Please share with classmates a short biographical sketch of one of your favorite authors and list their books that you enjoy.
Here is an example of one of my favorite authors:
Biography of Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary was born in McMinnville, Oregon. She lived on a farm in Yamhill until she was old enough to attend school. The town she lived in was very small and had no library. Her mother arranged with the State Library to have books sent to Yamhill and acted as librarian in a lodge room upstairs over a bank for Beverly. There Mrs. Cleary learned to love books. Her family moved to Portland, where Mrs. Cleary attended grammar school and high school, she soon found herself in the low reading circle, an experience that has given her sympathy for the problems of struggling readers. By the third grade she had conquered reading and spent much of her childhood either with books or on her way to and from the public library. Before long her school librarian was suggesting that she should write for boys and girls when she grew up. The idea appealed to her, and she decided that someday she would write the books she longed to read but was unable to find on the library shelves, funny stories about her neighborhood and the sort of children she knew. After graduation from junior college in Ontario, California and the University of California at Berkeley, Mrs. Cleary entered the School of Librarianship at the University of Washington, Seattle. There she specialized in library work with children. She was Children's Librarian in Yakima, Washington, until she married Clarence Cleary and moved to California. The Clearys are the parents of twins now grown. Mrs. Cleary's hobbies are travel and needlework.
Some of my favorite Beverly Cleary books include:
All Ramona books
Socks
Ribsy
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Strider (the sequel to Dear Mr. Henshaw)
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Run Away Ralph
Ralph S. Mouse
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I’ve always loved Bill Martin,Jr. I had the opportunity to hear him speak many years ago. He is a dynamic speaker, as well as a talented writer. Although I’ve read many of his books, I’d never really read about him, until now. I was surprised to learn that he was a non-reader is elementary school. In fact, he didn’t learn to read until he was in college. He credits his love of the language to a 5th grade teacher who frequently read aloud to the class.
Bill graduated from Emporia State University with teaching certificate. He went on to earn a masters and PhD in early childhood from Northwestern. He’s worked as a teacher and a principal, in addition to his writing career. He even published a literature-based reading program "Sounds of Language" for Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
His breakthrough as an author came when he wrote Brown Bear. He composed the entire book during a 30 minute commuter train ride. He often composed books in his head, listening to the sounds of the language, and going over them several times to make sure his writing had the rhythmic patterns that his books are so famous for. Only after he had talked through a story several times, would he put it on paper.
Bill Martin, Jr. passed away in 2004, after almost 60 years of writing children’s literature. During his career he has written over 300 books. Some of my favorites are:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
The Ghost-Eye Tree
Knots on a Counting Rope
Listen to the Rain
One of my favorite authors is David Wiesner, not because the books are favorites for teaching, but just because I personally enjoy them. He grew up in suburban New Jersey and he loved images and imagining from an early age. One of the things he remembers from his childhood is the wall paper in his bedroom that had pictures of such things as books, rockets, elephant heads, clocks, and magnifying glasses. He could pick among any or all of these things before he closed his eyes to conjure up stories in his head. His imagination followed him day and night with his neighborhood and books all fodder for the things he dreamed about and stories he created inside his head.
He studied art history and surrealists in college and became fascinated with what happens before and after the captured image. His career started with creating wordless comic books and silent movies. After he attended the Rhode Island School of Design he committed himself to the study of wordless storytelling. He attributes the success he enjoys today to the artistic influences of two men Tom Sgouros and David Macaulay.
Wiesner has illustrated many books as well as both written and illustrated three Caldecott Award books and two Caldecott honor books. He is only the second person in the history of the award to have won the honor three times. During his career his books have also won several other awards.
Mr. Wiesner lives near Philadelphia with his wife, son and daughter. He works full time creating dreamlike and inventive images for books.
