Richard Peck

Richard Peck is an award winning young adult novelist that is famously a winner of the Newberry Medal. He was born in Decatur, Illinois, which he believed was the epitome of Middle America. As a child, he was surrounded by elders of all ages as his mother was one of seven siblings while his grandma also had many sisters. Moreover, he got to enjoy the many tales told by his uncles, aunts, grandmother and the many men that gathered at the old gas station ran by his father. From his father, he learned the art form known as nostalgia and this combined with the many experiences growing up in the countryside made for a rich palette to write his stories. In his early childhood and teenage years, he grew up in a house that bordered an expansive park and he spent much of his time exploring the grounds. While he would spend much of his adult life in New York City, the sense of place he got from his childhood years remained as he has gone on to set most of his works in the Midwest. Another important person who helped cultivate his love for storytelling was his mother who read to him from a very young age.