Walter Dean Myers, a best-selling children’s book author whose crystalline prose often depicted the gritty lives of young people, died on Tuesday in Manhattan. Walter Dean Myers, a beloved author of children’s books, died on Tuesday following a brief illness, according to the Children’s Book Council. Herbert Dean was an African-American man and his wife was a German and Native American woman who taug… Mr. Myers always said he understood desperation. His impressive body of work includes two Newbery Honor Books, three … Discovering “Sonny’s Blues,” a story by James Baldwin about black people in Harlem, “humanized me,” he wrote. Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12th, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia. After serving three years in the Army he was, he acknowledged, drinking heavily while working in construction, as a messenger on Wall Street and in other jobs. Video provided by YouTube and Walter Dean Myers . NEW YORK (AP) — Walter Dean Myers, a best-selling and prolific children’s author and tireless champion of literacy and education, has died. Avi mentioned Mr. Myers. In addition to his son Christopher, his survivors include his wife, Constance; another son, Michael; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Walter Dean Myers (born Walter Milton Myers; August 12, 1937 – July 1, 2014) was a writer of children's books best known for young adult literature. When his mother died while giving birth to his little sister, Myers was given over as a child to Florence Dean, who was the first wife of George Myers (Walter's biological father), who raised him in Harlem, New York. [21][22] His last written work was an op-ed for The New York Times, "Where Are the People of Color in Children's Books?" Walter Dean Myers was 76 years old when he died on July 1, 2014 (birthdate: August 12, 1937). Myers was the inaugural winner for Monster (HarperCollins, 1999), which was thereby designated the year's "best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit". Myers later took on "Dean" as his middle name in honor of his foster parents Florence and Herbert. He did not exactly understand what that meant but years later, while working on a construction job in Chicago, he remembered her words. He was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia, but was raised in Harlem, New York City. Walter Milton Myers was born in Martinsburg, West Virginiaon August 12, 1937. Walter Milton Myers was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia on August 12, 1937. He is survived by his wife, Constance, and two sons. [24] For his lifetime contribution as a children's writer he was U.S. nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2010. Author Walter Dean Myers died on Tuesday at the age of 76 after a brief illness, publisher HarperCollins said in a statement. "[11] Myers attended Public School 125 on Lasalle Street and Stuyvesant High School[12], before dropping out to join the U.S. Army on his 17th birthday. [18] Myers writing focused on his hard experiences as a teenager and he worked to show troubled teens that reading is a necessity in life. “He often joked that when he passed away there would still be books coming out in his name.”. More Facts. Myers was a finalist for the for Young People's Literature: in 1999 for Monster, in 2005 for Autobiography of My Dead Brother, and in 2010 for Lockdown. Author of over seventy children’s and young adult books, Walter Dean Myers was born Walter Milton Myers on August 12, 1937, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. in which he calls for a more complete representation of African Americans in children's literature. What is the message when some children are not represented in those books? The bull terrier is most famous for the staring / front camera meme, which features a closeup of his face. Walter Milton Myers was born on Aug. 12, 1937, in Martinsburg, W.Va. Walter Dean Myers is the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of more than eighty books for children and young adults, including Sunrise Over Fallujah, Fallen Angels, Monster, Somewhere in the Darkness, Slam!, Jazz, and Harlem. “I was born on a Thursday, the 12th of August, 1937, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Walter Dean Myers Biography, Life, Interesting Facts. He was smart but did not do that well in school, and was considered a disruptive student. What is the message when some children are not represented in those books? "Walter Dean Myers, Prolific and Beloved Author of Award-Winning Children's Books, Dies at Age 76". His father, George, sent Walter to live with his first wife, Florence Dean, a cleaning woman and factory worker, and her husband, Herbert Dean. [23] A We Need Diverse Books grant and award were named after him. [16] His family includes his wife; son, author and illustrator Christopher Myers; son, Michael; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. When his half-brother Wayne was killed in Vietnam, he wrote a tribute for Essence magazine. For the years 2012 and 2013 Myers was the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by appointment of the Library of Congress, a two-year position created to raise national awareness of the importance of lifelong literacy and education. Mr. Myers has received two Newbery Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, and the inaugural recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The neighborhood protected him and the church guided him. Why do you think this is? U.S. State: West Virginia. He was 76. “One had to do with sports, street life and establishing myself as a male.” The other voice, he said, “the one I hid from my street friends and teammates, was increasingly dealing with the vocabulary of literature.”