author study - walter dean myers

FRMS 7331Leslie Edmonds : 

FRMS 7331Leslie Edmonds Walter Dean Myers Author Study

Biographical Information : 

Biographical Information Walter Dean Myers is a writer of children's and young adult literature. Walter Dean Myers was born in West Virginia in 1937 but spent most of his childhood and young adult life in Harlem. He was raised by foster parents and remembers a happy but tumultuous life while going through his own teen years. Suffering with a speech impediment, he cultivated a habit of writing poetry and short stories and acquired an early love of reading. (Fischer).

Slide 3: 

In 1954 Myers quit high school and joined the army. He later held many positions with various agencies including the New York State Department of Labor, the post office, a rehabilitation center and a transformer company. All during this time, Mr. Myers was writing for various magazines and periodicals. The turning point in his career came when he won a contest run by the Council on Interracial Books for Children with his book Where Does a Day Go? in 1969. Since then he has supported himself, his second wife, and four children with his very prolific writing in the area of children's and young adult literature. He volunteers at schools in Jersey City where is presently lives. He received his degree from Empire State College in 1984 (Fischer)

Slide 4: 

Myers explains his feeling for the young adult novel, "The special place of the young adult novel should be in its ability to address the needs of the reader to understand his or her relationships with the world, with each other, and with adults. The young adult novel often allows the reader to directly identify with a protagonist of similar interests and development." He is a compassionate, introspective person who believes, "It is this language of values which I hope to bring to my books. . . . I want to bring values to those who have not been valued, and I want to etch those values in terms of the ideal. Young people need ideals which identify them, and their lives, as central . . . guideposts which tell them what they can be, should be, and indeed are.“ Following his success with young adult literature, Meyer has branched out to include topics of nonfiction including black history with his recent Now Is Your Time! and The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner an 1880's historical setting. Both have been received with much acclaim (Fischer).

Slide 5: 

Myers has worked with his son, Christopher, who illustrated Harlem: A Poem, another Coretta Scott King award-winner. His 1999 novel Monster won that award, as well as the Michael L. Printz Award, another honor from the American Library Association.

Websites : 

Websites Walter Dean Myers Author Read more about Walter Dean Myers. News. Multimedia online via Adlit.org. View video and listen to podcasts featuring Walter Dean Myers on Adlit.org. ...www.walterdeanmyers.net/ MYERS PAGE LEARNING ABOUT WALTER DEAN MYERS. Compiled by: Marilyn Fischer, Carol Levandowski, Carol Marlowe, and Barbara Snyder with Kay E. Vandergrift in the Young ...comminfo.rutgers.edu/professional-development/.../myers.html Reading Rockets: A video interview with Walter Dean Myers In this exclusive video interview with Reading Rockets, Walter Dean Myers talks about the impact learning to read had on him and why his books, ... www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/myersw Walter Dean Myers‎ by Karen Burshtein - Juvenile Nonfiction - 2004 - 112 pagesWalter Dean Myers, Living Black Poet It has been said that Walter Dean Myers's writing "redefines the images of African- Americans. ...”

BIBLIOGRAPHY : 

Where Does the Day Go? Illus.by Leo Carty. New York: Parents Magazine Press, 1969.The Dragon Takes a Wife. Illus. by Ann Grifalconi. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill, 1972.The Dancers. Illus. by Anne Rockwell. New York: Parents Magazine Press, 1972.Fly, Jimmy, Fly! Illus. by Moneta Barnett. New York: Putnam, 1974.The World of Work: A Guide to Choosing a Career. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill, 1975.Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff. New York: Viking, 1975.Social Welfare. New York: F. Watts, 1976.Brainstorm. Illus. with photographs by Chuck Freedman. New York: F. Watts, 1977.Mojo and the Russians. New York: Viking, 1977.Victory for Jamie. New York: Scholastic, 1977.It Ain't All for Nothin'. New York: Viking, 1978.The Young Landlords. New York: Viking, 1979.The Black Pearl and the Ghost; or, One Mystery after Another. Illus. by Robert Quackenbush. New York: Viking, 1980. The Golden Serpent. Illus. by Alice Provensen and Martin Provensen. New York: Viking 1980.Hoops. New York: Delacorte, 1981.The Legend of Tarik. New York: Viking, 1981.Won't Know Till I Get There. New York: Viking, 1982.The Nicholas Factor. New York: Viking, 1983.Tales of a Dead King. New York: Morrow, 1983.Mr. Monkey and the Gotcha Bird. Illus. by Leslie Morrill. New York: Delacorte, 1984. Motown and Didi: A Love Story. New York: Viking, 1984.The Outside Shot. New York: Delacorte, 1984.Sweet Illusions. Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 1986.Crystal. New York: Viking 1987.Scorpions. New York: Harper & Row, 1988.Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid. New York: Delacorte, 1988. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Slide 8: 

