“I get a lot of personal gratification thinking of those people who don’t get any attention in the world and making them really valuable in my fiction — making them absolutely shine with their beauty.” -Cynthia Rylant
About the Author...
Cynthia Rylant was born in Hopewell, Virginia in June of 1954. Her parents divorced when she was very young, and as a result Cynthia was raised by her mother and her grandparents. Cynthia had very little contact with her father, and he passed away when she was only thirteen. In her autobiography, "But I'll Be Back Again", Cynthia describes the loss of her father as part of the reason she was inspired to begin writing.
Cynthia writes about her childhood and the experiences that she had growing up in the mountains of West Virginia and Ohio. Her books often include characters and events that are inspired by people and events in her own life. Cynthia first began writing in college while taking an English class. She had been a comic book and romance novel reader prior to college, but never a writer. At this time, Cynthia was working in the children's section of the public library. The areas that she grew up in did not have public libraries or bookstores, so this was a new experience for Cynthia. Influenced by writer James Agee, Cynthia decided to write her first book, “When I Was Young In the Mountains”, which reflects her own life as a child growing up in West Virginia. Cynthia also loves cats and dogs, therefore she often writes about her own pets in her books. She also enjoys having the characters in her books participate in her own favorite activities.
Cynthia Rylant attended Morris Harvey College and graduated in 1975. After earning her first degree, Cynthia went back to school for a Masters of Art in English degree from Marshall University and a Masters of Library Science degree from Kent State.
Awards and Honors that Cynthia Rylant has received include:
Newbery Honor: A Fine White Dust (1987)
Newbery Medal: Missing May (1993)
Caldecott Honor: When I Was Young in the Mountains (1982), and The Relatives Came (1985)
Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor: The Relatives Came, Missing May, and Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds (1991)
"Best Book of the Year for Young Adults" by the American Library Association: A Kindness (1988), Soda Jerk (1990), and A Couple of Kooks and Other Stories about Love (1990)
Resources:
http://www.cynthiarylant.com
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/cynthia-rylant
http://www.harcourtbooks.com/authorinterviews/bookinterview_Rylant.asp
http://www.wvwc.edu/library/wv_authors/authors/a_rylant.htm
http://www.cynthiarylant.com
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/cynthia-rylant
http://www.harcourtbooks.com/authorinterviews/bookinterview_Rylant.asp
http://www.wvwc.edu/library/wv_authors/authors/a_rylant.htm