Dan's 72 books have been published in 20 languages in 24 countries. He writes
four series of children's books: THE ZACK FILES, SECRETS OF DRIPPING FANG, WEIRD
PLANET, and MAXIMUM BOY. His novel, CLAWS, was recently published by Random
House. The ZACK FILES series has sold over two million copies and was adapted
into a 52-episode series for TV in the U.S. and Canada.
His best-sellers for grownups include HOW TO BE A JEWISH MOTHER, HOW TO MAKE
YOURSELF MISERABLE, LOVE KILLS, EXES, and HOW TO AVOID LOVE AND MARRIAGE. How to
be a Jewish Mother is on Publishers Weekly’s list of All-Time Bestsellers.
Nearly 200 of Dan’s articles have appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, New York
Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times Magazine, The
Huffington Post, and elsewhere and have been reprinted in 44 anthologies of
humor and satire in the U.S. and England.
He’s co-author of the Broadway show FREE TO BE...YOU AND ME, and has written
many movies and TV shows. He’s appeared on The Today Show, The Tonight Show,
Larry King Live, and Late Night with David Letterman.
He maintains a full schedule of speaking engagements in elementary schools and
adult organizations.
Dan was born and raised in Chicago, got his BFA from the University of Illinois
and his MFA from UCLA. He and his author wife Judith have homes in New York and
British Columbia.
(Author), Scott M. Fischer (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover: 144 pages Publisher:
Harcourt Children's Books; 1st, First Edition, First Printing edition (September
1, 2005)
ISBN-10: 015205457X ISBN-13: 978-0152054571
Nobody wants to adopt the Shluffmuffin twins. Wally's feet stink something
awful, and Cheyenne is allergic to everything. Then why are the
Mandible sisters so eager to take them home? And what sort of old maids
would choose to live in a place called Dripping Fang Forest, where zombies
wander the woods singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and ten-foot-long glowing slugs
want to suck the feet right off your ankles?
Would it seem ungrateful of Wally to point out the Mandible sisters' extra
arms? Or to question their all-chocolate, all-the-time menu? Or, um, to
venture into the cellar, where the twins have been told to NEVER, EVER, EVER
go?
Yeah, perhaps that last bit was a mistake. Now there's nothing left for the
Shluffmuffins to do but run--run for their lives!
Secrets of Dripping Fang,
Book Two: Treachery and Betrayal at Jolly Days
[Hardcover]
Dan Greenburg (Author), Scott
M. Fischer (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (January 1, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0152054634 ISBN-13: 978-0152054632
When last we saw them, the Shluffmuffin twins were running for their lives.
In this, the second installment, they run right into the arms of their
long-lost father. But he's not quite as they remember him . . . Of course,
who would be after a tragic Porta Potti accident? Instead, he has become
something frightening, something far too horrifying to explain.
No, no, we can't do it, you'll just have to buck up and read the book
yourself. When things get creepy, you try to cover your eyes, but you peek
through anyway, don't you? Well, then, you'll get what you deserve--a laugh
attack you'll never recover from. Serves you right.
Secrets of Dripping Fang, Book Three: The
Vampire's Curse [Hardcover] Dan Greenburg
(Author), Scott M. Fischer (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover: 144 pages Publisher:
Harcourt Children's Books (March 1, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0152054693 ISBN-13: 978-0152054694
In an astounding turn of events, the Shluffmuffins twins' long-lost
father has reappeared years after his tragic Porta Potti accident. Wally
and Cheyenne, of course, are thrilled to see their dear old dad again.
But would it be rude to point out how his skin appears to be rotting and
falling off in chunks? Or that his breath smells distinctly like bloated
roadkill? Come to think of it, he looks an awful lot like . . . well, a
zombie. So imagine the twins' delight when they discover that their
friend Professor Spydelle has developed a special life-restoring elixir,
the only known cure for zombiism.
Hmmmm. Unfortunately, it seems there are still some kinks to work out on
that special Elixir of Life. It cures Dad of his zombiism, only to turn
him into . . . a vampire.
It would seem that things couldn't get much worse. But when two faces
that look suspiciously like giant ants appear in Wally and Cheyenne's
bedroom window one night, things take a turn from dismal . . . to is
dire.