. [14] It wasn't until Myers read the book Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin, which takes place in Harlem and focus on African American characters, that he was inspired to start writing stories based on his own experiences growing up. The image first went viral in 2018, when Walter's owner posted the photo with the caption "When u open the front-facing camera on accident." This struggle lead him to remember the advice given by his high school teacher and he began writing columns for men's magazines. It won a Council on Interracial Books for Children Award, 1968.[28]. Where are black children going to get a sense of who they are and what they can be?”. [10][6] Myers would write at night, soon writing about his difficult teenage years. He has written over one hundred books including picture books and nonfiction. What does Myers want his legacy to be? At the age of three, Myers was given over to Florence Dean, the first wife of his biological father George Myers, and her husband Herbert. Walter Dean Myers Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Walter Dean Myers (born Walter Milton Myers; August 12, 1937 – July 1, 2014) was an American writer of children's books best known for young adult literature. Born in: Martinsburg. The couple reared Mr. Myers in Harlem, and he took the pen name Walter Dean Myers to honor them. Also Known As: Walter Milton Myers. Myers received the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1994 for his contribution in writing for teens. Mr. Myers wrote more than 100 books on a wide array of subjects, including the war in Iraq and an African princess. Walter Dean Myers's website This bio was last updated on 10/07/2014. He wrote over one hundred books, including Fallen Angels and Monster. "Where Are the People of Color in Children's Books? By middle school he was over six feet tall and playing basketball. Prolific and award-winning author Walter Dean Myers, 76, winner of the first-ever Michael L. Printz Award for the novel Monster, died July 1 after a brief illness. A daughter, Karen, predeceased him. The award-winning young adult author Walter Dean Myers, who died on Tuesday at 76, wrote an Op-Ed piece for The New York Times last March in which he bemoaned the paucity of children’s books about black people. He was 76. A daughter, Karen, died earlier. [9] She also suspected that he would drop out and advised him to keep writing no matter what happened. Myers was the third U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, serving in 2012 and 2013. education: Stuyvesant High School, Empire State College, Brown University. books most frequently challenged in the U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History, Children and Young Adult Literature portal, "Coretta Scott King Book Award Recipients: Current and Past", "Walter Dean Myers Named National Ambassador for Young People's Literature", "About Walter Dean Myers | Walter Dean Myers", "Walter Dean Myers: United States .Author", "Where are the people of color in children's books? His first book, “Where Does the Day Go?,” was published in 1969 after he won a children’s literature contest for minority writers. Walter Dean Myers, a best-selling children’s book author whose crystalline prose often depicted the gritty lives of young people, died on Tuesday in Manhattan. He was 76. I was about two years old when my mother died and then I was inexplicably given to Florence and Herbert Dean. True to his prediction, Mr. Myers has three books scheduled for posthumous publication. Throughout his writing career, he wrote over 100 books which include both nonfiction and picture books that he specialized in. ", "2010 National Book Award Finalist, Young People's Literature: Walter Dean Myers", "Walter Dean Myers, best-selling children's author, dead at 76", "Walter Dean Myers, Prolific and Beloved Author of Award-Winning Children's Books, Dies at Age 76". Where are the future white loan officers and future white politicians going to get their knowledge of people of color? But painfully shy, a stutterer and facing bleak prospects as an man in the segregation era, Mr. Myers dropped out of the elite Stuyvesant High School and joined the Army on his 17th birthday. He … Walter Dean Myers died Tuesday after a brief illness. References. “They sat straight up and shouted, ‘You know him! [13], After leaving the army, Myers struggled with finding work and figuring out his purpose. Myers later took "Dean" as his middle name in honor of his foster parents Florence and Herbert.