Walter Dean Myers

1. Walter Dean Myers Born August 12, 1937 in West Virginia Raised in Harlem, New York City Currently lives in Jersey City, New Jersey

2. Early Life • Born in Martinsburg, West Virginia in 1937 • Mother died when he was 2 yrs. old • Moved to Harlem after being “adopted” by Florence and Herbert Dean at age three

3. Family • At age 4 mother taught him to read • Father told “scary” stories • Grandfather told “God gonna get ya” kind of stories

4. Family • Considered the Deans his “real” parents • Writes about surrogate parenting

5. Starting School • With the ability to read • Head full of stories • Severe speech impediment • Became a behavior problem • 5th grade teacher told him to write and gave him decent books to read

6. Harlem • Grew up in the 40s and 50s • Sunday morning Bible school • Afternoons at the park, activities at church • Famous Afro-Americans still lived there • Remembers his years in Harlem before adolescence as good years

7. Adolescence • Placed in accelerated junior high school program • Stuyvesant High School • Teacher Bonnie Liebow • Spent more time out of school • Wrote stories and poems • Acquired first typewriter

8. Young Adulthood • Thought family’s finances ruled out college • Fell into gang culture • Dropped out of high school twice • At 17 joined the army

9. Life After the Army • “Starving artist” period back in Harlem • Job in post office • Married and divorced • Attended City College and a writer’s workshop at Columbia University • Worked at various jobs

10. Beginning of a Career • 1968 Where Does the Day Go? wins first prize in Council on Interracial books for Children Contest • 1969 published by Parents’ Magazine • 1970 becomes senior editor for Bobbs-Merrill • In 1972 with The Dancers pays tribute to his foster parents and changes name • 1977 became full-time writer

11. Variety of Genre • Poetry • Short Stories • Children’s Books • Young Adult Fiction • Historical Fiction • Non-Fiction

12. Poetry • Began writing poems in Ms. Conway’s 5th grade class • Hasn’t stopped writing since

13. Children’s Books • Picture books • Juvenile fiction

14. Young Adult Fiction • Realistic urban novels • Mystery and adventure • Critically acclaimed works

15. On Being a Young Adult Author • “The young adult and middle grade periods of my life were so vivid and, in looking back, so influential in how I would live the rest of my life, that I am drawn to [them] over and over again.” • “My ideas come largely from my own background.” • “I lived in Harlem, and I write about Harlem.”

16. Themes • Friendships and peer relations • Family • Individual and social responsibility • Love • Growing up • Finding oneself

17. Historical Fiction • Writes from his own background • Enjoys history

18. Non-Fiction • Magazine pieces • Children’s books • Biographies • Historical

19. Myers and Myers • Son Christopher illustrated several of his father’s books

20. Books I Have Read • Malcolm X • The Glory Field • 145th Street Stories • Monster • Fallen Angels • Scorpions • Harlem • Blues Journey • Handbook for Boys

21. Major Awards • ALA Best Books for Young Adults • ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award • for lifetime achievement • ALA Notable Books • ALAN Award • for outstanding contributions to the field of young adult literature • Caldecott Honor Book • Coretta Scott King Award • Michael L. Prinz Award • National Book Award Finalist • Newberry Honor Book • Parents’ Choice Award

22. Myers Today • Helped establish The Walter Dean Myers Publishing Institute • part of the Langston Hughes Children’s Literature Festival • NBA’s "Read to Achieve" program • Lives with his wife Connie in Jersey City, NJ