Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers
Myers at the Library of Congress in 2001
Born	Walter Milton Myers (1937-08-12)August 12, 1937 Martinsburg, West Virginia, U.S.
Died	July 1, 2014(2014-07-01) (aged 76) Manhattan, New York City
Occupation	Writer
Nationality	American
Period	1969–2014
Genre	Young adult novels, nonfiction, poetry
Notable works	Fallen Angels Monster
Notable awards	Margaret Edwards Award 1994 Michael L. Printz Award 2000
Website
walterdeanmyers.net

Walter Dean Myers (born Walter Milton Myers; August 12, 1937 – July 1, 2014) was an American writer of children's books best known for young adult literature. He wrote more than one hundred books including picture books and nonfiction. He won the Coretta Scott King Award for African-American authors five times.^[1] His 1988 novel Fallen Angels is one of the books most frequently challenged in the U.S. because of its adult language and its realistic depiction of the Vietnam War.

Myers was the third U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, serving in 2012 and 2013.^[2] He also sat on the Board of Advisors of the Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators (SCBWI).

Personal life

Walter Milton Myers was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia. After his mother died while giving birth to his younger sister, Myers was given over to Florence Dean, the first wife of his biological father George Myers. Dean raised him in Harlem, New York City, and Myers later took "Dean" as his middle name in honor of his foster parents Florence and Herbert.^[3] Herbert Dean was an African-American man and his wife was a part-German and part-Native American woman who taught English at the local high school.

Myers' life as a child centered on the neighborhood and the church. The neighborhood protected him and the church guided him. He was smart but did not do that well in school, and was considered a disruptive student.^[4][5] Suffering from a speech impediment, he cultivated the habit of writing poetry and short stories and acquired an early love of reading.^[6] Myers attended Public School 125 on Lasalle Street, before dropping out (although Stuyvesant High School now claims him as a graduate) and joining the U.S. Army on his 17th birthday.^[7]

Myers wrote well in high school, which one of his teachers recognized. She also suspected that he would drop out and advised him to keep writing no matter what happened. He did not exactly understand what that meant but years later, while working on a construction job in Chicago, he remembered her words.^[3][4] Myers would write at night, soon writing about his difficult teenage years. When asked what he valued most, he replied, "My books. They were my only real friends growing up."

Myers lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family.^[8] His family includes his wife; son, author and illustrator Christopher Myers; son, Michael; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A daughter, Karen, predeceased him.^[9]

For the years 2012 and 2013 Myers was the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by appointment of the Library of Congress, a two-year position created to raise national awareness of the importance of lifelong literacy and education.^[2]

On July 1, 2014, Myers died at Beth Israel Medical Center in Midtown Manhattan^[10] after a brief illness.^[11][12] His last written work was an op-ed for The New York Times, "Where Are the People of Color in Children's Books?" in which he calls for a more complete representation of African Americans in children's literature.^[13] A We Need Diverse Books grant and award were named after him.

Awards

Myers received the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1994 for his contribution in writing for teens.^[14] For his lifetime contribution as a children's writer he was U.S. nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2010.^[15] The ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award recognizes one writer and a particular body of work for "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature". Myers won the annual award in 1994, citing four books published from 1983 to 1988: Hoops (1983), Motown and Didi (1985), Fallen Angels (1988), and Scorpions (1988). The young-adult librarians observed that "these books authentically portray African-American youth, but their appeal is not limited to any particular ethnic group. The writing of Walter Dean Myers illustrates the universality of the teenage experience in urban America."^[14] He was a two-time runner-up for the annual Newbery Medal, recognizing the previous year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children", in 1989 for The Scorpion and in 1993 for Somewhere in the Darkness.^[16] The ALA split the Newbery several years later, establishing the Michael L. Printz Award for young-adult literature. Myers was the inaugural winner for Monster (HarperCollins, 1999), which was thereby designated the year's "best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit".^[8][17]

Myers first published book was a contest winner: Where Does the Day Go?, written by Myers and illustrated by Leo Carty (Parents Magazine Press, 1969). It won a Council on Interracial Books for Children Award, 1968.^[6]

Myers was a finalist for the for Young People's Literature: in 1999 for Monster, in 2005 for Autobiography of My Dead Brother, and in 2010 for Lockdown.^[8] Myers is mentioned in Sharon Creech's 2001 poetic novella Love That Dog, in which a young boy admires Myers and invites him to visit his class.