Fallen Angels. New York: Scholastic, 1988.The Mouse Rap. New York: HarperCollins, 1990.Now is Your Time! The African-American Struggle for Freedom. New York: HarperCollins, 1991.Somewhere in the Darkness. New York: Scholastic, 1992.Mop, Moondance, and the Nagasaki Knights. New York: Delacorte, 1992.The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary. New York: Scholastic, 1993. Young Martin's Promise. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993.A Place Called Heartbreak: A Story of Vietnam. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993.Brown Angels: An Album of Pictures and Verse. New York: HarperCollins, 1993.The Glory Field. New York: Scholastic, 1994.Darnell Rock Reporting. New York: Delacorte Press, 1994.The Story of the Three Kingdoms. New York: HarperCollins, 1995. BIBLIOGRAPHY CONTINUED…

Slide 9: 

Shadow of the Red Moon. New York: Scholastic, 1995. Glorious Angels: An Album of Pictures and Verse. New York: HarperCollins, 1995.The Dragon Takes a Wife. New York; Scholastic, 1995.Smiffy Blue: Ace Crime Detective: The Case of the Missing Ruby and Other Stories. New York: Scholastic, 1996.One More River to Cross: An African American Photograph Album. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1996.How Mr. Monkey Saw the Whole World. New York: Doubleday, 1996. Monster. Illustrations by Christopher Myers. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1999. 145th Street: Short Stories.New York : Delacorte Press, 2000. Bad Boy: A Memoir. New York: HarperCollins, 2001 The Greatest: Muhammad Ali. New York : Scholastic Press, 2001. The Beast. New York: Scholastic, 2003. Antarctica: Journeys to the South Pole. New York: Scholastic Press, 2004. Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices. Holiday House, 2004. Shooter. New York: Harper Collins/Amistad, 2004.Autobiography of My Dead Brother. New York: HarperTempest/Amistad, 2005. BIBLIOGRAPHY CONTINUED…

Slide 10: 

"Eighteen Pine Street" Series The Test. New York: Bantam, 1993.Fashion by Tasha. New York: Bantam, 1993.Intensive Care. New York: Bantam, 1993.Dangerous Games. New York: Bantam 1993. "The Arrow" Series Adventure in Granada. Viking, 1985.The Hidden Shrine. Viking, 1985.Duel in the Desert. Viking, 1986.Ambush in the Amazon. Viking, 1986. Adapted as A Film The Young Landlords. Topol Productions. Contributor to Anthologies Orde Coombs, editor, What We Must See: Young Black Storytellers. New York: Dodd, 1971.Sheila Hamanaka, editor. On the Wings of Peace: Writers and Illustrators Speak Out for Peace, In Memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1995.Sonia Sanchez, editor, We Be Word Sorcerers: Twenty-five Stories by Black Americans. New York: Bantam, 1973. Contributor of Articles and Fiction to Periodicals "Margaret A. Edward's Award Acceptance Speech." Journal of Youth Services in Libraries. Vol. 8, Number 2, (Winter 1995): 129-133. BIBLIOGRAPHY CONTINUED…

AWARDS : 

