Jack Gantos (born Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, 1951) writes books for children and young adults. His book Joey Pigza Loses Control received a 2001 Newbery Honor Award. His autobiography Hole in My Life earned both a 2003 Sibert Award and a 2003 Printz Award. Part autobiography, part novel, Dead End in Norvelt gained both the 2012 Newbery Medal and the 2012 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Children can visit his website at: Jack Gantos.
Jean Craighead George (born Washington, DC, 1919; died Valhalla, New York, May 15, 2012) wrote and illustrated at least 100 books for children. Her My Side of the Mountain earned a Newbery Honor Award in 1960. Julie of the Wolves received the 1973 Newbery Medal. Children could visit a website devoted to her at: Jean Craighead George.
Cynthia Kadohata (born Chicago, Illinois, 1956) has written at least twelve books for children. Her book Kira-Kira received the 2005 Newbery Medal. Other works include Checked and A Place to Belong. Children can learn more at: Cynthia Kadohata.
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall (born Baltimore, Maryland, 1908; died Washington, DC, January 24, 1993) was the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court. For more than twenty years he directed the legal portion of the NAACP. He was victorious in the case of Brown v Board of Education, ending “separate but equal” public schools. He was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Lyndon Johnson, and he was an associate justice for 24 years. Children could learn more at: Thurgood Marshall.
Darren Shan (born London, England, 1972) writes horror and fantasy books for young adults. His books include the Demonata series and The Saga of Darren Shan series. Young adults can visit his website at: Darren Shan.