Some of his books include:
The Three Pigs
Tuesday (my favorite)
Sector 7
Flotsam
Posted For Jayne:
One of my favorite authors is Robert McCloskey. I loved his books when I was a child, and I own most of his books and read them to my children now as a parent. I enjoy the stories, but the best part of his books are his illustrations. In Make Way for Ducklings the expressions on the ducks' faces are just the best!
Robert McCloskey was born and raised in Hamilton, Ohio. Most of his stories are set in the Midwest and on the East Coast.
He started drawing for his high school yearbook, and that was the start of his love for illustrating. In 1932 he won a scholarship to the Vesper George Art School in Boston. He then moved to New York and entered the National Academy of Design. He exhibited his work there and was given the President's Award. His work was also shown in Boston.
He painted for two summers on Cape Cod. After visiting an editor of children's books in New York who advised him against painting dragons and other fantasy, he changed his focus to his childhood. He painted everyday life scenes from the Midwest.
McCloskey returned to New York, where The Viking Press acquired his first book, Lentil. The book is partly autobiographical. On the strength of his new paintings, McCloskey got a job in Boston and, along with another artist, painted an enormous mural of famous people of Beacon Hill.
In Boston he got the idea for Make Way for Ducklings. He noticed the traffic problem of the ducks and heard a few stories about them. He wanted to be able to draw the ducks exactly. So, he bought four mallards and took them home to his apartment. Make Way for Ducklings, my favorite book, was awarded the Caldecott Medal.
Homer Price and Centerburg Tales, his next two books, centered around his Midwest childhood.
After World War II, after serving as a sergeant in the Army, the McCloskeys moved to an island home in Maine. Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine, Time of Wonder, and Burt Dow grew directly out of their life there.
Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine, and Time of Wonder was based on the McCloskeys real life adventures.
Make Way for Ducklings and Time of Wonder awarded him two Caledcott Medals; he was the first artist to receive the honor twice.
Robert McCloskey received many other honors during his career. In my opinion he deserved the awards. I absolutely love his illustrations!
My favorite Robert McCloskey books include:
Make Way for Ducklings (the best, in my opinion)
Blueberries for Sal
One Morning in Maine
Lentil
Patricia Polacco is one of my favorite authors. She was born in Lansing, Michigan in 1944.
Her parents were divorced when she was 3, and both her father and mother moved back into the homes of their parents. She spent the school year with her mother, and the summers with her dad. In both households she was the apple of her grandparents' eyes! She says that these relationships with her grandparents have most definitely influenced her life and her work.
Although she struggled in school and was unable to read until age 14due to dyslexia, she found relief by expressing herself through art. Polacco endured teasing and hid her disability until a schoolteacher recognized that she could not read and began to help her. Thank you, Mr. Falker is Polacco's retelling of this life experience and is definitely my favorite of all her books.
Patricia did not start writing children's books until she was 41 years old. She says she became so good at writing stories because she comes from a family of incredible story tellers. Not only does she write, she also illustrates her books.
When children and adults ask her where she gets her ideas...she says from her life and her imagination.
Here are just a few of my favorite Patricia books:
Mr. Lincoln's Way
My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother
Pink and Say
The Butterfly
The Kepping Quilt
Thank You Mr. Falker
I have always enjoyed Roald Dahl as a kid and adult. As a kid I always liked that there was a little bit of magic in an ordinary world in his books. It would be easy to imagine woman as witches or crazy candy factories. As a teacher and adult I appreciate that a lot of times there are some good jokes for adults as well. I read some of his books that are not as well known to my students, and they are still loved.
Roald Dahl wrote two books about his life, Boy and Going Solo. What I like is that he used a lot of parts from his life in his stories. He was born in Wales in 1916. His mother and father were Norwegian. His father died shortly after he was born but requested that Roald and his siblings be taught in England (Much like the boy from The Witches). At the English schools he had teachers that he viewed as monsters. He spent many days thinking of how to get them back (Matilda). As a boy he also spent much time inventing contraptions and inventions. Another interesting thing about him is he loved candy shops as a boy and writes about them in his book.
