As a young girl growing up in El Paso, Texas, Pat Mora felt as though she belonged to two worlds - the American culture of Texas and the Latino culture of Mexico. When her parents gave her a typewriter as an 8th-grade graduation gift, Mora started expressing her feelings through poetry. She would go on to become the Chicana voice of the Southwest, telling stories about the desert and the Latino people who are forced to straddle two cultures. Mora has also turned her talents toward authoring storybooks for young readers
Shel Silverstein was a songwriter, playwright, and cartoonist, but he is best known for his poetry and books for children, including "The Giving Tree" and "A Light in the Attic". Always thought-provoking and sometimes controversial, Silverstein's writing was accompanied by his distinctive art, making his books memorable and appealing to children and adults alike. But Silverstein didn't start out as a children's book writer. He pursued many other avenues first, all the while living a fascinating and unusual lifestyle.
Walter Dean Myers published his first book in 1969, a picture book called "Where Does The Day Go?" Since then, he has published more than 80 books, including novels, biographies, poetry, fables, and adventure stories. One of today's most renowned young adult authors, Myers has won many awards for his work. This insightful, new full-color biography shows how Myers draws on his own experiences to write realistic young adult novels about African-American teenagers living in urban environments, such as "Monster", "Scorpions, and "Autobiography of My Dead Brother".
Katherine Paterson was in her 40s and a married mother of four when she sent her first young adult novel, The Sign of the Chrysanthemum, to a publisher. She did not know anyone at the publishing house, nor did she have an agent. Set in 12th-century Japan, the novel was rescued from rejection by an editor who loved her writing and another who had just returned from Japan. But it was her fourth, Bridge to Terabithia, based on a tragedy endured by her young son, that won the Newbery Medal and made her a successful author.
Mythmaker: The Story of J.K. Rowling (Who Wrote That?)
Virtually everyone knows her name and the names of her wizarding characters. As the 13th richest woman in England, she earned her fortune in a rather unusual way - by writing books. J.K. Rowling is one of the most popular authors of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Her books about Harry Potter are widely read by adults and children alike and have been translated into more than 64 languages. With the recent completion of the seven-book series, Rowling's popularity is at an all-time high. But Rowling didn't start out famous.
