Deborah Wiles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Deborah Wiles
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| Born | May 5, 1953 Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
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| Occupation | Writer |
Deborah Wiles (born May 5, 1953) is an American author who writes books for children. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, in the United States. Many of her stories are about home, family, and community. She often writes about important historical events, like the Civil Rights Movement or the Cuban Missile Crisis. Deborah Wiles also explores how kids react to these big events. She says she uses her own childhood memories to create her stories.
Her book Each Little Bird That Sings was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2005. Another book, Revolution, was also a National Book Award finalist in 2014. Wiles has won other awards too, like the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award.
Contents
About Deborah Wiles
Deborah Wiles was born in Mobile, Alabama. Her father, Thomas Edwards, was an Air Force pilot. Her mother's name is Marie Kilgore. Today, Deborah Wiles lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She has four children and is married to Jim Pearce, who is a jazz musician. She earned a special degree in writing from Vermont College in 2003.
Deborah Wiles' Books
Deborah Wiles writes many different kinds of books. She has written picture books for younger children and longer novels for middle schoolers. Her stories often teach readers about history and important life lessons.
Picture Books
Freedom Summer
In 2001, Wiles published a picture book called Freedom Summer. This book is based on her own memories of growing up in Mississippi. It takes place in 1964, when the Civil Rights Act was passed. This law made it illegal to treat people differently because of their race.
The story is about two best friends, one Black and one white. They want to swim together at the town pool. But when the pool opens to "everybody under the sun," they find it has been filled with tar. This means they cannot swim there. The boys then make a choice that makes their friendship even stronger. Freedom Summer won several awards, including the Simon Wiesenthal Once Upon A World Award.
One Wide Sky
Another picture book, One Wide Sky, came out in 2003. It is a rhyming book that celebrates nature and family. It was chosen by the Children's Book of the Month Club. Jim Pearce, Deborah Wiles' husband, wrote music to go along with this book.
The Aurora County Trilogy
The Aurora County Trilogy is a series of three novels. These stories take place in a made-up place called Aurora County, Mississippi. This fictional county is based on Jasper County, Mississippi, where Wiles spent parts of her childhood summers. Her father grew up in Louin, Mississippi. Her grandmother and great-grandmother lived there for most of their lives. Louin becomes the town of Halleluia in some of her books.
Love, Ruby Lavender
The first book in the trilogy, Love, Ruby Lavender, was published in 2001. It is about a nine-year-old girl named Ruby. She lives in Halleluia, Mississippi. Ruby's grandmother, who is also her best friend, goes on vacation to Hawaii. This leaves Ruby to deal with Melba Jane, a girl who has been bothering her. Ruby and her grandmother write many letters to each other. These letters tell the story of Ruby's summer. This novel received many honors, including being an ALA Notable Children's Book.
Each Little Bird That Sings
Each Little Bird That Sings came out in 2005. It is about a girl named Comfort Snowberger. Her family lives above and runs a funeral home in Snapfinger, Mississippi. Comfort is very familiar with funerals. She even writes obituaries for the newspaper.
When her Great-great-Aunt Florentine dies, Comfort feels sad. She just wants to hide with her dog, Dismay. But she has to go to the funeral, which is very important. Her annoying cousin Peach also has to come along. On top of that, her best friend Declaration starts acting mean. Comfort learns that life has many surprises. The biggest surprise is learning how to handle them. Her Uncle Edisto tells her, "Open your arms to life! Let it strut into your heart, in all its messy glory!" This book was a National Book Award Finalist.
The Aurora County All-Stars
The Aurora County All-Stars finishes the Aurora County trilogy. It is about a young baseball pitcher named House Jackson. His hero is the famous pitcher Sandy Koufax. House's team, the Aurora County All-Stars, plays only one game each year. It's always on July 4th against the Raleigh Redbugs. Last year, House broke his pitching elbow, and his team lost. This year, he is determined to win.
July 4th is also the town's 200th anniversary. The town is holding a pageant, and all the kids, including the baseball players, have to be in it. The pageant director is 14-year-old Frances Shotz. She is the same girl who accidentally broke House's elbow. This book shows what it means to be strong, to build a community, and to make sacrifices for a friend.
A Long Line of Cakes
A fourth book, A Long Line of Cakes, was published in September 2018. It is a companion story to the first three Aurora County books.
The Sixties Trilogy
The Sixties Trilogy is a series of three novels for young readers. They are about the 1960s. These books are special because they are "documentary novels." This means they include real historical items as part of the story. These items can be photos, song lyrics, old advertisements, or newspaper articles. Book one takes place in 1962, book two in 1964, and book three in 1969.
Countdown
The first book, Countdown, was published in 2010. It is set in October 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This was a time when the world came very close to a nuclear war. The story follows eleven-year-old Franny Chapman. She wants to be noticed and feel like she belongs.
Franny's life includes her strict mother, her Air Force pilot father, and a new boy next door. Her best friend is changing, and her little brother wants to be an astronaut. Her older sister has secrets. Her uncle is still affected by World War I. All of this happens during the thirteen scary days of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Countdown received many awards and positive reviews.
Revolution
Revolution is the second book in the trilogy, published in 2014. It tells a story from the 1960s about the Civil Rights Movement. The story is seen through the eyes of 12-year-old Sunny Fairchild. She lives in Greenwood, Mississippi, during Freedom Summer in 1964. A character from Countdown, Jo Ellen Chapman, also appears in Revolution. She works to help with civil rights in Greenwood.
Revolution was a 2014 National Book Award Finalist. It also won the Golden Kite Award and was an honor book for the Jane Addams Peace Award.
Anthem
The third book, Anthem, is set in 1969. It completes The Sixties Trilogy.
Other Works
Deborah Wiles has also written other books. These include Night Walk to the Sea: A Story about Rachel Carson, Earth’s Protector. She also wrote Bobby - A Story of Robert F. Kennedy.
