Candy Dawson Boyd facts for kids

Candy Dawson Boyd (born August 8, 1946) is an American writer, activist, and educator. She has written more than six books for young people. Her books often focus on the lives of African-American youth.

Early Life and Education

Candy Dawson Boyd was born in 1946 in Chicago, Illinois. Her birth name was Marguerite Cecille Dawson. Her parents were Mary Ruth Ridley and Julian Dawson. Candy was the oldest of three children. Her parents divorced, and her mother raised her. They lived in South Chicago.

Candy went to schools where Black and white students were kept separate. This was called racial segregation. The library she used was also segregated. The books there were old ones that white schools no longer wanted. She finished high school in 1962.

After high school, she started college at Northeastern Illinois University. She paused her studies to join the Civil Rights Movement. This movement worked for equal rights for all people. She worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967. After graduating, Boyd taught in Chicago.

In 1971, she moved to Berkeley, California. There, she continued her education. She earned her master's degree in 1978. She then received her Ph.D. in 1982. Both of these degrees were from the University of California, Berkeley. Boyd also worked with an organization called Rainbow/PUSH.

Career as a Writer and Educator

While teaching in California, Candy noticed something important. There were not enough good books for children. She decided to start writing her own books. She took writing classes at the Berkeley Public Library.

Later, she began working full-time to train teachers. By 2007, she was a director at Saint Mary's College of California. She led the Reading and Language Arts program there. Candy Dawson Boyd was the first African-American person to earn a permanent teaching position (called tenure) at Saint Mary's. She is now divorced and lives in Chicago. In 1992, she was named Professor of the Year at St. Mary's College.

Her Books for Young People

Candy Dawson Boyd writes books that are "inspiring, positive, and realistic." Her stories explore many important topics. These include love, friendship, dealing with loss, and how to handle being left out. Her books also teach about being responsible and caring for others. They show how to cope when things don't go as planned.

Many of her books are about African-American young people. She writes to show their lives in a true and positive way. She wants to fight against unfair ideas about Black people. Her experiences in the Civil Rights Movement also influence her stories. Her first book was A Circle of Gold. This book won a special award called the Coretta Scott King Award.

Works

• Breadsticks & Blessing Places. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (1985). ISBN: 0027092909
• Charlie Pippin. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (1987). ISBN: 1442452323
• Chevrolet Saturdays. London: Puffin (1995). ISBN: 0140368590
• Circle of Gold. New York: Scholastic (1984). ISBN: 0590401491
• Daddy, Daddy, Be There. New York: Philomel (1995). ISBN: 0399227458
• A Different Beat. London: Puffin (1996). ISBN: 0140365826
• Fall Secrets. London: Puffin (1994). ISBN: 0140365834
• Forever Friends. London: Puffin (1986). ISBN: 0140320776
• (with Peter Afflerbach, James Beers, Camille Blachowicz, and Deborah Diffily) Scott Foresman Reading: Fantastic Voyage. Glenview: Scott Foresman & Co. (2000). ISBN: 0673596478