In addition, his play World’s Strongest Librarian won the American Alliance for Theatre and Education’s Distinguished Play Award.[15]
Early life
Gottesfeld grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, attended Teaneck High School,[16] Colby College, and then the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Career
Gottesfeld has written freelance for numerous magazines and newspapers, and continues to publish essays on such subjects as trends in young adult fiction, the effect of the Gaza conflict on American Jewish family relations, Confederate flag, immigration policy, and trends in young adult fiction
His fiction ranges from elementary age children to adult. For television, he has written for such shows as Smallville and The Young and the Restless. Together with Cherie Bennett, he has written under the pen name Zoey Dean.[5] Under the Zoey Dean pen name, Gottesfeld and Bennett wrote The A-List series of books (developed by the same publishing group as Gossip Girl), and How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls, which was developed into the series Privileged.[17] His credits also include novelizations for Dawson’s Creek, Smallville and for the WWE.[7]
His first picture book was The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window, published by Random House/Knopf in March, 2016. It received starred reviews in Booklist and School Library Journal. His 2020 children's book, No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan, documents the life and activism of Beate Sirota Gordon.[18] It is the winner of the 2020 NCTA Freeman Award, for the best children's book about Asia.[19] It was also a runner-up finalist for the 2020 National Jewish Book Award.[20] His March, 2021 picture book, with illustrations by Matt Tavares, is Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, published by Candlewick Press. It received a number of starred reviews, as well as praise from the Wall Street Journal.[21][22][23] It is about the origins of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its Tomb Guards.[24] Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry, illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha and printed in 2023, was a spring showcase selection for the Children’s Book Council, winner of the Goddard Riverside Children’s Book Council Youth Prize for Social Justice award, the Christophers Award and recipient of the bronze medal of the Independent Publishers Association (IPPY) for Children’s Picture Book (All Ages).[13][14][12]
Gottesfeld, who did not serve in the armed forces, remarked that he saw himself as an "imperfect messenger" with regards to writing about the United States military, which he called "the greatest fighting force for good the world has ever known".[25] Gottesfeld’s Honor Flight will be released in 2026, an illustrated book about the Honor Flight organization, illustrated by Matt Tavares. In addition, We All Serve, an illustrated book about how the children of service families, known as military brats, all serve in their own way, illustrated by TeMika Grooms, will be released the same year.[26] He has spoken to various groups about his work, including a nationally broadcast program into schools for the National Archive in 2021.[27]
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The New York Times | 2016 | Best Illustrated Children’s Books | The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window | Selected | [8] |
| Chicago Public Library | 2016 | Best Children’s Book List | The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window | Selected | [10] |
| Association of Jewish Libraries | 2017 | Sydney Taylor Book Award, Notable Title | The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window | Won | [9] |
| Booklist | 2017 | Lasting Connections (list of top 30 books of the year grades K-12) | The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window | Selected | [28] |
| Notable Books for a Global Society | 2017 | Notable Books for a Global Society | The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window | Selected | [29] |
| National Council for the Social Studies & Children’s Book Council | 2017 | Notable Social Studies Trade Books | The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window | Selected | [30] |
| Children’s Book Council | 2017 | One World Many Stories | The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window | Selected | [31] |
| American Alliance for Theatre and Education | 2017 | Distinguished Play Award | World’s Strongest Librarian | Won | [32] |
| Children’s Book Council | 2020 | Champions of Change Booklist | No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan | Selected | [33] |
| National Jewish Book Award | 2020 | Picture Book | No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan | Runner-up | [34] |
| Freeman Book Award | 2021 | Picture Book | No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan | Runner-up | [11] |
| United Through Reading | 2021 | Audrey Geisel Friend of Military Children Award | Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | Won | [35] |
| Tablet | 2021 | Outstanding Jewish Children’s Book List | The Christmas Mitzvah | Selected | [36] |
| School Library Journal | 2021 | Outstanding Non-Fiction Children’s Book List | Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | Selected | [37] |
| Kirkus | 2021 | Best Picture Books of the Year | Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | Won | [38] |
| Wall Street Journal | 2021 | Best Books for Children | Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | Selected | [39] |
| North Carolina Children’s Book Award | 2022 | Junior Books | Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | Nominated | [40] |