AWARDS Where Does the Day Go? Council on Interracial Books for Children Award, 1968 .The Dancers. Child Study Association of America's Children's Books of the Year, 1972.Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff. ALA Notable Books, 1975.Fast Sam, Cool Clyde and Stuff. Woodward Park School Annual Book Award, 1976.It Ain't All for Nothin'. ALA Notable Book Citation and ALA Best Books for Young Adults Citation, 1978.The Young Landlords. ALA Notable Book Citation and ALA Best Books for Young Adults Citation, 1979.The Young Landlords. Coretta Scott King Award for Fiction, 1980.The Legend of Tarik. ALA Best Books for Young Adults Citation, 1981.Hoops. ALA Best Books for Young Adults Citation, 1982.The Legend of Tarik. Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, National Council for Social Studies and the Children's Book Council, 1982.Hoops. Edgar Allan Pie Award runner-up, 1982.Won't Know Till I Get There. Parents' Choice Award, 1982.Tales of a Dead King. New Jersey Institute of Technology Authors Award, 1983.The Outside Shot. Parents' Choice Award, 1984.Motown and Didi. Coretta Scott King Award for Fiction, 1985.Adventure in Granada. Child Study Association of America's, 1987.Fallen Angels. Coretta Scott King Award for Fiction, 1988.Fallen Angels and Scorpions.ALA Best Books for Young Adults,1988. Scorpions and Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid. ALA Notable Book Citation, 1988.Fallen Angels. Parents' Choice Award, 1988.Scorpions. Newbery Honor Book, 1989. The Mouse Rap. IRA Children's Choice, 1991.Now is Your Time! The African-American Struggle for Freedom. Coretta Scott King Award for Nonfiction, 1992.Now is Your Time! The African-American Struggle for Freedom. NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction, 1992Now is Your Time! The African-American Struggle for Freedom. ALA Best Books for Young Adults and Notable Books for Children, 1992.Somewhere in the Darkness. Boston Globe/Horn Book, 1992Somewhere in the Darkness. Booklist Editers Choice, 1992.The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner. ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 1993.Somewhere in the Darkness. Newbery Honor Book, 1993.Somewhere in the Darkness. ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Notable Books for Children, 1993.Somewhere in the Darkness. Coretta Scott King Award, 1993.Malcolm X. Coretta Scott King Award for nonfiction, 1994.Malcolm X. ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 1994.Malcolm X. IRA Teachers' Choice, 1994. Monster. Michael L. Printz Award 2000.

Shooter : 

Shooter Reviews "In this chilling cautionary tale, Myers revisits the themes of his Monster and Scorpions in a slightly more detached structure, but the outcome is every bit as moving. Readers will find themselves racing through the pages, then turning back to pore over the details once more." - Publishers Weekly "In addition to young adults who will find this story intensely readable as well as intense, adults working with teens should read and discuss the questions and implications that the tale reveals." - School Library Journal

Slide 13: 

Book Description Cameron: "Deep inside, you know that whoever gets up in your face gets there because he knows you're nothing, and he knows that you know it too." Carla: "What I'm trying to do is to get by—not even get over, just get by." Leonard: "I have bought a gaw-juss weapon. It lies beneath my bed like a secret lover, quiet, powerful, waiting to work my magic." Statement of Fact: 17-year-old white male found dead in the aftermath of a shooting incident at Madison High School in Harrison County. Conclusion: Death by self-inflicted wound. Shooter recounts the events leading up to a murder/suicide at a high school through police and FBI interviews and transcripts.

Slide 14: 

Awards for Shooter ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age

The Beast : 

The Beast Reviews Journeys are hard, and often there are beasts to face along the way. It's a theme repeated many times in Myers's story of Anthony Witherspoon, 17, home in Harlem after his first term at an exclusive New England boarding school. Ambivalent about leaving in the first place, now he feels as if his old neighborhood has already changed, or he has changed, or maybe he is already seeing things as an outsider. His girlfriend Gabi has become a drug addict and other friends seem lost or trapped. Harlem street life seems like a labyrinth, a monster maze, with beasts ready to snatch you up for making a wrong turn. Allusions to demons, Herod killing babies, the Black Plague, saints who sometimes fail you, and beasts who sometimes comfort lend a mythic air to a realistic story that offers no easy answers. If there are no magicians waving helpful wands, at least there's the possibility of hope, promise, and belief "in a heart that sees beauty and a soul that prays for love." (Fiction. YA) -Kirkus Reviews “Spoon’s sharp observations about race and love will resonate deeply with teens, as will his ambivalence about the future.” -Booklist

Slide 16: 

Book Description 17-yr-old Anthony "Spoon" Witherspoon is returning to Harlem after seven months at an exclusive prep school. It's with mixed feelings that he's left New York City in the first place to finish high school in the hallowed halls of the mostly white, very preppy New England school -- but now that Spoon is back home, he realizes how much he's come to like his prep-school life and new friends. He's missed his girlfriend, though, and is shocked to discover upon his return that the bright young poet she was when he left has become a drug addict.

