Sharon Draper was born in August of 1952 in Cleveland Ohio to Victor and Catherine Mills. She was the oldest child, being first born meant that her mother treated her like a princess. Her earliest memories were of her mother singing to her, her mother had a truly beautiful voice. By the time she was three Sharon know hundreds of poems, nursery rhymes, and stories. As soon as Sharon could walk she was already making weekly trips to the library. By the time she started school it was she could read fluently, she doesn't even remember ever learning to read, it just happened. By the time she was in sixth grade she had read almost all the books in her school library. She continued her weekly trips to the library, but she only had a yellow card, for children and teen books. By sixth grade she had finished most of them. One day the librarian handed her a green library card, Sharon had never seen a green card, Adult cards were white, but green, she had never seen green. The librarian told her it was a special permission card, that meant that she could check out books form the whole library, but the librarians would make sure that they weren't to grownup for her. Sharon hugged the librarian and ran off to find new books.
Sharon's high school and college days went through in a blur, the days seemed endless. One of the few things she remembers is that she got straight A’s in everything, except gym, which she got C’s. After high school finished she had to chose from a list many colleges. Sharon says that she probably could have gone to any college she wanted, but she chose Pepperdine College because it was associated with her church and it was far away from her family. She loved her family, but wanted to test her independence. Her first day of college is when she discovered how racist some people are. At her high school no matter what the race all the kids seemed to get along fine. As Sharon started unpacking her bag a tall and blonde white girl came over and asked her if Sharon had the wrong room. There conversation went like this: (from Sharon’s point of view)
She finally said to me, "Perhaps you'll be happier with another roommate."
"No," I told her, pretending I didn't know what she meant, "I'm sure you and I will get along just fine."
Her mother joined in the conversation. "We think you'd be happier in another room, dear."
Now, I've been taught to respect my elders, but I knew where this lady was coming from? So I took a deep breath and told her, "But I was here first. If she wants to move, that's fine with me."
They seemed to think I should be the one to leave, but I had already plotted out the corner bed next to the window, and I had no intention of leaving. "It will be better all around if you just pack up and move out now, dear," her mother insisted.
Sharon felt like she was going to cry. The girls and her parents rushed out of the room to find the administrator of dorms. They returned several minutes later with the administrator of dorms who promised Sharon a nice room with other colored students, she refused. The administrator of dorms promised the other girl the nicest room available. Two days later Sharon got two new roommates, one black and one white, they instantly bonded. She graduated collage when she was 21 years old, she didn't feel ready to teach.
In 1990 Ms. Draper taught 1990, ninth grade at a junior-senior high school, she taught language arts, but she always tied history into her lessons. One day one of her students, Jared challenged her to a short story contest he had found in a magazine. "Here! You think you so bad-why don't YOU write something!" Those were Jared’s exact words he used when he challenged his teacher. Of course Ms. Draper excepted his challenge. Four months after she had mailed her short story to the address in the magazine she received a phone call saying that there were thousands of entries, but hers had come in first. The lady on the phone told her that her story, “One Small Torch,” would be published and they would be sending her a five thousand dollar check. Once the story was printed Ms. Draper was overwhelmed with amount of people asking for her autograph, and how much the local news papers wanted to interview her. Before long fan letters came in the mail, she was touched. She decided that she wanted to read a book. Her first book that was published was “Tears of a Tiger”. She had a slight advantage over other teen and young adult authors because she had been an English teacher for nearly thirty years and knew what teens would and wouldn’t read. She also wrote a book for younger kids called ‘Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs” which became a hit in book stores the same day as “Tears of a Tiger”. “Tears of a Tiger” received many awards including the Coretta Scott King Genesis Award and was selected as an ALA Best Books for Young Adults. If Jared had never challenged her to write that short story she may have never have became an author.
Sharon M. Drapers awards are truly astounding. When I first saw the list of her awards I couldn’t believe how long it was! She has been awarded National Teacher of the year, she was invited to the White House to give a short speech, it went like this:
"Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. Secretary. Honored guests.
I am so very proud to be a teacher!
I am proud of all of the students whose lives have intersected with mine. And because of that moment in time together, all of us are better. For each of them taught me as well and to them I say, I love you all.
I am proud of my colleagues--three million of us--striving to make a difference in the lives of the children.
This apple, which shines with proud intensity for all teachers, represents
And who will walk that path? The children. Imagine a child--any child, every child--hopeful, enthusiastic, curious. In that child sleeps the vision and the wisdom of tomorrow. The touch of a teacher will make the difference."
She has been honored six times at the white house for various awards. Ms. Draper has won the Coretta Scott King Literary Award five times, and is a New York Times best-selling author. She was selected as Ohio's Outstanding High School Language Arts Educator and Ohio Teacher of the Year, along with being chosen as a NCNW Excellence in Teaching Award winner. She has received the Pepperdine University Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Marva Collins Education Excellence Award, and the Governor's Educational Leadership Award. She is a Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award winner, and was the Duncanson Artist in Residence for the Taft Museum. Ms. Draper has a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement, and is the recipient of the Dean's Award from Howard University School of Education, the Pepperdine University Distinguished Alumnus Award. Along with all the other awards she was chosen for the Marva Collins Education Excellence Award, and the Governor's Educational Leadership Award. She was awarded the Ohio Pioneer in Education by the Ohio State Department of Education, and in 2008 she received the Beacon of Light Humanitarian award. In 2009 she received the doctor of laws degree from Pepperdine University. Sharon Draper was one of four authors in the United States to get to speak at the National Book Festival Gala in Washington DC. She was selected to get to speak in Moscow at the Book Festival that is held there. Copper Sun, one of her books has been chosen by the United States State Department and the International Reading Association as the United States novel for the international reading project called Reading Across Continents. Like I said, her awards are truly astounding.