[5]. At the age of three Myers was given over to Florence Dean,the first wife of his biological father George Myers, and her husband Herbert. [17], A prolific author, Myers wrote over a thousand books for children and young adults during his forty five year writing career. [6][7] As a child Myers was often teased for his speech impediment and lashed out at those who teased him. Mr. Myers was a three-time National Book Award nominee, received the Coretta Scott King Book Award for African-American fiction five times and from 2012 to 2013 served as national ambassador for young people’s literature, a position created in part by the Library of Congress. We try to keep BookBrowse's biographies both up to date and accurate, but with many thousands of lives to keep track of it's a tough task. In a career spanning over 45 years, Walter Dean Myers wrote more than 100 books for children of all ages. ", International Board on Books for Young People, "Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922–Present", Association for Library Service to Children, "Walter Dean Myers Complete Bibliography As of June 2015", "Reading is not Optional", keynote address by Myers, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walter_Dean_Myers&oldid=993158377, American writers of young adult literature, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "Reverend Abbott and those Bloodshot Eyes" in, "Preface" by Chaplain, Captain, Michael Dean Myers, "the fashion show, grand opening, and bar-b-que memorial service", "society for the preservation of sorry-butt negroes", This page was last edited on 9 December 2020, at 02:32. He often met young people whose poverty and lack of direction reminded him of his own experience. Walter Dean Myers, beloved and deeply respected children's book author, died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. Died on: July 1, 2014. place of death: Manhattan. Seeing him struggle a teacher urged him to use writing as a way to better express himself. My name at birth was Walter Milton Myers. Walter Dean Myers, beloved and deeply respected children's book author, died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. Walter Dean Myers Dies Acclaimed author of literature “for the troubled boy I once was” July 3, 2014. NEW YORK — Walter Dean Myers, a best-selling and prolific children’s author and tireless champion of literacy and education, has died. When asked what he valued most, he replied, "My books. “In the dark times, when my uncle was murdered, when my family became dysfunctional with alcohol and grief, or when I realized that our economics would not allow me to go to college I began to despair,” Mr. Myers wrote in March in an essay on the front page of The New York Times’s Sunday Review section, titled “Where Are the People of Color in Children’s Books?” He turned to literature — Balzac, Shakespeare, Arthur Miller — but longed for black characters. A graphic novel of “Monster” is also to be published next year. A tough childhood led him to writing and his school teachers would encourage him in this habit as a way to express himself. Miller, Keith, and Allison Parker. “There were two very distinct voices going on in my head, and I moved easily between them,” he wrote of his teenage years. He won the Coretta Scott King Award for African-American authors five times. I was about two years old when my mother died and then I was inexplicably given to Florence and Herbert Dean. Mr. Myers continued to write, “even from his hospital bed,” Christopher Myers said on Thursday. In “Monster,” it was unclear if the young narrator had actually committed the crime — the killing of a Harlem drugstore owner — that sent him to prison. [2] He also sat on the Board of Advisors of the Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators (SCBWI). “They explore our common humanity. [19] During his time as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Myers toured the United States advocating reading and used the slogan "Reading is Not Optional" to inspire teens to read.[18]. How did Harlem and its surroundings affect Myers? Myers, a longtime resident of Jersey City, died on June 25 at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan after a brief illness. Who is Walter Dean Myers? He was 76 years old. He was 76. How did Myers end up in Harlem? Explore Walter Dean Myers's biography, personal life, family and cause of death. Myers wanted them to get over that. When he was two years old his mother died while giving birth to his younger sister, which left his father to support a large family. Family: children: Christopher Myers. “He wrote about disenfranchised black kids, particularly boys, and he wrote about them with extraordinary honesty and also with compassion,” Avi, a children’s book author and a longtime friend of Mr. Myers, said in a telephone interview on Thursday. He was 76. The fourth of five