Marvin Terban
Encyclopedia
Marvin Terban is an American children's book author. Called a "master of children's wordplay" by ALA Booklist and "Mr. English for Kids" by the Children's Book-of-the-Month Club, he has written over 35 books for young readers, most of them about the English language. He is Scholastic's "Professor Grammar."
and got his start as an author with a book that he wrote and drew in the first grade about a fuzzy green dragon. His first real writing job was a weekly column for his local newspaper, The Chelsea Record, when he was in high school. He was also the editor of his high school newspaper and literary magazine. He went to Tufts
and Columbia
Universities, where he received Bachelor's and Master's degrees respectively. For over 40 years, he has taught English, Latin, Public Speaking, Computer, Theater, and other subjects at the Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School on the Upper West Side
of Manhattan in New York City
.
Early in his teaching career, Terban took a break to produce audio-visual educational programs for children at the New York City public television station and CBS
. Returning to the classroom with renewed energy, he developed teaching games that used humor to help students understand and enjoy the mystifying idiosyncrasies of the English language. Those games grew into the highly original series of funny books on English for which he is known.
Terban's books have made it as far as Shanghai University
in China
, where they are used to teach English to adults. His Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms has been translated into Japanese and Korean. Two of his books were turned into early computer games. He and his wife Karen, a former special education instructor, also wrote two activity books for teachers. Three of his Scholastic books, Checking Your Grammar, Dictionary of Idioms, and Dictionary of Spelling, have sold well over one million copies each. In 2005, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
, an international organization of over 20,000 creators of children's books, voted Mr. Terban their Member of the Year.
Terban has acted in local community theater plays to raise money for charitable causes. He has also had small parts in movies directed by Woody Allen
. For many summers he directed plays at Cejwin Camps in Port Jervis, New York. He has paid "Meet the Author" visits to schools, colleges, and educational conferences all over the United States, South America, Europe, Israel, and Japan. Marvin and Karen Terban live in New York City in a rambling apartment across from Central Park
. They have two children, David and Jennifer, and a granddaughter.
Too Hot to Hoot: Funny Palindrome Riddles (1985)
Your Foot's on My Feet: And Other Tricky Nouns (1986)
Guppies in Tuxedos: Funny Eponyms (1988)
Dove Dove: Funny Homograph Riddles (1988)
Superdupers: Really Funny Real Words (1989)
Punching the Clock: Funny Action Idioms (1990)
Hey, Hay!: A Wagonful of Funny Homonym Riddles (1991)
Funny You Should Ask: How to Make up Jokes and Riddles with Wordplay (1992)
It Figures: Fun Figures of Speech (1993)
Checking Your Grammar (1993)
Time to Rhyme (1994)
Scholastic Writer's Desk Reference (2001)
Punctuation Power: Punctuation and How to Use It (2002)
Kids' Guide to the English Language (2002)
Building Your Vocabulary (2003)
Verbs! Verbs! Verbs! (2003)
Scholastic Dictionary Of Idioms (2006)
Scholastic Dictionary Of Spelling (2006)
Ready! Set! Research! Your Fast And Fun Guide To Writing Research Papers That Rock (2007)
The Ultimate Spelling & Vocabulary Reference (2007)
In a Pickle: And Other Funny Idioms (2007)
Mad as a Wet Hen!: And Other Funny Idioms (2007)
Eight Ate: A Feast of Homonym Riddles (2007)
The Ultimate Homework Book (2008)
Pocket Guide to Grammar (2010)
Biography
Marvin Terban was born in Chelsea, MassachusettsChelsea, Massachusetts
Chelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. It is the smallest city in Massachusetts in land area, and the 26th most densely populated incorporated place in the country.-History:...
and got his start as an author with a book that he wrote and drew in the first grade about a fuzzy green dragon. His first real writing job was a weekly column for his local newspaper, The Chelsea Record, when he was in high school. He was also the editor of his high school newspaper and literary magazine. He went to Tufts
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
and Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
Universities, where he received Bachelor's and Master's degrees respectively. For over 40 years, he has taught English, Latin, Public Speaking, Computer, Theater, and other subjects at the Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School on the Upper West Side
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
of Manhattan in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Early in his teaching career, Terban took a break to produce audio-visual educational programs for children at the New York City public television station and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. Returning to the classroom with renewed energy, he developed teaching games that used humor to help students understand and enjoy the mystifying idiosyncrasies of the English language. Those games grew into the highly original series of funny books on English for which he is known.
Terban's books have made it as far as Shanghai University
Shanghai University
Shanghai University is a public, comprehensive university located in Shanghai, China. The university has the longest serving President; Chien Wei-zang since 1982 until he died in 2010. He was a well known scientist in China...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, where they are used to teach English to adults. His Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms has been translated into Japanese and Korean. Two of his books were turned into early computer games. He and his wife Karen, a former special education instructor, also wrote two activity books for teachers. Three of his Scholastic books, Checking Your Grammar, Dictionary of Idioms, and Dictionary of Spelling, have sold well over one million copies each. In 2005, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators is a nonprofit, 5013 organization that acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers and others involved with literature for young people.The...
, an international organization of over 20,000 creators of children's books, voted Mr. Terban their Member of the Year.
Terban has acted in local community theater plays to raise money for charitable causes. He has also had small parts in movies directed by Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
. For many summers he directed plays at Cejwin Camps in Port Jervis, New York. He has paid "Meet the Author" visits to schools, colleges, and educational conferences all over the United States, South America, Europe, Israel, and Japan. Marvin and Karen Terban live in New York City in a rambling apartment across from Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. They have two children, David and Jennifer, and a granddaughter.
Books
I Think I Thought: And Other Tricky Verbs (1984)Too Hot to Hoot: Funny Palindrome Riddles (1985)
Your Foot's on My Feet: And Other Tricky Nouns (1986)
Guppies in Tuxedos: Funny Eponyms (1988)
Dove Dove: Funny Homograph Riddles (1988)
Superdupers: Really Funny Real Words (1989)
Punching the Clock: Funny Action Idioms (1990)
Hey, Hay!: A Wagonful of Funny Homonym Riddles (1991)
Funny You Should Ask: How to Make up Jokes and Riddles with Wordplay (1992)
It Figures: Fun Figures of Speech (1993)
Checking Your Grammar (1993)
Time to Rhyme (1994)
Scholastic Writer's Desk Reference (2001)
Punctuation Power: Punctuation and How to Use It (2002)
Kids' Guide to the English Language (2002)
Building Your Vocabulary (2003)
Verbs! Verbs! Verbs! (2003)
Scholastic Dictionary Of Idioms (2006)
Scholastic Dictionary Of Spelling (2006)
Ready! Set! Research! Your Fast And Fun Guide To Writing Research Papers That Rock (2007)
The Ultimate Spelling & Vocabulary Reference (2007)
In a Pickle: And Other Funny Idioms (2007)
Mad as a Wet Hen!: And Other Funny Idioms (2007)
Eight Ate: A Feast of Homonym Riddles (2007)
The Ultimate Homework Book (2008)
Pocket Guide to Grammar (2010)