Robert Newton Peck facts for kids

Robert Newton Peck (February 17, 1928 – June 23, 2020) was an American author. He wrote many books for children and young adults. His most famous works include A Day No Pigs Would Die, Millie's Boy, and the popular Soup series.

Robert Newton Peck's Early Life

Robert Newton Peck was born on February 17, 1928, in Ticonderoga, New York. His parents, Frank Haven Peck and Lucile Dornburgh, were both from Ticonderoga. Robert had two older half-sisters. When he was about two years old, his parents separated. Robert and his mother then lived with his mother's sister, Caroline.

Peck often wrote about growing up on a farm in Vermont in his books, like A Day No Pigs Would Die. However, his real childhood was a bit different. He mostly grew up in Ticonderoga, New York. His father was not a pig farmer but worked in insurance and real estate.

Education and Military Service

Robert Newton Peck went to school in Ticonderoga, New York. He also attended high school in Glens Falls, New York and Bennington, Vermont, where he graduated in 1945.

After high school, at age 17, Peck joined the U.S. Army in 1945. He served as a private until 1947, including time in Italy. After his military service, Peck worked many different jobs. He worked in sawmills, on farms, and in lumber camps. He also played the piano.

College and Early Career

In 1948, Peck started college at Goddard College in Vermont. The next year, he moved to Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. A football scout encouraged him to apply there because of his height. At Rollins, Peck played sports, acted in plays, played piano, and started writing. He graduated in 1953 with a degree in English.

After college, Peck tried different creative jobs, like writing songs. In 1954, he started working in advertising in New York City. He worked for several companies before leaving advertising in 1974. He then moved to Florida to focus on writing full-time.

Robert Newton Peck's Writing Career

Peck's writing journey began with encouragement from his mentor at Rollins College, Edwin Granberry. He published his first novel, A Day No Pigs Would Die, in 1972. He was 44 years old at the time. He wrote this book while commuting on the train to his job in New York City.

Peck wrote nearly 60 books for children and young adults. He also wrote nonfiction books, songs, and poems. His Soup series was very popular. It had almost 20 books and was even made into a TV special in 1978. In 2005, he published an autobiography called Weeds in Bloom.

Peck also wrote books about how to write. He taught writing workshops and sometimes taught at Rollins College. His novels won many awards. These include the Mark Twain Readers Award for Soup for President. A Day No Pigs Would Die was also named one of the American Library Association's Best Books for Young Adults. This book is his most famous and has been published in over 40 countries.

Personal Life

In 1958, Robert Newton Peck married Dorothy Anne Houston, who was a librarian. They had two children: Christopher, born in 1968, and Anne, born in 1971. Sadly, Christopher passed away in 2011. Fred Rogers, who was a classmate of Peck's at Rollins College, was an usher at their wedding. Robert and Dorothy divorced in 1994. Peck married Sharon "Sam" Michael in 1995.

In 1993, Peck was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx, but he recovered. Robert Newton Peck lived with his wife in Longwood, Florida, and he passed away there in 2020.