Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (illustrated by Matt Tavares) The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window (illustrated by Peter McCarty) Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry (illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha) The Christmas Mitzvah (illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha) The World’s Strongest Librarian (play adaptation of the book by Josh Hanegarn)
Howard Jeffrey Gottesfeld[3][4] (born 1956) is an American novelist, playwright, and screen and television writer.
Under the pseudonym of Zoey Dean (which he shared with his former wife Cherie Bennett), Gottesfeld co-wrote How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls which was developed into the series Privileged.[5][6]
He is also an award-winning children's literature author. His titles include Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (illustrated by Matt Tavares), listed on The Wall Street Journal and KirkusReviews’ best books for children lists and the School Library Journal’s outstanding non-fiction children’s book list.[7][8][9]The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window (illustrated by Peter McCarty) won the Association of Jewish Libraries’ Sidney Taylor Award for notable title, and was named on the Chicago Public Library’s Best Children’s Book list, and The New York Times’ Best Illustrated Children’s Books.[10][11][12]No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan was named the Freeman Book Award’s best picture book.[13]Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry (illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha) won the Independent Publishers Association’s Bronze Medal, Children’s Picture Book (All Ages) and the Christopher Award.[14][15][16] The Association of Jewish Libraries named The Christmas Mitzvah (illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha), its Honor Book silver medal winner for the Sydney Taylor Book Award.[17]
In addition, his play World’s Strongest Librarian won the American Alliance for Theatre and Education’s Distinguished Play Award.[18]
Gottesfeld has written freelance for numerous magazines and newspapers, and continues to publish essays on such subjects as trends in young adult fiction, the effect of the Gaza conflict on American Jewish family relations, Confederate flag, immigration policy, and trends in young adult fiction
His fiction ranges from elementary age children to adult. For television, he has written for such shows as Smallville and The Young and the Restless. Together with Cherie Bennett, he has written under the pen name Zoey Dean.[20] Under the Zoey Dean pen name, Gottesfeld and Bennett wrote The A-List series of books (developed by the same publishing group as Gossip Girl), and How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls, which was developed into the series Privileged.[21] His credits also include novelizations for Dawson’s Creek, Smallville and for the WWE.[6]
His first picture book was The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window, published by Random House/Knopf in March, 2016. It received starred reviews in Booklist and School Library Journal. His 2020 children's book, No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan, documents the life and activism of Beate Sirota Gordon.[22] It is the winner of the 2020 NCTA Freeman Award, for the best children's book about Asia.[23] It was also a runner-up finalist for the 2020 National Jewish Book Award.[24] His March, 2021 picture book, with illustrations by Matt Tavares, is Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, published by Candlewick Press. It received a number of starred reviews, as well as praise from the Wall Street Journal.[25][26][27] It is about the origins of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its Tomb Guards.[28] Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry, illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha and printed in 2023, was a spring showcase selection for the Children’s Book Council, winner of the Goddard Riverside Children’s Book Council Youth Prize for Social Justice award, the Christophers Award and recipient of the bronze medal of the Independent Publishers Association (IPPY) for Children’s Picture Book (All Ages).[15][16][14]
Gottesfeld’s Honor Flight will be released in 2026, an illustrated book about the Honor Flight organization, illustrated by Matt Tavares. In addition, We All Serve, an illustrated book about how the children of service families, known as military brats, all serve in their own way, illustrated by TeMika Grooms, will be released the same year.[29]
Turn Me On, under the pseudonym Cherie Jeffrey (2007)
How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls, under the pseudonym Zoey Dean (2007)
The A-List, 10 book series, under the pseudonym Zoey Dean (2004-2008)
The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window, illustrated by Peter McCarty (2016)
No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan, illustrated by Shiella Witanto (2020)
Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, illustrated by Matt Tavares (2021)
The Christmas Mitzvah, illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha (2021)
Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry, illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha (2023)
Honor Flight, illustrated by Matt Tavares (2026)
We All Serve, illustrated by TeMika Grooms (2026)
Plays
A Heart Divided
Anne Frank and Me, with Cherie Bennett
10 x 10 ten short plays about values, editor (2005)
Does My Head Look Big in This? with Elizabeth Wong, adapted from the novel by Randa Abdel-Fattah (2014)
The World's Strongest Librarian with Elizabeth Wong, adapted from the memoir by Josh Hanagarne (2016)
Awards and nominations
2016, The New York Times, Best Illustrated Children’s Books for The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window
2016, Chicago Public Library Best Children’s Book list for The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window
2017, Association of Jewish Libraries, Sydney Taylor Book Award notable title for The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window
2017, Booklist, “Lasting Connections” list of top 30 books of the year grades K-12 for The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window[31]
2017, International Reading Association, Notable Books for a Global Society, for The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window[32]
2017, National Council for the Social Studies & Children’s Book Council, Notable Social Studies Trade Books, The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window[33]
2017, Children’s Book Council, One World Many Stories listfir The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window[34]
2017, American Alliance for Theatre and Education, Distinguished Play Award for World’s Strongest Librarian
2020, Children’s Book Council, Champions of Change Booklist for No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan[35]
2020, National Jewish Book Award, picture book category runner-up. No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan[36]
2021, Freeman Book Award in picture book category, for No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan
2021, winner, Audrey Geisel Friend of Military Children Award for Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
2021, Tablet magazine, outstanding Jewish children’s book list for The Christmas Mitzvah[37]
2021, School Library Journal, outstanding non-fiction children’s book list for Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier[9]
2021 Kirkus, Best Picture Books of the Year for Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier[8]
2021, Wall Street Journal, Best Books for Children for Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
2022, nominee, North Carolina Children’s Book Award for Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier[38]
2022, Texas Topaz list for Nonfiction (unanimous choice) for Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier[39]
2022 Association of Jewish Libraries, Sydney Taylor Book Award, Honor Book silver medal, for The Christmas Mitzvah[17]
2022, American Library Association’s Notable Children’s Books List for Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier[40]
2023-24, Hoosier State Young Book Award nominee for Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier[41]
2023, Children’s Book Council, Spring Showcase Selection for Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry 2023-24
Charlie May Simon Book Awards nominee for Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier[42]
2023, Goddard Riverside Children’s Book Council Youth Prize for Social Justice award for Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry[43]
2024, Christophers Award, Books for Young People for Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry 2024[16]
2024, Independent Publishers Association (IPPY) Bronze Medal, Children’s Picture Book (All Ages) for Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry
References
^United States Public Records, 1970-2009 (New York, California, Tennessee, 1991-2008)
^About Jeff, Jeff Gottesfeld. Accessed February 12, 2020. "I grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, where I went to Whittier School, Benjamin Franklin Junior High School, and Teaneck High School."
