Walter Dean Myers

You can call me Mouse, 'cause that's my tag I'm into it all, everything's my bag my ace is Styx, he'll always do Add Bev and Sheri, and you got my crew...and a crew it is! For fourteen-year-old Mouse, this summer is anything but boring. His father, who checked out from the family eight years ago, is now trying to make a comeback as a dad. Beverly, a new girl from California, seems to like locking lips with the Mouse--but she seems to like other guys,...

In the second book of the CRUISERS series, Walter Dean Myers explores the world of competitive chess as seen through the eyes of a group of middle school misfits.Sidney Aronofsky is one of the best chess players under age 16. When he's arrested for trying to buy drugs, it comes as a total surprise to those who know him. The expectations of parents, schools, and tutors pressure the young players. Sidney loves and wants to play chess, but dislikes the...

History has made me an African American. It is an Africa that I have come from, and an America that I have helped to create. Since they were first brought as captives to Virginia, the people who would become African Americans have struggled for freedom. Thousands fought for the rights of all Americans during the Revolutionary War, and for their own rights during the Civil War. On the battlefield, through education, and through their creative genius,...

From beloved author Walter Dean Myers, this original 20-page short story serves as a prequel to his award-winning novel Monster, which has been read and loved by millions of readers. Word on the street is that a robbery is about to go down in Harlem, and Steve Harmon is right in the middle of it. Everyone is trying to prove who's the toughest. Steve gets caught up in the talk and wonders about the difference between right and wrong. Should he turn...

After witnessing the annihilation of his people by El Muerte's legions, young Tarik undergoes the training which will enable him to destroy this fierce leader.

The two-time National Book Award finalist discusses his historical novel about the New York City Draft Riots in 1863 with middle graders and teens, ages 12 and up. The event includes a discussion with the audience. Performance playlist: Reading with the Audience by Walter Dean Myers, then conversation between Walter Dean Myers and Madeline Cohen.

A stunning black-and-white graphic novel adaptation of Walter Dean Myers's Michael L. Printz Award winner and New York Times bestseller Monster, adapted by Guy Sims and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. Monster is a multi-award-winning, provocative coming-of-age story about Steve Harmon, a teenager awaiting trial for a murder and robbery. As Steve acclimates to juvenile detention and goes to trial, he envisions how his ordeal would play out on the big...

A history of the African-American struggle for freedom and equality, beginning with the capture of Africans in 1619, continuing through the American Revolution, the Civil War, and into contemporary times.