Norma Klein facts for kids

Norma Klein (May 13, 1938 – April 25, 1989) was a US young adults' book author. She was born, grew up and lived in New York City for most of her life, and studied Russian at Barnard College. She died, after a brief illness, in New York City on April 25, 1989 at the age of 50. She had a husband, Erwin Fleissner, and two daughters.

Klein was best known for her adult novel Sunshine, about a young woman with terminal cancer, which was based upon a true story, and taken from the young woman's tape-recorded diary. She was also well known for her children's novel Mom, the Wolfman and Me about a girl with an unmarried mother.

She wrote many novels for children and young adults including Family Secrets, which has been challenged for inclusion in school libraries, and is ranked at #76 on the American Library Association’s list of most challenged books for 1990-1999.

Picture books

Girls Can Be Anything (1973)
A Train for Jane (1974)
If I Had My Way (1974)
Dinosaurs Housewarming Party (1974)
Naomi in the Middle (1974)
Blue Trees, Red Sky (1975)
A Surprise Party for Dinosaur (1977)
Visiting Pamela (1990)

Books for middle readers

Mom, the Wolf Man and Me (1972)
It's Not What You Expect (1973)
Confessions of an Only Child (1974)
Taking Sides (1974)
What It's All about (1975)
Tomboy (1978)
A Honey of a Chimp (1980)
Robbie and the Leap Year Blues (1981)
Bizou (1983)
The Cheerleader (1985)
Snapshots (1986)
Now That I Know (1988)

Books for teen readers

Hiding (1976)
It's Okay If You Don't Love Me (1977)
Breaking Up (1980)
French Postcards (1980)
Domestic Arrangements (1982)
Queen of the What Ifs (1982)
Beginner's Love (1983)
The Swap (1983)
Angel Face (1984)
Family Secrets (1985)
Give and Take (1985)
Going Backwards (1986)
My Life As a Body (1987)
Older Men (1988)
That's My Baby (1988)
No More Saturday Nights (1988)
Learning How to Fall (1989)
Just Friends (1990)

Books for adults

Love and other Euphemisms (1975). A collection of early short stories.
Sunshine (1975). One of Norma Klein's most popular novels. Based on the true story of a young mother with terminal cancer.
Girls Turn Wives (1976)
Give Me One Good Reason (1977)
Coming to Life (1977)
Sunshine Christmas (1978)
Sunshine Years (1981)
Wives and Other Women (1982)

Sextet in a Minor (1983). A collection of short stories.
Lovers (1984)
Baryshnikov's Nutcracker (1986)
American Dreams (1987)
The World As It Is (1989)