Walter Dean Myers
1937-2014
“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.”
- Myers was born in 1937 in West Virginia, but spent most of his life in Harlem NYC
- Myers mother died while giving birth to his little sister leaving Myers to be raised by foster parents. His life was happy but chaotic.
- Myers grew up with a speech impediment. Writing became a habit and he acquired an early love of reading.
- In 1954, Myers quit high school and joined the army. However, a teacher who had recognized Myers talent and suspected he was on the verge of dropping out of school, advised him to keep on writing no matter what happened.
- Later on, while working a construction job, Myers began writing late at night about his difficult teen years.
- Myers spent his later years living in Jersey City, New Jersey with his family where he wrote and volunteered at city schools.
- Myers was the recipient of the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association (1994) and nominated for the International Hans Christian Andersen Award (2010).
- Myers has written over one hundred books and in doing so, has won the Coretta Scott King Award for African-American authors five times.
- On July 1, 2014 Myers died in Manhattan.
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