Works

Myers in 2013

By genre

Complete bibliography in publication order

• The Life of a Harlem Man. (Parents Magazine Press, 1968). Illustrated by Gene Riarti.
• Where Does a Day Go? (Parents Magazine Press, 1969). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Leo Carty.
• The Dragon Takes a Wife(Bobbs-Merrill, 1972). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Ann Grifalconi.
  • Republished, The Dragon Takes a Wife (Scholastic, 1995). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Fiona French.
• The Dancers (Parents Magazine Press, 1972). Ages 5–8. Illustrated by Anne Rockwell.
• Fly, Jimmy, Fly! (Putnam, 1974). Ages 5–8. Illustrated by Moneta Barnett.
• The World of Work: A Guide to Choosing a Career (Bobbs-Merrill, 1975).
• Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff (Viking Press, 1975). Ages 8–12.
• Social Welfare (Franklin Watts, 1976). Ages 12+.
• Brainstorm (Franklin Watts, 1977). Ages 12+. Illustrated with photographs by Chuck Freedman.
• Mojo and the Russians (Viking, 1977). Ages 10–14.
• Victory for Jamie (Scholastic Books, 1977). Ages 12+.
• It Ain't All for Nothin' (Viking, 1978). Ages 12+.
• The Young Landlords (Viking, 1979). Ages 8–12. A group of kids take over an apartment building and struggle to maintain it.
• The Black Pearl and the Ghost; or, One Mystery after Another (Viking, 1980). Ages 9–11. Illustrated by Robert Quackenbush. Mindless Behavior.
• The Golden Serpent (Viking, 1980). Ages 6–9. Illustrated by Alice Provensen and Martin Provensen.
• Hoops (Delacorte Press, 1981). Ages 12+. A promising basketball player tries not to end up like his former pro-playing coach.
• The Legend of Tarik (Viking, 1981). Ages 12+.
• Won't Know Till I Get There (Viking, 1982). Ages 10–14. A 14-year-old boy, his newly adopted brother, and his friends are forced to work in a retirement home
• The Nicholas Factor (Viking, 1983). Ages 8–12.
• Tales of a Dead King (William Morrow and Company, 1983). Ages 8–12.
• Mr. Monkey and the Gotcha Bird (Delacorte, 1984). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Leslie Morrill.
• Motown and Didi: A Love Story (Viking, 1984). Ages 12+. A young couple's romance, and their struggle living in Harlem.
• The Outside Shot (Delacorte, 1984). Ages 12+. A talented Harlem basketball player goes to college to play.
• Adventures in Granada (Viking 1985). Ages 8–12. Arrow Series.
• The Hidden Shrine (Viking, 1985). Ages 8–12. Arrow Series.
• Duel in the Desert (Viking, 1986). Ages 8–12. Arrow Series.
• Ambush in the Amazon (Viking, 1986). Ages 10–14. Arrow Series.
• Sweet Illusions (New York Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 1986). Ages 13+. A story about teenage pregnancy in which readers write their own endings.
• Crystal (Viking, 1987). Ages 12+. Centers on a girl attempting to navigate as a young fashion model.
• Scorpions (Harper & Ross, 1988). Ages 8–12. A 12-year-old is asked to lead his brother's gang.
  • Included in Newbery Award Library IV (HarperCollins 1998)
• Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid (Delacorte, 1988). Ages 8–12. Two recently adopted children help their friend try to get adopted, and try to help their baseball team win.
• Fallen Angels (Scholastic, 1988). Ages 13+. About young men in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.
  • Republished in Fallen Angels and Related Readings Literature Connections (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996). With Tim O'Brien and E.E. Cummings.
• The Mouse Rap (HarperCollins, 1990). Ages 12+. a 14-year-old is determined to find the loot from a 1930s bank heist.
• Now Is Your Time! The African-American Struggle for Freedom (HarperCollins, 1991).
• Somewhere in the Darkness (Scholastic, 1992). Ages 13+.
• Mop, Moondance, and the Nagasaki Knights (Delacorte, 1992). Ages 8–12.
• The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner (HarperCollins, 1992). Ages 10–14. A 12-year-old boy goes after a man that murdered his uncle.
• Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary (Scholastic, 1993). Ages 12+.
• Young Martin's Promise (Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993). Ages 8–12.
• A Place Called Heartbreak: A story of Vietnam (Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993). Ages 8–12.
• Brown Angels: An Album of Pictures and Verse (HarperCollins, 1993). Ages 8–12.
  • Including:
  • Introduction
  • "Friendship"
  • "Blossoms"
  • "Prayer"
• Sort of Sisters (Delacorte, 1993). Writing as Stacie Johnson.
• The Party (Delacorte, 1993). Writing as Stacie Johnson.
• The Prince (Delacorte, 1993). Writing as Stacie Johnson.
• Contributor to Soul Looks Back in Wonder edited by Tom Feelings (1993)
• "Things that go Gleep in the Night" in Don't Give Up the Ghost: The Delacorte Book of Original Ghost Stories edited by David Gale (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 1993).
• "Migration" in The Great Migration: An American Story by Jacob Lawrence (1993).
• The Glory Field (Scholastic, 1994). Ages 13+. A family's account of their struggle in America from the 18th century to the 1990s.
• Darnell Rock Reporting (Delacorte Press, 1994). Ages 8–12. A 13-year-old boy joins the school newspaper.
• The Story of the Three Kingdoms (HarperCollins, 1995). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Ashley Bryan.
• Shadow of the Red Moon (1995). (Scholastic, 1995). Ages 8–12. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers.
• Glorious Angels: A Celebration of Children (HarperCollins, 1995). Ages 4–8.
  • "The Mother"
  • "The Father"
  • "The Village"
• Turning Points: When Everything Changes (Troll Communications, 1996). Ages 4–6. With Mireille Eckstein and Judith Viorst. Part of the Troll Target Series.
