Bruce McMillan

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Portrait of Bruce McMillan Bruce McMillan.jpg
Portrait of Bruce McMillan

Bruce McMillan (May 10, 1947- ) is a contemporary American author of children books, photo-illustrator [1] and watercolor artist living in Shapleigh, Maine. [2] Born in Massachusetts, he grew up in Bangor, and Kennebunk, Maine. He received a degree in biology from the University of Maine. [3] In addition to his 45 children's books, seven of them set in Iceland, he has authored two books of humor, Punography, featured in Life magazine, and Punography Too. His interest in biology is often reflected in his books' topics. [4] He has published three genres of children's picture books - concept books, nonfiction, and fiction. In 2006, he was honored by the Maine Library Association with the Katahdin Award honoring his outstanding body of work of children's literature in Maine.

Contents

McMillan's watercolor art has been in numerous juried shows in New England and Iceland. His 2018 Winter Olympics curling watercolors were a two-page feature in the Maine Sunday Telegram Arts Section. His watercolor Browns Head Light Vinalhaven was Best in Show at the Port Clyde (Maine) Art Gallery Third Annual Invitational 10 x 10 Show in 2017. His watercolors are in private collections in the US, Canada, Iceland, and Switzerland.

McMillan's most noted award-winning children's book is Nights of the Pufflings (1995), set on the Icelandic island of Heimaey. The story introduces a local children's tradition of rescuing young birds, pufflings (a name he coined), which take their first flight on August nights, some stranded in the village streets. The children then set them free at the beach at daytime. His books were the first photo-illustrated children's books ever featured on the covers of The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books (Nights of the Pufflings), The Horn Book Guide (Nights of the Pufflings), and Booklinks magazine (Mary Had a Little Lamb).

McMillan was honored with a permanent corner in the Springvale Public Library's Children's Room, The Bruce McMillan Corner, where nine of his original photo-illustrations from Grandfather's Trolley are on permanent display.

McMillan has taught writing, illustrating, and publishing children's picture books for the Professional Development division open to the public at the University of Southern Maine and the University of New Hampshire (where he taught for 40 years), with students successfully published by major US publishers. He has spoken at hundreds of schools and conferences in the US.[ citation needed ]

Several of McMillan's children's books were translated into other languages - Icelandic, German and Korean. Hand-colored original photo-illustrations from Grandfather's Trolley are in the public collections of the Mazza Collection, University of Findlay, Findlay, Ohio, Keene State College original children's art collection in Keene, New Hampshire, the Kennebunk Free Library in Kennebunk, Maine (his teen-years library), and the Springvale Public Library in Springvale, Maine (his adult-years library).

"My publishing success with books, creating those playful learning tools for children, as a writer, as a photographer, as a teacher, has its roots in the patient, almost invisible, nurturing from boy to adult of my wise father, Frank Harold McMillan, Jr." -Bruce McMillan, November 7, 2021

Bruce McMillan was twice married, Valeria Therese "Terry" Loughran McMillan, 1968-1985, and Lori Beth Evans, 1997-2001. He has one son, Brett Brownrigg McMillan (1969- ) and two grandsons, Finn (2002- ) and Teague (2004- ).

Children's books

Humor books

Icelandic books (published in Iceland)

