GOLD, Susan Dudley 1949-
(Susan Gold, Susan Dudley Morrison)

PERSONAL: Born March 18, 1949, in Portland, ME; daughter of Edward Elias (a bookkeeper and salesman) and Helyn Rose (a bookkeeper and secretary; maiden name, Walton) Dudley; married John Coopersmith Gold, September 16, 1989; children: Samuel Bowman Morrison. Education: Attended Brandeis University, 1967-70; University of Maine—Portland-Gorham (now University of Southern Maine), B.A., 1971. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Unitarian-Universalist.

ADDRESSES: Home—7 Paul Ave., Saco, ME 04072-9518. Offıce—Custom Communications, P.O. Box 16036, Portland, ME 04101.

CAREER: Biddeford Journal Tribune (now Journal Tribune), Biddeford, ME, reporter, 1973-76; freelance writer for local and regional publications, 1976-87; Commercial Fisheries News, Stonington, ME, correspondent, 1976-87; Business Digest, staff writer, 1981-87; coordinator for Maine Fishermen's Forum, 1984-87; Maine Enterprise, Portland, ME, editor, 1987-89; Munjoy Hill Observer, editor and production manager, 1988—; Custom Communications (desktop publisher), Portland, ME, owner and manager, 1989—. Member of Old Orchard Beach Planning Board, 1984-85; president of Action for Child Transportation Safety, 1984-85. Delegate, Maine Democratic Convention, 1988; member and paper editor, Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Association; member of board of directors, Unitarian-Universalist Church, Saco-Biddeford, 1990-91; board member, Greater Biddeford-Saco Aspirations Compact, 1992—.

MEMBER: National Press Women's Association, The Literary Network, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, New England Business Association, Maine Media Women, Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce and Industry (membership director).

AWARDS, HONORS: Third-place award for feature writing, New England Press Association, 1975; first-place awards, Maine Media Women, 1984, for feature story "Cole-Haan Is Walking Away with the World's Quality Shoe Market," 1985, for interview "Jimmy Odlin," and 1991, for brochure design, nondaily newspaper editing and children's book categories; bronze award, national Ozzie Award for Design Excellence, 1988, as member of four-person team that redesigned Maine Enterprise; first-place awards for brochure design, nondaily newspaper editing, newsletter, editorial writing, and children's book categories, National Press Women's Association-Northeast Region, 1993.

WRITINGS:

The Pharaoh's Curse ("Incredible Histories" series), illustrated by Sandy Rabinowitz, Crestwood House (New York, NY), 1990.

Toxic Waste ("Earth Alert" series), Crestwood House (New York, NY), 1990.

Countdown to the Moon ("Adventures in Space" series), Crestwood House (New York, NY), 1992.

The Kennedy Space Center: Gateway to Space ("Adventures in Space" series), Crestwood House (New York, NY), 1992.

To Space and Back: The Story of the Shuttle ("Adventures in Space" series), Crestwood House (New York, NY), 1992.

Roe v. Wade (1973): Abortion ("Supreme Court Decisions" series), Twenty-First Century Books (New York, NY), 1994.

In Re Gault (1967): Juvenile Justice ("Supreme Court Decisions" series), Twenty-First Century Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Suspects' Rights ("Supreme Court Decisions" series), Twenty-First Century Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Roberts v. U.S. Jaycees (1984): Women's Rights ("Supreme Court Decisions" series), Twenty-First Century Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Alzheimer's Disease ("Health Watch" series), Crestwood House (New York, NY), 1996, revised edition, Enslow (Berkeley Heights, NJ), 2000.

Arms Control, Twenty-First Century Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Governments of the Western Hemisphere, Twenty-First Century Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Religions of the Western Hemisphere, Twenty-First Century Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Human Rights, Twenty-First Century Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Indian Treaties, Twenty-First Century Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Land Pacts, Twenty-First Century Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Arthritis ("Health Watch" series), Crestwood House (New York, NY), 1997, revised edition, Enslow (Berkeley Heights, NJ), 2001.

Multiple Sclerosis ("Health Watch" series), Crestwood House (New York, NY), 1997, revised edition, Enslow (Berkeley Heights, NJ), 2001.

The Panama Canal Transfer: Controversy at the Crossroads, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (New York, NY), 1999.