• Sniffy Blue: Ace Crime Detective Case of the Missing Ruby and Other Stories (Scholastic, 1996). Ages 7–10. Illustrated by David J. Sims .
• One More River to Cross: An African American Photograph Album (Harcourt Brace, 1996). Ages 8–12.
• How Mr. Monkey Saw the Whole World (Doubleday, 1996). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Synthia Saint James.
• Toussaint L'ouverture: The Fight for Haiti's Freedom. (Simon & Schuster, 1996). Ages 8–12. Illustrated by Jacob Lawrence.
• "Reverend Abbott and those Bloodshot Eyes" in When I was Your Age: Original Stories About Growing Up edited by Amy Ehrlich (Candlewick Press 1996).
• Harlem (Scholastic, 1997). Ages 8–12. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers
• Amistad: A Long Road to Freedom (Dutton, 1997). Ages 8–12.
• "Stranger" in No Easy Answers edited by Donald R. Gallo (1997)
• "Sunrise Over Manuas" in From One Experience to Another: Award-Winning Authors Sharing Real-Life Experiences Through Fiction edited by M. Jerry Weiss and Helen S. Weiss (1997).
• Angel to Angel: A Mother's Gift of Love (HarperCollins, 1998). Ages 8–12.
• Slam! (Scholastic, 1998). Ages 12+. A young black teen with an attitude problem deals with life on and off the basketball court.
• "The Escape" in Trapped! Cages of Body and Mind edited by Lois Duncan (1998).
• At Her Majesty's Request: An African Princess in Victoria England (Scholastic, 1999). Ages 8–12.
  • Also known as An African Princess: From African Orphan to Queen Victoria's Favorite
• The Journal of Joshua Loper: A Black Cowboy, the Chisholm Trail, 1871. (Scholastic, 1999). Ages 8–12. Part of the My Name is America series.
• Monster (HarperCollins, 1999). Ages 13+. A 16-year-old black boy is charged with murder.
  • Republished Monster: A Graphic Novel (Amistad, 2015). Adapted by Guy Sims and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile.
• "The Beast is in the Labyrinth" in Places I Never Meant to Be: Original Stories by Censored Writers (1999) edited by Judy Blume.
• We Were Heroes: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins, a World War II Soldier, Normandy, France, 1944 (Scholastic, 1999). Ages 10–14. Part of the My Name is America series. Featuring the invasion of Normandy.
  • Included in Dear America: The Nation at War: They World War II Collection: Box Set
• Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly (HarperCollins, 2000). Ages 8–12. Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins.
• The Blues of Flats Brown (Holiday House, 2000). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Nina Laden.
• 145th Street: Short Stories (Delacorte, 2000). Ages 13+.
  • "Big Joe's Funeral"
  • "The Baddest Dog in Harlem"
  • "Fighter"
  • "Angela's Eyes"
  • "The Streak"
  • "Monkeyman"
  • "Kitty and Mack: A Love Story"
  • "A Christmas Story"
  • "A Story in Three Parts"
  • "Block Party-145th Street Style"
• The Greatest: The Life of Muhammad Ali (Scholastic, 2000). Ages 12+.
• "Introduction" to Dracula (Scholastic, 2000).
• Bad Boy: A Memoir (HarperCollins, 2001). Ages 12+. Myers' life as a young boy growing up in 1940s Harlem.
• Down to the Last Out: The Journal of Biddy Owens: The Negro Leagues, 1948 (Scholastic, 2001). Ages 8–12. Part of the My Name is America series.
  • Included in the Dear America: The Seasons of Bravery Collection: Box Set
• Patrol: An American Soldier in Vietnam (HarperCollins, 2012). Ages 8–12. Illustrated by Ann Grafalconi.
• Three Swords for Granada (Holiday House, 2002). Ages 8–12. Illustrated by John Speirs.
• Handbook for Boys: A Novel (HarperCollins, 2002). Ages 10+. Illustrated by Matthew Bandsuch.
• "Block Party - 145th Street Style" in Big City Cool: Short Stories about Urban Youth edited by M. Jerry Weiss and Helen S. Weiss (2002)
• Somewhere in the Darkness (2003). A young boy travels to Arkansas with a father who did not raise him.
• A Time to Love: Stories from the Old Testament. (Scholastic, 2003). Ages 12+. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers.
  • "Preface" by Chaplain, Captain, Michael Dean Myers
  • "Introduction" by Walter Dean Myers
  • "Samson and Delilah"
  • "Reuben and Joseph"
  • "Ruth and Naomi"
  • "Abraham and Isaac"
  • "Zillah and Lot"
  • "Aser and Camiel"
  • "Artist's Note" by Christopher Myers
• Blues Journey (Holiday House, 2003). Ages 6–11. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers.
• The Dream Bearer (HarperCollins, 2003). Ages 10–14.
• The Beast (Scholastic, 2003). Ages 13+. A 17-year-old boy comes back to his home in Harlem from his boarding school to find that the girl he loves is using drugs
• Shooter (HarperCollins, 2004). Ages 13+. Two friends of a school shooter give an account of him to the police.
• I've Seen the Promised Land: the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (HarperCollins, 2004). Ages 2–8. Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins.
• USS Constellation: Pride of the American Navy (Holiday House, 2004). Ages 10–13.
• Antarctica: Journeys to the South Pole (Scholastic, 2004). Ages 8–12.
• Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices (Holiday House, 2004). Age 12+.
• Autobiography of My Dead Brother (HarperCollins, 2005). Ages 13+. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers. A 14-year-old boy copes with life in Harlem by drawing
• "The Prom Prize" in Every Man for Himself: Ten Short Stories about Being a Guy edited by Nancy E. Mercado. (2005).
• Harlem Hellfighters: When Pride Met Courage (HarperCollins, 2006). Ages 8–12. With Bill Miles
• Jazz (Holiday House, 2006). Ages 5–8. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers.

