Sophia Gholz

Sophia Mallonée Gholz (born October 17, 1980) is an American writer of children's books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Biography and career

Gholz was born in Gainesville, Florida. She was the second child of Nancy Dohn, an American corporate manager,^[1] and Henry Gholz, an American scientist.^[2]

Gholz's first book, The Boy Who Grew A Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng^[3] (published by Sleeping Bear Press in 2019 and illustrated by Kayla Harren) is a picture book^[4] that has been translated into multiple languages.^[5][6]

Gholz's books include Jack Horner, Dinosaur Hunter!, a picture book biography about the paleontologist who inspired the main character in Jurassic Park, This is Your World: The Story of Bob Ross, and A History of Toilet Paper (and Other Potty Tools). The bibliography below lists her published works.

Gholz's media appearances and interviews include BBC UK,^[7] The Sun News,^[8] Nonahood News,^[9] North East News India,^[10] Discovery Channel,^[11] Orlando Voyager,^[12] The Buzz TV^[13] The Bookshop at the End of the Internet Podcast,^[14] and The New York Times.^[15]

Select awards

• Florida State Book Award Gold Medal for The Boy Who Grew A Forest (2020)^[16]
• South Carolina Children's Book Award Nominee (2020–21)^[17]
• Green Earth Book Award Honor (2020)^[18]
• Crystal Kite Award Winner, Southeast Region (2020)^[19]
• Keystone to Reading Book Award Shortlist (2020–21)^[20]
• Children's Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (2020)^[21]
• Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award Winner from Northland College (2019)^[22]
• Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Honor Award, California Reading Association (2019)^[23]

Published works

• The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng (2019), illustrated by Kayla Harren^[24]
• Jack Horner, Dinosaur Hunter! (2021), illustrated by Dave Shephard^[25]
• This is Your World: The Story of Bob Ross (2021), illustrated by Robin Boyden^[26]
• A History of Toilet Paper (and Other Potty Tools) (2022), illustrated by Xiana Teimoy^[27]
• Bug on the Rug (2022), illustrated by Susan Batori^[28]

Personal life

In 2008, Gholz married Jeff Olson, an American photographer^[29] and businessman. They had two children and live in Florida.^[15]

Adaptations

In 2022, stage rights were acquired to adapt the German translation, Der Junge, Einen Eald Pflanzte (Zuckersüß Verlag), of Gholz's book The Boy Who Grew A Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng, for a stage production at the Staatstheater Meiningen Theater in Berlin and the Humboldt Forum in Berlin.^[30][31]

External links

• Official website
• NBC News
• Sophia Gholz at Library of Congress