their home. They moved frequently, and his mother often engaged in "get-rich-quick" schemes that did not succeed. His father abandoned them early in his life. This upbringing was most closely depicted in Confessions of a Teenage Baboon. Despite the often dark subject matter of his books, which deal with loneliness, loss, and the effects of abuse, they are also filled with humor. Many of his novels have zany titles, such as My Darling, My Hamburger, Pardon Me, You're Stepping on My Eyeball! or Confessions of a Teenage Baboon. My Darling, My Hamburger specifically deals with teen sexuality, abuse within the home, teen pregnancy, and abortion. The Pigman, first published in 1968, deals with love and finding friends in odd places. It is widely taught in American schools and made it onto the list of most frequently banned books in America in the 1990s; for example, Plano, Texas parents complained of offensive language and sexual themes. Zindel stated that "I ignore critics usually. I believe the perfect story is a dream." Zindel received the annual Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2002, recognizing his cumulative "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature". The jury cited five works said to be published 1968 to 1993: The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds; My Darling, My Hamburger; and the Pigman trilogy. The citation called The Pigman "one of the first authentic young adult novels" and the panel chair observed that "Paul Zindel knows and understands the reality young adults deal with day-to-day ... He has the ability to depict young adults in an honest and realistic way. The characters he developed nearly 40 years ago still speak to today's teens." Beginning with Loch in 1994, Zindel wrote numerous speculative fiction novels for children or young adults, mainly in the horror genre. Zindel also worked in Hollywood, writing the screenplays for, among other titles, Up the Sandbox and Mame. Personal life and death Zindel was married to Bonnie Hildebrand from 1973, divorcing her in 1998. They had two children; novelist Lizabeth Zindel, and son David, a publisher. A resident of Montague Township, New Jersey, Zindel died in New York City from lung cancer in 2003, at the Jacob Perlow Hospice in Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan. He is buried in Moravian Cemetery, Staten Island. Works Plays The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, 1964 The Ladies