Walter Dean Myers

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. He was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia, but was raised in Harlem, New York City. A tough childhood led him to writing and his school teachers would encourage him in this habit as a way to express himself. He wrote more than one hundred books including picture books and nonfiction. He won the Coretta Scott King Award for African-American authors five times. 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.
Myers was the third U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, serving in 2012 and 2013. He also sat on the Board of Advisors of the Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators (SCBWI).
Personal life.
Walter Milton Myers was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia on August 12, 1937. 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. Florence and Herbert Dean raised him in Harlem, New York City. 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. Myers later took "Dean" as his middle name in honor of his foster parents Florence and Herbert.
Myers' life as a child centered on the neighborhood and the church. The neighborhood protected him and the church guided him. He was smart but did not do that well in school, and was considered a disruptive student. As a child Myers was often teased for his speech impediment and lashed out at those who teased him. Seeing him struggle a teacher urged him to use writing as a way to better express himself. During this time he cultivated the habit of writing poetry and short stories and acquired an early love of reading.
Myers wrote well in high school, which his teacher Bonnie Liebow recognized. She also suspected that he would drop out and advised him to keep writing no matter what happened. He did not exactly understand what that meant but years later, while working on a construction job in Chicago, he remembered her words. Myers would write at night, soon writing about his difficult teenage years. When asked what he valued most, he replied, "My books. They were my only real friends growing up." Myers attended Public School 125 on Lasalle Street and Stuyvesant High School, before dropping out to join the U.S. Army on his 17th birthday.
After leaving the army, Myers struggled with finding work and figuring out his purpose. This struggle led him to remember the advice given by his high school teacher and he began writing columns for men's magazines. It wasn't until Myers read the book Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin, which takes place in Harlem and focuses on African American characters, that he was inspired to start writing stories based on his own experiences growing up.
Myers lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family. His family includes his wife; son, author and illustrator Christopher Myers; son, Michael; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A daughter, Karen, predeceased him.
A prolific author, Myers wrote over a hundred books for children and young adults during his 45-year writing career. Myers’ writing focused on his hard experiences as a teenager and he worked to show troubled teens that reading is a necessity in life. 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. 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.
On July 1, 2014, Myers died at Beth Israel Medical Center in Midtown Manhattan after a brief illness. His last written work was an op-ed for "The New York Times," "Where Are the People of Color in Children's Books?" in which he calls for a more complete representation of African Americans in children's literature. A We Need Diverse Books grant and award were named after him.
Awards.
Myers received the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1994 for his contribution in writing for teens. For his lifetime contribution as a children's writer he was U.S. nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2010.
The ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award recognizes one writer and a particular body of work for "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature". 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). The young-adult librarians observed that "these books authentically portray African-American youth, but their appeal is not limited to any particular ethnic group. The writing of Walter Dean Myers illustrates the universality of the teenage experience in urban America." 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". The ALA split the Newbery several years later, establishing the Michael L. Printz Award for young-adult literature. 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 first published book was a contest winner: "Where Does the Day Go?", written by Myers and illustrated by Leo Carty (Parents Magazine Press, 1969). It won a Council on Interracial Books for Children Award, 1968.
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". 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.