Editorial Reviews
The Shluffmuffin
children discover that the two giant ants in their neighborhood have
concocted a scheme to enslave the entire human race. Can the young
Shluffmuffins prevent the dangerous ants from taking over the earth?
Can they prevent their dad from biting their necks and help to turn
him into a regular dad? Although the premise is exciting, you will
not find the answers to these questions in this book. This book is
entertaining, fast paced, and funny, ...2006, Harcourt, Ages 8 to 12. (Children's Literature
-Denise Daley )
The ZACK
FILES Series
Zack Files 24: My
Grandma, Major League Slugger
[Paperback]
(Author), Jack E. Davis (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12 Paperback: 64 pages
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap (December 31, 2001)
ISBN-10: 0448425505 ISBN-13: 978-0448425504
Zack's Grandma Leah is back and peppier than ever in another hilarious
escapade. Is she turning into a teenager again? Nope-turns out she's
developed amazing batting skills. What's the obvious next step? Could it
involve the Chicago White Sox? Read on and see!
(Author), Jack E. Davis (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12 Paperback: 64 pages
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap (December 30, 2002)
ISBN-10: 044842682X ISBN-13: 978-0448426822
Zack's classmate Andrew Clancy is always bragging. Everyone knows he's a
big liar. But suddenly, Andrew is having trouble hiding the fact that he
isn't telling the truth, and every time he tells another whopper, his
butt grows bigger-will it ever stop?
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
The off-the-wall humor and underlying emphasis on honesty will
appeal to transitional and reluctant readers.
Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
(Author), Jack E. Davis (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 9-12 Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap (August 25, 2003)
ISBN-10: 0448428881 ISBN-13: 978-0448428888
Zack is nervous about the fifth-grade Halloween dance. He doesn't know how to
dance and he doesn't have a date! When Zack meets Prudence, a beautiful girl who
speaks with a funny accent and dresses in old-fashioned clothing, he's smitten.
He thinks he's found the perfect date for the dance! Prudence is so different
from the rest of the kids he knows. She's actually come from the past-the year
1692 to be exact-and she's fleeing the Salem witch trials! Will Zack and
Prudence even make it to the dance, or will she have to return to the past? Read
on to find out!
Weird Planet Series
Weird Planet #1:
Dude, Where's My Spaceship
Dan Greenburg (Author)Format: Kindle Edition File Size: 939 KB Print
Length: 96 pages Publisher: Random House Books for Young
Readers (July 8, 2009) ASIN: B002GKGBE6
Klatu is such a varna! He crashed the spaceship into planet Earth
with his brother Lek and sister Ploo onboard. Stuck in the middle of the
Nevada desert with nowhere to run, Ploo is captured by army Earthlings
who think that she is an enemy of humankind. Can Klatu and Lek to rescue
Ploo from the terrifying Major Paine? Or will Ploo be held prisoner in
Area 51 forever?
Weird Planet #2: Lost
in Las Vegas
[Kindle Edition]
Dan Greenburg (Author)
Format: Kindle Edition File Size: 980 KB Print Length:
96 pages Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (July 1, 2009)
Paperback ISBN-10: 0375833455
Ploo, Lek, and Klatu have escaped from Area 51 and hit the road in a stolen
station wagon. Where are they headed? Las Vegas, of course! After all Vegas has
everything—slot machines, drive-through wedding chapels, Elvis impersonators.
It’s sure to have someone who can fix their slightly beat-up spaceship!
(Author)Reading level:
Ages
9-12
Paperback: 96 pages Publisher: Random House Books for Young
Readers (October 24, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0375833463 ISBN-13: 978-0375833465
Klatu, Lek, and Ploo head back to Groom Lake to fix their busted spaceship. But
the spaceship is gone--it's been taken to Area 51. There's nothing for the
aliens to do other than sneak in and search for it. Instead they find something
they weren't looking for--the Great Ones! The mythic missing Looglians
Org, Murkel, Shemp, and Kurth crashed at Roswell New Mexico in 1947, and have
been in the deep freeze ever since. Can our three wacky alien kids rescue them?
