63 ratings | 6 reviews | avg rating:4.49

Gail Donovan’s Followers (19)

Gail’s Bookshelves

to-read (0)
currently-reading (0)
read (80)

Gail’s Friends (78)

BiblioBrandie

3,647 books | 102 friends

Tara Connor

1,883 books | 12 friends

Joan Dempsey

618 books | 967 friends

Laura

995 books | 24 friends

Mora Camenga

123 books | 96 friends

Anne

1,269 books | 109 friends

Kerry

1,001 books | 28 friends

Sharon

585 books | 27 friends

More friends…

Gail Donovan

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://gaildonovan.com

Genre

Children's, Fiction

Member Since

October 2011

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/gail_donovan

edit data

Gail Donovan was fired from her first job in an ice cream shop for making the sundaes too big. She now works in a library and writes middle grade novels, including IN MEMORY OF GORFMAN T. FROG, named to the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing list; FINCHOSAURUS, winner of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award; as well as the trilogy SPARROW BEING SPARROW (Publishers Weekly, starred review), SPARROW SPREADS HER WINGS (Maine Literary Award winner for Young People's Literature), and SPARROW, ALWAYS. She has also written for the Rainbow Fish & Friends picture book series based on the bestselling work of Marcus Pfister. Donovan lives on the coast of Maine, where she jumps in the ocean all year round.

...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Gail Donovan questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Gail Donovan’s books

Average rating: 3.69 · 740 ratings · 147 reviews · 32 distinct works • Similar authors

	Sparrow Being Sparrow by Gail Donovan (Goodreads Author), Elysia Case (Illustrator) 3.91 avg rating — 116 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Waffler 3.55 avg rating — 91 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Copycat Fish by Gail Donovan (Goodreads Author), David Austin Clar (Illustrator), Marcus Pfister 3.60 avg rating — 78 ratings — published 2001 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Lost at Sea by Gail Donovan (Goodreads Author), Marcus Pfister 3.71 avg rating — 59 ratings — published 2001 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hidden Treasures by Gail Donovan (Goodreads Author), Marcus Pfister 3.71 avg rating — 55 ratings — published 2001 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	In Memory of Gorfman T. Frog by Gail Donovan (Goodreads Author), Janet Pedersen (Illustrator) 3.40 avg rating — 57 ratings — published 2009 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Fishy Story by Gail Donovan (Goodreads Author), David Austin Clar (Illustrator), Marcus Pfister 3.57 avg rating — 42 ratings — published 2001 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Finchosaurus 4.09 avg rating — 35 ratings — published 2018 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What's Bugging Bailey Blecker? 3.46 avg rating — 39 ratings — published 2011 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ready, Set, Swim! by Gail Donovan (Goodreads Author), David Austin Clar 3.62 avg rating — 37 ratings — published 2001 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Gail Donovan…

46 posts
Gail Donovan's Blog

October 2020: Kids and the Postal Mail

Counting on the post-mail generation was originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram.

This election season has me worried about the mail. Not so much about the U.S. postal service— I have faith in the mail carriers. It’s the young people.

No offense, young people. But I know some of you, and you don’t know diddlysquat about how the mail works. It’s probably not your fault.

When I went to

Series by Gail Donovan

Rainbow Fish and Friends (9 books)
by

Gail Donovan (Goodreads Author),

Marcus Pfister

3.60 avg rating — 291 ratings

rss
Gail’s Recent Updates

Gail rated a book it was amazing The Drama Room by Elizabeth Searle	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
If you like stories full of imbroglios, rivalries, wild rides and juicy revelations, “The Drama Room” will not disappoint! Peek through the keyholes of Elizabeth Searle’s stories to witness characters caught in impossible scenarios. Life and death pan ...more
Oct 15, 2025 02:24PM · like · see review

More of Gail's books…

Gail’s Quotes

“There are no happy endings.
Endings are the saddest part,
So just give me a happy middle
And a very happy start.”
― Shel Silverstein, Every Thing on It

4875 likes

“I studied Mrs. Forbes and the girl in the photograph, and tried to find something that matched. There was nothing.
"Don't look so shocked," she said. "I wasn't born old, you know."
My mother used this saying quite frequently. I had learned from experience not to say one word in reply, and I sipped my cordial to avoid having to make a comment.”
― Joanna Cannon

0 likes

“The only problem was, when your whole existence is something you have to cope with, you look back one day and find that your strategy has become a way of life.”
― Joanna Cannon, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep

tags: coping-strategies, mental-illness

1 likes

Gail’s Friend Comments

No comments have been added yet.

Gail Donovan’s Followers (19)

Gail Donovan

Goodreads Author

rssGail’s Recent Updates

rss
Gail’s Recent Updates