o    Each foreword is written by a well-known author and sets the tone for the reader's experience in each book

 
o    Student guide at the end of each book

 
o    Each is original and unabridged
 
DESCRIPTION:

 
Milton Meltzer is one of today's greatest nonfiction authors for children. In his autobiography, he explores his personal evolution as an author, from his early inspirations to his life as a full-time writer. This book also provides a glimpse of important events in U.S. history as experienced by Meltzer himself. Among the stories he shares are his firsthand experiences of growing up during the Depression and serving in World War II.
 
REVIEWS:

 
6/1/05 VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)
Early in the 1960s, after a lifetime of writing-for magazines, the Army post newspaper, political campaigns, company newsletters, and broader audiences with his books-Meltzer began writing for children and has since been a constant contributor of quality books for children and young adults. Born in 1915 to an immigrant family that struggled to make ends meet, Meltzer saw little hope of escaping the poverty of his Worcester, Massachusetts, upbringing. The Depression smashed the dreams of the working poor and the savings of the middle class, and Meltzer despaired of going to college. It was his love of reading and his talent for writing that earned him a place in the local college prep high school and then a scholarship to Columbia University's New College. These opportunities, coupled with a natural gift for observing and understanding people and the human condition, propelled him into a lifetime of writing.

 
In this autobiographical look at his writing process and its influences, Meltzer reminisces about the people he knew, the choices he made, the injustices he tried to right, and the suffering he tried to ease. The result is a book that will appeal to all young people who have enjoyed his prolific gift.