Mood Disorders ("Health Watch" series), Crestwood House (New York, NY), 1999.

Blame It on El Niño, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (New York, NY), 2000.

Asthma ("Health Watch" series), Crestwood House (New York, NY), 1999, revised edition, 2000.

Attention Deficit Disorder ("Health Watch" series), Crestwood House (New York, NY), 2000.

Cystic Fibrosis ("Health Watch" series), Crestwood House (New York, NY), 2000.

Bipolar Disorder and Depression ("Health Watch" series), Enslow (Berkeley Heights, NJ), 2000.

Sickle Cell Disease ("Health Watch" series), Enslow (Berkeley Heights, NJ), 2001.

The Musculoskeletal System and the Skin, Enslow (Berkeley Heights, NJ), 2003.

The Respiratory System, Enslow (Berkeley Heights, NJ), 2003.

Roe v. Wade: A Women's Choice, Benchmark Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Gun Control, Benchmark Books (New York, NY), 2004.

The Digestive and Excretory Systems, Enslow (Berkeley Heights, NJ), 2004.

Producer, director, and writer of video The Tenth Year: Maine's Fishing Industry, 1976-85.

under name susan dudley morrison

Balls, Crestwood (New York, NY), 1983.

Shoes for Sport, Crestwood (New York, NY), 1983.

The Alligator, Crestwood (New York, NY), 1984.

The Passenger Pigeon, Crestwood (New York, NY), 1989.

(With Jamie Malanowski and the editors of Spy) SpyHigh: A Make-Believe Yearbook of America's Rich and Famous, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1991.

under name susan gold

The History of Union Wharf, 1793-1998, Custom Communications (Saco, ME), 1998.

(With Jill Cournoyer) Make Way for the Automobile:The History of the Maine Automobile Association, 1910-1997, Custom Communications (Saco, ME), 1998.

(With husband, John Coopersmith Gold) MaineEmployers' Mutual Insurance Company, MEMIC, A Maine Miracle: The Success of the Maine Workers Compensation, Custom Communications (Saco, ME), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: Journalist, publisher, and writer Susan Dudley Gold has contributed an impressive list of nonfiction works to juvenile literature. Writing on subjects from the law to history, science, and human diseases, Gold presents direct and succinct explanations of topics from abortion to sickle cell anemia. Born in Maine, Gold has remained a resident of that state, writing for newspapers and fishing journals, as well as starting her own desktop-publishing firm, Custom Communications.

After authoring a few titles under the name Susan Dudley Morrison, she began writing as Susan Dudley Gold with The Pharaoh's Curse, as she tells of various weird scenarios involving hunters for mummies throughout history. Leslie Chamberlin, writing in School Library Journal, found this book "compelling." From ancient Egypt, Gold turned her attention to contemporary environmental concerns in Toxic Waste, a book that deals with issues such as radon gas and the tragedy of the Love Canal, where a town was poisoned by the burial nearby of toxic wastes. Gold describes what toxic wastes are, discusses their effects, and then proposes solutions. Nathan S. Washton, writing in Science Books and Films, thought this was "a most timely book," with a text that is "excellent, concise, and accurate."

Gold explores topics in space travel in three other titles, Countdown to the Moon, The Kennedy Space Center: Gateway to Space, and To Space and Back: The Story of the Shuttle, each of which, according to Margaret Chatham in School Library Journal, "give brief overviews of various aspects of the U.S. Space program." She reviews topics such as the Apollo and Gemini space programs and gives an inside look at both the Kennedy Space Center as well as the shuttle program. A reviewer for Appraisal felt that the "Adventures in Space" series, of which Gold's three titles are a part, had text that was "both informative and helpful." Bonnie Shulman, writing in Science Books and Films, noted that "on the whole, the books in this series are entertaining to read and contain accurate information about the space program."

