Pathfinder on Sharon Draper
This
pathfinder is for teachers that would like to teach a book by Sharon Draper in
their classroom. Sharon Draper’s books
are usually targeted to students in middle and high school, though she also has
written books appropriate for elementary students. This pathfinder will focus on books for
middle and high school aged children. This
pathfinder will include information about the author’s life, books and any
awards that she has earned.
Biography – Who is Sharon Draper?
Sharon
Draper was born in 1952 in Cincinnati, Ohio. She credits her love of
writing and reading to her parents. Her parents read to her and her two younger
siblings nightly and emphasized the importance of doing well in school. Sharon graduated from Pepperdine University
with a degree in English. She turned
down a position teaching at Pepperdine to begin her teaching career in the
public schools in Cincinnati, Ohio. In
1991, challenged by one of her students, Draper entered a writing contest in
Ebony magazine and won a $5000 prize for the short story she entered. This was just what she needed to finish
writing a novel she’d started earlier and send it out to publishers. She received 24 rejection notices before
Simon Pulse publishers accepted her manuscript.
Her first book was titled Tears of a Tiger, and it was named an
American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. It also won the American Library Association/Coretta
Scott King Genius Award. Since her
earliest success, Mrs. Draper has gone on to write numerous books for young children
and young adults, many of which have also won awards.
When giving advice to young authors, Susan Draper advises them
to “Read a thousand books, and write every single day.” Click or copy the link below to hear an interview
Sharon Draper gave about being an author. You will also be able to find videos of Sharon Draper reading from some of her books.
What does Sharon Draper Write About? What does she contribute to YA literature?
In her own words, Sharon Draper writes about “drinking and driving, teen suicide, and child abuse”. She also writes about how teenagers feel invincible and what happens when that illusion is shattered. In short, she writes about life as many teenagers live it. Her books are driven by her characters and the problems that they are facing. Mrs. Draper gives voice to many people in our society often overlooked in literature. She writes about minorities, people living in blighted urban areas and the disabled. She offers readers a connection to a world they know or introduce them to one that they are unfamiliar with. Sharon Draper is an important voice in Young Adult Literature.
While the majority of her books are for the young adult audience, she has written two series for the tween set. She has also written books for educators about teaching and two books for poetry. She is a prolific author. For a complete list of books written by Sharon Draper, check out her comprehensive website.
Books, books and more books by Sharon Draper!
Click each title to learn more
about some of the books Sharon Draper has written.
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| Out of My Mind This book is about 11 year-old Melody. She is disabled and unable to communicate. Most people think she can't learn, until she figures out how to make herself heard for the first time. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to hear what Melody has to say. |
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| Tears of a Tiger This is Sharon Draper's first novel. It is about a boy named Andy who cannot forgive himself for driving the car that led to the death of his best friend. The book chronicles the lives of Andy and his friends as they try to cope with the tragedy. |
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| Copper Sun This is a story of survival told through Amari, a young African stolen from her village and sold into slavery in America. After much hopelessness and despair, Amari learns to survive and fights for her freedom. |
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| Romiette and Julio Romiette and Julio meet online, only to discover that they attend the same high school. They soon fall in love, but their love is marred. Romiette is African American and Julio is Hispanic. Many do not like two different cultures coming together and a local gang is determined to tear them apart by any means necessary. Do they survive or does the legacy of Romeo and Juliette repeat itself? |
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| Little Sister is NOT my Name Sassy is Sharon Draper's series targeted toward girls in second to fifth grades. Sassy is the name of the main character and she definitely lives up to her name. |
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| Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs is Sharon Draper's series targeted toward boys in second to fourth grades. It is about a group of four friends that form a club. They solve mysteries, have fun and learn a lot in the process.
Awards, Awards and More Awards!
With the publishing of her first book, Tears of a Tiger, Sharon Draper began winning awards
for her books. Tears of a Tiger won the following awards:
·
1995 American Library Association/Coretta Scott King
Genesis Award
·
ALA Best Book for Young Adults for 1995
·
Best Book 1995 --Children's Book Council
·
Best Books for the Teen Age--1995 --New York City
Library
·
Recommended Best--1995--Bank Street College
·
Best Book--1995 National Council for Social Studies
·
Best of the Best by VOYA and the American Library
Association
This is an amazing list of awards for a first book. Sharon Draper must have felt an incredible
amount of pressure when writing her subsequent novels. She needn’t have worried. Her following books have gone on to win
numerous awards. They include:
· Josette Frank Award by the Children's Book Committee of the Bank
Street College of Education
· Outstanding Children's book by Bank Street College
· Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts
·
Coretta Scott King Honor Book
·
New York Public Library's Book for the Teen Age
·
Young Adult Choice Books --International Reading Association
·
Coretta Scott King Award
·
ALA BEST Book Award
·
Parent's Choice Award
·
Best Books for the Teen Age New York City Library
·
Young Hoosier Book Award
·
ALA Top Ten Quick Pick
·
Children's Choice Award-- International Reading Association
·
IRA Young Adult Choice
·
Buckeye Book Award
·
Ohioana Award for Young Adult Literature
·
Top Ten Historical Fiction Books for Youth by Booklist
·
IRA Notable Book for a Global Society
·
Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal
·
Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
Where Can You Find More Information on Sharon Draper?
Websites:
Official
Website – www.SharonDraper.com Contact Sharon Draper here.
Twitter
- https://twitter.com/#!/s7d7
Simon
& Schuster Author’s Page - http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Sharon-M-Draper/706340
Children’s
Literature Comprehensive Database: http://www.clcd.com/features/mai_draper_sharon.php
Journal Articles featuring Sharon
Draper:
Hendershot,
Judy, and Jackie Peck. "A Conversation With Sharon Draper, Winner Of The
1998 Coretta Scott King Award." Reading Teacher 52.7
(1999): 748-50. ERIC. Web. 1 May 2012.
Hinton, KaaVonia. Sharon M. Draper:
Embracing Literacy. Scarecrow Studies In Young Adult Literature #31.
Scarecrow Press, 2008.ERIC. Web. 1 May 2012.
Harris, Laurie Lanzen, and Cherie D. Abbey. Biography
Today: Profiles Of People Of Interest To Young Readers, 1999. Biography
Today, 1999. ERIC. Web. 1 May 2012.
Draper, Sharon M. Teaching From The Heart:
Reflections, Encouragement, And Inspiration. 2000. ERIC. Web. 1
May 2012.
Ballentine, Darcy, and Lisa Hill. "Teaching
Beyond "Once Upon A Time.." Language Arts 78.1
(2000): 11-20. ERIC. Web. 1 May 2012.
References
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