Candice F. Ransom

Candice F. Ransom (born July 10, 1952) is a popular children's and young-adult author.

Early years

Ransom was born in Washington, D.C. Her parents are Thomas Garland and Irene Dellinger Farris. Her experiences growing up in rural Virginia, especially those as a student at Robert Frost Junior High School, provided ideas for her books' plots and characters.

She has a master of fine arts degree from Vermont College and a master of arts degree from Hollins University.

Career

Lacking the finances to go to college, Ransom wrote magazine articles in her spare time while she earned a living as a secretary. Her first published book came in 1982.

Ransom has written 117 books, including 18 books for The Boxcar Children series, The Time Spies series and the Sunfire series. She wrote the Dungeons & Dragons novel, Key to the Griffon's Lair (October 2005).

Her work includes picture books, easy readers, middle grade fiction, biographies, and nonfiction. More than 45 of her titles have been translated into 12 languages.

In addition to her writing, Ransom has taught in the graduate program in children's literature at Hollins University and in the writing program at Spalding University and has spoken at conferences.

Personal life

On February 14, 1979, she married Frank Wesley Ransom .

Recognition

Emily, a historical romance written by Ransom, was a 1986 finalist for a Romance Writers of America Golden Medallion award. She has also received International Reading Association/Children's Choice designation (1987) for Fourteen and Holding, Best Science Book for Children designation (1994) for Listening to Crickets, New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year inclusion (1995) and New York Public Library's 100 Best Children's Books inclusion (1995) both for When the Whippoorwill Calls illustrated by Kimberly Bulcken Root, Notable Children's Trade Book in the Social Studies (1997) for One Christmas Dawn and (1998) for Fire in the Sky, Hodge-Podge Award for Best Children's Book (2001) for The Promise Quilt, and Independent Publishers Silver Medal Award (2007) for Finding Day's Bottom.