Russell Ginns

Russell Ginns is a game designer,[1][2][3] writer,[4][5] and composer, primarily known for children's fiction, puzzles, and educational games. He is the author of more than 100 books, including Super Atomic Wombat Girl, Puzzloo!es, 1-2-3 Scream! and the Samantha Spinner series. He has created or contributed to several notable software titles, including Castle Infinity, Hooked on Phonics, Reader Rabbit and Half-Life.

Russell Ginns
Ginns at the 2020 Virginia Children's Book Festival
Alma materUniversity of Michigan
OccupationWriter, designer, composer, producer
Websiterussellginns.com

Publishing


From 1989 to 1993, Ginns was magazine editor for 3-2-1 Contact Magazine and Electric Company Magazine.

In 1991, Ginns created the Nintendo Adventure Books series.[6][7] Throughout the 90s, he created dozens of puzzle books, board books, puzzles, branching-adventure books, educational titles, and young adult fiction. Titles include Puzzlooney!,[8][9][10] Go Figure, Midnight Science!,[11] and The Big Book of Kids' Puzzles.[12][13]

For Sylvan Learning, Ginns created more than 100 workbooks, including Third Grade Math Super Success[14] and Fifth Grade Basic Math Success.[15] He wrote 76 leveled reader books for the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read program.

In 2013, Ginns wrote four collections of board books (The Little Box of Love; The Little Box of Laughs; The Little Box of Bedtime; and The Little Box of Classics) for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This series includes Is There a Chance You’ve Seen My Pants?,[16] Bird on My Head, and Monster Love.

In 2017, Random House published the first title in Ginns's book series, Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans.[17][18][19]

He wrote My Big Book of Feelings for Rodale Press in 2020.[20]

His graphic novel series Super Atomic Wombat Girl will launch in 2022 with illustrations by Jay Cooper.[21][22]

He is the creator and co-author of "Puzzlooies," a hybrid puzzle-story book format, combining silly stories with interactive puzzles that advance the plot. The initial launch featured twelve titles, including Marooned on the Moon, One of Our Giant Robots Is Missing, and Space Cats to the Rescue.

Ginns has also published with the names Clyde Bosco, P. C. Russell Ginns, Jacques Barniarde, Kravis Winewater, Hans Shingle and R. U. Ginns.

Games and interactive media

In 1996, Ginns was the creator and designer of [23] Castle Infinity,[24] the first MMORPG for kids. He has also contributed to titles including Half-Life, Pop!(Video Game), Hooked on Phonics,[25] and Lode Runner.

He created toys and software products at Sesame Street including Sesame Street Countdown, Let's Make a Word, and the Sesame Street Learning Series.

In the late 1990s, Ginns joined Zero Entertainment, including Crop Circles,[26][27] Balloon Dog,[28] and AlphaNatix.[29]

His published board games include Wordspot,[30] Schmear, and Chess on the Loose.

References

  1. Boardgamegeek.com Designers Profile, Seven published board game titles as of July 2013.
  2. Mohammed, Arshad (12 November 2005). "Atari Invites Parents to Travel Back to the '70s". Washington Post. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  3. Russell Ginns
  4. Russell Ginns "About the Author"
  5. Russell Ginns
  6. Gamebooks: Nintendo Adventure Books Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  7. http://zeldauniverse.net/2017/01/26/choose-your-own-adventure-with-this-remake-of-nintendos-adventure-books/
  8. Ginns, Russell (1994). Puzzlooney: Really Ridiculous Math Puzzles. Scientific American Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-7167-6532-5. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  9. Bamford, Rosemary A.; Kristo, Janice V. (1 October 1998). Making facts come alive: choosing quality nonfiction literature K-8. Christopher-Gordon Publishers. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-926842-67-0. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  10. Whitin, David J.; Wilde, Sandra (1995). It's the Story That Counts: More Children's Books for Mathematical Learning, K-6. Pearson Education Canada. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-435-08369-4. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  11. "Books". Tuscaloosa News. 28 February 1995. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  12. Ginns, P.C. Russell (1992). Big Book of Kids' Puzzles. Bantam Books. ISBN 978-0-553-37074-4. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  13. Roback, Diane (1 March 1993). "Odds-on favorites: big action at the box office boosts front list sales". Publishers Weekly.
  14. Third Grade Super Math Success
  15. Fifth Grade Basic Math Success
  16. "Book Set Review: "The Little Box of Laughs" by Russell Ginns". Examiner.com. 20 August 2014.
  17. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/russell-ginns/samantha-spinner-and-the-super-secret-plans/
  18. https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/136367/samantha-spinner-and-the-super-secret-plans-by-russell-ginns-read-by-kathleen-mcinerney-grover-gardner/
  19. https://www.macombdaily.com/lifestyles/kidspost-summer-book-club-the-lifters/article_4fd40e85-e744-5e10-be00-f4bcdfb27371.html
  20. https://www.npr.org/2020/12/29/950868393/the-kids-books-that-helped-2020-go-by-and-a-few-to-look-forward-to?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=books&utm_term=artsculture&utm_content=2061&fbclid=IwAR3LD9mMIDBynCRYta_duMV4T7nBrbLOCML23LecU3BbEQUm-Z4EGYekCPk
  21. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/84342-rights-report-week-of-september-14-2020.html
  22. https://bleedingcool.com/comics/super-atomic-wombat-girl-graphic-novels-2022/
  23. Ernst, S. (25 August 2000). "Software teaches toddlers, also tracks their progress". Puget Sound Business Journal.
  24. "Picks and Pans Review: The Buddy System". People. Vol. 46 no. 17. 21 October 1996. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  25. "Plants Versus Zombies". Media Macaroni. 29 August 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  26. "Anxious Aliens Have No Appetite for Bad Beef!: Zero Entertainment Reveals Crop Circles" (Press release). PR Newswire. 21 April 1998.
  27. "Cattle on a Hot Tin Roof! Zero Entertainment Launches Crop Circles" (Press release). PR Newswire. 27 August 1998.
  28. "Save This Balloon Dog – Or Bust!: Pop! The Balloon Dog Puzzle Game Is Now Available Online" (Press release). PR Newswire. 19 March 1998. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016.
  29. "Computer Game Captures Kidney Thieves.Zero Entertainment Releases AlphaNatix: Urban Legends Edition" (Press release). PR Newswire. 2 June 1998.
  30. Wordspot
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