Sharon M. Draper is the author of more than twenty-two young adult novels and three books of nonfiction. First published in 1994, her writing and work as an educator have been recognized by numerous awards, including the American Library Association’s Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime literary achievement. She is also a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award for her books about the African-American experience. In 1997, Draper was named National Teacher of the Year. Draper travels widely as a public speaker and media guest, offering commentary on education and children’s literature.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1948, Draper now lives in Cincinnati. She and her husband have twelve children, one of whom was born with cerebral palsy, the same condition that the character Melody has in Out of My Mind.
Blended (2018) is Sharon M. Draper's novel about an eleven-year-old girl named Isabella. At the start of the novel, Isabella is still reeling from the recent news of her parent's divorce. Because of their divorce, Isabella also has to adjust to a...
Copper Sun is a young adult fictional book written by Sharon Draper and was first published on 2006 by Atheneum Books. The book focuses on transatlantic slavery, and was inspired from Draper’s visit to Ghana where she first-hand witnessed the...
Out of My Heart is a middle-grade novel written by New York Times bestselling author Sharon Draper. It was published on November 9, 2021, by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. It is the sequel to Draper’s 2010 novel Out of My Mind continuing the story...
Published in 2010, Sharon M. Draper’s novel Out of My Mind stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for two years. Written from the perspective of Melody Brooks, an eleven-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, Out of My Mind gives a window onto...