Children's book awards

American Library Association

Notable books

Jelly Beans for Sale, Nights of the Pufflings, Eating Fractions, One Sun, A Book of Terse Verse, Counting Wildflowers
School Library Journal starred reviewsThe Problem with Chickens, Wild Flamingos, Nights of the Pufflings, Sense Suspense, A Guessing Game for the Five Senses, Eating Fractions, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Time To..., Super, Super, Superwords, Dry or Wet?, Becca Backward, Becca Frontward, A Book of Concept Pairs, Counting Wildflowers, Here a Chick, There a Chick
American Library Association Booklist starred reviewsThe Picture that Mom Drew, Mouse Views, What the Class Pet Saw, Super, Super, Superwords, Growing Colors, Becca Backward, Becca Frontward, A Book of Concept Pairs
Publishers Weekly starred reviewThe Problem with Chickens
Kirkus pointer reviewA Beach for the Birds, Going on a Whale Watch
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books starred reviewsNights of the Pufflings, One Sun, A Book of Terse Verse
Science Books and Films double-starred reviewsPuffins Climb, Penguins Rhyme, Penguins at Home, Gentoos of Antarctica
Children's Book Committee, Bank Street College of Education starDays of the Ducklings
The Horn Book Guide triangle reviewDays of the Ducklings, Play Day, A Book of Terse Verse
A Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of the YearThe Problem with Chickens
A New York Times Best Illustrated Picture Book of the YearThe Problem with Chickens
A John Burroughs Nature Book for Young Readers Certificate of CommendationA Beach for the Birds
An Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children, National Science Teachers' Association / Children's Book CouncilWild Flamingos, Summer Ice, Life along the Antarctic Peninsula, Nights of the Pufflings, Puffins Climb, Penguins Rhyme, A Beach for the Birds, Going on a Whale Watch, The Baby Zoo, One Sun, A Book of Terse Verse, Becca Backward, Becca Frontward, A Book of Concept Pairs
A National Council for the Social Studies - Children's Book Council, Notable Social Studies Trade BookGoing Fishing
Certificate of Excellence, Parenting magazineNights of the Pufflings, One, Two - One Pair!, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Super, Super, Superwords
A Best Kid's Book - Parents MagazineEating Fractions, Play Day, A Book of Terse Verse, One Sun, A Book of Terse Verse, Here a Chick, There a Chick
A Best Book of the Year, School Library JournalNights of the Pufflings, Super, Super, Superwords
A Best Kids' Book of the Year, Crayola Kids magazineNights of the Pufflings
A Children's Book of Distinction, Hungry Mind ReviewNights of the Pufflings
Parents Choice Honor BookNights of the Pufflings
American Bookseller Association Pick of the ListWild Flamingos, Puffins Climb, Penguins Rhyme, Sense Suspense, A Guessing Game for the Five Senses, The Baby Zoo, Kitten Can..., Here a Chick, There a Chick
A Blue Ribbon Book, The Bulletin for the Center of Children's BooksNights of the Pufflings
A Lupine Honor Book - Maine Librarians' AssociationNights of the Pufflings
A Few Good Books selection - Booklinks magazineNights of the Pufflings
A Reading Rainbow review selectionMouse Views: What the Class Pet Saw
Junior Library Guild selectionsMouse Views, What the Class Pet Saw, Mary Had a Little Lamb, One Sun, A Book of Terse Verse, Here a Chick, There a Chick
Scientific American magazine Young Readers Book AwardThe Weather Sky
Parent's Guide Children's Media Award, Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction HonorSalmon Summer
Library of Congress Children's Book of the YearThe Weather Sky, Kitten Can...
The Original Art Exhibition jury selection, the Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration SelectionMary had a Little Lamb
Children's Editor's Choice, American Library Association BooklistGrowing Colors
A Parent's Choice Foundation Selection, Seal of ApprovalThe Problem with Chickens
New York Public Library 100 Best Books for Reading and SharingJelly Beans for Sale, Time To...
Chicago Public Library's Best of the BestJelly Beans for Sale
BookAwards
The Problem with Chickens New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2005 [5]
Parents' Choice Approved Picture Book seal [6] A Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of 2005

Star Review - School Library Journal, 2005

Star Review - Publishers Weekly, 2005

Days of the Ducklings Parents' Choice Non-fiction, 2001 [7] A Best Children's Book of the Year 2002, Children's Book Committee at the Bank Street College of Education

Star Review, Children's Book Committee Bank Street College of Education, 2002

Triangle Review, the Horn Book Guide, Spring 2002

Jelly Beans for Sale American Library Association Notable Book, 1997 [8] New York Public Library 100 Best Books for Reading and Sharing, 1996

Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best, 1996

Puffins Climb, Penguins RhymeAmerican Bookseller Association Pick of the List, 1995

Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children - National Science Teacher's Association / Children's Book Council, 1995

Two Star Review - Science Books and Films, 1995

Nights of the Pufflings American Library Association Notable Book, 1996 [9]
A Children's Book of Distinction - Hungry Mind Review, 1996
Parents' Choice Picture Book, 1995 [10]
Parenting magazine Certificate of Excellence, 1995

A Lupine Honor Book, Maine Librarians' Association, 1996

A Best Book of the Year, School Library Journal, 1995

A Best Kids' Book of the Year, Crayola Kids magazine, 1995

A Few Good Books selection, Booklinks magazine, 95

A Blue Ribbon Book, The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, 1995

Star Review, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 1995

Star Review, School Library Journal, 1995

Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children - National Science Teachers Association / Children's Book Council, 1995

First photo-illustrated book featured on the cover of The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, 1995

First photo-illustrated book featured on the cover of The Horn Book Guide

One Sun, A Book of Terse VerseAmerican Library Association Notable Book, 1991

A Best Kid's Book of 1990 - Parents magazine, 1990

Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children, National Science Teacher's Association / Children's Book Council, 1990

Star Review - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 1990

Selection - Children's Book-of-the-Month Club, 1990

Selection - Junior Library Guild, 1990

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References

  1. ↑ "Meet the Author/Photographer Bruce McMillan". Houghton Mifflin Reading. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  2. ↑ "Biography Bruce McMillan". Scholastic. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  3. ↑ "Natural Story Teller", Bangor Daily News, Nov. 3, 2001
  4. ↑ "McMillan, Bruce". Maine state library. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "Best Illustrated Books". New York Times. November 13, 2005. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  6. ↑ "The Problem with Chickens - Fall 2005 Picture Books". Parents' Choice. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  7. ↑ "Days of the Ducklings - Fall 2001 Non-Fiction". Parents' Choice. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  8. ↑ "Notable Children's Books, 1997". American Library Association. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  9. ↑ "1996 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. 30 November 1999. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  10. ↑ "Nights of the Pufflings - 1995 Picture Books". Parents' Choice. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
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