Includes:

• • Introduction
  • "Jazz"
  • "Louie, Louie, how you play so sweet"
  • "America's Music"
  • "Oh, Miss Kitty"
  • "Stride"
• Street Love (HarperCollins, 2006). Ages 13+. Poetic novel of a romance in Harlem
• Harlem Summer (Scholastic, 2007). Ages 9–14.
• What They Found: Love on 145th Street (Random House, 2007) Ages 14–17.
  • "the fashion show, grand opening, and bar-b-que memorial service"
  • "what would jesus do"
  • "mama"
  • "the life you need to have"
  • "bum"
  • "some men are just funny that way"
  • "jump at the sun"
  • "law and order"
  • "the man thing"
  • "society for the preservation of sorry-butt negroes"
  • "madonna"
  • "the real deal"
  • "marisol and skeeter"
  • "poets and plumbers"
  • "combat zone"
• Game (HarperCollins, 2008). Ages 8–12+.
• Sunrise Over Fallujah (Scholastic, 2008). Ages 13+. Follows a young U.S. soldier's experience during the 2003 invasion of Iraq; sequel to Fallen Angels
• Ida B. Wells: Let the Truth be Told (HarperCollins, 2008). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Bonnie Christensen.
• Amiri & Odette: A Love Story (Scholastic, 2009). Ages 12+. The classic Swan Lake ballet recast in hip-hop verse. Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe.
• Dope Sick (HarperCollins, 2009). Ages 13+. A a teenager kills a policeman, and must contemplate his future.
• Riot (Egmont USA, 2009). Ages 12+. A fictional account of the New York Draft Riots in 1863, during the American Civil War, by the 15-year-old daughter of a black man and an Irish immigrant.
• Looking Like Me (Egmont USA, 2009). Ages 5–8. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers.
• Muhammad Ali: The People's Champion (HarperCollins, 2009). Ages 5–8. Illustrated by Alix Delinois.
• "Midnight Bus to Georgia" in This Family is Driving Me Crazy: Ten Stories about Surviving Your Family edited by M. Jerry Weiss and Helen S. Weiss (2009)
• Lockdown (HarperCollins, 2010). Ages 13+.
• The Cruisers (Scholastic, 2010). Ages 10–14. The News Crew Series.
• Kick (HarperCollins, 2011). Ages 13+. Co-authored with Ross Workman
• Looking for the Easy Life (HarperCollins, 2011). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Lee Harper.
• We Are America: A Tribute from the Heart (HarperCollins, 2011). Ages 6–10. Written with son Christopher Myers.
• Carmen (Egmont USA, 2011). Ages 12+. An urban, modern retelling of an opera.
• The Cruisers Book 2: Checkmate (Scholastic, 2011). Ages 10–14. The News Crew Series.
• "Pirate" in Thriller(Harper Collins, 2011). Ages 8–12. Edited by Jon Scieszka. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. Guys Read Library of Great Reading Series.
• "Mr. Linden's Library" in The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2011).
• "Cage Run" in Pick-Up Game: A Full Day of Full Court edited by Mark Aronson and Charles R. Smith Jr. (Candlewick Press, 2011)
• All the Right Stuff (HarperCollins, 2012). Ages 13+. A basketball-loving teenager finds summer work at a soup kitchen, where he interacts with someone who changes how he thinks about life
• Just Write: Here's How! (HarperCollins, 2012) Ages 13+.
• The Cruisers Book 3: A Star is Born (2012). Ages 10–14. The News Crew Series.
• Forward to A Poem as Big as New York City: Little Kids Write About the Big Apple (2012)
• Introduction to A Time to Break Silence: The Essential Works of Martin Luther King, Jr., for Students (2013)
• Tags (HarperCollins, 2013). Ages 13+. Short E-story, in play form.
• The Get Over (HarperTeen Impulse, 2013). Short story, prequel to Monster.
• Darius & Twig (HarperCollins, 2013). Ages 13+.
• The Cruisers Book 4: Oh, Snap! (Scholastic, 2013). Ages 10–14. The News Crew Series.
• Invasion (Scholastic, 2013). Ages 12+. World War II.
• On A Clear Day (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2014). Ages 12+. Futuristic novel about young heroes.
• Juba! (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2015). Ages 12+. A fictionalized history of William Henry Lane, a.k.a. Master Juba, a dancer who lived in the mid 1800s in New York City and London.
• "Roach" in Taking Aim: Power and Pain, Teens and Guns edited by Michael Cart (HarperTeen, 2015)
• Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History (HarperCollins, 2017). Illustrated by Floyd Cooper.
• "Sometimes a Dream Needs a Push" in Flying Lessons and Other Stories, edited by Ellen Oh. (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2017). Ages 8–12.

