[citation needed] Before becoming a famous author Joan spent years working for McGraw-Hill and the Chicago Tribune.
Bauer is well known for her enjoyable young adult fiction novels, which always feature bright covers with her name in mismatched colored letters.
She has received multiple awards and recognition for her work including: Delacorte Prize for First Young Adult Novel, 1992, for Squashed; Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults selection, American Library Association, 1999, for Rules of the Road; Newbery Honor Medal; Los Angeles Times Book Prize;[1] Christopher Award; Golden Kite Award, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators; Michigan Thumbs-Up!
[citation needed] Bauer's first book, Squashed, was set in rural Iowa.
The novel features a sixteen-year-old named Ellie Morgan, whose life "would be almost perfect if she could just get her potentially prize-winning pumpkin to put on about 200 more pounds—and if she could take off 20 herself ... in hopes of attracting Wes, the new boy in town.
According to Delacorte, Squashed won its annual Prize for an Outstanding First Young Adult Novel.