Jeff Gottesfeld

Early life Gottesfeld grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, attended Teaneck High School, Colby College, and then the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Career Gottesfeld has written freelance for numerous magazines and newspapers, and continues to publish essays on such subjects as trends in young adult fiction, the effect of the Gaza conflict on American Jewish family relations, Confederate flag, immigration policy, and trends in young adult fiction

His fiction ranges from elementary age children to adult. For television, he has written for such shows as Smallville and The Young and the Restless. Together with Cherie Bennett, he has written under the pen name Zoey Dean. Under the Zoey Dean pen name, Gottesfeld and Bennett wrote The A-List series of books (developed by the same publishing group as Gossip Girl), and How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls, which was developed into the series Privileged. His credits also include novelizations for Dawson’s Creek, Smallville and for the WWE. It is the winner of the 2020 NCTA Freeman Award, for the best children's book about Asia. It was also a runner-up finalist for the 2020 National Jewish Book Award. His March, 2021 picture book, with illustrations by Matt Tavares, is Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, published by Candlewick Press. It received a number of starred reviews, as well as praise from the Wall Street Journal. It is about the origins of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its Tomb Guards. Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry, illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha and printed in 2023, was a spring showcase selection for the Children’s Book Council, winner of the Goddard Riverside Children’s Book Council Youth Prize for Social Justice award, the Christophers Award and recipient of the bronze medal of the Independent Publishers Association (IPPY) for Children’s Picture Book (All Ages). Gottesfeld’s Honor Flight will be released in 2026, an illustrated book about the Honor Flight organization, illustrated by Matt Tavares. In addition, We All Serve, an illustrated book about how the children of service families, known as military brats, all serve in their own way, illustrated by TeMika Grooms, will be released the same year. He has spoken to various groups about his work, including a nationally broadcast program into schools for the National Archive in 2021.

Awards and nominations Award Year Category Recipient(s) Result The New York Times 2016 Best Illustrated Children’s Books The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window

Notable Books for a Global Society 2017 Notable Books for a Global Society The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window

National Council for the Social Studies & Children’s Book Council 2017 Notable Social Studies Trade Books The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window

Children’s Book Council 2017 One World Many Stories The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window

American Alliance for Theatre and Education 2017 Distinguished Play Award World’s Strongest Librarian

Children’s Book Council 2020 Champions of Change Booklist No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan

National Jewish Book Award 2020 Picture Book No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan

Freeman Book Award 2021 Picture Book No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan

Tablet 2021 Outstanding Jewish Children’s Book List The Christmas Mitzvah

School Library Journal 2021 Outstanding Non-Fiction Children’s Book List Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Kirkus 2021 Best Picture Books of the Year Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Wall Street Journal 2021 Best Books for Children Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

North Carolina Children’s Book Award 2022 Junior Books Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Texas Topaz 2022 Non-Fiction Reading List, Unanimous Recommendations, Grades 3-5 Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Association of Jewish Libraries 2022 Sydney Taylor Book Award, Honor Book The Christmas Mitzvah

Indiana Library Federation 2023-24 Young Hoosier Book Award Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Children’s Book Council 2023 Spring Showcase Selection Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry

Goddard Riverside Children’s Book Council Youth Prize 2023 Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry

Christophers Award 2024 Books for Young People Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry

Independent Publishers Association (IPPY) 2024 Children’s Picture Book (All Ages) Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry

The Young and the Restless (hired by Lynn Marie Latham) Script Writer: December 14, 2006 - December 21, 2007; March 18 - August 19, 2008 Associate Head Writer: July 2007 - December 21, 2007; March 18 - July 10, 2008

As the World Turns Breakdown Writer: 2005

Port Charles Story Consultant: 1998

Another World Story Consultant: 1997

Girls Got Game: 2006

Smallville: 2001 - 2002

Films Broken Bridges (Writer: 2006)

Selected bibliography Books +Key Denotes works that have not yet been released

Year Title Publisher ISBN Notes 2002 Anne Frank And Me Putnam Juvenile With Cherie Bennett. 2003 The A-List Megan Tingley Publishers Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. First novel of The A-List series. 2004 A Heart Divided Laurel Leaf With Cherie Bennett. 2004 Girls on Film: An A-List Novel Poppy Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Second novel of The A-List series. 2004 Blonde Ambition: An A-List Novel Poppy Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Third novel of The A-List series. 2005 Tall Cool One: An A-List Novel Little, Brown & Company Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Fourth novel of The A-List series. 2005 Back in Black: An A-List Novel Little, Brown & Company Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Fifth novel of The A-List series. 2006 Some Like it Hot: An A-List Novel Poppy Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Sixth novel of The A-List series. 2006 American Beauty: An A-List Novel Little, Brown & Company Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Seventh novel of The A-List series. 2007 Turn Me On Berkley Written under the pseudonym Cherie Jeffrey. 2007 How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls Grand Central Publishing Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Developed into the TV series Privileged. 2007 Heart of Glass: An A-List Novel Little, Brown & Company Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Eighth novel of The A-List series. 2007 Beautiful Stranger: An A-List Novel Little, Brown & Company Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Ninth novel of The A-List series. 2008 California Dreaming: An A-List Novel Poppy Written under the pseudonym Zoey Dean. Tenth novel of The A-List series. 2016 The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window Knopf Books for Young Readers Illustrated by Peter McCarty. 2020 No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan Creston Books Illustrated by Shiella Witanto. 2021 Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Candlewick Illustrated by Matt Tavares. 2021 The Christmas Mitzvah Creston Books Illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha. 2023 Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry Creston Books Illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha. 2025 Fight for the Right to Read: Samuel Wilbert Tucker and the 1939 Sit-Down Strike for Library Reading Equality Creston Books Written with Michelle Y. Green, illustrated by Kim Holt. 2026 Honor Flight Candlewick Illustrated by Matt Tavares. 2026 We All Serve Candlewick Illustrated by TeMika Grooms.

Plays

Anne Frank and Me, written with Cherie Bennett (1997) A Heart Divided, written with Cherie Bennett (2004) 10 by 10: Ten Short Plays About Values, editor (2005) Does My Head Look Big in This? with Elizabeth Wong, adapted from the novel by Randa Abdel-Fattah (2014) The World's Strongest Librarian with Elizabeth Wong, adapted from the memoir by Josh Hanagarne (2016) The Greater-Than-Ever American Songbag with Elizabeth Wong (2025)