As an adult he led an exciting life as well. After graduating he went to Africa. He loved the wildness of it and used a lot it in his books. At the onset of World War II he joined the Royal Air Force. In the Air Force he crashed into the Libyan desert and survived and shot down German planes over Greece. After headaches from his crash caused him to stop flying missions he started writing about his adventures for propganda campaigns. From here he brached out as a writer and wrote tales that he had made up about his experiences.
Some of my favorite books by Roald Dahl:
The Witches
Matilda
George's Marvelous Medicine
The Twits
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Revolting Rhymes
I have always enjoyed Roald Dahl as a kid and adult. As a kid I always liked that there was a little bit of magic in an ordinary world in his books. It would be easy to imagine woman as witches or crazy candy factories. As a teacher and adult I appreciate that a lot of times there are some good jokes for adults as well. I read some of his books that are not as well known to my students, and they are still loved.
Roald Dahl wrote two books about his life, Boy and Going Solo. What I like is that he used a lot of parts from his life in his stories. He was born in Wales in 1916. His mother and father were Norwegian. His father died shortly after he was born but requested that Roald and his siblings be taught in England (Much like the boy from The Witches). At the English schools he had teachers that he viewed as monsters. He spent many days thinking of how to get them back (Matilda). As a boy he also spent much time inventing contraptions and inventions. Another interesting thing about him is he loved candy shops as a boy and writes about them in his book.
As an adult he led an exciting life as well. After graduating he went to Africa. He loved the wildness of it and used a lot it in his books. At the onset of World War II he joined the Royal Air Force. In the Air Force he crashed into the Libyan desert and survived and shot down German planes over Greece. After headaches from his crash caused him to stop flying missions he started writing about his adventures for propganda campaigns. From here he brached out as a writer and wrote tales that he had made up about his experiences.
Some of my favorite books by Roald Dahl:
The Witches
Matilda
George's Marvelous Medicine
The Twits
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Revolting Rhymes
One of my favorite authors is Deborah Ellis. First, I must admit, that as a young student, I never enjoyed learning about history. Even as a young adult, I was not real aware of what was going on in the world. As a teacher, I began reading more and more, trying especially to read what many of the middle school students found enjoyable. It was on the recommendation of a student that I read The Breadwinner trilogy a few years ago and really enjoyed them. From reading the About the Author segment in the back of the book, I learned that Deborah Ellis was doing research for another book, Women of the Afghan War, when the inspiration for this trilogy was born. Her research included talking to the women and children living in Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan. Knowing this, I had the opportunity to hear her speak a few years ago, and knew I had to see her. At that presentation, I learned that she actually spent a period of time living in the refugee camps. These books are what really turned me on to historical fiction, especially those books written by first hand accounts or with serious research.
Deborah Ellis was born in Ontario Canada in 1960. She decided to start writing when she was 11 or 12 years old. She has been a political activist, advocating non-violence since she was 17. She has been actively involved in both the Peace Movement (during the Cold War)and Women's Movement. As an activist in the Alliance for Non-Violent Action and Women's Action for Peace, she was arrested so often for protesting that she can't recall the number of arrests. In reading through various biographies of her, as well as recalling her convictions about helping others in the world who are less fortunate, she is definitely a woman who actively pursues her beliefs. The proceeds from her books are donated to charities associated with the people who inspire her to share their stories.
In addition to writing, she works as a mental health counselor at a group home for women leaving psychiatric hospitals.
My favorite books written by Deborah Ellis are:
The Breadwinner
Parvana's Journey
Mud City
Looking For X
The Heaven Shop
Our Stories, Our Songs: African
Children Talk About AIDS
Other titles of hers include:
Bifocal
I Am Taxi:The Cocalero Novels
Sacred Leaf: The Cocalero Novels
A Company of Fools
Jakeman
Three Wishes: Palestinian and
Israeli Children Speak
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