Sharon's high school and college days went through in a blur, the days seemed endless. One of the few things she remembers is that she got straight A’s in everything, except gym, which she got C’s. After high school finished she had to chose from a list many colleges. Sharon says that she probably could have gone to any college she wanted, but she chose Pepperdine College because it was associated with her church and it was far away from her family. She loved her family, but wanted to test her independence. Her first day of college is when she discovered how racist some people are. At her high school no matter what the race all the kids seemed to get along fine. As Sharon started unpacking her bag a tall and blonde white girl came over and asked her if Sharon had the wrong room. There conversation went like this: (from Sharon’s point of view)
She finally said to me, "Perhaps you'll be happier with another roommate."
"No," I told her, pretending I didn't know what she meant, "I'm sure you and I will get along just fine."
Her mother joined in the conversation. "We think you'd be happier in another room, dear."
Now, I've been taught to respect my elders, but I knew where this lady was coming from? So I took a deep breath and told her, "But I was here first. If she wants to move, that's fine with me."
They seemed to think I should be the one to leave, but I had already plotted out the corner bed next to the window, and I had no intention of leaving. "It will be better all around if you just pack up and move out now, dear," her mother insisted.
Sharon felt like she was going to cry. The girls and her parents rushed out of the room to find the administrator of dorms. They returned several minutes later with the administrator of dorms who promised Sharon a nice room with other colored students, she refused. The administrator of dorms promised the other girl the nicest room available. Two days later Sharon got two new roommates, one black and one white, they instantly bonded. She graduated collage when she was 21 years old, she didn't feel ready to teach.
In 1990 Ms. Draper taught 1990, ninth grade at a junior-senior high school, she taught language arts, but she always tied history into her lessons. One day one of her students, Jared challenged her to a short story contest he had found in a magazine. "Here! You think you so bad-why don't YOU write something!" Those were Jared’s exact words he used when he challenged his teacher. Of course Ms. Draper excepted his challenge. Four months after she had mailed her short story to the address in the magazine she received a phone call saying that there were thousands of entries, but hers had come in first. The lady on the phone told her that her story, “One Small Torch,” would be published and they would be sending her a five thousand dollar check. Once the story was printed Ms. Draper was overwhelmed with amount of people asking for her autograph, and how much the local news papers wanted to interview her. Before long fan letters came in the mail, she was touched. She decided that she wanted to read a book. Her first book that was published was “Tears of a Tiger”. She had a slight advantage over other teen and young adult authors because she had been an English teacher for nearly thirty years and knew what teens would and wouldn’t read. She also wrote a book for younger kids called ‘Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs” which became a hit in book stores the same day as “Tears of a Tiger”. “Tears of a Tiger” received many awards including the Coretta Scott King Genesis Award and was selected as an ALA Best Books for Young Adults. If Jared had never challenged her to write that short story she may have never have became an author.
Sharon M. Drapers awards are truly astounding. When I first saw the list of her awards I couldn’t believe how long it was! She has been awarded National Teacher of the year, she was invited to the White House to give a short speech, it went like this:
"Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. Secretary. Honored guests.
I am so very proud to be a teacher!
I am proud of all of the students whose lives have intersected with mine. And because of that moment in time together, all of us are better. For each of them taught me as well and to them I say, I love you all.
I am proud of my colleagues--three million of us--striving to make a difference in the lives of the children.
This apple, which shines with proud intensity for all teachers, represents
- the knowledge of the past,
- the responsibility of the present,
- and the hope of the future.
And who will walk that path? The children. Imagine a child--any child, every child--hopeful, enthusiastic, curious. In that child sleeps the vision and the wisdom of tomorrow. The touch of a teacher will make the difference."
She has been honored six times at the white house for various awards. Ms. Draper has won the Coretta Scott King Literary Award five times, and is a New York Times best-selling author. She was selected as Ohio's Outstanding High School Language Arts Educator and Ohio Teacher of the Year, along with being chosen as a NCNW Excellence in Teaching Award winner. She has received the Pepperdine University Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Marva Collins Education Excellence Award, and the Governor's Educational Leadership Award. She is a Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award winner, and was the Duncanson Artist in Residence for the Taft Museum. Ms. Draper has a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement, and is the recipient of the Dean's Award from Howard University School of Education, the Pepperdine University Distinguished Alumnus Award. Along with all the other awards she was chosen for the Marva Collins Education Excellence Award, and the Governor's Educational Leadership Award. She was awarded the Ohio Pioneer in Education by the Ohio State Department of Education, and in 2008 she received the Beacon of Light Humanitarian award. In 2009 she received the doctor of laws degree from Pepperdine University. Sharon Draper was one of four authors in the United States to get to speak at the National Book Festival Gala in Washington DC. She was selected to get to speak in Moscow at the Book Festival that is held there. Copper Sun, one of her books has been chosen by the United States State Department and the International Reading Association as the United States novel for the international reading project called Reading Across Continents. Like I said, her awards are truly astounding.