Paula Danziger

  • 48

    Catalog books

  • 33

    Works

  • 1978 to 2007

    Strongest span

Who This Author Is

Paula Danziger wrote with wry humor and attention to childhood anxieties, most famously through the Amber Brown books. Her short, lively chapters capture everyday school and family moments—losing a friend, starting a new grade, coping with change—making them immediate and easy for young readers to relate to and reread.

Beyond Amber Brown, Danziger explored other kid-focused perspectives in titles like Thames Doesn't Rhyme with James and Earth to Matthew. Those novels keep the same frank voice and comic timing while widening the view to friendships, family tensions, and the thoughtful small disasters that shape growing up.

Best Place To Start

Author At A Glance

Best known for: Amber Brown series of chapter books • Humorous, empathetic stories about childhood • Mid-grade novels with short chapters

Genres and themes: Children's fiction • Friendship and family • School and growing up

Who this author is best for: Good for early chapter-book readers who like realistic, gently funny stories about everyday childhood feelings.

Start with any Amber Brown title—books are short and episodic—then try Thames Doesn't Rhyme with James for a slightly older-reader voice.

Top Books To Start With

  1. Remember Me to Harold Square (Novel)

    Penguin Group USA • 1999 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1999 • 160 pages.

  2. Thames Doesn't Rhyme with James (Novel)

    Penguin Group USA • 1999 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1999 • 143 pages.

  3. Can You Sue Your Parents for Malpractice?

    Penguin Group USA • 1998 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1998 • 160 pages.

  4. Earth to Matthew (Matthew Martin Book)

    Penguin Group USA • 1998 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1998 • 154 pages.

  5. Not for a Billion Gazillion Dollars

    Penguin Group USA • 1998 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1998 • 126 pages.

  6. The Divorce Express

    Penguin Group USA • 1998 • quick commitment

    You appreciate Paula Danziger's sharp, conversational teen voice | You prefer short, episodic chapters about family chan…

  7. It's an Aardvark-Eat-Turtle World

    Puffin • 2000 • quick commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2000 • 132 pages.

  8. I, Amber Brown

    Putnam Pub Group • 1999 • quick commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1999 • 140 pages.

  9. P. S. Longer Letter Later

    Rebound by Sagebrush • 1999 • standard commitment

    It helps anchor a specific period of this author’s publishing run instead of blending into the undated shelf clutter.

  10. Amber Brown Is Feeling Blue

    Putnam Pub Group • 1998 • quick commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1998 • 130 pages.

How The Picks Compare

  • Thames Doesn't Rhyme with James (Novel) is the easier short commitment, while Remember Me to Harold Square (Novel) asks for more reading time up front.

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