What’s
that hole
doing
there???
de
Time
Capsule
Walter Dean Myers
2014
To whom it may concern,
If you are reading this, my time
capsule worked and this is 2114! I
buried this capsule 100 years ago
today with the intent to share my
life story and my writings! Enjoy!
Walter Dean Myers
What’s In The Capsule:
Biography
Books
People
Places
Objects
Awards
Extra
Sources
Thanks!
Biography
Childhood
Adulthood
Author
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Capsule
randomhouse.com
Childhood
Born in Martinsburg, West Virginia in 1937, I became one of the premier authors
of books for children. My mother died very early in my life–an event that propelled
me into experiences that later influenced me to write. It was difficult for my father
to raise eight children alone, and eventually, a nearby couple, Herbert and
Florence Dean, took in three-year old Walter and moved me to Harlem, New York.
Harlem became my home and the place where my first impressions of the world
were set.
As a child, I went to school in my neighborhood and attended bible school almost
every day of the week. I had a speech impediment which made communicating
difficult for me, and I often found myself in fights, defending myself against kids
who taunted me. After a while, one of my teachers suggested to write something
instead of reading aloud. I began writing poetry to give voice to my thoughts and
feelings, and at age sixteen, I won a prize in an essay contest and a set of
encyclopedias for a long narrative poem. Later, my father bought me a used
typewriter, which I used to churn out a seemingly endless stream of stories.
Along with the many things I was discovering about myself, I was also learning how
to survive. One day I had the courage to break up a fight between three gang
members and a kid who had just moved into the neighborhood. I became a
marked man–and felt my life was in danger. My childhood has impacted my
writing in multitude of ways!
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Biography
Adulthood
From an accelerated junior high program, I went on to one of New York's
most prestigious public schools -- Amsterdam High School -- where I
encountered a teacher who told me that I was a gifted writer, and he
steered me to the books of Emile Zola and Thomas Mann. I thought that
his family's finances ruled out college, and my life took a negative turn. My
poetry reflected despair and I fell into the gang culture.
In 1954, I dropped out of school and entered the army. After my release, I
worked odd jobs, married and divorced, wrote everything from adventure
stories to advertising copy, and attended City College of New York and a
writer's workshop at Columbia University that led to an editorial job at a
publishing company. (I would finally receive a B.A., much later, from
Empire State College.) It wasn't until I won a contest for black writers that I
published his first book, Where Does the Day Go? Writing for young adults,
changed my life. The young adult and middle grade periods of my life were
so vivid and, in looking back, so influential in how I would live the rest of
my life, that I am drawn to [them] over and over again.
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Biography
As An Author
My subsequent works continued to take an uncompromising look at the
plights and issues of urban African-American youth, drawing upon my own
experiences while growing up in Harlem. My refusal to shrink from harsh
realities or to be condescending toward my audience garnered much
critical applause, evidenced by two Newbery Honor Medals
(for Scorpions [1988] and Somewhere in the Darkness[1992]), four Coretta
Scott King Awards (for The Young Landlords [1979], Motown and
Didi [1987], Fallen Angels [1988], and Somewhere in the Darkness), and
dozens of other accolades. Those honors include the 2005 Lee Bennett
Hopkins Poetry Award administered by the Pennsylvania Center for the
Book for the poetry collection Here in Harlem: Poems in Many
Voices (2004). The Hopkins award is awarded annually to an American
poet or anthologist for the most outstanding new book of children’s
poetry published in the previous calendar year. My novel Monster, the
story of a young Harlem man’s trial for murder, was a National Book Award
finalist in 1999 and the first winner of the Michael L. Printz Award. Truly,
my writing talks about my experiences in inner city life.
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Biography
Books
1. Hoops
2. The Beast
3. Bad Boy
4. Autobiography of My Dead Brother
5. Street Love
6. Monster
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Capsule
Hoops
17 year old Lonnie Jackson lives for
basketball. He wants to join a team
with his buddies and continue his
passion for the game, but when he
meets his coach for the first time,
he is bewildered. He’s a drunken
man who had once played in the
NBA but was kicked out for
gambling! Now, when the team
gets to the championship, the coach
is told by the same gamblers to sit
Lonnie and lose the game. Will he
do that and give up this opportunity
, or will he sub Lonnie in and play
Hoops?
Copyright- 1981
181 Pages & for Middle School
Students and Young Adults
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Books
The Beast
• Anthony Witherspoon, or
“Spoon”, goes to the Wallingford
Academy, leaving behind his
supportive girlfriend, Gabi. Little
does he know that Gabi’s mother
was suffering from cancer, her
brother takes the streets, and her
blind grandfather moves in. Gabi
turns to drugs (the beast) for
comfort. When Spoon returns
from school, he finds Gabi in the
belly of the beast…and only he
has the courage to go in after
her!