^[19]

Books by target age

• I've Seen the Promised Land: the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (HarperCollins, 2004). Ages 2–8. Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins.
• Turning Points: When Everything Changes (Troll Communications, 1996). Ages 4–6. With Mireille Eckstein and Judith Viorst. Part of the Troll Target Series.
• Where Does a Day Go? (Parents Magazine Press, 1969). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Leo Carty
• The Dragon Takes a Wife(Bobbs-Merrill, 1972). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Ann Grifalconi.
  • Republished, The Dragon Takes a Wife (Scholastic, 1995). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Fiona French.
• Mr. Monkey and the Gotcha Bird (Delacorte, 1984). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Leslie Morrill.
• The Story of the Three Kingdoms (HarperCollins, 1995). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Ashley Bryan.
• Glorious Angels: A Celebration of Children (HarperCollins, 1995). Ages 4–8.
  • "The Mother"
  • "The Father"
  • "The Village"
• How Mr. Monkey Saw the Whole World (Doubleday, 1996). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Synthia Saint James.
• The Blues of Flats Brown (Holiday House, 2000). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Nina Laden.
• Ida B. Wells: Let the Truth be Told (HarperCollins, 2008). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Bonnie Christensen.
• Looking for the Easy Life (HarperCollins, 2011). Ages 4–8. Illustrated by Lee Harper.
• The Dancers (Parents Magazine Press, 1972). Ages 5–8. Illustrated by Anne Rockwell.
• Fly, Jimmy, Fly! (Putnam, 1974). Ages 5–8. Illustrated by Moneta Barnett
• Jazz (Holiday House, 2006). Ages 5–8. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers.

Includes:

