Fleischman, Sid

Writer and screenwriter Sid Fleischman died of cancer 
March 17, 2010, a day after his 90th birthday, in the 
house that he loved and with his family around him. 
Born in Brooklyn, he grew up in San Diego and began 
performing as a professional magician while a student 
at San Diego High, later touring on the vaudeville 
circuit. Service in the Navy during World War II 
interrupted his studies at San Diego State, where he 
graduated with a B.A. in English in 1949. After working 
on the San Diego Journal and Point Magazine, he 
began writing novels of suspense, leaving San Diego 
for Europe, then Monterey, CA. When his novel Blood 
Alley was bought by Hollywood, he was offered a 
contract to write the screenplay. With his wife Betty 
and three children, he moved to Santa Monica, where 
he continued writing for the screen. He wrote his first 
children's book, Mr. Mysterious and Company, as a lark 
for his kids. More than 40 more would follow, mixing 
zesty humor, adventure, a love of language, and a nose 
for the byways of history. Awards followed as well, 
culminating in children's literature's highest honor, the 
Newbery Medal, given in 1987 for his novel The 
Whipping Boy. Aside from fiction, he wrote 
biographies of Harry Houdini and Mark Twain and told 
his own tale in The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer's Life. Sir 
Charlie, a biography of Charlie Chaplin, will be 
published in June. He maintained his devotion to 
magic all his life, alongside interests in astronomy, 
hand printing, music, and gardening. His wit and smile 
and generous ways will be missed by his legions of 
readers, by the many upcoming writers and magicians 
he encouraged over the years, and by the family he 
leaves behind: children Jane, Paul, and Anne; sister 
Arleen Kornet; grandchildren Seth Fleischman, Zachary 
Miller, Dana Fleischman, Jenna Miller; niece Carol Fox; 
and nephew Martin Freedman, among many others. A 
private memorial service will be held at a later date. In 
lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the 
American Cancer Society or the Library Foundation of 
Los Angeles.

Published in San Diego Union-Tribune on March 24, 
2010