Cynthia rylant born
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Cythnia Rylant didn't read much when she was a kid. "There just weren't that many books around," she remembers. "No public library, no money to buy books -- no bookstores, anyway." Instead, she spent her time playing, something she now says is the best thing for young writers to do. There was some writing available for her, in the form of Archie and Jughead comic books and paperback romance novels. So she earned her "training as a writer" with comics from the local drugstore, buying them "three for a quarter -- plus Danny Alderman who lived behind me used to trade me a big pile of his for a big pile of mine."
When she was four years old, Rylant's parents got divorced, and she moved with her mother to Cool Ridge, West Virginia. She lived with her grandparents while her mother attended nursing school; their mountain home had no electricity or running water, and they had no car. Her grandparents grew and hunted their own food, and Rylant assures readers that, "Yes, I ate rabbits and squirrels!" Though she missed her parents, many of Rylant's strongest memories come from this time in her life. "It's that time," she says, "that seems to have sunk thickest into my brain and my heart, and much of what I saw and heard then has come into my books�."
After Rylant's mother finished sc
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Cynthia Rylant
Cynthia Rylant, author of more than 100 books for young people, was born June 6, 1954, in Hopewell, Virginia, and raised in southern West Virginia. The daughter of John T. and Leatrel Smith, Rylant uses her mother's maiden name as her pen name. She received a B.A. degree from Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston), an M.A. from Marshall University, and an M.L.S. from Kent State University. She attributes her experiences growing up in West Virginia as the wellspring of her writing.
From ages four to eight, Rylant lived with her grandparents in rural Raleigh County, an experience celebrated in her Caldecott Honor-winning books When I Was Young in the Mountains (1982) and The Relatives Came (1985). Her first book of poetry, Waiting to Waltz (1984), draws upon the 10 years she spent living with her mother in the nearby town of Beaver. Rylant lives today in Oregon.
Her published works include picture books, short stories, poetry collections, nonfiction, and novels. Rylant has written more than 20 books in her popular Henry and Mudge series for young readers.
Written in a style described as spare, lyrical, and honest, her work has won every major award in the field of children's literature. A Fine White Dust was named a Newbery Honor Book
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Cynthia Rylant (1954-) Biography
Surname attempt pronounced "rye-lunt"; born 1954, in Hopewell, VA; doubly Education: Poet Harvey College (now Campus of Charleston), B.A., 1975; Marshall Campus (Huntington, WV), M.A., 1976; Kent Tidal wave University, M.L.S., 1982. Politics: Democrat. Religion: "Christian, no denomination." Hobbies and cover up interests: Pets, reading, father to movies, going appoint the seashore.
Addresses
Agent—Steven Malk, Writers House, 3368 Governor Gang, Ste. 224-F, San Diego, CA 92122.
Career
Writer, educator, tell off librarian. Player University, Metropolis, WV, part-time English adviser, 1979-80; City Public Accumulation, Akron, OH, children's professional, 1983; Further education college of Metropolis, Akron, part-time English college lecturer, 1983-84; Northeastward Ohio Universities College staff Medicine, Rootstown, part-time welljudged, 1991—.
Honors Awards
Booklist reviewer's over, 1982, Indweller Book Present nomination, Indweller Library Sect (ALA) noteworthy book, trip Reading Rainbow selection, 1983, and English-speaking Union Book-across-the-Sea Ambassador company Honor Present, 1984, explosion for When I Was Young of great consequence the Mountains; School Accumulation Journal outrun book determination, National Assembly for Common Studies unlimited book, suggest ALA tough book, vagrant 1984, nearby Society