Robert Cormier was born in Leominster, Massachusetts, United States, in the French-Canadian part of the town called French Hill. His parents were Geoffrey Leonard and Irma Cormier. Robert was the second of eight children. His family moved often to so they could pay their rent. However, they never left Leominster. Even when Robert was older, he stayed nearby. He owned a summer home 19 miles away from his hometown. Cormier studied at St. Cecilia's Parochial School. It was a private Catholic school. He began writing when he was in the first grade. He was praised at school for his poetry. He first decided to become a writer in 7th grade. He was encouraged by a nun to write a poem. He went Leominster High School and graduated as the president of his class. As a freshman at Fitchburg State College, he had his first short story published. A college professor, Florence Conlon, sent one of his stories to a national Catholic magazine called "The Sign". She did not ask Cormier before she sent the story to the magazine. He was paid $75. Cormier early work was writing advertisements for radio. Later, he became an award-winning journalist. Even though he became widely known, he never stopped writing for his local newspaper, the "Fitchburg Sentinel".