Robert Cormier Collection 

Mr. Cormier was employed at Radio Station WTAG, Worcester, Mass. as a writer from l946-48; a reporter for the WORCESTER TELEGRAM AND GAZETTE from l948-55; a reporter, copy  editor, associate Editor, and columnist for THE FITCHBURG-LEOMINSTER SENTINEL AND ENTERPRISE from l955-78. He was also a member of the Leominster Public Library Board of Trustees.

His published writings include: NOW AND AT THE HOUR, Coward, 1960:A LITTLE RAW ON MONDAY MORNINGS, Sheed, l963: TAKE ME WHERE THE GOOD TIMES ARE, Macmillan, l965; THE CHOCOLATE WAR, Pantheon, l974; I AM THE CHEESE, Pantheon, l977; AFTER THE FIRST DEATH, Pantheon, l979; EIGHT PLUS ONE (short stories), Pantheon, l980; THE BUMBLEBEE FLIES ANYWAY, Pantheon, l983; BEYOND THE CHOCOLATE WAR, Knopf, l985; HEROES, Delacorte, 1998; IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, Bantam Doubleday, c1995; TENDERNESS, Delacorte, 1997; FRENCHTOWN SUMMER, Delacorte, 1999. Mr. Cormier had finished the manuscript for his thirteenth novel, RAG AND BONE SHOP, Delacorte, 2001 when he died on November 2, 2000 in Boston, MA. Perhaps an excerpt from the obituary appearing in the INDEPENDENT (London, November 8, 2000, pg. 6) says it best:"…leaving critics with the difficult task of assessing and finally agreeing upon the abiding merits of his contribution to the turbulent world of teenage fiction during the last 30 years."      

As a columnist he wrote "Story from the County" for THE WORCESTER TELEGRAM; the  "John Fitch IV" column for THE FITCHBURG SENTINEL AND LEOMINSTER ENTERPRISE; and the "Sentinel Bookman" for the FITCHBURG  SENTINEL AND LEOMINSTER ENTERPRISE. Mr. Cormier was also the author of "1177 Main Street," a column for the periodical ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER, 1967-80.

Mr. Cormier has written well over one hundred short stories, some of which have appeared in SIGN, SATURDAY EVENING POST, MCCALLS, etc.

 Mr. Cormier  received the following awards for his writings:   First prize for news writings, Associated Press in New England, l959, 1973; best newspaper column, Thomson  Newspapers, Inc., 1974; NEW YORK TIMES Outstanding Book of the Year Award, l974, 1977, 1979; American Library Association award for books for young adults, 1974; the Woodward School Annual Book Award, l978, for I AM THE CHEESE; Mr. Cormier was awarded a Doctor  of Letters, Fitchburg State College in l977. His  novel "Frenchtown Summer" won a Los Angeles Times book award in 2000.