Mildred D. Taylor facts for kids

Mildred DeLois Taylor (born September 13, 1943) is a famous American writer. She writes books for young people. Her most well-known book is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. This book is part of her popular Logan family series.

Taylor's books often explore important topics. She writes about family and the challenges of racism. These stories are about African Americans living in the Deep South of the United States. Her books are easy for young readers to understand.

She won the 1977 Newbery Medal for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. This is a very important award for children's books. In 2003, she received the first-ever NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature. She also won the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award in 2020. In 2021, she received the Children's Literature Legacy Award.

About Mildred Taylor

Mildred Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1943. Her great-grandfather was a former slave. He was the son of an African-Indian woman and a white landowner. When Mildred was a young child, her family moved. They went to Toledo, Ohio.

She went to public schools in Toledo. Later, she graduated from the University of Toledo in 1965. After college, she spent two years in Ethiopia. She was there with the Peace Corps. This is a program where Americans volunteer to help other countries.

When she came back to the United States, she studied journalism. She earned a master's degree at the University of Colorado. While there, she helped start a Black Studies Program. She was part of the Black Student Alliance. Today, Mildred Taylor lives in Colorado.

Her Books and Stories

Mildred Taylor's books tell the stories of the Logan family. These stories cover many generations. They go from the time of slavery to the Jim Crow era. The Jim Crow era was a time when laws kept Black people separate from white people. These laws also treated Black people unfairly.

Her most famous book is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1976). It won the Newbery Medal in 1977. Many schools across the United States use this book. It helps students learn about history and language arts.

Roll of Thunder is part of a series. Other books in the series include Song of the Trees (1975) and Let the Circle Be Unbroken (1981). She also wrote The Road to Memphis (1992) and The Land (2001). Her books have made a big impact on children's literature. This led to her winning the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature in 2003.

Taylor's stories come from her family's history. Her father, uncles, and aunt told her many stories. These were called oral history. She has said that her books would not exist without her family. She especially thanks her father. She felt like she knew the family members from the past. This was because of the stories she heard.

List of Works

• Song of the Trees, 1975
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, 1976
• Let the Circle Be Unbroken, 1981
• The Gold Cadillac, 1987
• The Friendship, 1987
• Mississippi Bridge, 1990
• The Road to Memphis, 1992
• The Well: David's Story, 1995
• The Land, 2001
• All the Days Past, All the Days to Come, 2020

Awards and Honors

Mildred Taylor has won many important awards for her writing.

Awards for Her Entire Work

• NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature, 2003
• Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, 2020
• Children's Literature Legacy Award, 2021

Awards for Specific Books

• Song of the Trees
  • First prize (African-American category), Council on Interracial Books for Children, 1973
  • Outstanding Book of the Year Citation, The New York Times, 1975
  • Coretta Scott King Honor Award, 1976

• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
  • Notable Book Citation, American Library Association, 1976
  • Coretta Scott King Honor Award, 1977
  • Newbery Medal, 1977

• Let the Circle Be Unbroken
  • Outstanding Book of the Year Citation, The New York Times, 1981
  • American Book Award nomination, 1982
  • Coretta Scott King Award, 1982

• The Friendship
  • Coretta Scott King Award, 1988
  • Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for fiction, 1988

• The Gold Cadillac
  • Notable Book Citation, The New York Times, 1987
  • Christopher Award, 1988

• The Road to Memphis
  • Coretta Scott King Award, 1991

• Mississippi Bridge
  • Christopher Award, 1990

• The Well: David's Story
  • Jane Addams Book Award, Jane Addams Peace Council, 1996

• The Land
  • Coretta Scott King Award, 2002
  • ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2002
  • Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, 2002