Spizman, Robyn Freedman

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Spizman, Robyn Freedman

PERSONAL:

Born in Atlanta, GA; daughter of Jack and Phyllis (a community volunteer) Freedman; married Willy Spizman (a corporate executive in public relations), July 20, 1975; children: Justin, Ali. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Georgia State University, B.A.; also attended University of Texas at Austin.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Atlanta, GA.

CAREER:

Writer and consumer advocate. WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA, presenter of the series Been There Bought That for more than twenty-five years; guest on national television programs. Make-a-Wish Foundation, member of national advisory council.

WRITINGS:

Good Apple and Bulletin Board Bonanza, McGraw-Hill (New York, NY), 1981.

Personalizing with Paint, Plaid Enterprises (Norcross, GA), 1983.

All Aboard with Bulletin Boards, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1983.

Bulletin Boards: Monthly Calendars of Learning Fun, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1984.

Bulletin Boards: Ideas for Science and Health, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1984.

Bulletin Boards: Letters, Borders, and Background Materials, McGraw-Hill (New York, NY), 1984.

Bulletin Boards to Promote Good Study Skills and Positive Self-Concepts, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1984.

Bulletin Boards: For Social Studies and Current Events, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1984.

Bulletin Boards: For the Whole School to Enjoy, McGraw-Hill (New York, NY), 1984.

Bulletin Boards: For Reading, Spelling, and Language Skills, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1984.

(With Evelyn Pesiri) Bulletin Boards: Seasonal Ideas and Activities, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1984.

Bulletin Boards: Ideas for Holidays and Special Days, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1984.

Bulletin Boards: To Reinforce Basic Math Skills, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1984.

Bulletin Boards: For Students to Make and Use, McGraw-Hill (New York, NY), 1985.

Lollipop Grapes and Clothespin Critters: Quick On-the-Spot Remedies for Restless Children 2-10, Addison-Wesley (Reading, MA), 1985.

(With Stephen W. Garber and Marianne Daniels Garber) Good Behavior: Over 1,200 Sensible Solutions to Your Child's Problems from Birth to Age Twelve, Villard Books (New York, NY), 1987.

Bulletin Boards Plus, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1989.

(With Stephen W. Garber and Marianne Daniels Garber) If Your Child Is Hyperactive, Inattentive, Impulsive, Distractible: Helping the ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) Hyperactive Child, Villard Books (New York, NY), 1990, published as If Your Child Is Hyperactive, Inattentive, Impulsive, Distractible: Helping the ADD/Hyperactive Child, 1995.

What on Earth Can You Do with Kids?, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1991.

Water Intermediate, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1992.

(With Marianne Daniels Garber) Air (Primary), Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1992.

Land (Intermediate), Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1992.

The Good Apple Big Book of Bulletin Boards, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1993.

(With Stephen W. Garber and Marianne Daniels Garber) Monsters under the Bed and Other Childhood Fears: Helping Your Child Overcome Anxieties, Fears, and Phobias, Villard Books (New York, NY), 1993.

(With Marianne Daniels Garber and Janet Ambrust) At-Home Activities for Math and Science: Hundreds of Activities to Increase Children's Love of Learning, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1994.

(With Marianne Daniels Garber and Janet Ambrust) At-Home Activities for Reading, Language Arts, and Social Studies: Hundreds of Activities to Increase Children's Love of Learning, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1994.

(With Marianne Daniels Garber and Corbin Hillam) Helping Kids Get Organized: Activities That Teach Time Management, Clutter Cleaning, Project Planning, and More, Good Apple (Carthage, IL), 1994.

(With Tracey Green) The Bad Day Book, Longstreet Press (Atlanta, GA), 1994.

The Thank You Book: Hundreds of Clever, Meaningful, and Purposeful Ways to Say Thank You, Longstreet Press (Atlanta, GA), 1994, updated edition, 1997.

(With Stephen W. Garber and Marianne Daniels Garber) Good Behavior Made Easy Handbook, Family Life Productions, 1995.

(With H. Jackson Brown, Jr.) A Hero in Every Heart: Champions from All Walks of Life Share Powerful Messages to Inspire the Hero in Each of Us, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN), 1996.

(With H. Jackson Brown, Jr.) A Hero in Every Heart: Messages to Motivate and Inspire the Best in You, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN), 1996.

(With Marianne Daniels Garber) Beyond Ritalin: Facts about Medication and Other Strategies for Helping Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders, Villard Books (New York, NY), 1996.