siblings, he was 18 months old when his mother died. Then the young prisoners asked him if he knew anyone famous. They were my only real friends growing up. Where are the future white personnel managers going to get their ideas of people of color? Where did Walter dean Myers die? Sun Sign: Leo. Avi (who uses only one name) recalled visiting young people in a Virginia prison a decade ago. He wrote three books in the My Name Is America series. His novels about urban teens and the challenges they face have won him both a devoted readership and dozens of book awards. The writing of Walter Dean Myers illustrates the universality of the teenage experience in urban America. Famous as: Writer. He is a renowned American writer mostly for a young adult form of literature. He was … Walter Dean Myers died in New York City on July 1, 2014 after a brief illness. Walter age 11. Walter Dean Myers Dies at 76; Wrote of Black Youth for the Young, “Where Are the People of Color in Children’s Books?”. The ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award recognizes one writer and a particular body of work for "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature". He passed away Tuesday at age 76 after a brief illness. “Besides his books, his legacy is his compassionate identity with these young people.”. On July 1, 2014, Myers died at Beth Israel Medical Center in Midtown Manhattan[20] after a brief illness. Walter Dean Myers, a beloved author of children's books, died on Tuesday following a brief illness, according to the Children's Book Council. [16] Myers is mentioned in Sharon Creech's 2001 poetic novella Love That Dog, in which a young boy admires Myers and invites him to visit his class. [26] The ALA split the Newbery several years later, establishing the Michael L. Printz Award for young-adult literature. "[24] He was a two-time runner-up for the annual Newbery Medal, recognizing the previous year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children", in 1989 for The Scorpion and in 1993 for Somewhere in the Darkness. “They were readers.”. Walter Dean Myers is a pioneer of young adult fiction. Walter Dean Myers, a celebrated author known for writing books about young African Americans, such as "Monster," "Fallen Angels" and "Hoops," has died. Walter Dean Myers was a noted champion of literacy and education. Celebrated children's and YA author Walter Dean Myers, whose motto was "Reading is not optional," died Tuesday at age 76, his literary agent said in a phone interview. At age two, Myers’s mother, Mary Green, died, and Florence Brown Dean, his father’s ex-wife and her husband, Herbert Dean, raised him. Myers' life as a child centered on the neighborhood and the church. He was 76 years old. The futuristic novel “On a Clear Day” is to come out in September and “Juba,” a novel based on the life of a 19th-century tap dancer, in April 2015. What is he like?’ ” Avi recalled. [1] His 1988 novel Fallen Angels is one of the books most frequently challenged in the U.S. because of its adult language and its realistic depiction of the Vietnam War. How was Myers drawn to reading? Florence and Herbert Dean raised him in Harlem, New York City. NEW YORK (AP) — Walter Dean Myers, a best-selling and prolific children’s author and tireless champion of literacy and education, has died. "Interview with Walter Dean Myers." [4] Herbert Dean was an African-American man and his wife was a German and Native American woman who taught English at the local high school. His eighty-plus titles include Monster, Scorpions, and a memoir of his own youth, Bad Boy. Myers wrote well in high school, which his teacher Bonnie Liebow recognized. Myers won the annual award in 1994, citing four books published from 1983 to 1988: Hoops (1983), Motown and Didi (1985), Fallen Angels (1988), and Scorpions (1988). He is famous from his real name: Walter Dean Myers, Birthdate(Birthday): August 12, 1937 , Age on July 1, 2014(Death date): 76 Years 10 Months 20 Days Profession: Writers (Novelist), Father: George Ambrose Myers, Mother: Mary Dolly Green Myers, School: Stuyvesant High School, Married: Yes, Children: No Died At Age: 76. Mr. Myers, who lived in Jersey City, visited schools and prisons around the country. You may not think that you know who Walter the Dog is, but you've likely seen (or even used) an image with his face on it as a meme. [16][27], Myers first published book was a contest winner: Where Does the Day Go?, written by Myers and illustrated by Leo Carty (Parents Magazine Press, 1969). Books by this author. He wrote in his memoir, “Bad Boy” (2001), that books were his friends as he fought despair. His death, at Beth Israel Medical Center, followed a brief illness, his son Christopher said. Whenever Walter Dean Myers wrote a book — and he published nearly 100 of them for children and teens — he would ask his wife, Connie, to assemble a collage of … Walter Dean Myers (August 12, 1937 – July 1, 2014) was a children's and young adult author. “They explore our common humanity. 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