The versatile Gold has also dealt with legal and historical topics in numerous books. In Roe v. Wade (1973): Abortion, Gold examines that landmark Supreme Court decision on abortion rights. Susan Knorr, writing in School Library Journal, felt that "readers get a good overview of the procedures involved in Supreme Court cases" in this work. Booklist's Carolyn Phelan explained that Gold presents "the climate of opinion in the country at the time," and also follows the case as it made its way from a woman in Texas who sought an abortion after taking the drug thalidomide during pregnancy, all the way to the highest court in the land. More volumes in the "Supreme Court Decisions" series followed. Gold's Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Suspects' Rights looks at the case that resulted in the Miranda warning, which all police must issue to suspects before questioning them. Beth Tegart, writing in School Library Journal, noted that the court process is detailed "in a straightforward" manner. With In Re Gault (1967): Juvenile Justice, Gold looks at the decision concerning an Arizona youth incarcerated in a reform school for six years because he made an obscene phone call; the punishment for an adult would have been only a two-month jail term. This case dealt with inequalities in the justice system for minors and adults. School Library Journal contributor Sandra L. Doggett thought that this and other works in the series provide sufficient information "to cover the topic without being overwhelming to those with no background in these areas." Roberts v. U.S. Jaycees (1984): Women's Rights examines a case that dealt with sex discrimination. The court here determined that the nonprofit organization mentioned in the suit had to allow women to become full members. "Gold suggests that the struggle for women's rights is as old as our nation," wrote Rebecca O'Connell in a School Library Journal review. Barbara J. Walker, writing in Voice of Youth Advocates, felt that same title was a "worthwhile source for a review of the role of women in the work force and society."

Gold investigates the legal issues of treaties and pacts in several further titles. Her Indian Treaties looks at the manner in which "whites used treaties and legal machinations . . . to seize Indian lands," according to Mary Mueller, writing in School Library Journal. Land Pacts traces the American annexation of land through the Louisiana Purchase, the Spanish and Mexican treaties, and the Alaska Purchase. School Library Journal critic Mueller praised the level of detail in this study, finding it "a solid choice for reports." Reviewing both titles in Booklist, Susan Dove Lempke drew attention to Gold's "lively" style, as well as her "broad" research, a combination that provides "a substantial yet readable amount of information." In Human Rights, Gold follows the growth of treaties and pacts that deal with that issue, from the birth of the Red Cross to the Geneva Conventions and United Nations treaties. Mueller, again writing in School Library Journal, felt that "Gold's treatment of this subject is thorough," and that the book supplies "information not often found elsewhere." Arms Control, a 1997 title from Gold, is "a well-written overview of modern humankind's attempts to restrain its more violent tendencies," according to Herman Sutter, writing in School Library Journal. In this title, Gold provides a historical background of the arms control movement, from the Civil War and the banning of the use of poison, to the 1990s and test ban treaties for nuclear weapons. Sutter further thought that the book was written in "a lively, descriptive style." And Booklist's Chris Sherman felt that both Arms Control and Human Rights were "balanced, clearly written accounts."

Gold takes a more historical and cultural stance in other titles. Both politics and spirituality are examined in Governments of the Western Hemisphere and Religionsof the Western Hemisphere, volumes marked by "balanced" treatment, according to Ann G. Brouse in School Library Journal. Brouse also thought that "colored sidebars, maps, and full-color photos and reproductions add interest and supplemental information." In a Booklist review, Frances Bradburn called these volumes "much-needed" for elementary and middle-school audiences. The history of the Panama Canal as well as its hand over to the Panamanians in 2000 was dealt with in The Panama Canal Transfer: Controversy at the Crossroads, a "straightforward, well-documented history," as Booklist's Sally Estes described the work. School Library Journal's William C. Schadt felt that the "strength" of the book lay in the latter sections wherein Gold enumerates all the machinations in the transferal process. Schadt claimed Gold did a "good job of explaining the details of the treaty ratified in 1978."

Gold has also contributed numerous volumes dealing with health and human sickness in the "Health Watch" series. Most books of this kind deal with typical forms of the disease or ailment in question, a listing of its symptoms, and a discussion of its treatment and ongoing research. Gold also personalizes the disease by following its course in one individual. Reviewing the revised edition of Alzheimer's Disease in Book Report, Robert L. Otte commented on the "easy-to-read style" that makes the book "attractive . . . for the middle school." Gold has also examined ailments from attention deficit disorder to sickle cell anemia. Christine A. Moesch, reviewing Bipolar Disorder and Depression in School Library Journal, found that the book's format would "attract reluctant readers." Cheryl Karp Ward, writing in Voice of Youth Advocates, felt the entire "Health Watch" series, including the numerous books contributed by Gold, is "packed with enough facts to provide a solid overview." Reviewing Gold's Asthma in Science Books and Films, Toyoko Tsukuda noted that the book "is well written, informative, and presented at a level appropriate for children."

