If you could acquire any talent, what would it be? I'd love to dance with grace and style, to move as easily as I write.

What is your greatest achievement? I'm still working on that. Every day is a new opportunity to reach another goal.

What’s your greatest flaw? I'm very picky and often impatient.

If you could meet any historical character, who would it be and what would you say to him or her? I'd like to sit down and have a conversation with women like Mary McLeod Bethune and Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman--women who fought for civil rights and women's rights. I like to thank their for their courage and leadership and they them know they made a difference.

I smile often. I like people. I'm friendly.

What’s your best quality? I believe in hope and possibility. I'm a powerfully positive person.

What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing? I'm addicted to several word games on my iphone. I play them for hours, sometimes when I'm supposed to be sleeping, or even writing!

What are your 5 favorite songs? What a wonderful World sung by Louis Armstrong. The Rainbow Connection sung by Kermit the Frog. Sunshine on my Shoulders sung by John Denver. Bumpin by Wes Montgomery. Brown Baby sung by Oscar Brown, Jr. Lots of others.

Who are your favorite authors? Any writer who can make a word sound as sweet as syrup or a brittle as glass. I like Diane McKinney-Whetstone and Alice Hoffman. I like Toni Morrison, but she requires thoughtful concentration. Geraldine Brooks is amazing.

What are your 5 favorite books of all time? Since I've read thousands of books, that's hard to answer. Two from childhood: Caddie Woodlawn by Brink. Behold your Queen by Gladys Malvern. In college I loved The Stand by Stephen King. Best Biography? Wrapped in Rainbows by Valerie Boyd. Best book I've read recently? The Secret Life of Bees by Sure Monk Kidd.

tta Scott

King Honor Book of 2004.

ince then she has penned numerous books gea

red toward children and young adults; Draper is also a poet and nonfiction writer.

classroom

crisscrossing the globe to talk about the importance

of excellence in the

"When I was a little girl, my parents saw me, and my brother and sister, as one of those bright flames of possibility.

Victor and Cath

Cleveland Plain Deale

" I write because I care about young people. I write because I teach."

introduced them to classic literature, art, and music. "She was one of the first teachers," Draper recalled, "who taught me to read analytically, to think critically, and to speak fearlessly."

Draper breezed through high school, taking advanced and honors courses, and graduated a National Merit Scholar. National Merit Scholarships are awarded each year to a handful of students who achieve excellence on the college placement examination, the SAT. With scholarship in hand

. "As a child, I taught my dolls, my dogs, and the kids next door." She singles out

She is a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement, and is the recipient of the Dean's Award from Howard University School of Education, the Pepperdine University Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Marva Collins Education Excellence Award, and the Governor's Educational Leadership Award.

Tears of a Tiger has received numerous awards, including the American Library Association/Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for an outstanding new book, and was also honored as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. It has been recognized as one of the best of the year by the Children's Book Council, the New York City Library, Bank Street College, and the National Council for Social Studies. It was also named as Best of the Best by VOYA and the American Library Association as one of the top 100 books for young adults.