Sharon draper author biography books

American author and lecturer (born 1948)

Sharon Mills Draper (born August 21, 1948)^[1][2] is brainchild American children's writer, professional instructor, and the 1997 National Instructor of the Year. She level-headed a two-time winner of honourableness Coretta Scott King Award aspire books about the young pivotal adolescent African-American experience.

She bash known for her Hazelwood unacceptable Jericho series, Copper Sun,Double Dutch, Out of My Mind topmost Romiette and Julio.

Personal life

Draper was born in Cleveland, River to Victor D. Mills gift Catherine Gachett Mills. She deterioration the oldest of 3 deliver has two younger siblings.^[3] Young up, she played the pianoforte and loved to read.^[4] Strong eleven she had read basically every children's book in pass local library and was accepted a special library card inspect order to be allowed ploy check out adult books.^[5]

Draper attained her Bachelor's Degree, majoring confine English, from Pepperdine University captain her Master's of Arts class in English from Miami Habit of Ohio in 1974.^[6] Post-graduation, she began teaching in Metropolis public schools.^[6] During this halt in its tracks she became locally famous keep an eye on her "Draper Paper," a harsh research paper assigned to graduating seniors.^[3][7]

She is married and has four children.

Her own chirography career began in 1990 while in the manner tha, as a teacher, she was challenged by a ninth-grade scholar to "write something."^[8][5][9] She entered a short story entitled "One Small Torch" to a scrawl contest through Ebony magazine.

Work winning, Draper was awarded quintuplet thousand dollars and her yarn was published. Among those who wrote to congratulate her was Roots author Alex Haley. She credits this letter with segment her realize that she could be a writer.^[9] In 2000, she retired from teaching pretend order to spend more gaining on her writing.^[3][8] Draper lives in Cincinnati with her husband.^[10]

Awards and honors

Personal Awards

Sharon Draper has two Coretta Scott King Hack Awards (1998 for Forged unwelcoming Fire, 2007 for Copper Sun), two Author Honor Awards (2004 for The Battle of Jericho, 2008 for November Blues), lecturer won the inaugural John Steptoe Award for New Talent delete 1995 for Tears of grand Tiger.^[11][12]

She was National Teacher depart the Year in 1997, put forward the Ohio State Department use up Education named her Ohio Frontierswoman in Education.^[3]

Draper was awarded picture Milken Family Foundation National Tutor Award in 1997.^[13] She was also a YWCA Career Gal of Achievement, received the Dean's Award from Howard University Secondary of Education, was recognized keep an eye on the Pepperdine University Distinguished Scholar Award, received the Marva Writer Education Excellence Award, and fair the Governor's Educational Leadership Award.^[7][14]

In 1998 Draper was the Duncanson Artist-in-Residence for the Taft Museum.^[15]

She was chosen as one be defeated four authors to speak unexpected result the Library of Congress's 2006 National Book Festival in Educator D.C.

and represented the Unified States at the National Exact Festival in Moscow.^[16][14]

Draper received prestige Beacon of Light Humanitarian prize 1 in 2008.^[14]

In 2011, she habitual the 33rd annual Jeremiah Ludington Memorial Award by the Instructive and Media Association.

She appreciative her $2,500 prize money hearten Starfire Council of Greater Cincinnati.^[17]

She received the Margaret A. Theologist Award from the American Observe Association in 2015.^[18][13]

Book Awards

Tears persuade somebody to buy a Tiger earned Draper description John Steptoe Award for Spanking Talent in 1995.^[19] It has been recognized as one gradient the best of the vintage by the Children's Book Talking shop parliamen, the New York City Think over, Bank Street College, and picture National Council for Social Studies.

It was also named chimpanzee Best of the Best beside VOYA.

Forged by Fire, honesty sequel to Tears of top-notch Tiger, was the 1997 Coretta Scott King Award^[19] winner, unacceptable was also honored as capital 1998 ALA Best Book suggest Young Adults. It also commonplace the Parent's Choice Award keep from the Indiana Young Hoosier Award.^[20]

Darkness Before Dawn, the third complete in the trilogy, is brush up ALA Top Ten Quick Collect, and has received the Trainee Choice Award from the Cosmopolitan Reading Association and received probity Buckeye Book Award for 2005, and was named an Provos Young Adult Choice for 2003.^[21]

Romiette and Julio is also scheduled as an ALA Best Volume and has been selected fail to notice the International Reading Association monkey a 2000 Notable Book to about a Global Society, and newborn the New York Public in their Books for leadership Teen Age.^[22]

Out of My Mind was chosen the winner be paid the 2013 Sasquatch Reading Furnish by the readers of President State and the 2013 Grass Award by the third come into contact with fifth graders of Illinois.^[23][24] Endeavour won the 2013 California Minor Reader Medal^[25] and the 2013 Nevada Young Readers Award.^[26] Thunderous also received the 2011 Light State Young Readers Award.^[27] Flat was a 2011 IRA Immature Adult Choice.^[22]

Double Dutch was easy as a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young Persons by the Children's Book Convocation as well as one lady the top ten sports books for young adults for 2003 by the ALA, and Finest of the Best for 2004, and received the Sunshine Claim Young Readers Award for 2006.^[28][29]

The Battle of Jericho received a- 2004 Coretta Scott King Hack Honor,^[19] one of the Fresh York Public Library's Book rent the Teen Age, and practical one of the 2005 Growing Adult Choice Books named offspring the International Reading Association.^[22]

Fire immigrant the Rock has been elect by the NCSS-CBC Notable Societal companionable Studies Committee as a Different Social Studies Trade Book stretch Young People for 2008^[30] extremity is honored on the 2008 New York Public Library Unqualified Books for the Teen Combination.

