# Rodman Philbrick

Rodman Philbrick (born January 22, 1951) is an American writer of novels for adults and children. He has written popular children's books such as Freak the Mighty, Max the Mighty, The Last Book in the Universe, and has written other mysteries and thrillers for adults.

## Early life

He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and currently lives in both Maine and Florida. He attended Portsmouth High School and he also attended University of New Hampshire for a few semesters.

## Career

Rodman Philbrick has written many mysteries and thrillers for adults, including Brothers & Sinners, Coffins, and the T. D. Stash detective series, set in Key West, Florida, as well as a number of mysteries under the pen name William R. Dantz. Writing as Chris Jordan, Philbrick has published novels in the thriller genre: Taken, Trapped, and Torn, featuring former FBI special agent Randall Shane, who investigates the disappearance of missing children.
Two of his most popular children's books are Freak the Mighty and its sequel, Max the Mighty. Freak the Mighty was later adapted into a movie titled The Mighty. He wrote the cyberpunk, dystopian novel The Last Book in the Universe and the science fantasy novel REM World. Other works for young readers include The Young Man and the Sea, which is dedicated to his nieces Annie and Molly, and The Fire Pony, about two brothers on the run in the American West. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, set in the American Civil War, was named a Newbery Honor Book in 2010. A stage version of The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg debuted at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in 2012. He and Lynn Harnett collaborated on scary books for young readers, including The House on Cherry Street, The Werewolf Chronicles, and Visitors, three trilogies published by Scholastic, Inc.
In December 2011, writing as Chris Jordan, Philbrick published Measure of Darkness, set in Boston. According to the author, Randall Shane enters the story in the first chapter, when he is accused of murdering a client. Zane and The Hurricane: A Story of Katrina, an adventure set in New Orleans, was published in February 2014. The Big Dark was released in print and audio versions in January 2016. A mystery for young readers, Who Killed Darius Drake? was published in 2017. Wildfire, a thrilling survival tale, was published in 2019. We Own the Sky, the story of an immigrant flying circus, set in Maine in 1924, was published in September 2022.
Philbrick has also written using the pen names W. R. Philbrick, William R. Dantz, and Chris Jordan.

## Personal life

Philbrick and Lynn Harnett were married from 1980 until her death, in 2012. Before Philbrick began writing full-time, he worked as a longshoreman and boat builder.

## Awards

Awards and nominations listed by Philbrick :
| Award | notes |
| Shamus Award, Best P. I. Novel, Paperback Original | 1993 |
| Judy Lopez Honor Book | 1994 |
| California Young Reader Medal | Winner 1995 |
| Arizona Young Readers | Medal Winner 1996 |
| Nebraska Golden Sower Award | 1997 |
| ALA Best Books | for Young Adults |
| ALA Recommended Books | for Reluctant Readers |
| Wyoming Soaring Eagle Book Award | 1998 |
| New York Charlotte's Web Award | 1998 Maryland Middle School Book Award 1998 |
| Maine Lupine Honor | 2000 |
| Maryland Middle School Book Award | 2001 |
| Keystone State Book Award | 2002 |
| Isinglass Teen Read Award | 2002 |
| Maine Lupine Award | 2009 |
| Newbery Honor | 2010 |
| Maine Lupine Award | 2014 |
| Texas Bluebonnet List | 2015-2016 |
| Maine Lupine Honor | 2017 |
Maine Katahdin Award 2020
South Carolina Junior Book Award 2021-2022 'Wildfire'
'Wildfire', William Allen White Award 2022 (Kansas)
'We Own the Sky' New-York Historical Society Best Children's Book 2023
'We Own the Sky' Bronze Medal Florida Book Award 2022