Francisco Xavier Stork (né Francisco Xavier Arguelles, born 1953)[1] is a Mexican-American writer. He is best known for his award-winning 2009 book, Marcelo in the Real World.
Francisco Xavier Arguelles was born in Monterrey, Mexico in 1953 to single mother Ruth Arguelles.[2] Because he was born outside of wedlock, his mother was sent to a convent to birth the child.[1] Although he was supposed to be adopted, his mother decided to keep him.[1] Eventually, his grandfather let both him and his mother to move back to their home city, Tampico.[2]
Stork's mother married Charles "Charlie" Stork, a Dutch man 20 years Arguelles's elder, six years later, and he adopted Francisco.[2] Charlie gave Francisco a typewriter for his seventh birthday, beginning Francisco's love of storytelling.[2]
The Stork family moved to El Paso, Texas when Francisco was nine years old.[1] Francisco attended a grammar school, where he learned English.[2]
Charlie Stork died in a car crash when Francisco was 13.[1]
Stork is a Christian.[3] He is married to Jill Syverson-Stork and has two children (Nicholas and Anna) and four grandchildren.[1] He lives with his wife outside of Boston.[1]
At thirteen years old, Stork received a scholarship to the local Jesuit High School.[2] He rose to the top of his class, and eventually received a full-ride scholarship to Spring Hill College, where he studied English Literature and Philosophy.[2] There, he won his first prize in creative writing.[2]
After graduating from Spring Hill College, Stork received a Danforth Fellowship, which allowed him to attend Harvard University, where he studied Latin American Literature.[2]
Deciding academia was too distant from the problems people were facing in the world, Stork attended Columbia Law School.[2]
Stork began his career as an attorney in 1982 and continued until his retirement in 2015.[1] Beginning in 2000, Stork worked at MassHousing, a Massachusetts state agency that finances affordable housing.[1]
After working in the legal field for twenty years, Stork published his first novel.[1]
Five of Stork's books, plus two audiobooks, are Junior Library Guild selections: On the Hook,[4] Disappeared,[5][6] The Memory of Light,[7][8] The Last Summer of the Death Warriors,[9] and Marcelo in the Real World.[10]
Four of his books have been included in lists of the best young adult books of the year. Publishers Weekly included Marcelo in the Real World on their 2009 list[11] and The Last Summer of the Death Warriors on their 2010 list.[12] Bank Street College of Education named The Last Summer of the Death Warriors one of their Best Books of 2011 for ages 12-14.[13] Kirkus Reviews named The Memory of Light one of the best teen books of 2016[14] and Disappeared one of the best teen books of 2017.[15] The Chicago Public Library also named Disappeared one of the best young adult books of the year.[16]
Year | Title | Award/Honor | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Marcelo in the Real World | Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth | Selection | [17] |
2010 | Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults | Selection | [18] | |
Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award | Finalist | [19] | ||
Best Books for Young Adults | Top 10 | [20] | ||
Schneider Family Book Award for Teen Book | Winner | [21][22] | ||
2011 | The Last Summer of the Death Warriors | Best Books for Young Adults | Top 100 | [23] |
2017 | The Memory of Light | Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults | Top 100 | [24] |
Américas Award | Commended Title | [8] | ||
Best Fiction for Young Adults | Top 100 | [25] | ||
2018 | Disappeared | Best Fiction for Young Adults | Top 100 | [26] |
Disappeared | Walter Dean Myers Award | Honor | [27][28] |