Francisco X. Stork

Francisco Xavier Stork (né Francisco Xavier Arguelles, born 1953)[1] is a Mexican-American writer. He is best known for his award-winning 2009 book, Marcelo in the Real World.

Personal life

Francisco Xavier Arguelles was born in Monterrey, Mexico in 1953 to single mother Ruth Arguelles.[2] Because he was born outside of wedlock, his mother was sent to a convent to birth the child.[1] Although he was supposed to be adopted, his mother decided to keep him.[1] Eventually, his grandfather let both him and his mother to move back to their home city, Tampico.[2]

Stork's mother married Charles "Charlie" Stork, a Dutch man 20 years Arguelles's elder, six years later, and he adopted Francisco.[2] Charlie gave Francisco a typewriter for his seventh birthday, beginning Francisco's love of storytelling.[2]

The Stork family moved to El Paso, Texas when Francisco was nine years old.[1] Francisco attended a grammar school, where he learned English.[2]

Charlie Stork died in a car crash when Francisco was 13.[1]

Stork is a Christian.[3] He is married to Jill Syverson-Stork and has two children (Nicholas and Anna) and four grandchildren.[1] He lives with his wife outside of Boston.[1]

Education

At thirteen years old, Stork received a scholarship to the local Jesuit High School.[2] He rose to the top of his class, and eventually received a full-ride scholarship to Spring Hill College, where he studied English Literature and Philosophy.[2] There, he won his first prize in creative writing.[2]

After graduating from Spring Hill College, Stork received a Danforth Fellowship, which allowed him to attend Harvard University, where he studied Latin American Literature.[2]

Deciding academia was too distant from the problems people were facing in the world, Stork attended Columbia Law School.[2]

Career

Stork began his career as an attorney in 1982 and continued until his retirement in 2015.[1] Beginning in 2000, Stork worked at MassHousing, a Massachusetts state agency that finances affordable housing.[1]

After working in the legal field for twenty years, Stork published his first novel.[1]

Publications
  • The Way of the Jaguar (2000)
  • Behind the Eyes (2006)
  • Marcelo in the Real World (2009)
  • The Last Summer of the Death Warriors (2010)
  • Irises (2012)
  • The Memory of Light (2016)
  • On the Hook (2021)
  • I Am Not Alone (2023)

Disappeared series
  • Disappeared (2017)
  • Illegal (2020)

Anthology contributions
  • What You Wish For: A Book for Darfur (2012)
  • Two and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes (2012)
  • Open Mic: Riffs on Life Between Cultures in Ten Voices, edited by Mitali Perkins (2013)
  • Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles, edited by Jessica Burkhart (2018)
  • Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens, edited by Marieke Nijkamp (2018)
  • Ab(solutely) Normal, edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter and Rockey Callen (2023)

Awards and honors

Five of Stork's books, plus two audiobooks, are Junior Library Guild selections: On the Hook,[4] Disappeared,[5][6] The Memory of Light,[7][8] The Last Summer of the Death Warriors,[9] and Marcelo in the Real World.[10]

Four of his books have been included in lists of the best young adult books of the year. Publishers Weekly included Marcelo in the Real World on their 2009 list[11] and The Last Summer of the Death Warriors on their 2010 list.[12] Bank Street College of Education named The Last Summer of the Death Warriors one of their Best Books of 2011 for ages 12-14.[13] Kirkus Reviews named The Memory of Light one of the best teen books of 2016[14] and Disappeared one of the best teen books of 2017.[15] The Chicago Public Library also named Disappeared one of the best young adult books of the year.[16]

Year Title Award/Honor Result Ref.
2009 Marcelo in the Real World Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth Selection [17]
2010 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection [18]
Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Finalist [19]
Best Books for Young Adults Top 10 [20]
Schneider Family Book Award for Teen Book Winner [21][22]
2011 The Last Summer of the Death Warriors Best Books for Young Adults Top 100 [23]
2017 The Memory of Light Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Top 100 [24]
Américas Award Commended Title [8]
Best Fiction for Young Adults Top 100 [25]
2018 Disappeared Best Fiction for Young Adults Top 100 [26]
Disappeared Walter Dean Myers Award Honor [27][28]

References
  1. "Francisco Stork Young Adult Novelist Chicano, Hispanic Literature". Francisco Stork. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  2. "Francisco Stork". Inside a Dog. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  3. Freitas, Donna (2009-04-02). "Q & A with Francisco X. Stork". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  4. "Junior Library Guild : On the Hook by Francisco X. Stork". www.juniorlibraryguild.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  5. "Junior Library Guild : Disappeared (Audiobook) by Francisco X. Stork". www.juniorlibraryguild.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  6. "Junior Library Guild : Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork". www.juniorlibraryguild.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  7. "Junior Library Guild : The Memory of Light (Audiobook) by Francisco X. Stork". www.juniorlibraryguild.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  8. "Junior Library Guild : The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork". www.juniorlibraryguild.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  9. "Junior Library Guild : The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork". www.juniorlibraryguild.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  10. "Junior Library Guild : Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork". www.juniorlibraryguild.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  11. "Best Children's Books of 2009". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  12. "Best Books 2010". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  13. "Twelve to Fourteen" (PDF). Bank Street College of Education. 2011. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  14. "Best of 2016". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  15. "Best of 2017". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  16. "Best Teen Fiction of 2017". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  17. "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2009". Booklist. 2010-01-01. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  18. "Marcelo in the Real World | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. 2010-02-09. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  19. "The Walden Award". ALAN. 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  20. "2010 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2010-01-13. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  21. Brown, Jennifer M. (2010-01-19). "Rebecca Stead Wins Newbery; Jerry Pinkney Wins Caldecott". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  22. Morales, Macey; Petersen, Jennifer (2010-01-18). "2010 Schneider Family Book Awards recipients named". American Library Association. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  23. "The Last Summer of the Death Warriors". YALSA Book Finder. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  24. "2017 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2017-01-25. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  25. "2017 Best Fiction for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2017-01-25. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  26. "2018 Best Fiction for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  27. SLJ (2018-01-12). "Reynolds, Weatherford Named Winners of 2018 Walter Dean Myers Award". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  28. "WNDB Announces the Winners of the 2018 Walter Awards". We Need Diverse Books. 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
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