Theodore Taylor (author) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Theodore Taylor
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | Theodore Langhans Taylor June 23, 1921 Statesville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | October 26, 2006 (aged 85) Laguna Beach, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Spouse |
Gweneth Goodwin
(m. 1941; died 1977)Flora Schoenleber
(m. 1981) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Navy |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Theodore Langhans Taylor (June 23, 1921 – October 26, 2006) was an American writer. He wrote over 50 books for young people. Some of his most famous books include The Cay, The Weirdo, and Timothy of the Cay. The Weirdo even won an award called the Edgar Award in 1992 for Best Young Adult Mystery.
Theodore Taylor passed away on October 26, 2006, in Laguna Beach, California.
Contents
Theodore Taylor's Early Life
Theodore Taylor was born in Statesville, North Carolina. He lived there until he was 10 years old. After that, his family moved to Craddock, North Carolina. He left high school when he was 17. Right away, he started working as a writer.
Theodore Taylor's Career
During World War II, Theodore Taylor served in the United States Merchant Marines. He also served in the United States Navy during this time.
Later, Taylor worked as a press agent in the American film industry. This meant he helped promote movies. While doing this, he also wrote his own stories. At first, he wrote books for adults. But after writing The Cay, he started focusing on books for young readers.
Theodore Taylor's Family Life
Theodore Taylor married Gweneth Goodwin in 1946. They had three children together: a daughter named Wendy and two sons named Mark and Michael. They later divorced in 1979. Taylor often said that his children were the main reason he started writing books.
In 1981, he married his second wife, Flora. She was a widow and had three children of her own.
Theodore Taylor's Famous Books
About The Cay
The Cay is one of Taylor's most loved books for young adults. It tells the story of a white boy who is stranded on an island with a Black man. The boy learns to overcome his unfair beliefs about people as he gets to know the man. He learns to admire and respect the man who saved him.
Taylor wrote this book in just three weeks! It has sold about four million copies around the world. He based the boy's character on a friend he knew as a child. This friend had been taught to dislike Black people. In the book, the boy changes his mind as he learns from the Black man. For a short time, The Cay was even banned because some people thought it was racist.
About Timothy of the Cay
In 1993, Taylor wrote a follow-up book to The Cay. He called it Timothy of the Cay. This book shares more about Timothy's life before he met Phillip, the boy from The Cay. It also tells what happened to Phillip after he was rescued.
Other Works by Theodore Taylor
Theodore Taylor wrote another book called The Maldonado Miracle. This book was made into a movie. The movie starred Salma Hayek. He also wrote an adventure story called “Rogue Wave”.