• Middle- Young Adult Audiences
• 192 pages
• Copyright: 2005
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Books
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Books
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Books
Bad Boy
As a boy, Myers was quick-tempered and physically strong, always ready for a fight. He also read voraciously—he would
check out books from the library and carry them home, hidden in brown paper bags in order to avoid other boys' teasing.
He aspired to be a writer. But while growing up in a poor family in Harlem, his hope for a successful future diminished as he
came to realize fully the class and racial struggles that surrounded him. He began to doubt himself and the values that he
had always relied on, attending high school less and less, turning to the streets and to his books for comfort.
(barnesandnoble.com)
Copyright: 2002
12-17 years
224 Pages
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Books
Autobiography of My Dead Brother
Jesse and his friend C.J. are trying to come to terms with “the violence that blows through our community like the winds of
winter.” With a friend carrying a gun, another dealing and one in jail for robbery, Jesse sees first-hand what drugs are doing
to his Harlem home. “Sometimes,” he says, “the corner of 149th Street looked like an ad for some desperate Third World
country,” or a vision of hell from Dante’s Inferno, which Jesse is reading in school. The autobiography Jesse is making of his
best friend Rise, with photographs, drawings and cartoons, shows Rise changing as he gets involved with gangs, and the
cartoonish character of Spodi Roti represents Jesse himself as he questions his life and community, looking for answers. The
innovative illustrated novel format is effective, essential to Rise’s autobiography and to Jesse’s own quest for understanding.
Though the story is starkly realistic, there is always hope in the gifts of Jesse the artist and C. J. the musician, of schools and
churches and of caring parents. (kirkusreview.com Web)
Copyright: 1998
Ages: 12 and up
Pages: 224
National Book Award Winner
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Books
Street Love
The book, Street Love, is a wonderful romance story set in the streets of Harlem. Sixteen year old Damien is with the love
of his life, and has just been accepted to his dream college. There is one problem, though. The love of his life, Junice, has
other plans, and must help her ex-convict mother, and mentally challenged sister. This book is a bittersweet thriller that is a
must read!
Copyright- 1996
Adult Audiences
304 Pages
It was nominated for the 1999 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, won the Michael L. Printz Award in
2000,[1] and was named a Coretta Scott King Award Honor the same year.
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Books
Monster
This book is set in the perspective of a sixteen year old boy, Steve Harmon who is on trial for felony murder. It is a trial that may
result in 20 years in prison, and Harmon is scared out of his mind. Steve is a young filmmaker, and he cannot bear the life of a prison
convict. The plot moves back and forth from his thoughts to his photographic notebook, and this is truly a story to remember.
Teen to Adult Book
Copyright- 2006
160 Pages
Correta Scott King, National Book Award, and Michael L. Printz Award winner
Family Influences
Florence Dean
Herbert Dean
Florence Dean was the first
Herbert was Walter’s step father.
person Walter called Mom.
He was the man of the house
She raised him from infancy,
and loved Walter a lot. He
but was not his real mother.
hated to see Walter cry, and
Walter remembers walking all
around New York City with her,
always comforted him. Dean
and reading fashion magazines
gave Walter his first
in their favorite chair. Walter
typewriter, which inspired
gained from this reading time,
Walter to write poems and
and he had the highest
reading level in his first grade
short stories. Walter was
year. She encouraged him to
influenced to write by his
get good grades, and strive for
stepfather.
excellence. Walter made lots
of memories with his mother,
and she influenced him
Continue
greatly.
Other Influences
Langston Hughes
Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway was a popular
singer in Harlem during the
renaissance. He wrote
music with the Nicholas
Brothers, an entertaining
tap dance group. Walter
loved Calloway’s music in
the 40’s, as many other
children did as well.
Hughes grew up down the street
from Myers in Harlem. Myers
read Houghes’ short stories and
column in the black newspaper.
It was not until he became an
adult that he appreciated the
writings written by the same man
that chased his brother down the
street for littering. Myers wrote
on similar topics as Hughes and
describes life in Harlem.
Langston Hughes was an
influence on Myers!
Continue
Teacher Influences
Mrs. Conway
Mrs. Conway was like the
teachers Walter had at PS 125,
but she had a special quality
unlike the others. Although
she used corporal punishment
as a disciplinary method,
Conway recognized Walter's
advanced writing skills, and
would read his poems all of
the time. She also gave him
books to read, such as East o'
the Sun and West o' the
Moon, a Norwegian folk tale.
This is how Mrs. Conway
Pictures
influenced Walter.
Mr. Irwin-Lasher
Mr. Irwin-Lasher was the perfect
teacher for Walter as a boy.
He understood Walter’s
speech impediment and told
him that he would only be a
smart boy in his class. When
Walter would make a mistake,
Mr. Irwin-Lasher would
appropriately discipline Walter
by speaking with his mother
rather than a slapping method.
