H810GAuthor PresentationsRose Wongsarnpigoon , Megan Chamberlain and Hui Xin Tan

Born August 12, 1937-Martinsburg, West Virginia

Foster parents – Florence and Herbert Dean

Moved to Harlem (age 3) Became a bookworm Dropped out of high school (age 16) Joined U.S. army

1968: Won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest

1969: First published book—Where Does the Day Go?

1970s: BA at Empire State College

1977: Writing full time Now lives in Jersey City, New

Jersey. Married, has 3 grown children Has worked with son Christopher

Over 80 titles Range of Genres for

varying ages Picture books

(illustrated by son, Christopher Myers)

Non-fiction Fiction Poetry Memoirs

Themes Adolescence The ‘hood’ inner

city experience Dealing with

pressure Sports Drugs Love Family Harlem Culture Music

Coretta Scott King Honor (Author)

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

Kentucky Bluegrass Award

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

Newbery Honor Books Scorpions 1988 Somewhere in the Darkness 1993

Coretta Scott King Awards The Young Landlords 1979 Motown and Didi: A Love Story 1984 Fallen Angels 1989 Now is Your Time! The African-American

Struggle for Freedom 1991 Slam! 1997 Monster 2000

Caldecott Honor Book Harlem: A Poem (son Christopher Illustrated)

4 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime

Achievement Award given by the American Library Association 1994

Recipient of the first annual Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, has been a versatile and prolific writer for more than 30 years

http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/ His own website: bio, bibliography, reviews, news (appearances), contact info

 http://aalbc.com/authors/walter1.htmBiography and sample of Books

 http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Li-Ou/Myers-Walter-Dean.htmlBiography

 http://dept.kent.edu/Virginiahamiltonconf/Myersbio.htmBiography

 http://www.bookpage.com/0102bp/walter_dean_myers.htmlInterview

 http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/myerswVideo Interview

 http://www.webenglishteacher.com/myers.htmlLesson plans to use with his books

On reading: “Books took me, not so much to foreign lands and fanciful adventures, but to a place within myself that I have been constantly exploring ever since.” (http://aalbc.com/authors/walter1.htm)

On writing: “What I think I'm doing now is rediscovering the innocence of children that I once took for granted. I cannot relive it or reclaim it, but I can expose it and celebrate it in the books I write. I really like people—I mean, I really like people—and children are some of the best people I know.” (http://aalbc.com/authors/walter1.htm)