(Author)
(Author)Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1031 KB Print Length: 208 pages Publisher: Random
House Books for Young Readers (March 25, 2009) Sold by: Amazon Digital
Services
ISBN-10: 0375834117 ISBN-13: 978-0375834110
When
Cody is 14, he runs away from home, leaving behind his abusive mother, and flees
across the country. He doesn’t stop until he hits Texas and the Sam Houston
Tiger Ranch. Under the guidance of Sunny, the ranch’s owner, he cares for the
animals in ways he never imagined. He feeds them a diet of raw, bloody meat. He
cleans out their cages. He takes them for exercise. He finds out how to get a
tiger to back down, and when he should back down himself. But there is another
lesson Cody has to learn—sometimes people are harder to handle than tigers.
Dan Greenburg's 50-minute presentation is divided into
four parts:
(1) a melodramatic retelling of the first part of Book 1 of my
Secrets of Dripping Fang series, in which I use several spooky voices
and keep kids on the edge of their seats and holding their breaths right up
to the frustrating cliffhanger ending;
(2) a section on writing tips: why I keep a writer’s journal, how I
get ideas and turn them into outlines for stories, how rewriting which
everybody hates can be made interesting and why it's the only way to make
your writing good, how to cure writer’s block, how writing can give you
superpowers, etc.;
(3) a humorous and exciting account of how I went to a tiger ranch in
Texas and learned how to take care of tigers and lions and, when they messed
with me, to yell NO and smack them on the nose.I tell
how I made this into a children’s novel.I show photos of
me with big tigers, with a young lion, and with baby tigers who are
unbearably cute.
(4) I follow up my presentation with a Q&A of about 10 minutes, which
is my favorite part.
Judging by the mail I get from teachers, librarians, parents and students, I seem to inspire many reluctant
readers to become interested in reading.Please check my website,
www.dangreenburg.com, for nice things that teachers, librarians and
students have written to me after hearing me speak.
Here’s one of my favorites, from a student named Allie at the Hillside
School in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York: “You gave our class some really
great tips.You really inspired me!By
the time you left I was swimming in a sea of ideas!”
By the way, my wife
Judith (J.C. Greenburg) is also a children's book author, and has written
the 18-volume series Andrew Lost, a humorous, science-adventure
series published by Random House.She's a former biology
textbook editor-author and a fantastic presenter.She
tells kids amazing stuff about such things as sea slugs that live at the
bottom of the ocean and distract predators by throwing their lungs and guts
at them, and what she calls The Zoo on You—dust mites that eat your skin
flakes, eyelash mites that live in the hair follicles of your eyelids,
etc.—and she shows them slides that make everyone squirm and yell EEEOOW.She also tells empowering stories of children--as young as 3!--who
have made important scientific discoveries, and weaves writing tips into her
presentations. If you hired us both, we could probably give you a
discount.
RECENT ENTHUSIASM FROM SCHOOLS
“The kids in my elementary school adore books by Dan Greenburg
because they are weird, yucky, scary, exciting and funny. They open
kids' minds to the infinite power of the imagination!Lately,
it seems to me that elementary schools feel more and more like factory farms,
and having a visit from an author like Dan, who explores the realms of the
impossible, improbable, inadvisable, and ridiculous gives kids a break from all
that awful utility.
“When Dan spent the day at our
school, you could see our kids leaning forward to catch every word he spoke!
He recounted colorful events that had inspired some of his books.
He emphasized the importance of planning, rewriting, and discipline in the
writing process. He gave kids practical hints and useful formulae for
developing a good story. All this was done with great humor and animation.
Dan was patient and clear in taking questions. I was amazed at how willing
he was to listen to individual students and give encouragement to their ideas.
“I felt that the visit was especially important for struggling readers and writers, because Dan's message
was so clear and accessible to all. Students came away from Dan Greenburg Day
feeling that they had had an important experience: one that was not only
entertaining, but more important, informative and personal. Teachers, too,
remarked about how useful Dan's visit was for inspiring and reinforcing good
writing habits. The visit was a great success.” –Julia Boone Kessler,
Librarian, West Road School, Pleasant Valley, NY
“Dan Greenburg came to Wayne Elementary on October 14th to talk with our
students. It is not easy keeping young students interested in anything for 45
minutes, but the children were captivated by Mr. Greenburg's presentation.He had them on the edge of their seats with his vivid descriptions of his
characters and stories. He instilled a hunger in our students for reading that
we haven't seen in a long time.”--Jim Mort, E.D. Teacher, Wayne Elementary, Steubenville, Ohio\“Dan Greenburg is a masterful storyteller.He enthralls the audience with suspenseful anticipation, wit, and humor.He's an ideal presenter for elementary age students.”
