Albert Sidney Fleischman (March 16, 1920 – March 17, 2010), pen name Sid Fleischman, was a Newbery Medal-winning author of children's books. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, to parents of Jewish Russian extraction. He was a long time resident of Santa Monica, California. His best-known book is The Whipping Boy, which won the Newbery Medal.
Before becoming an author, he was a professional magician, and served in the U.S. Naval Reserve on the USS Albert T. Harris , a destroyer escort in World War II, and was a reporter for the San Diego Daily Journal until it folded in 1950. He graduated from San Diego State University in 1949.
In addition to writing children's books, Fleischman did work for the Children's Television Workshop, writing the Bloodhound Gang mysteries for 3-2-1 Contact as well as serving as a consultant for the Mathnet mysteries on Square One TV.
He wrote screenplays, including Blood Alley, the TV movie adaption of The Whipping Boy, Prince Brat and The Whipping Boy (credited as Max Brindle), and other films based on his novels.
Fleischman was married to Betty Taylor for 51 years until her death in 1993. He was the father of the Newbery Medal-winning writer and poet Paul Fleischman. They are the only father and son pair to receive Newbery awards.
Sid Fleischman died of cancer at his home in Santa Monica on March 17, 2010, the day after his 90th birthday.