Milton Meltzer facts for kids

Milton Meltzer (born May 8, 1915 – died September 19, 2009) was an American historian and author. He was famous for writing many non-fiction books about Jewish, African-American, and American history. Starting in the 1950s, he wrote almost 100 books for children and young adults. Meltzer cared deeply about human rights and spoke out against unfairness through his writing. He also taught at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. In 2001, he won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his amazing work in children's literature. Meltzer passed away in 2009 at the age of 94.

Milton Meltzer's Early Life and Career

Milton Meltzer was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. His parents, Benjamin and Mary Meltzer, were immigrants from Austria-Hungary. Milton was one of three sons, but he was the only one to finish high school. He went on to study at Columbia University from 1932 to 1936. However, he had to leave college before graduating to help his family after his father died.

During the Great Depression, Meltzer worked for the Works Project Administration (WPA). This was a government program that gave jobs to many people who were unemployed. He worked there until 1939. Meltzer strongly believed in human rights. He often said that his books were his way of speaking up against unfairness and dictatorships.

On June 22, 1941, Milton married Hilda "Hildy" Balinky. During World War II, Meltzer served in the United States Army and became a sergeant. After the war, he became a writer for CBS Radio. Later, he took a job with a company called Pfizer. While traveling for Pfizer, Meltzer visited historical places, archives, and museums. He collected nearly 1,000 pictures, which helped him start his career writing history books. He focused on stories about social justice. Even though he didn't finish college, he taught himself history and did a lot of his own research. He had always wanted to be a teacher, but he didn't start writing books until he was 40 years old.

Milton and Hildy Meltzer had two daughters and several grandchildren. Hildy Meltzer passed away in 2008. Milton Meltzer lived in New York City and died there in 2009. Many of his personal writings, notes, and letters are now kept at the University of Oregon Special Collections. They are available for people to read and learn from.

Milton Meltzer's Books and Awards

Milton Meltzer's books often told stories about people fighting for freedom. These included the American Revolution, the movement to end slavery in the 1800s, and the fight against anti-Jewish hatred.

He wrote many biographies, which are books about real people's lives. Some of these were about famous figures like Langston Hughes and Thomas Jefferson. Most of his books were non-fiction (based on facts). However, he also wrote two historical fiction novels: The Underground Man and Tough Times. The Underground Man is about a white abolitionist (someone who wanted to end slavery) who goes to prison for helping enslaved people escape. Tough Times tells the story of a young man growing up during the Great Depression. This book included some of Meltzer's own experiences from that time.

Meltzer also wrote about other interesting topics. These included piracy, ancient Egypt, and early American wars with the Seminole people. He worked with the famous writer Langston Hughes on a book called A Pictorial History of the Negro in America, which came out in 1956. They also worked together on Black Magic: A Pictorial History of the African-American in the Performing Arts.

Milton Meltzer won many awards for his books and for his entire career.

• In 1981, his book All Times, All Peoples: A World History of Slavery was a finalist for the American Book Award.
• His book Never to Forget: The Jews of the Holocaust won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and the National Jewish Book Award in 1976.
• He won the Boston Globe-Horn Award again in 1983 for Jewish Americans: A History in Their own Words, 1650-1950.
• In 2003, he received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award from children's librarians. This award honors authors or illustrators whose books have made a "substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children." The award committee said he was a great example for writers of informational books today. They specifically mentioned four of his works: Brother Can You Spare a Dime?; Ten Queens; All Times, All Peoples; and The Jewish Americans.

Two of Meltzer's most widely available books in libraries are Never to Forget: the Jews of the Holocaust (1976) and Rescue: the story of how gentiles saved Jews in the Holocaust (1988). The book Rescue was written for young readers and was even published in German.

Other Contributions

Besides writing, Meltzer was an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1977 to 1980. He also gave talks at universities in the United States and England. He presented at professional meetings and led workshops for other writers. He even worked on documentary films, such as History of the American Negro and Five.

Milton Meltzer's Books

Milton Meltzer wrote nearly 100 books during his career. Here are some examples of his many works:

Autobiographical Books

• Starting from Home: A Writer's Beginnings (1988)
• Milton Meltzer: Writing Matters (2004)

Non-fiction Books

• A Pictorial History of the Negro in America, with Langston Hughes (1956)
• Mark Twain Himself: A Pictorial Biography (1960)
• In Their Own Words: A History of the American Negro, editor (1964–1967)
• Black Magic: A Pictorial History of the African-American in the Performing Arts, with Langston Hughes (1967)
• Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?: The Great Depression, 1929–1933 (1969)
• Never to Forget: The Jews of the Holocaust (1976)
• The Human Rights Book (1979)
• All Times, All Peoples: A World History of Slavery (1980)
• The Jewish Americans: A History in Their Own Words (1982)
• Rescue: The Story of How Gentiles Saved Jews in the Holocaust (1988)
• Thomas Jefferson: The Revolutionary Aristocrat (1991)
• The Amazing Potato: A Story in Which the Incas, Conquistadors, Marie Antoinette, Thomas Jefferson, Wars, Famines, Immigrants, and French Fries all Play a Part (1992)
• Ten Queens: A Portrait of Women of Power (1998)
• Piracy & Plunder: A Murderous Business (2001)
• There Comes a Time: The Struggle for Civil Rights (2001)
• Hear That Whistle Blow!: How the Railroad Changed the World (2004)

Fiction Books

• The Underground Man (1972)
• Tough Times (2007)