–Judy Clegg, librarian, The
University School of Milwaukee, Mequon, Wisconsin
“The Greenburgs did a wonderful job on their 3 day visit to Indian Creek.
The kids were mesmerized by their stories and they might just be the kindest
authors we've had here. They were not needy like many of the visitors
we've had in the past and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them.We had Dan visit with our 3rd-6th graders and Judith did K-2nd.
They also did an evening presentation with families. Their books were
always popular but we can't keep them on the shelf now!” -- Michele M. Fabbro, Indian Creek Local School District, District Library
Coordinator, Mingo Junction, Ohio
"Dan Greenburg's author visit was an inspiration to students and faculty.
Even reluctant readers are reading his books. Every chapter of the
Dripping Fang series ends with a cliff hanger and students were begging me to
read more!"
--Karen Fowler, SLMS,Vail Farm Elementary School,
LaGrangeville, NY
“Dan, you’re the best!The Bellows kids can't stop
talking about your visit and the library can't keep anything by you on the
shelves.”
–Margo Schmidt, librarian, F.E. Bellows School, Mamaroneck, NY
"Dan is an entertaining story teller who has an insightful way of
reaching children with information on writing and publishing stories as well.
Our students thoroughly enjoyed his mix of humor and factual information."
–Tamara Ivan, Principal, Chenango Bridge Elementary, Binghamton, NY
“Dan Greenburg's dramatization of the first book in The Secrets of Dripping Fang
series had my students captivated!I have a waiting list two
pages long for any book in that series.”--Sue
Sclafani, librarian, Canaan Elementary School, Patchogue, NY
“Dan, as I'm sure you're aware, your books are much loved by all kids.
Thank you for your great imagination and writing at a level that encourages
beginning readers to find something interesting, fun and enjoyable to read.
You are amazing at what you do.”
--Michele Ford, Hallman Elementary School, Salem, Oregon
“I can't thank you enough for your wonderfully entertaining visit to F.E.
Bellows!As one of my favorite children's book authors, it
was great to meet the man behind the talent.For the past 3
years I have been reading your books in class.I could not
wait to meet an author whose books I have used to interest unmotivated readers.My copies of the Dripping Fang Series are always out on loan from my
classroom library, I can't seem to keep them on the shelves! “The students and I were captivated by your storytelling from the
Dripping Fang series.The entire auditorium was silenced as
you delivered a spooky and grotesque introduction to this great series.Thank you for taking the time to answer our students questions open and
honestly.Through their thought-provoked questions, I could
tell that you had inspired them all.”–Erin Kessler, teacher, F.E. Bellows school, Mamaroneck, NY
"Dan Greenburg has visited Somers Intermediate School three different
times for our annual Authors Day. The children always love his
presentations and his books. Right now, all of the books by Dan have been
checked out of our library after his most recent visit on May 1st, 2009.
The excitement he engenders in our readers lasts and lasts."
–Grace Ostermann, head librarian, Somers Intermediate School, Somers,
NY “We thoroughly enjoyed Dan
Greenburg’s visit to the University School of Milwaukee!He
captivated the audience – students and teachers/parents alike – with his
engaging story telling.The students were at the edge of
their seats.I was amazed at how quiet it was in the theater
the whole time Mr. Greenburg was on stage….a silence broken only by the
occasional giggle, from one of us adults, at his entertaining sound effects and
lively narrative twists and turns.”--Margy Stratton, Author
Visits Co-Chair, The University School of Milwaukee, Mequon, Wisconsin
Dan
Greenburg
Secrets
of Dripping Fang, Book One: The Onts
[Hardcover]
Secrets of Dripping Fang,
Book Two: Treachery and Betrayal at Jolly Days
[Hardcover]
Secrets of Dripping Fang, Book Three: The
Vampire's Curse [Hardcover]
Zack Files 24: My
Grandma, Major League Slugger
[Paperback]
Zack Files 30: It's
Itchcraft!: SuperSpecial
[Paperback]
