Howard Jeffrey Gottesfeld (born 1956) is an American novelist, playwright, and screen and television writer. Under the pseudonym of Zoey Dean (which he shared with his former wife Cherie Bennett), Gottesfeld co-wrote How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls which was developed into the series Privileged. He is also an award-winning children's literature author. His titles include Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (illustrated by Matt Tavares), listed on The Wall Street Journal and Kirkus Reviews’ best books for children lists and the School Library Journal’s outstanding non-fiction children’s book list. The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window (illustrated by Peter McCarty) won the Association of Jewish Libraries’ Sidney Taylor Award for notable title, and was named on the Chicago Public Library’s Best Children’s Book list, and The New York Times’ Best Illustrated Children’s Books. No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan was named the Freeman Book Award’s best picture book. Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry (illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha) won the Independent Publishers Association’s Bronze Medal, Children’s Picture Book (All Ages) and the Christopher Award. The Association of Jewish Libraries named The Christmas Mitzvah (illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha), its Honor Book silver medal winner for the Sydney Taylor Book Award. In addition, his play World’s Strongest Librarian won the American Alliance for Theatre and Education’s Distinguished Play Award.

Biography

Gottesfeld grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, attended Teaneck High School, Colby College, and then the University of San Francisco School of Law. 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. His first picture book was The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window, published by Random House/Knopf in March, 2016. It received starred reviews in Booklist and School Library Journal. His 2020 children's book, No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan, documents the life and activism of Beate Sirota Gordon. 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.

Television credits

The Young and the Restless (hired by Lynn Marie Latham) As the World Turns Port Charles Another World Girls Got Game: 2006 Smallville: 2001 - 2002

Films

Selected bibliography

Books Plays

Awards and nominations