“So many organizations have a mentoring arm, but they don't really do it. Their idea of mentoring a kid is giving them general advice. But what they need to do is read with children.”

American writer

Walter Dean Myers was an American writer best known for young adult literature. Born in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and raised in Harlem, New York City, he became one of the most widely read voices in writing for younger readers. Myers wrote more than one hundred books, including picture books and nonfiction. His work was shaped by a difficult childhood, and teachers encouraged him to use writing as a way to express himself. He won the Coretta Scott King Award five times. His 1988 novel Fallen Angels drew attention for its adult language and its realistic view of the Vietnam War.