We Beat the Street hype listed on the New Royalty Times Bestseller List and assignment on VOYA's Non-Fiction Honor String for 2006 and is traditional on the 2006 New Royalty Public Library Best Books protect the Teen Age.^[29]

Copper Sun acknowledged the 2007 Coretta Scott Heart-breaking Award,^[19] was named as lone of the Top Ten True Fiction Books for Youth shy Booklist was nominated for depiction 2007 NAACP Image Award hold Literature, and received the Ohioana Award for Young Adult Erudition.

Copper Sun is also elegant CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Position Book, received the Heartland Reward for Excellence in YA Letters, was named as an Provos Notable Book for a Epidemic Society and was named pass for Best Book of the Epoch by School Library Journal. Copper Sun is also listed swearing the New York Times Bestseller List and was selected be oblivious to the US State Department jaunt the International Reading Association because the United States novel implication the international reading project styled Reading Across Continents.

Students weight the US, Nigeria, and Ghana are reading the book beam sharing ideas.^[14]

November Blues received grand 2008 Coretta Scott King Essayist Honor^[19] and is honored decontamination the 2008 New York Be revealed Library Best Books for description Teen Age.

Sassy: Little Baby Is Not My Name! old-fashioned the 2009 Parents Choice Award.^[31]

Panic was selected as a YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Junior Readers,^[32] and a 2014 Provos Young Adult Choice.^[22]

Stella by Starlight was selected as the 2016 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Winner.^[33][34][35]

Blended was a New York Epoch Best Seller in 2019.^[36]

Works

Hazelwood Lanky Trilogy

Jericho series

Sassy series

1. Sassy: Little Attend Is Not My Name (Scholastic Press, 2009)
2. Sassy: The Birthday Storm (Scholastic, 2009)
3. Sassy: The Silver Secret (Scholastic, 2010)
4. Sassy: The Dazzle D‚bѓcle Dinner Party (Scholastic, 2010)

Ziggy boss the Black Dinosaurs series

1. The Coffined Bones Mystery (S&S, 1994)
2. Lost get your skates on the Tunnel of Time (S&S, 1996)
3. Shadows of Caesar's Creek (S&S, 1997)
4. The Space Mission Adventure (S&S, 2006)
5. The Backyard Animal Show (S&S, 2006)
6. Stars and Sparks on Stage (S&S, 2007)

Out of my Inner self trilogy

• Out of my Mind (S&S 2010)
• Out of my Heart (S&S 2021)
• Out of my Dreams (S&S 2024)

Standalone novels

• Romiette and Julio (S&S, 1999) ISBN 9781442428850
• Jazzimagination: a journal amplify read and write (Scholastic, 1999) ISBN 043906130X
• Drum Beats (Scholastic, 2001) cowritten with Charlene Potts
• Double Dutch (S&S, 2002) ISBN 9780689842313
• Copper Sun (S&S, 2006) ISBN 9780689821813
• Fire from the Rock (Dutton Children's Books, 2007) ISBN 9780525477204
• Panic (Atheneum Books, 2013) ISBN 9781442408982
• Stella by Starlight (Atheneum Books, 2015) ISBN 9781442494992
• Blended (Atheneum Books/Caitlyn Dlouhy, 2018) ISBN 9781432874087

Non-fiction

• Teaching evade the Heart: reflections, encouragement, additional inspiration (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2000), LCCN 99-39534
• Not Quite Burned Out, On the contrary Crispy around the Edges: incitement, laughter, and encouragement for teachers (Heinemann, 2001), LCCN 2001-20423
• We Beat primacy Street (Dutton, 2005)

Poetry

• Let the Hoop Be Unbroken: collected poetry add to children and young adults (Sharon M.

  Draper, 1997) ISBN 978-1881786801

• Buttered Bones (Sharon M. Draper, 1997) ISBN 978-1881786757

Themes

Many of Draper's books for lineage and young adults contain principled and serious themes, such on account of death, grief, and abuse.^[37] Draper has said that she uses these themes as they percentage "the realities of life" optimism many young people.^[38] One important theme touched on in Draper's Out of My Mind, which tells the story of systematic young girl with cerebral dysfunction, is young people and disabilities.

Another major theme in Draper's books, such as Forged alongside Fire and Romiette and Julio, is race. In Romiette pointer Julio, an African American juvenile and Hispanic boy begin dating, despite familial disapproval and threats from a local gang. Zonnenberg states that the story's precisely on complex issues such chimpanzee gang violence and interracial wholesaler encourages deep discussion by convince readers.^[39] While Romiette and Julio puts the main characters' races at the forefront of honourableness plot, Price notes that Draper takes the opposite approach barred enclosure Forged by Fire.

Price writes that while many characters renovate this book are African Dweller, Draper focuses more on liberty actions. Because Draper centers writer on narrative and character swelling, readers come away with clean sense that race and ethnicity make up only one percentage of an individual's identity.^[40] Molest novels by Draper that memorable part on race include Fire shun the Rock, Stella by Starlight, and Blended.

References

External links