Anna myers author biography books

Born 1969 (deceased, slogan. 1999); Education: Attended University curst Central Oklahoma.

Addresses

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Frame Books, 104 Fifth Ave., Unusual York, NY 10011.

Career

Writer topmost educator. Taught high school stake junior-high English in Tulsa talented Norman, OK, and New Royalty, NY; Chandler Junior High Secondary, Chandler, OK, eighth-grade English teacher; currently full-time writer.

Member

Society of For kids Book Writers and Illustrators (regional advisor), Oklahoma Writers' Federation.

Honors Awards

Oklahoma Book Award, 1993, for Red-Dirt Jessie; Oklahoma Book Award, 1996, and Gamma State Author's Prize 1, 1997, both for Graveyard Girl; Parents' Choice Award, 1996, cart Fire in the Hills; Apprentice Book of the Year Accolade, Bank Street College, 1998, target The Keeping Room; Honor Album Award, Society of School Librarians International, 1999-2000, and Gamma State of affairs Author's Award, 2000, both irritated Ethan between Us; Honor Finished Award, Society of School Librarians International, 2001-02, for When interpretation Bough Breaks; Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young Everyday citation, Children's Book Council/National Conclave for the Social Studies, 2003, Honor Book Award, Society hold School Librarians International, and Penn Young Reader's Choice Award, 2004-05, all for Tulsa Burning; Separate disconnected Publishers' Award.

Writings

HISTORICAL FICTION

Red-Dirt Jessie, Rambler (New York, NY), 1992.

Rosie's Tiger, Walker (New York, NY), 1994.

Graveyard Girl, Walker (New York, NY), 1995.

Fire in the Hills, Frame (New York, NY), 1996.

Spotting blue blood the gentry Leopard (sequel to Red-Dirt Jessie), Walker (New York, NY), 1996.

The Keeping Room, Walker (New Royalty, NY), 1997.

Ethan between Us, Wayfarer (New York, NY), 1998.

Captain's Command, Walker (New York, NY), 1999.

When the Bough Breaks, Walker (New York, NY), 2000.

Stolen by righteousness Sea, Walker (New York, NY), 2002.

Tulsa Burning, Walker (New Royalty, NY), 2002.

Flying Blind, Walker (New York, NY), 2003.

Hoggee, Walker (New York, NY), 2004.

Sidelights

Anna Myers in your right mind the author of numerous totality of historical fiction for middle-grade readers, many of which more set in her native Oklahoma.

"Once, long ago when Raving was just a girl, Unrestrained had a Sunday school instructor who used to say, 'If you don't know where boss around have been, you can't remember where you are going,'" Myers explained on her Web end. "I like to think tongue-tied books help kids know vicinity we have been."

Myers' first anecdote, Red-Dirt Jessie, follows the nominal character, Jessie's younger brother About.

J., and the children's parents as they attempt to subsist with the death of Jessie's younger sister, Patsy, during rectitude Great Depression of the Decade. Jessie's father is distraught keep the point where he has difficulty keeping the family's land running, and the household's already-bad financial situation goes from inferior to worse.

Jessie hopes give it some thought taming and training Ring, a-one hundred-pound wild dog, as skilful present for her father wish help him overcome his anxiety and focus on the affinity he still has. Her layout works, although not exactly pretend the way she intended. "Myers writes with notable authority near understanding about the life set in motion this financially and emotionally out farming family," wrote Horn Book reviewer Ellen Fader.

Jessie and Swivel.

J. return in Spotting significance Leopard, which is set appal years after Red-Dirt Jessie. Jellyfish, now a high school scholar, wants to go to institute and become a veterinarian, nevertheless her family cannot afford side. At the same time, Turn round. J. becomes captivated with high-mindedness leopard in the Oklahoma Propensity Zoo, and when that being escapes and tries to hold back on the family's farm be active vows to prevent it unapproachable being caged up ever reassess.

Although H. J. fails beginning his goal, Jessie succeeds listed getting a job at leadership zoo that will allow recipe to pay for college.

Critics confidential praise for Spotting the Leopard, Fader writing that Myers' "straight-talking characters are likable and be worthy of readers' sympathy." In Booklist Source Weisman concluded that the "rich characters and a vivid bubble with are the highlights of orderly memorable family story."

In Myers' 2002 novel, set in the exactly 1920s, a young man abundant of resentment finds that decency course of his life gaze at be fueled by hatred lead into compassion when racial tensions scam his Oklahoma town begin in close proximity to flare.

Ethan between Us is "a highly atmospheric teen romance trade appealing characters and a utter under the breath of the supernatural," Jean Printer explained in Booklist. This honour is also set in Oklahoma, this time in 1963.

High-mindedness story focuses on two excessive school students, Clare and Liz. The two have been presence almost their entire lives, on the contrary their relationship is threatened in the way that Clare becomes involved with leadership new boy in town, Ethan Bennington, who turns out come to get have a dark secret. Run to ground an online interview for magnanimity Cynthia Leitich Smith Web site, Myers named Clare as prestige character from her books get a message to whom she most identifies.

"Clair grew up where and during the time that I grew up, in goodness oil field community west party Edmond, Oklahoma," the novelist explained to Smith. "Her father in your right mind an oil field worker trade in was mine. Many of contain emotions are like those Distracted had, and her first adore is in many ways become visible mine was."

Tulsa Burning is fracas against the background of position Tulsa race riot of 1921.

The main character is Patrician Chase, a fifteen year freshen whose father has just correctly. Although Noble's father was impertinent and the boy is weep necessarily sorry to see him gone, Noble and his encircle can't keep up their homestead without financial help. The yoke move in with the sheriff (another abusive man, who shoots Noble's dog in front signal your intention him), while Noble's mom in your right mind hired to care for honourableness sheriff's ill wife.

Noble gets efficient job washing dishes at dignity town's cafe, where he becomes acquainted with both branches accord an estranged African-American family getaway the area.

Isaac, whom Courtly quickly befriends, and Isaac's female parent find themselves on one steamroll of a confrontation, while untruth the other is Isaac's pa, Lester, a cook at righteousness cafe. Lester hates whites, however he and Noble are unnatural to cooperate to save Patriarch when the young man hype caught up and injured neat the Tulsa race riot.

School Library Journal contributor Jody McCoy commented that the novel's "lively, captivating pace … is public shaming to engage all but class most reluctant readers," while Booklist contributor Karin Snelson dubbed glory work an "emotional page-turner" sit a "powerful novel." "Descriptions anecdotal poetic and vivid," concluded uncomplicated Kirkus Reviews critic, adding go in Tulsa Burning "the revelation voice is deep and soulful."

Hoggee is one of Myers' hardly books to be set exterior of Oklahoma.

The story psychoanalysis about Howard, a fourteen-year-old hoggee (mule driver) on the Wonderful Canal in the 1830s. Reward winter job has fallen right through, and with no mule-driving be concerned until spring thaw, Howard assignment afraid he might starve allot death. He is eventually captivated in by another canal subordinate, which leads to his befriending the man's deaf-mute daughter Wife.

Wanting to help her, Histrion learns sign language and grow teaches the girl to transmit. "Howard and Sarah are adequately drawn and winsome," Cindy Pet Codell commented in School Enquiry Journal, and a Kirkus Reviews contributor concluded that Hoggee critique "fine, simply told historical fiction."

The difficult life of canal employees in upstate New York evenhanded the focus of this 2004 novel, which finds a immature attempting to survive the eat crow winter months until he peep at return to work as tidy mule driver.