Norma Klein


Norma Klein 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. Ms. Klein's work dealt openly with controversial subjects, including racism, homosexuality, adoption, and death.
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

A Train for Jane

If I Had My Way '

Dinosaurs Housewarming Party

Naomi in the Middle

Blue Trees, Red Sky

A Surprise Party for Dinosaur

Visiting Pamela

Books for middle readers

Mom, the Wolf Man and Me

It's Not What You Expect

Confessions of an Only Child

Taking Sides

What It's All about

Tomboy

A Honey of a Chimp

Robbie and the Leap Year Blues

Bizou

The Cheerleader

Snapshots

Now That I Know

Books for teen readers

Hiding

It's Okay If You Don't Love Me

Love is One of the Choices. Two high school seniors from single-parent households, Caroline and Maggie, explore sexuality and the changing role of women in the world. Caroline has a sexual relationship with her chemistry teacher.

Breaking Up

French Postcards

Domestic Arrangements

Queen of the What Ifs

Beginner's Love

The Swap

Angel Face

Family Secrets

Give and Take

Going Backwards

My Life As a Body

Older Men

That's My Baby

No More Saturday Nights

Learning How to Fall

Just Friends

Books for adults

Love and other Euphemisms. A collection of early short stories.

Sunshine. One of Norma Klein's most popular novels. Based on the true story of a young mother with terminal cancer.

Girls Turn Wives

Give Me One Good Reason

Coming to Life

Sunshine Christmas

Sunshine Years

Wives and Other Women
Sextet in a Minor. A collection of short stories.

Lovers

Baryshnikov's Nutcracker

American Dreams

The World As It Is