| Texas Topaz | 2022 | Non-Fiction Reading List, Unanimous Recommendations, Grades 3-5 | Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | Selected | [41] |
| Association of Jewish Libraries | 2022 | Sydney Taylor Book Award, Honor Book | The Christmas Mitzvah | Silver Medal | [42] |
| American Library Association | 2022 | Notable Children’s Books List | Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | Selected | [43] |
| Indiana Library Federation | 2023-24 | Young Hoosier Book Award | Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | Nominated | [44] |
| Children’s Book Council | 2023 | Spring Showcase Selection | Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry | Selected | [13] |
| Arkansas State Library | 2023-24 | Charlie May Simon Book Awards | Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | Nominated | [45] |
| Goddard Riverside Children’s Book Council Youth Prize | 2023 | Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice | Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry | Won | [46] |
| Christophers Award | 2024 | Books for Young People | Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry | Won | [14] |
| California Reading Association | 2025 | EUREKA! Nonfiction Children's Book Awards | Fight for the Right to Read: Samuel Wilbert Tucker and the 1939 Sit-Down Strike for Library Reading Equality | Silver Medal | [47] |
| Independent Publishers Association (IPPY) | 2024 | Children’s Picture Book (All Ages) | Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry | Bronze Medal | [12] |
Television credits
- Broken Bridges (2006)[48]
The Young and the Restless (hired by Lynn Marie Latham)
- Script Writer: December 14, 2006 - December 21, 2007; March 18 - August 19, 2008
- Associate Head Writer: July 2007 - December 21, 2007; March 18 - July 10, 2008
- Breakdown Writer: 2005
- Story Consultant: 1998
- Story Consultant: 1997
Girls Got Game: 2006
Smallville: 2001 - 2002
Films
- Broken Bridges (Writer: 2006)
Selected bibliography
Books
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Publisher | ISBN | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Anne Frank And Me | Putnam Juvenile | 978-0-399-23329-6 | With Cherie Bennett. |
| 2003 | The A-List | Megan Tingley Publishers | 978-0-316-73435-6 | Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. First novel of The A-List series. |
| 2004 | A Heart Divided | Laurel Leaf | 978-0-440-22840-0 | With Cherie Bennett. |
| 2004 | Girls on Film: An A-List Novel | Poppy | 978-0-316-73475-2 | Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Second novel of The A-List series. |
| 2004 | Blonde Ambition: An A-List Novel | Poppy | 978-0-316-73474-5 | Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Third novel of The A-List series. |
| 2005 | Tall Cool One: An A-List Novel | Little, Brown & Company | 978-0-316-04157-7 | Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Fourth novel of The A-List series. |
| 2005 | Back in Black: An A-List Novel | Little, Brown & Company | 0-316-01092-8 | Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Fifth novel of The A-List series. |
| 2006 | Some Like it Hot: An A-List Novel | Poppy | 978-0-31601093-1 | Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Sixth novel of The A-List series. |
| 2006 | American Beauty: An A-List Novel | Little, Brown & Company | 978-0-316-01094-8 | Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Seventh novel of The A-List series. |
| 2007 | Turn Me On | Berkley | 978-1-440-62349-3 | Written under the pseudonym Cherie Jeffrey. |
| 2007 | How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls | Grand Central Publishing | 978-0-446-69718-7 | Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Developed into the TV series Privileged. |
| 2007 | Heart of Glass: An A-List Novel | Little, Brown & Company | 978-0-316-01096-2 | Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Eighth novel of The A-List series. |
| 2007 | Beautiful Stranger: An A-List Novel | Little, Brown & Company | 978-0-316-11352-6 | Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Ninth novel of The A-List series. |
| 2008 | California Dreaming: An A-List Novel | Poppy | 978-0-316-11353-3 | Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Tenth novel of The A-List series. |
| 2016 | The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window | Knopf Books for Young Readers | 978-0-385-75397-5 | Illustrated by Peter McCarty. |
| 2020 | No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan | Creston Books | 978-1-939-54755-2 | Illustrated by Shiella Witanto. |
| 2021 | Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | Candlewick | 978-1-939-54755-2 | Illustrated by Matt Tavares. |
| 2021 | The Christmas Mitzvah | Creston Books | 978-1-939-54794-1 | Illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha. |
| 2023 | Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry | Creston Books | 978-1-954-35424-1 | Illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha. |
| 2025 | Fight for the Right to Read: Samuel Wilbert Tucker and the 1939 Sit-Down Strike for Library Reading Equality | Creston Books | 978-1-954-35433-3 | Written with Michelle Y. Green, illustrated by Kim Holt. |
| 2026 | Honor Flight † | Candlewick | 978-1-536-23015-4 | Illustrated by Matt Tavares. |
| 2026 | We All Serve † | Candlewick | Illustrated by TeMika Grooms. | |
Plays
- Anne Frank and Me, written with Cherie Bennett (1997)
- A Heart Divided, written with Cherie Bennett (2004)
- 10 by 10: Ten Short Plays About Values, editor (2005)
- Does My Head Look Big in This? with Elizabeth Wong, adapted from the novel by Randa Abdel-Fattah (2014)
- The World's Strongest Librarian with Elizabeth Wong, adapted from the memoir by Josh Hanagarne (2016)
- The Greater-Than-Ever American Songbag with Elizabeth Wong (2025)