Obits

Rick Wolff, who edited bestselling books including Rich Dad Poor Dad and co-authored 18 books of his own, died on April 10 of brain cancer. Wolff was also the host of weekly radio show The Sports Edge, on WFAN in New York City. His family writes in a remembrance, “To know Rick or Dad or Pops was to love him. He was wise, thoughtful, sharp, funny, incredibly smart, and truly just a wonderful person. In his honor, please remember to never give up on your dreams. He never did, even after so many of them had come true.”

DM Thomas, author of The White Hotel, has died at 88. Thomas was a scholar of Russian literature and a poet, and also wrote Ararat and Eating Pavlova.

John Jakes, 90, bestselling author of The Kent Family Chronicles and the North and South trilogy, died on Saturday at a hospice facility in Sarasota, FL. Jakes wrote around 60 novels across many genres, but saw the biggest sales for his historical fictions, some of which sold in the millions.

Former Congresswoman and longtime president and CEO of the AAP Patricia Schroeder, 82, died in Florida of complications from a stroke. The NYT calls her “a trailblazing feminist legislator who helped redefine the role of women in American politics and used her wit to combat egregious sexism in Congress.” Current AAP ceo Maria Pallante comments: “As many will write, Pat Schroeder was a principled and pioneering Member of Congress, where she used her ferocious legal chops, wit, and skill to advance issues that were often called women’s issues but were really about families or fighter pilots.  The American publishing community […]

Author and illustrator of the Olivia series of picture books Ian Falconer, 63, died on Tuesday in Rowayton, CT after a short illness. Olivia won a Caldecott Medal in 2001 and Falconer published seven more books in the series. He also illustrated more than 30 New Yorker covers.

Children’s book author and illustrator Amy Schwartz died suddenly the weekend of February 25. She had a hand in more than 50 children’s books across many imprints, including Charlotte Zolotow Award winner What James Likes Best and New York Times Best Book of the Year Bea and Mr. Jones. Mary Cash, vp and editor in chief at Holiday House said, “I can’t think of anyone whom I think understood and portrayed the day-to-day routines of families with young children with more intelligence and joy. Amy was an acute observer of all the tiny details that together make up a child’s life. Her wonderful books […]