TTLG Author/Illustrator Profiles
Cynthia Rylant
Cynthia Rylant was born on June 6, 1954 in Hopewell, Virginia. Her parents had an unhappy marriage and were divorced when she was four years old. Rylant is her mother's maiden name. She has written about her life in her autobiography, But I'll Be Back Again. Her mother took Cynthia to live with her grandparents in Cool Ridge, West Virginia. It is her grandparents' house she remembers in When I Was Young in the Mountains. She lived with her grandparents until she was eight while her mother went to nursing school. The house had no electricity or running water. Cynthia never traveled far from home since the family had no car. She and her mother then moved to Beaver in southern West Virginia. Her grandparents were proud people and she has never forgotten her grandfather's advice, "Always do the best you can with what you've got."
Living in a poor area of Appalachia, Cynthia had no real idea of what she could do after leaving high school. She decided to go to college and attended what is now the University of Charleston. She later completed a Master's degree in English at Marshall University. After leaving college, she worked as a waitress for awhile until she got a job working in the children's section at the Akron Public Library. Here she was able to read many, many children's books. She became a professional librarian and completed a Master's of Library Science degree at Kent State University in Ohio.
Her first book for children was one of my personal favorites, When I Was Young in the Mountains. The book received the American Book Award in 1982 and was a Caldecott Honor Book. Diane Goode who illustrated the book received a Caldecott Honor Award for her illustrations. She has been writing outstanding books for children and young adults ever since. One of my favorite books is The Relatives Came which was illustrated by Stephen Gammell. Mr. Gammel received a Caldecott Honor Award for his illustrations in 1986.This book reminded me of my own childhood when we slept on the floor when company came.
Cynthia Rylant traces her real interest in writing poetry to a display she saw in college which had poetry written by David Huddle. She loved his poetry, Paper Boy which had strong characters, "People whose lives are hard but are proud of who and what they are." Her own poetry celebrates the lives of those who live with "quiet dignity".
Rylant writes about Appalachia. She writes about the spirit and integrity of family and family life with all its joys and hardships. Her Appalachia; The Voices of Sleeping Birds is especially noteworthy. Her books, with simplicity and grace, touch our hearts about difficult subjects, such as aging (Miss Maggie) and loss of a loved one (Missing May) which received a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award and a Newbery Honor Medal. Erin Gendron, a 7th grader at Orange Grove Middle School in Tucson, in reviewing Missing May, says, "This is a book which will make you realize how you would react with death and what your feelings are with death. This book is a spiritual type of book." Cynthia Rylant has said, "Books alter our hearts." Her books surely do.
Books Written:
- All in a Day
- Annie and Snowball and the Book Bugs Club
- Annie and Snowball and the cozy nest
- Annie and Snowball and the Dress-up Birthday
- Annie and Snowball and the Magical House
- Annie and Snowball and the Pink Surprise
- Annie and Snowball and the prettiest house
- Annie and Snowball and the Shining Star
- Annie and Snowball and the Surprise Day
- Annie and Snowball and the teacup club
- Annie and Snowball and the Wedding Day
- Annie and Snowball and the Wintry Freeze
- Boris
- Brownie and Pearl see the sights
- Brownie and Pearl take a dip
- Christmas in the Country
- Gooseberry Park
- Henry and Mudge and a very merry Christmas
- Henry And Mudge And Annie's Good Move
- Henry And Mudge And Annie's Perfect Pet
- Henry and Mudge and Mrs. Hopper's House
- Henry And Mudge And The Bedtime Thumps
- Henry And Mudge And The Best Day Of All
- Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover
- Henry and Mudge and the Careful Cousin
- Henry and Mudge and the Forever Sea
- Henry and Mudge and the Funny Lunch
- Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas
- Henry and Mudge and the happy cat
- Henry And Mudge And The Long Weekend: Ready-To-Read Level 2 (Paper)
- Henry and Mudge and the Sneaky Crackers
- Henry and Mudge and the snowman plan
- Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night
- Henry and Mudge and the Tall Tree House
- Henry and Mudge and the Tumbling Trip
- Henry and Mudge and the Wild Goose Chase
- Henry and Mudge and the Wild Wind
- Henry And Mudge Get The Cold Shivers
- Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble
- Henry and Mudge in Sparkle Days
- Henry and Mudge in the family trees
- Henry and Mudge in the Green Time
- Henry And Mudge Take The Big Test
- Henry And Mudge under the Yellow Moon
- Henry and Mudge: The First Book
- I had seen Castles: A Novel
- Let's Go Home: The Wonderful Things About a House
- Let's Go Home: The Wonderful Things About a House
- Moonlight: The Halloween cat
- Mr. Putter & Tabby Feed the Fish
- Mr. Putter & Tabby Make a Wish
- Mr. Putter & Tabby Pour the Tea
- Mr. Putter & Tabby See the Stars
- Mr. Putter & Tabby Spin the Yarn
- Mr. Putter & Tabby Write the Book
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Catch the Cold
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Paint the Porch
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Run the Race
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Spill the Beans
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Take the Train
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog
- Poppleton
- Poppleton Forever
- Poppleton Has Fun
- Poppleton in Spring
- Poppleton in Winter
- Poppleton: Poppleton and Friends
- Poppleton: Poppleton Everyday
- Rosetown
- Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story
- Snow
- The Blue Hill Meadows
- The Cobble Street Cousins: A Little Shopping
- The Cobble Street Cousins: In Aunt Lucy's Kitchen
- The Cobble Street Cousins: Special Gifts
- The Cobble Street Cousins: Wedding Flowers
- The Lighthouse Family: The Eagle
- The Lighthouse Family: The Octopus
- The Lighthouse Family: The Turtle
- The Lighthouse Family: The Whale
- The Lighthouse Family:The Storm
- The Relatives Came
- Thimbleberry Stories