• • Introduction
  • "Jazz"
  • "Louie, Louie, how you play so sweet"
  • "America's Music"
  • "Oh, Miss Kitty"
  • "Stride"
• Looking Like Me (Egmont USA, 2009). Ages 5–8. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers.
• Muhammad Ali: The People's Champion (HarperCollins, 2009). Ages 5–8. Illustrated by Alix Delinois.
• The Golden Serpent (Viking, 1980). Ages 6–9. Illustrated by Alice Provensen and Martin Provensen.
• We Are America: A Tribute from the Heart (HarperCollins, 2011). Ages 6–10. Written with son Christopher Myers.
• Blues Journey (Holiday House, 2003). Ages 6–11. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers.
• Sniffy Blue: Ace Crime Detective Case of the Missing Ruby and Other Stories (Scholastic, 1996). Ages 7–10. Illustrated by David J. Sims.
• Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff (Viking Press, 1975). Ages 8–12.
• The Young Landlords (Viking, 1979). Ages 8–12. A group of kids take over an apartment building and struggle to maintain it.
• The Nicholas Factor (Viking, 1983). Ages 8–12.
• Tales of a Dead King (William Morrow and Company, 1983). Ages 8–12.
• Adventures in Granada (Viking 1985). Ages 8–12. Arrow Series.
• The Hidden Shrine (Viking, 1985). Ages 8–12. Arrow Series.
• Duel in the Desert (Viking, 1986). Ages 8–12. Arrow Series.
• Scorpions (Harper & Ross, 1988). Ages 8–12. A 12-year-old is asked to lead his brother's gang.
  • Included in Newbery Award Library IV (HarperCollins 1998)
• Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid (Delacorte, 1988). Ages 8–12. Two recently adopted children help their friend try to get adopted, and try to help their baseball team win.
• Mop, Moondance, and the Nagasaki Knights (Delacorte, 1992). Ages 8–12.
• Young Martin's Promise (Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993). Ages 8–12.
• A Place Called Heartbreak: A story of Vietnam (Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993). Ages 8–12.
• Brown Angels: An Album of Pictures and Verse (HarperCollins, 1993). Ages 8–12.
  • Including:
  • Introduction
  • "Friendship"
  • "Blossoms"
  • "Prayer"
• Darnell Rock Reporting (Delacorte Press, 1994). Ages 8–12. A 13-year-old boy joins the school newspaper.
• Shadow of the Red Moon (1995). (Scholastic, 1995). Ages 8–12. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers.
• One More River to Cross: An African American Photograph Album (Harcourt Brace, 1996). Ages 8–12.
• Toussaint L'ouverture: The Fight for Haiti's Freedom. (Simon & Schuster, 1996). Ages 8–12. Illustrated by Jacob Lawrence.
• Harlem (Scholastic, 1997). Ages 8–12. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers
• Amistad: A Long Road to Freedom (Dutton, 1997). Ages 8–12.
• Angel to Angel: A Mother's Gift of Love (HarperCollins, 1998). Ages 8–12.
• At Her Majesty's Request: An African Princess in Victoria England (Scholastic, 1999). Ages 8–12.
  • Also known as An African Princess: From African Orphan to Queen Victoria's Favorite
• The Journal of Joshua Loper: A Black Cowboy, the Chisholm Trail, 1871. (Scholastic, 1999). Ages 8–12. Part of the My Name is America series.
• Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly (HarperCollins, 2000). Ages 8–12. Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins.
• Down to the Last Out: The Journal of Biddy Owens: The Negro Leagues, 1948 (Scholastic, 2001). Ages 8–12. Part of the My Name is America series.
  • Included in the Dear America: The Seasons of Bravery Collection: Box Set
• Patrol: An American Soldier in Vietnam (HarperCollins, 2012). Ages 8–12. Illustrated by Ann Grafalconi.
• Three Swords for Granada (Holiday House, 2002). Ages 8–12. Illustrated by John Speirs.
• Antarctica: Journeys to the South Pole (Scholastic, 2004). Ages 8–12.
• Harlem Hellfighters: When Pride Met Courage (HarperCollins, 2006). Ages 8–12. With Bill Miles
• "Pirate" in Thriller(Harper Collins, 2011). Ages 8–12. Edited by Jon Scieszka. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. Guys Read Library of Great Reading Series.
• "Sometimes a Dream Needs a Push" in Flying Lessons and Other Stories, edited by Ellen Oh. (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2017). Ages 8–12.
• Game (HarperCollins, 2008). Ages 8–12+.
• The Black Pearl and the Ghost; or, One Mystery after Another (Viking, 1980). Ages 9–11. Illustrated by Robert Quackenbush. Mindless Behavior.
• Harlem Summer (Scholastic, 2007). Ages 9–14.
• Handbook for Boys: A Novel (HarperCollins, 2002). Ages 10+. Illustrated by Matthew Bandsuch.
• USS Constellation: Pride of the American Navy (Holiday House, 2004). Ages 10–13.
• Mojo and the Russians (Viking, 1977). Ages 10–14.
• Won't Know Till I Get There (Viking, 1982). Ages 10–14. A 14-year-old boy, his newly adopted brother, and his friends are forced to work in a retirement home
• Ambush in the Amazon (Viking, 1986). Ages 10–14. Arrow Series.
• The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner (HarperCollins, 1992). Ages 10–14. A 12-year-old boy goes after a man that murdered his uncle.
• We Were Heroes: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins, a World War II Soldier, Normandy, France, 1944 (Scholastic, 1999). Ages 10–14. Part of the My Name is America series. Featuring the invasion of Normandy.
  • Included in Dear America: The Nation at War: They World War II Collection: Box Set
• The Dream Bearer (HarperCollins, 2003). Ages 10–14.
• The Cruisers (Scholastic, 2010). Ages 10–14. The News Crew Series.
• The Cruisers Book 2: Checkmate (Scholastic, 2011). Ages 10–14. The News Crew Series.
• The Cruisers Book 3: A Star is Born (2012). Ages 10–14. The News Crew Series.
• The Cruisers Book 4: Oh, Snap! (Scholastic, 2013). Ages 10–14. The News Crew Series.
• Social Welfare (Franklin Watts, 1976). Ages 12+
• Brainstorm (Franklin Watts, 1977). Ages 12+. Illustrated with photographs by Chuck Freedman.
• Victory for Jamie (Scholastic Books, 1977). Ages 12+.
• It Ain't All for Nothin' (Viking, 1978). Ages 12+.
• Hoops (Delacorte Press, 1981). Ages 12+. A promising basketball player tries not to end up like his former pro-playing coach.
• The Legend of Tarik (Viking, 1981). Ages 12+.
• Motown and Didi: A Love Story (Viking, 1984). Ages 12+. A young couple's romance, and their struggle living in Harlem.
• The Outside Shot (Delacorte, 1984). Ages 12+. A talented Harlem basketball player goes to college to play
• Crystal (Viking, 1987). Ages 12+. Centers on a girl attempting to navigate as a young fashion model.
• The Mouse Rap (HarperCollins, 1990). Ages 12+. a 14-year-old is determined to find the loot from a 1930s bank heist.
• Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary (Scholastic, 1993). Ages 12+.
• Slam! (Scholastic, 1998). Ages 12+. A young black teen with an attitude problem deals with life on and off the basketball court
• The Greatest: The Life of Muhammad Ali (Scholastic, 2000). Ages 12+.
• Bad Boy: A Memoir (HarperCollins, 2001). Ages 12+. Myers' life as a young boy growing up in 1940s Harlem.
