'Traveling with the characters'

 

“When I read good stories, I want to write good stories too.” – Sharon Creech

 

Born in Ohio on this date in 1945, Creech grew up outside of Cleveland but also spent a lot of time during her formative years visiting family in Kentucky where her time there helped shape both characters and setting for a number of her award-winning books.  Among those are Walk Two Moons, winner of the Newbery Medal, and The Wanderer, a Newbery Honor book shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal.  

 

She won the British Carnegie for her book Ruby Holler and was the first American to win both the American Newbery Medal and the British Carnegie.   Also an award-winning poet, Creech started writing while still in college and then taught English and creative writing for several years before writing her first children’s book.   Her most recent book – her 25^th – is One Time.

 

“I love the way that each book — any book — is its own journey,” Creech said.  “You open it, and off you go. You are changed in some way, large or small, by having traveled with those characters.”