Bill Wallace, Award-winning Children's Book Author, Dies
RSSBy Rocco Staino
Wallace, a former teacher, explained on his website that he wrote the book "to keep my fourth graders quiet after lunch recess. When they listened to the stories and behaved, I kept writing. They also talked me into finding someone to make 'real' books out of the manuscripts." At the time of A Dog Called Kitty's publication, School Library Journal said, it "not only captures the essence of gentle emotion but essentially transports readers to the Oklahoma farm." Wallace had originally titled the book Kitty Kitty but that title was rejected by his publisher, Holiday House. It "reasoned dog lovers wouldn't buy it simply because of the name, while cat owners wouldn't like it since it is about a dog," his sister Kay Wallace recently told the Express Star, near Wallace's home in Chickasah, OK. Wallace went on to write 30 more books, seven of which he Born on August 1, 1947, in Chickasha, where he also attended school, the prolific writer had a difficult time learning to read until a family friend who was a teacher taught him using a book about reptiles. Later, he became a teacher and principal in the Chickasha Public Schools at West Elementary School, now named the Bill Wallace Early Education Center. Wallace is survived by his wife and two daughters, Laurie Whitner and Amanda Moore, and a son, Justin Wallace. A nice tribute to a lovely man! Bill Wallace's books were among the first that I read independently when I
was a kid. They were so engaging and I really loved them. I'm sure that
many other kids, like me, learned to love reading because of Mr. Wallace's
books. What a wonderful legacy. I had the opportunity to hear Bill speak when I was a teacher in Texas. He held a gym full of 3rd through 5th graders in the palm of his hand. He shared his journey from teacher to author, showing a large stack of rejection letters with the kids, to illustrate that persistence pays off. His stories kept the students enraptured for almost an hour. When I would read his books to my classes, they would groan and beg for more whenever I would stop. He was certainly a gifted storyteller, and he will be sorely missed. I had the privilege of spending time with Bill and Carol when they
spoke at our school. They were truly kind, funny people. I am so
sorry to hear of his passing. My students are fortunate to have been
able to hear him speak and to have read his books. * = Required information
February 7, 2012
Award-winning children's book author Bill Wallace, died of lung cancer on January 30; he was 64. He started writing books for kids as a form of classroom management. His first published book, A Dog Called Kitty (Holiday House, 1980), is a story about a boy who must learn to overcome his fear of a puppy.
co-authored with his wife, Carol. A Dog Called Kitty won Oklahoma's Sequoyah Children's Book Award and the Texas Bluebonnet Award in1983 and the 1984 Nebraska Golden Sower Award. His last book is called The Dog Who Thought He Was Santa (2007). Wallace's books received 21 state awards, including Connecticut's 1995 Nutmeg Children's Choice for The Biggest Klutz in Fifth Grade (1992) and Wyoming's Indian Paintbrush Award (2007) for No Dogs Allowed (2005, all Holiday House). In 2000, he was given the Arrell M. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award by the Oklahoma Center for the Book.
Reader Comments (10)
Posted by Terri Street on February 7, 2012 08:29:33PM
Posted by Cody on February 7, 2012 11:18:58PM
Posted by Diane on February 9, 2012 01:33:29PM
Posted by Ruth Thoreson on February 9, 2012 10:22:08PM