Slide 17: 

Reviews From School Library JournalJamal, who is pressured to become leader of the Scorpions gang, worries about school, family, and the rough kids on the street. When a fellow gang member gives him a gun, Jamal suddenly gains a new level of respect from his enemies. A realistic look at a boy who wants to do the right thing but gets caught up in the culture of violence. A Newbery Honor selection. "...readers have Myers to thank for giving them a greater understanding of the difficulty of life in today's inner city." -- SLJ"A book honored for its honesty, realism, and vitality." -- 1989 Newberry Award Committee

Slide 18: 

Book Description Bad Trouble Lately everybody's messing with Jamal. His teachers, the kids at school, even his dad. And now that Jamal's brother Randy's in the slam, Crazy Mack has a crazy idea. He wants Jamal to take control of the Scorpions and run crack. All the gang jive--Jamal has no use for it. Unless, like some say, it's the only way to cop the bread for Randy's appeal... The story of twelve-year-old Jamal, whose life changes drastically when he acquires a gun. Though he survives the experience, it's not without sacrificing his innocence and possibly his relationship with his best friend.

Scorpions : 

Scorpions Awards for Scorpions ALA Best Book for Young Adults IRA/CBC Young Adult Choice Library of Congress Children’s Books New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age Newbery Honor Book ALA Notable Children’s Book ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers ALA Best of the Best Books for Young Adults IRA/CBC Young Adult Choice Library of Congress Children’s Books New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age Newbery Honor Book ALA Notable Children’s Book ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers ALA Best of the Best Books for Young Adults

Views Relative to the Author : 

Views Relative to the Author Walter Dean Myers grew up in Harlem and was exposed to much of the same situations in which he writes. He has witnessed the good and the bad aspects of growing up in an urban setting and by writing his books with this as the background, he can show young adults that you can succeed in face of diversity and rise above your circumstances. It’s all about making good choices.

Reading Strategies : 

Reading Strategies Readers’ Theater There are several chapters/scenes which would be great for this because they are very emotional. The students can work in groups with different chapters to point out important messages/themes. Journaling Students can comment on what happened in the chapter, a question they could ask the character and what they would do differently/suggestions. This would be a good way for them to see inside the characters’ motivations. Graffiti Posters After reading, posters could be made depicting the themes, setting, character, plot, point-of-view to be displayed and discussed. Read Aloud For lower level readers, reading this book is a great way to get them hooked. There is excitement and drama in the book and I have found they don’t want me to stop reading because they can’t wait for the next day! I have taught this book for several years and the students LOVE it! There are so many activities that can be done with this book and I have included just a few.

Works Cited : 

Works Cited Fischer, Marilyn, et al. "Learning About Walter Dean Myers." 11 April 2005. 16 Jul 2009 <http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/professional-development/childlit/myers.html>. Kirkus Reviews. "Teen Fiction - Peoples & Culture: The Beast." Barnes & Noble. 2009. 17 Jul 2009 <http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Beast/Walter-Dean-Myers/e/9780439368421#TABS>. Myers, Walter. "Walter Dean Myers." 17 Jul 2009 <http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/>. "Scorpions: Walter Dean Myers." HarperCollins Publishers. 2009. 17 Jul 2009 <http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064406239/Scorpions_rack/index.aspx>. "Shooter: Walter Dean Myers." HarperCollins Publishers. 2009. 17 Jul 2009 <http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064472906/Shooter/index.aspx>.

Picture Citations : 

Picture Citations http://aalbc.com/authors/walter1.htm www.avdistrict.org www.fantasticfiction.co.uk www.forpd.ucf.edu www.harpercollins.com www.pages.drexel.edu www.tower.com www2.scholastic.com