February ROCRead Black History Month Author Study: Walter Dean Myers
Name: _____________________________________________________________ Period: ____
Title of novel: ______________________________________ Author: Walter Dean Myers
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Walter Dean Myers is the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling
author of more than 80 books for children and young adults. Mr. Myers has received 2 Newbery Honors,
5 Coretta Scott King Awards, and was the recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award
for Lifetime Achievement. In addition, he was the 1994 recipient of the American Library Association’s
Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring an author for a "significant and lasting contribution to young adult
literature." In honor of Black History Month, Walter Dean Myers will be the focus of our author study!
http://www.walterdeanmyers.net
TASK:
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Choose 1 of the books by Walter Dean Myers to read (See choices on back)
Get parent/guardian signature. HW grade due: Friday, 2/7
Start reading right away to ensure you are satisfied with your choice and to stay on track
Work on any related homework (For example, I Notice/I Wonder & Double Journal Entry)
There will be a required ROCRead major assignment (30%) (Coming soon)
Do your fusbest!
PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE: ___________________________________________________
(Sign that you approve of your child’s book choice & you are aware of this major English author study)
Fusco, 2014
February ROCRead Black History Month Author Study: Walter Dean Myers
Name: _____________________________________________________________ Period: ____
Title of novel: ______________________________________ Author: Walter Dean Myers
Books by Walter Dean Myers (Choose 1)
www.amazon.com
All copies of the following books are available at the SOTA library (Get Thursday)
Bad Boy: A Memoir
In a memoir that is gripping, funny, and ultimately unforgettable, Walter Dean Myers
travels back to his roots in the magical world of Harlem during the 1940s and 1950s.
Monster
This book tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial.
Presented as a screenplay of Steve's own imagination, and sprinkled with journal entries,
the book shows how one decision can change a life.
Slam!
Seventeen-year-old Greg "Slam" Harris can do it all on the basketball court. Maybe he'll
make it to the top. Or maybe he'll stumble along the way. Slam's grades aren't that hot.
Slam never doubted himself on the court until he found himself going one-on-one with his
own future, and he didn't have the ball.
The Young Landlords
Five friends become landlords and try to make their Harlem neighborhood a better place.
Copies of the following books available at your local library and/or B&N (Get on your own):
Riot
Myers's use of the screenplay format gives a view of the four hot days in July when NYC
burned, using multiple points of view from both sides of the conflict. Fourteen-year-old
Claire, the daughter of an Irish mother and a black father, has never had to choose between
the two sides of the family - she has never had reason to consider her own identity…
Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices
These fifty-four poems, all in different voices but written by one hand, do sing. They make
a joyful noise as the author honors the people-the nurses, students, soldiers, and ministersof his beloved hometown, Harlem.
February ROCRead Black History Month Author Study: Walter Dean Myers
Name: _____________________________________________________________ Period: ____
Title of novel: ______________________________________ Author: Walter Dean Myers
I Notice/I Wonder Note-Catcher
Directions: As you read book by Walter Dean Myers, fill out the following
chart. In the left hand column, put specific details/textual evidence that you
noticed. In the next column, put things that you have wondered while
reading. Include page #s!
I notice…
I wonder…
Page #
February ROCRead Black History Month Author Study: Walter Dean Myers
Name: _____________________________________________________________ Period: ____
Title of novel: ______________________________________ Author: Walter Dean Myers
Double Journal Entry
Directions: In the chart, write down 5 quotes that stuck out to you while
reading the book by WDM. In the left column, write down a quote that
particularly sticks out to you. In the next column, write down why you felt
it was important and analysis! Include page #s!
Quotation
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Why this quote is important/Analysis
Page #