| June Rae Wood | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946 Versailles, Missouri, United States |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Genres | Realistic Fiction |
| Notable work(s) | The Man Who Loved Clowns, Turtle on a Fence Post, When Pigs Fly, About Face, On Her Way: Stories and Poems About Growing Up Girl, and A Share of Freedom. |
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mowrites4kids.drury.edu/authors/wood/ |
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June Rae Wood is an American author. One of her books, The Man Who Loved Clowns, won the Mark Twain Award and William Allen White Award in 1995.
June Rae Wood grew up in Versailles, Missouri, with 7 siblings: 4 brothers and 3 sisters. Her brother, Richard, who had Down's Syndrome was her model for The Man Who Loved Clowns. June's other brothers and sisters had to protect Richard from other people who would be mean to him. Many people would laugh and stare, but Richard thought this was a compliment.
Her brother loved Elvis Presley so much, just like the character Punky in The Man Who Loved Clowns. Richard had a brown cowboy hat which he loved so much. The only things he would watch on television were commercials and cartoons. He would often take the paper off of crayons, break the into two and roll them across the table but he never used the tips. Later in his life, he went to work at a sheltered workshop. He had a great time and made actual friends until he was 35 years old. Richard died at age 36 after years of love and caring family members. Richard also loved fried chicken. When he ate it he took the bone and thew it behind the TV.