Carman, Patrick

Patrick Carman (born February 27, 1966, in Salem, Oregon) is an American writer and a graduate of Willamette University. Carman's first book, The Dark Hills Divide, was published in 2005 The book, and the subsequent books in the same series (The Land of Elyon), were all New York Times bestsellers. The Land of Elyon has been translated into over twenty languages. The series was nominated for many state and national awards. Carman followed the five-book Elyon series with the Atherton trilogy, which was shortlisted for the Texas Bluebonnet. Over two dozen books followed across middle grade and YA, including award-winning bestsellers Skeleton Creek, Floors, Pulse, Dark Eden, and Fizzopolis. Carman is a public speaker who presents at national events throughout the year including the National Book Festival, the LA Book Festival, and the School Library Journal Summit. He has also spoken to over a million students at 2500+ schools across the country. On March 5, 2011, Patrick Carman gave a TED talk about 21st-Century literacy. He started an annual event in his own hometown, Walla Walla Kids Read, as a blueprint for literacy in rural communities.