It's every valuable experience

“A good book ought to bring out lots of different responses from those that read it - none of them pre-planned, and all of them very personal. Whatever they take away from the reading of the book is valuable.“ – Sharon Draper

Born on this date in 1948, children's writer, poet and educator Sharon Draper was the 1997 National Teacher of the Year and is a 5-time recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award for her books about the African-American experience.  Her best-known books are the Hazelwood and Jericho series and her award-winning historical novel Copper Sun.   That latter book, which addresses the issues of the African slave trade and slavery in America, has been named one of the ten all-time best historical novels for youth.                  

                                             Born in Ohio and a graduate of Pepperdine University in California, she now makes her home in Cincinnati.  A much sought-after speaker, she is a member of the National Council of Teachers of English and frequent presenter to writing groups and organizations around the world.

Her advice for new writers is simple, “know” your subject.  “I do research for every single book, regardless,” she said.  “For Double Dutch, I learned to jump and learned the scoring system. For November Blues, I interviewed pregnant teens. I like to get up close and personal with the kids involved in the situations I write about.”

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