Walter Dean Myers | |
|---|---|
 Myers in 2001 | |
| Born | Walter Milton Myers August 12, 1937 Martinsburg, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | July 1, 2014 (aged 76) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Period | 1969–2014 |
| Genre | Young adult novels, nonfiction, poetry |
| Notable works | |
| Notable awards | Margaret Edwards Award 1994 Michael L. Printz Award 2000 Children's Literature Legacy Award 2019 |
| Website | |
| walterdeanmyers | |
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. 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.[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.
Myers was the third U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, serving in 2012 and 2013.[2] He also sat on the Board of Advisors of the Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators (SCBWI).