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What inspired Walter Dean Myers to write books?

What inspired Walter Dean Myers to write books?

It wasn’t until Myers read the book Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin, which takes place in Harlem and focuses on African American characters, that he was inspired to start writing stories based on his own experiences growing up. Myers lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family.

When was Fallen Angels written?

1988
Fallen Angels is a 1988 young-adult novel written by Walter Dean Myers, about the Vietnam War. It won the 1988 Coretta Scott King Award.

What was the setting of fallen angel?

time and place written 1988; Jersey City, New Jersey.

Why did Walter Dean write fallen angels?

He wrote Fallen Angels , in part, in tribute to his younger brother who was killed in Vietnam. “I though the romantic presentations of war influenced my joining and my presentation of war to my younger siblings, ” Myers said in a recent interview .

Why is fallen angels banned?

The book has been banned for its profanity and graphic depiction of war. Fallen Angels was #11 on the list of top 100 Banned/Challenged books from 2000-2009 and #36 from 1990-1999, according to the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, which cites “Reasons: offensive language, racism, violence.”

Why did Perry join the army in fallen angels?

One of the reasons why Perry enlisted in the army was to help support his younger brother. He does not want his family to worry about him unnecessarily. He does not want to shock his family or worry them. He finds it difficult to communicate directly to his mother.

What is Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers summary?

Fallen Angels is a graphic and poignant story that details the coming-of-age of Richard Perry, a young man from Harlem, during his tenure “in country” in the middle years of the Vietnam War. Interestingly, Perry is not immediately identified as African American.

What was the author’s purpose of writing fallen angels?

The human element of war can fade as time goes on, a trend Walter Dean Myers chose to counteract in his novel on the Vietnam War, Fallen Angels. Hoping to understand the death of his brother, Myers wrote a story about a young soldier and the truth of war.

What happened in the book Monster?

Monster by Walter Dean Myers is a 1999 novel about Steve Harmon, a sixteen-year-old boy on trial for his alleged complicity in a robbery-turned-murder. Steve is accused of participating in a deadly drugstore robbery. While in prison awaiting trial, he decides to document his experience as a screenplay.

Is the book Monster a true story?

Is Monster based on a true story? No. Despite exploring some very relevant themes, the film is not based on one specific case or true story. The book, and the film, introduce us to Steve Harmon, a fictional 17-year-old film student in Harlem whose world changes when he is wrongly charged with murder.

When did Walter Dean Myers write fallen angels?

Walter Dean Myers ‘s novel Fallen Angels was published in 1988. The novel is based on the author’s own experiences as a young American soldier fighting in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War lasted from 1959 to 1973, but the United States had the most boots on the ground in 1967, the year in which Fallen Angels is set.

Who is the author of the book Fallen Angels?

Fallen Angels is listed as number 16 in the American Library Association ‘s list of 100 most frequently challenged books of 1990–2000 due to its use of profanity and realistic depiction of the war. Walter Dean Myers was born in West Virginia in 1937.

Who is Thomas Wayne Myers in Fallen Angels?

Myers took a risk by including profanity and detailed depictions of violence and gore in his young adult novel, but he made those choices to provide the most authentic account of the Vietnam War. He dedicated the novel to his brother, Thomas Wayne “Sonny” Myers, who died in Vietnam on May 7, 1968.

When does fallen angels take place in Vietnam?

The Vietnam War lasted from 1959 to 1973, but the United States had the most boots on the ground in 1967, the year in which Fallen Angels is set. Much of the international community saw the Vietnam War as a Civil War and did not believe that there was a place for non-Vietnamese troops in the conflict.