Cynthia RylantCynthia Rylant

AuthorAuthor

Cynthia RylantCynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant is Cynthia Rylant is an award winning an award winning children’s and children’s and young adult author young adult author whose work whose work includes picture includes picture books, poetry, books, poetry, short stories, and short stories, and novels. novels.

Virginia NativeVirginia Native

Cynthia Rylant was Cynthia Rylant was born right here in born right here in Virginia, in Virginia, in Hopewell, Virginia, Hopewell, Virginia, to be exact. She to be exact. She was born in 1954 was born in 1954 which makes her which makes her 57 years old. She 57 years old. She lived in Virginia lived in Virginia with her mom and with her mom and her dad when she her dad when she was a little girl.was a little girl.

Moved to West VirginiaMoved to West Virginia

Cynthia Rylant’s Cynthia Rylant’s parents divorced parents divorced when she was four when she was four years old. Her years old. Her mother took her to mother took her to the mountains of the mountains of West Virginia to live West Virginia to live with her with her grandparents until grandparents until she was eight years she was eight years old.old.

Living in the MountainsLiving in the Mountains

Cynthia Rylant Cynthia Rylant remembered the four remembered the four years she lived with her years she lived with her grandparents in the grandparents in the mountains when she mountains when she wrote her first book, wrote her first book, When I Was Young In When I Was Young In the Mountainsthe Mountains. She . She used this experience of used this experience of living with her living with her grandparents as a grandparents as a model for her book.model for her book.

Cynthia RylantCynthia Rylant

In the book, In the book, When I When I Was Young In The Was Young In The Mountains,Mountains, she she tells about life in tells about life in West Virginia’s West Virginia’s Appalachian Appalachian Mountains. This Mountains. This book was named a book was named a Caldecott honor Caldecott honor book, a very book, a very important award important award for a picture book. for a picture book.

Cynthia Rylant SaysCynthia Rylant Says ““Growing up, I loved comic books, cats and Growing up, I loved comic books, cats and

dogs, pajama parties, and the Beatles. I dogs, pajama parties, and the Beatles. I wasn't very creative. I liked to play too wasn't very creative. I liked to play too much, and preferred playing cops and much, and preferred playing cops and robbers on bikes, or tin can alley, or dolls, robbers on bikes, or tin can alley, or dolls, instead of doing something that showed instead of doing something that showed results, like writing a story or drawing a results, like writing a story or drawing a picture. Playing is still the greatest training picture. Playing is still the greatest training you can have, I think, for being a writer. It you can have, I think, for being a writer. It helps you love life, it helps you relax, it helps helps you love life, it helps you relax, it helps you cook up interesting stuff in your head. I you cook up interesting stuff in your head. I loved animals as a child, I put a lot of loved animals as a child, I put a lot of animals in my books today. ”animals in my books today. ”

Henry and Mudge BooksHenry and Mudge Books

Cynthia Rylant is Cynthia Rylant is also the author of also the author of the the Henry and Henry and MudgeMudge series. She series. She says, “The idea for says, “The idea for Henry and Mudge Henry and Mudge came from my own came from my own life.” life.”

More on Henry and MudgeMore on Henry and Mudge

““I once owned a I once owned a 200-pound English 200-pound English mastiff named mastiff named Mudge. My son, Mudge. My son, Nate was seven Nate was seven years old at the years old at the time. The two time. The two together became together became Henry and Mudge Henry and Mudge in my books.” in my books.”

Cynthia Rylant SaysCynthia Rylant Says

““Anyone who’s ever Anyone who’s ever loved a dog knows loved a dog knows what a treasure a good what a treasure a good dog is. You just can’t dog is. You just can’t be unhappy for very be unhappy for very long when you have a long when you have a good dog licking your good dog licking your face, shaking your face, shaking your hand, and drooling all hand, and drooling all over your shoes.” over your shoes.” Check out a Henry and Check out a Henry and Mudge book from the Mudge book from the library!library!

Other Book Series By Cynthia Other Book Series By Cynthia RylantRylant

Mr. Putter and Mr. Putter and TabbyTabby

PoppletonPoppleton

Annie and SnowballAnnie and Snowball

Rise High Private Rise High Private EyesEyes

Cynthia Rylant Loves AnimalsCynthia Rylant Loves Animals ““I loved animals as a child, I loved animals as a child,

I put a lot of animals in my I put a lot of animals in my books today, and I live with books today, and I live with some wonderful animals. some wonderful animals. Martha Jane is my big white Martha Jane is my big white dog, and she loves pizza, dog, and she loves pizza, chasing tennis balls, and chasing tennis balls, and sleeping on the couch. Leia sleeping on the couch. Leia is my little black-and-white is my little black-and-white dog, and she likes running dog, and she likes running in circles. My cat Blueberry in circles. My cat Blueberry likes only one thing: food, likes only one thing: food, and lots of it. My other cat, and lots of it. My other cat, Edward Velvetpaws, likes Edward Velvetpaws, likes chipmunks, but they don't chipmunks, but they don't like him.”like him.”

Some Other Picture Books by Some Other Picture Books by Cynthia RylantCynthia Rylant

The Relatives CameThe Relatives Came

In The Night In The Night CountryCountry

The Old Woman The Old Woman Who named ThingsWho named Things

The Great Gracie The Great Gracie ChaseChase

The Van Gogh CafeThe Van Gogh Cafe

One of Cynthia Rylant’s One of Cynthia Rylant’s chapter books is chapter books is The The Van Gogh Café.Van Gogh Café. Magic Magic things happen at the things happen at the Van Gogh Café, and Van Gogh Café, and Clara is one reason for Clara is one reason for the magic. Clara is ten the magic. Clara is ten and believes that and believes that anything can happen anything can happen like magic muffins and like magic muffins and the possum that chose the possum that chose to hang outside the to hang outside the window of the Van window of the Van Gogh Cafe by its tail. Gogh Cafe by its tail.

Missing MayMissing May

Missing MayMissing May is a is a chapter book for older chapter book for older readers that won the readers that won the Newbery medal in Newbery medal in 1993. 1993. Missing MayMissing May takes place in West takes place in West Virginia and is a sweet Virginia and is a sweet and simple story of and simple story of love, sorrow and loss. love, sorrow and loss. Summer, a twelve Summer, a twelve year old tells the year old tells the story.story.

Every Living ThingEvery Living Thing

Here is a book of Here is a book of twelve short stories twelve short stories about animals and about animals and people. Each story people. Each story captures the captures the moment when an moment when an animal causes a animal causes a human being to human being to see things in a see things in a different way. This different way. This book is a great book is a great read aloud!read aloud!

More About Cynthia RylantMore About Cynthia Rylant

If you want to learn If you want to learn more about the life more about the life of Cynthia Rylant, of Cynthia Rylant, read her read her autobiography, autobiography, But But I’ll Be Back Again.”I’ll Be Back Again.”

Power Point by Mrs. FosterPower Point by Mrs. Foster