• A Time to Love: Stories from the Old Testament. (Scholastic, 2003). Ages 12+. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers.
  • "Preface" by Chaplain, Captain, Michael Dean Myers
  • "Introduction" by Walter Dean Myers
  • "Samson and Delilah"
  • "Reuben and Joseph"
  • "Ruth and Naomi"
  • "Abraham and Isaac"
  • "Zillah and Lot"
  • "Aser and Camiel"
  • "Artist's Note" by Christopher Myers
• Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices (Holiday House, 2004). Age 12+.
• Amiri & Odette: A Love Story (Scholastic, 2009). Ages 12+. The classic Swan Lake ballet recast in hip-hop verse. Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe.
• Riot (Egmont USA, 2009). Ages 12+. A fictional account of the New York Draft Riots in 1863, during the American Civil War, by the 15-year-old daughter of a black man and an Irish immigrant.
• Carmen (Egmont USA, 2011). Ages 12+. An urban, modern retelling of an opera.
• Invasion (Scholastic, 2013). Ages 12+. World War II.
• On A Clear Day (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2014). Ages 12+. Futuristic novel about young heroes.
• Juba! (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2015). Ages 12+. A fictionalized history of William Henry Lane, a.k.a. Master Juba, a dancer who lived in the mid 1800s in New York City and London.
• Sweet Illusions (New York Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 1986). Ages 13+. A story about teenage pregnancy in which readers write their own endings.
• Fallen Angels (Scholastic, 1988). Ages 13+. About young men in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.
  • Republished in Fallen Angels and Related Readings Literature Connections (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996). With Tim O'Brien and E.E. Cummings.
• Somewhere in the Darkness (Scholastic, 1992). Ages 13+
• The Glory Field (Scholastic, 1994). Ages 13+. A family's account of their struggle in America from the 18th century to the 1990s.
• Monster (HarperCollins, 1999). Ages 13+. A 16-year-old black boy is charged with murder.
  • Republished Monster: A Graphic Novel (Amistad, 2015). Adapted by Guy Sims and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile.
• 145th Street: Short Stories (Delacorte, 2000). Ages 13+.
  • "Big Joe's Funeral"
  • "The Baddest Dog in Harlem"
  • "Fighter"
  • "Angela's Eyes"
  • "The Streak"
  • "Monkeyman"
  • "Kitty and Mack: A Love Story"
  • "A Christmas Story"
  • "A Story in Three Parts"
  • "Block Party-145th Street Style"
• Somewhere in the Darkness (2003). Ages 13+ A young boy travels to Arkansas with a father who did not raise him.
• The Beast (Scholastic, 2003). Ages 13+. A 17-year-old boy comes back to his home in Harlem from his boarding school to find that the girl he loves is using drugs
• Shooter (HarperCollins, 2004). Ages 13+. Two friends of a school shooter give an account of him to the police.
• Autobiography of My Dead Brother (HarperCollins, 2005). Ages 13+. Illustrated by son Christopher Myers. A 14-year-old boy copes with life in Harlem by drawing
• Street Love (HarperCollins, 2006). Ages 13+. Poetic novel of a romance in Harlem
• Sunrise Over Fallujah (Scholastic, 2008). Ages 13+. Follows a young U.S. soldier's experience during the 2003 invasion of Iraq; sequel to Fallen Angels
• Dope Sick (HarperCollins, 2009). Ages 13+. A a teenager kills a policeman, and must contemplate his future.
• Lockdown (HarperCollins, 2010). Ages 13+.
• Kick (HarperCollins, 2011). Ages 13+. Co-authored with Ross Workman
• All the Right Stuff (HarperCollins, 2012). Ages 13+. A basketball-loving teenager finds summer work at a soup kitchen, where he interacts with someone who changes how he thinks about life
• Just Write: Here's How! (HarperCollins, 2012) Ages 13+.
• Darius & Twig (HarperCollins, 2013). Ages 13+.
• Tags (HarperCollins, 2013). Ages 13+. Short E-story, in play form.
• What They Found: Love on 145th Street (Random House, 2007) Ages 14–17.
  • "the fashion show, grand opening, and bar-b-que memorial service"
  • "what would jesus do"
  • "mama"
  • "the life you need to have"
  • "bum"
  • "some men are just funny that way"
  • "jump at the sun"
  • "law and order"
  • "the man thing"
  • "society for the preservation of sorry-butt negroes"
  • "madonna"
  • "the real deal"
  • "marisol and skeeter"
  • "poets and plumbers"
  • "combat zone"
• The Life of a Harlem Man. (Parents Magazine Press, 1968). Illustrated by Gene Riarti.
• The World of Work: A Guide to Choosing a Career (Bobbs-Merrill, 1975).
• Now Is Your Time! The African-American Struggle for Freedom (HarperCollins, 1991).
• Sort of Sisters (Delacorte, 1993). Writing as Stacie Johnson.
• The Party (Delacorte, 1993). Writing as Stacie Johnson.
• The Prince (Delacorte, 1993). Writing as Stacie Johnson.
• Contributor to Soul Looks Back in Wonder edited by Tom Feelings (1993)
• "Things that go Gleep in the Night" in Don't Give Up the Ghost: The Delacorte Book of Original Ghost Stories edited by David Gale (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 1993)
• "Migration" in The Great Migration: An American Story by Jacob Lawrence (1993).
• "Reverend Abbott and those Bloodshot Eyes" in When I was Your Age: Original Stories About Growing Up edited by Amy Ehrlich (Candlewick Press 1996)
• "Stranger" in No Easy Answers edited by Donald R. Gallo (1997)
• "Sunrise Over Manuas" in From One Experience to Another: Award-Winning Authors Sharing Real-Life Experiences Through Fiction edited by M. Jerry Weiss and Helen S. Weiss (1997)
• "The Escape" in Trapped! Cages of Body and Mind edited by Lois Duncan (1998)
• "The Beast is in the Labyrinth" in Places I Never Meant to Be: Original Stories by Censored Writers (1999) edited by Judy Blume
• "Introduction" to Dracula (Scholastic, 2000).
• "Block Party - 145th Street Style" in Big City Cool: Short Stories about Urban Youth edited by M. Jerry Weiss and Helen S. Weiss (2002)
• "The Prom Prize" in Every Man for Himself: Ten Short Stories about Being a Guy edited by Nancy E. Mercado. (2005).
• "Midnight Bus to Georgia" in This Family is Driving Me Crazy: Ten Stories about Surviving Your Family edited by M. Jerry Weiss and Helen S. Weiss (2009)
• "Mr. Linden's Library" in The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2011).
• "Cage Run" in Pick-Up Game: A Full Day of Full Court edited by Mark Aronson and Charles R. Smith Jr. (Candlewick Press, 2011)
• Forward to A Poem as Big as New York City: Little Kids Write About the Big Apple (2012)
• Introduction to A Time to Break Silence: The Essential Works of Martin Luther King, Jr., for Students (2013)
• The Get Over (HarperTeen Impulse, 2013). Short story, prequel to Monster.
• "Roach" in Taking Aim: Power and Pain, Teens and Guns edited by Michael Cart (HarperTeen, 2015)
• Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History (HarperCollins, 2017). Illustrated by Floyd Cooper.