When Words Matter Most: Thoughtful Deeds and Kind Words for Every Occasion, Crown Publishers (New York, NY), 1996.

Kids on Board: Fun Things to Do While Commuting or Road Tripping with Children, Fairview Press (Minneapolis, MN), 1997.

Kitchen 101: Essential Information for Organizing Your Kitchen and Pantry, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Getting Organized: Wonderful Solutions for Making the Most of Your Living Space, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Supermarket Secrets, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Free and Fabulous, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Quick Tips for Busy People, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Meals in Minutes, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 1998.

The Perfect Present: The Ultimate Gift Guide for Every Occasion, Crown Publishers (New York, NY), 1998.

Bet You Didn't Know: Smart Answers for Every Aspect of Your Life, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Ken Leebow) 300 Incredible Things to Learn on the Internet, 300Incredible.com (Marietta, GA), 2000.

(With Ken Leebow) 300 Incredible Things for Women on the Internet, 300Incredible.com (Marietta, GA), 2000.

(With H. Jackson Brown) Life's Little Instruction Book for Incurable Romantics: A Pulse-Quickening Collection for and about People in Love, Rutledge Hill Press (Nashville, TN), 2001.

(With Michael Popkin) Getting Through to Your Kids: Talking to Children about Sex, Drugs and Alcohol, Safety, Violence, Death, Smoking, Self-Esteem, and Other Critical Issues, Perigee (New York, NY), 2002.

(With Tory Johnson and Lindsey Pollack) Women for Hire: The Ultimate Guide to Getting a Job, Perigee (New York, NY), 2002.

The Giftionary: An A-Z Reference Guide for Solving Your Gift-Giving Dilemmas … Forever!, St. Martin's Griffin (New York, NY), 2003.

(With Tory Johnson) Women for Hire's Get-Ahead Guide to Career Success, Perigee (New York, NY), 2004.

Make It Memorable: An A-Z Guide to Making Any Event, Gift, or Occasion … Dazzling!, St. Martin's Griffin (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Mark Johnston) Secret Agent (juvenile fiction), Atheneum Books (New York, NY), 2005.

(With Tory Johnson) Take This Book to Work: How to Ask for and Get Money, Fulfillment, and Advancement, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2006.

(With Mark Johnston) Secret Agent Strikes Back (juvenile fiction), Atheneum Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Author of volumes in the "Crafts for Children" series, twenty-one volumes, between 1992 and 1997. Author (with Diane Pfifer) of Dear Daughter: With Love from My Kitchen; also author of several unpublished book manuscripts.

"AUTHOR 101" SERIES

(With Rick Frishman) The Insider's Guide to Making Reality Sell, Adams Publishing Group (Avon, MA), 2006.

(With Rick Frishman) Bestselling Book Publicity: The Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book—and Yourself, Adams Publishing Group (Avon, MA), 2006.

(With Rick Frishman and Mark Steisel) Bestselling Secrets from Top Agents: The Insider's Guide to What Agents and Publishers Really Want, Adams Media (Avon, MA), 2006.

(With Rick Frishman) Bestselling Book Proposals: The Insider's Guide to Selling Your Work, Adams Media (Avon, MA), 2006.

(With Rick Frishman and Mark Steisel) Bestselling Nonfiction, Adams Media (Avon, MA), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Robyn Freedman Spizman told CA: "I recently coauthored (with Mark Johnston) my first work of fiction titled Secret Agent. Over the past twenty-five years, I have been a consumer advocate, appearing weekly on WXIA-TV in Atlanta, Georgia, which is my hometown. Having reported on books, gifts, and topics that relate to children, my goal has always been to write a children's book series. I imagined a character named Kyle Parker, whose dream was to help sell his father's book. His dad was a struggling writer and his mom wanted his father to get a real job. Kyle thought if only he could sell his dad's book, he'd get his parents back together, since they had separated. To that end, Kyle enlists the kids in the neighborhood to become secret agents, and Kyle poses as an actual literary agent, breaking into the book world in New York City.

"I love book writing. I have had the pleasure of writing a wide array of nonfiction books, with topics ranging from teaching you how to write a book to books on gift-giving and making life memorable. It is my sincere hope that my works touch readers in the same way that each of them has inspired or entertained me. I feel very fortunate to be a writer and wake up every day bringing books to life, sharing the works of other authors and enjoying every second of it! I look forward to spreading my knowledge and experience."