▁Texas . ▁She ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁C inc inn ati , ▁Ohio , ▁as ▁the ▁child ▁of ▁Hung arian ▁imm igr ant ▁parents ▁who ▁originally ▁came ▁from ▁Australia ▁and ▁em igr ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁Ch eng ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁a ▁pre domin antly ▁African - American ▁neighborhood ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁three ▁sib lings . ▁She ▁grew ▁up ▁speaking ▁both ▁English ▁and ▁Hung arian . ▁ ▁She ▁graduated ▁with ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁Te aching ▁English ▁as ▁a ▁Second ▁language ▁from ▁Corn ell ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁After ▁gradu ation , ▁she ▁app r entic ed ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁book b inder ▁and ▁studied ▁French ▁and ▁taught ▁English ▁in ▁Switzerland . ▁After ▁she ▁returned ▁from ▁Switzerland , ▁she ▁studied ▁at ▁Corn ell ▁University ▁to ▁receive ▁her ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁L ingu istics . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁writing ▁books , ▁she ▁taught ▁English ▁as ▁a ▁Second ▁Language ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Children ' s ▁Liter ature ▁at ▁C inc inn ati ▁State ▁Techn ical ▁and ▁Community ▁College . ▁ ▁Death ▁ ▁Ch eng ▁died ▁of ▁breast ▁cancer ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 5 8 , ▁after ▁a ▁long ▁ill ness . ▁Two ▁of ▁her ▁manuscript s ▁were ▁published ▁post hum ously . ▁ ▁Works ▁ ▁Picture ▁books ▁▁ ▁Grand father ▁Count s ▁( Le e ▁& ▁Low ▁Books , ▁ 2 0 0 0 ) ▁