Selected works about Myers

• Presenting Walter Dean Myers by Rudine Sims Bishop (Twayne Publishers, 1990), as part of the Twayne's United States Authors Series
• Walter Dean Myers by Diane Patrick-Wexler (Steck-Vaughn, 2000), as part of the Contemporary African Americans Series
• Walter Dean Myers by Karen Burshtein (Rosen Publishing Group, 2003), as part of the Library of Author Biographies Series
• Walter Dean Myers: A Literary Companion by Mary Ellen Snodgrass (McFarland & Company, 2006), as part of the McFarland Literary Companion Series
• Walter Dean Myers by Amy Sickels (Chelsea House Publications, 2007), as part of the Who Wrote That? Series
• Walter Dean Myers by Myrna Dee Marler (Greenwood Press, 2007), originally Walter Dean Myers: A Student Companion
• Walter Dean Myers by Susan Harkins (Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2007), as part of the Classic Storytellers Series
• Walter Dean Myers by Elizabeth Hoover (Lucent Books, 2012), as part of the People in the News Series
• Walter Dean Myers by Richard Andersen (Cavendish Square Publishing, 2013), as part of the Spotlight on Children's Authors Series
• Walter Dean Myers by Jill C. Wheeler (ABDO, 2014)

References

External links

• Official website
• Walter Dean Myers at Library of Congress Authorities, with 132 catalog records
• Walter Dean Myers at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Walter Dean Myers.

• Walter Dean Myers at Houghton Mifflin Reading
• Walter Dean Myers at Scholastic Teachers
• Interview by Public School Insights (print) posted January 31, 2009 – about his book "Dope Sick" and its themes of personal responsibility and redemption
• "Reading is not Optional", keynote address by Myers (audio-video recording) at the 2012 Hudson Children's Book Festival