Further science topics are taken up in Blame It on El Niño and The Musculoskeletal System and the Skin. A meteorological phenomenon is at the center of the first title, a "readable" exploration, as Patricia Manning noted in School Library Journal, of the ocean current that causes extreme atmospheric conditions known as El Niño and La Niña. Gold's book looks specifically at the El Niño event of 1997-98. A reviewer for Appraisal felt that Gold's account was "written in a clear, engaging style while concisely covering this many-faceted topic." In The Musculoskeletal System and the Skin, Gold takes a brief look at the human body. Moesch, writing in School Library Journal, thought that there was "a lot of information in this slim volume." Similarly, Booklist's Hazel Rochman found the same book to be "a non-intimidating start to some fascinating science."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

Appraisal, spring, 1993, review of Countdown to theMoon, To Space and Back: The Story of the Shuttle, and The Kennedy Space Center: Gateway to Space, pp. 65-66; spring-summer-fall, 2000, review of Blame It on El Niño, pp. 32-33.

Booklist, December 15, 1994, Carolyn Phelan, review of Roe v. Wade (1973): Abortion, p. 744; May 15, 1997, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Land Pacts and Indian Treaties, p. 1574; September 1, 1997, Chris Sherman, review of Human Rights and Arms Control, pp. 70-71; February 1, 1998, Frances Bradburn, review of Religions of the Western Hemisphere and Governments of the Western Hemisphere, p. 910; April 15, 1999, Sally Estes, review of The Panama Canal Transfer: Controversy at the Crossroads, p. 1520; April 15, 2003, Hazel Rochman, review of The Musculoskeletal System and the Skin, p. 1460.

Book Report, November, 1999, Allison L. Bernstein, review of The Panama Canal Transfer, p. 86; January, 2001, Robert L. Otte, review of Alzheimer's Disease, p. 71.

School Library Journal, September, 1990, Leslie Chamberlin, review of The Pharaoh's Curse, p. 240; February, 1991, Eva Elizabeth Van Ancken, review of Toxic Waste, p. 87; January, 1993, Margaret Chatham, review of The Kennedy Space Center, To Space and Back, and Countdown to the Moon, p. 110; February, 1995, Susan Knorr, review of Roe v. Wade (1973), pp. 117-118; August, 1995, Beth Tegart, review of Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Suspects' Rights, p. 160; January, 1996, Martha Gordon, review of Alzheimer's Disease, p. 131, and Sandra L. Doggett, review of In Re Gault (1967): Juvenile Justice, p. 117; May, 1996, Rebecca O'Connell, review of Roberts v. U.S. Jaycees (1984): Women's Rights, p. 139; June, 1997, Mary Mueller, review of Indian Treaties and Land Pacts, p. 134; July, 1997, Mary Mueller, review of Human Rights, p. 103; December, 1997, Herman Sutter, review of Arms Control, p. 137; March, 1998, Ann G. Brouse, review of Religions of the Western Hemisphere and Governments of the Western Hemisphere, p. 323; August, 1999, William C. Schadt, review of The Panama Canal Transfer, p. 170; April, 2000, Patricia Manning, review of Blame It on El Niño, p. 148; February, 2001, Christine A. Moesch, review of Bipolar Disorder and Depression and Attention Deficit Disorder, p. 133; December, 2001, Martha Gordon, review of Sickle Cell Disease, p. 160; October, 2003, Christine A. Moesch, review of The Musculoskeletal System and the Skin, p. 150.

Science Books and Films, April, 1991, Nathan S. Washton, review of Toxic Waste, p. 78; April, 1993, Bonnie Shulman, review of The Kennedy Space Center, To Space and Back, and Countdown to the Moon, p. 81; January-February, 2000, Jane P. Gardner, review of Blame It on El Niño, pp. 33-34; May-June, 2001, Toyoko Tsukuda, review of Asthma, pp. 125-136.

Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 1996, Barbara J. Walker, review of In Re Gault (1967) and Roberts v. U.S. Jaycees (1984), pp. 52-52; October, 2001, Cheryl Karp Ward, review of Bipolar Disorder and Depression, pp. 300-301.*