Walter felt comfortable in his
class and enjoyed himself. Mr.
Irwin-Lasher was Walter’s
ideal teacher!
Langston Hughes
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Capsule
Cab Calloway
West
Virginia
Harlem Post
Office
Harlem
Jersey
City
PS 43
Empire
State
New
New
Univ.
York
York
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Capsule
Places
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Morningside Park, Harlem
Places
Empire State College, New York
Jersey City
Places
PS 43
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Capsule
Harlem Post Office
Book
Knicks
Jobs
First
Book
Typewriters
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Baseball
Mitt
Baseball Mitt
Walter Dean Myers always enjoyed to play baseball with
his friends. “I filled any moment with physical activity.”
(Bad Boy)
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Box
Typewriter
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Box
Walter Dean Myers was given a typewriter as a kid by his
step-father, Herbert Dean. This was the first apparatus
he used to write his thoughts that would soon become
hit books!
Where Does the Day Go?
This is Walter Dean Myers first published book. “Where
Does the Day Go?” is a picture book for children.
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Box
First Job
Walter Dean Myers first job was carrying packages. He
carried them for ladies from A&P and on a good day,
made $3.
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Box
New York Knicks
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Box
“There's only one really great team around and that's
the New York Knickerbockers. The Knicks are my favorite.
I would have studied law if I wasn't a professional
basketball player or writer.” –Walter Dean Myers
~Scholastic.com Interview
East O` the Sun and West O` the Moon
This is the novel that Mrs. Conway gave to Walter to read
as a child. After reading this novel, Myers found that he
had fallen in love with reading and wanted to read more.
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Capsule
National Book Award Finalist
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Trophy Case
The National Book Award was established in 1950, the National
Book Award is an American literary prize administered by the
National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization. Walter
Dean Myers received this award for his novel, Monster.
Boston Globe Horn Book Awards
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Trophy Case
First presented in 1967 and customarily announced in June, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards are
among the most prestigious honors in the field of children’s and young adult literature. Winners are
selected in three categories: Picture Book, Fiction and Poetry, and Nonfiction. Two Honor Books may
be named in each category. On occasion, a book will receive a special citation for its high quality and
overall creative excellence. The winning titles must be published in the United States but they may be
written or illustrated by citizens of any country. The awards are chosen by an independent panel of
three judges who are annually appointed by the Editor of the Horn Book.
Newbery Honor Award
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Trophy Case
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John
Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to
Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the
most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The Newbery
Medal is a yearly award that honors an outstanding contribution to American
children’s literature. It is named after John Newbery, who was a bookseller in the
1700s, in England. The medal was created quite a bit later, however, by Frederic
G. Melcher, in 1921.
Michael L. Printz Award
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Trophy Case
The Michael L. Printz Award annually honors the best book written for
teens, based entirely on its literary merit, each year. In addition, the
Printz Committee names up to four honor books, which also represent
the best writing in young adult literature. The awards announcement is
made at the ALA Midwinter Meeting as part of the Youth Media Awards
and is celebrated with a program and reception each year at the ALA
Annual Conference.
Coretta Scott King Award
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Trophy Case
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding
African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young
adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and
universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King,
for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and
world brotherhood.
Poem
Army Hat
Extra Items
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Capsule
His Son
Love That Boy
This poem was written by
Walter Dean Myers when he
was younger and tied him to
his past. It has been featured
in many books and is a
memorable item!
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Folder
Christopher Myers
Walter Dean Myers loves his
son Christopher Myers…and
his occupation! Both are
writers and have collaborated
with many writings. Walter
Dean Myers would love to
include his son in this capsule!
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Folder
Army
Walter Dean Myers quit high
school and went off to serve
our country. He gave us his
work and wonderful novels
that we love today!
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Folder
Works Cited Page
•
•
•
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•
American Library Association. (1996-2014). Michael l. Printz award. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/printz/
American Library Association. (4, March 09). The Coretta Scott King award. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/emiert/cskbookawards
Gutmann, M. (2006). Myers, Walter Dean. Retrieved from
http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Myers__Walter_Dean.html
Levandowski, C. (11, November 94). Learning about Walter Dean Myers. Retrieved from
http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/professional-development/childlit/myers.html
Media Source Company. (n.d.). Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. Retrieved from
http://archive.hbook.com/bghb/default.asp
Myers, W. D. (2014). Walter Dean Myers biography. Retrieved from
http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/
Random House. (n.d.). Author spotlight. Retrieved from
https://www.randomhouse.com/kids/catalog/author.pperl?authorid=21712&view=sml_sptlght
Scholastic Inc. (2014). Walter Dean Myers talks to scholastic news online. Retrieved from
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/bullying/bullying_news/index.asp?article=w
aterdeanmyers2&topic=0
Walter Dean Myers. (2014, March 27). Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Dean_Myers
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Capsule