Eric Walters

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For the Australian journalist, see Eric Walters (newsreader).
Eric Robert Walters (born 1957) is a Canadian author of teenager's literature.[1]

Background

Walters was an elementary school teacher at Vista Heights Public School in Streetsville, Ontario. In 1993, he was teaching a grade 5 class, where many of the students were reluctant readers and writers. To encourage them to become more involved in literature, Walters began writing his first novel, Stand Your Ground, for his class. The novel was set in the school and included features from the community and the names of many of his students. He continued writing and has since written more than seventy novels for young adults.

His novels have garnered more than 100 awards, including being the only three time winner of both the Ontario Library Association Silver Birch and Red Maple Awards – voted by over 100,000 students throughout the province of Ontario. His books have been translated in various languages and published in many countries.

In addition to writing, Walters makes presentations across Canada and around the world, speaking to over 125,000 students each year. He encourages them to become more enthusiastic readers and writers.[2]

Personal life

Eric Walters was born and raised in Toronto and resides in Mississauga, Ontario, with his wife Anita and his dogs Lola and Winnie the Poodle, while his three grown children, Christina, Nick, and Julia, reside there.

Walters often experiences the subjects he plans to write about. In April 2010 he walked 200 kilometres (120 mi) across the Sahara Desert before writing Just Deserts and in the summer, along with his son, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for Between Heaven and Earth.

In addition Walters founded and runs the Creation of Hope,[3] an organization providing care for orphans in the Mbooni district of Kenya. Presently over 400 orphans are being provided with a services which include food, school fees, uniforms, tools, beds, livestock and the construction of two children's residences in the town of Kikima.

Awards

Walters's works have won or been nominated for the following awards:[4]

  • STARS
    • Silver Birch Award, Ontario Library Association, 1997
    • Blue Heron Book Award, Blue Heron Books, 1997
    • Children's Choice Award, Canadian Children's Book Centre (CBC)
  • Trapped in Ice
    • Silver Birch Award, 1997
    • CBC Choice Award, 1997
    • Ruth Schwartz Award nomination, 1997
  • War of the Eagles
    • Ruth Schwartz Award, 1998
    • CBC Choice Award, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age designation, 1998
    • Canadian Library Book of the Year Honor selection, 1998 :)
  • Diamonds in the Rough
    • CBC Choice Award, 1998
    • Red Cedar Award nomination, 1998
  • Caged Eagles
    • CLA Book of the Year shortlist, 2000
    • UNESCO Honor Selection designation, 2003
  • Rebound
    • Red Maple Award, 2002
    • Snow Willow Award, 2002
  • The Bully Boys
    • CBC Choice Award, 2002
    • Red Maple Award finalist, 2002
  • Camp 9

    • Silver Birch Award, 2003
    • Arthur Ellis Award shortlist, 2003
  • Run
    • Torgi Award, 2003

Published Works

Fiction

  • The Rule Of Three (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, January 2014)
  • Just Deserts (Penguin, September 2011)
  • Catboy (Orca, September 2011)
  • End of Days (Doubleday, September 2012)
  • Shaken (Doubleday, January 2011)
  • Flyboy (Penguin, 2010)
  • Home Team (Orca, 2010)
  • Trouble in Paradise (Penguin, 2010)
  • Branded (Orca, 2010)
  • Beverly Hills Maasai (Doubleday, 2010)
  • Wave (Doubleday, 2009)
  • Shell Shocked (Penguin, 2009)
  • United We Stand (Doubleday, 2009)
  • Wounded (Penguin, 2009)
  • Tell Me Why (Doubleday, 2009)
  • Black & White (Penguin, 2009)
  • Special Edward (Orca, 2009)
  • Alexandria of Africa (Doubleday 2008)
  • Splat! (Orca 2008)
  • The Pole (Penguin 2008)
  • Voyageur (Penguin, 2008)
  • When Elephants Fight (Orca, 2008)
  • In A Flash (Orca 2008)
  • The Falls (Penguin 2008)
  • Boot Camp (Orca 2007)
  • Sketches (Penguin 2007)
  • Tiger Trap (Dundurn 2007)
  • Safe as Houses (Doubleday 2007) RED MAPLE WINNER
  • Bifocal (Fitzhenry & Whiteside 2007)
  • House Party (Orca 2007)
  • Shattered (Penguin 2006) WHITE PINE WINNER
  • We All Fall Down (Doubleday 2006) RED MAPLE WINNER
  • Camp X – Fool's Gold (Penguin 2006)
  • Laggan Lard Butts (Orca 2006)
  • Stuffed (Orca 2006)
  • Triple Threat (Orca 2005)
  • Elixir (Penguin 2005)
  • The True Story of Santa Claus (2005)
  • Ricky (Harpercollins)
  • Underdog (Orca)
  • Juice (Orca)
  • Run (Penguin)
  • Death by Exposure (Dundurn)
  • I've Got An Idea (Harpercollins)
  • Tiger Town (Dundurn)
  • Northern Exposures (Canada)
  • Stand Your Ground (Canada)

Non-fiction

  • Improve Your Child's Spelling 1 (1991) (with Norm Rippon)
  • Improve Your Child's Spelling 2 (1993) (with Norm Rippon)
  • When Elephants Fight (2008) (with Adrian Bradbury)
  • Tell Me Why (2009)

Coming Soon

  • The Matato Ride (Spring 2012) – A picture book based on an Africa tale and the crazy buses that form the backbone of transportation in many parts of the continent.
  • The Taming (Spring 2012) – Co-written with award winning author Teresa Toten, this is a modern retelling based on The Taming
  • Between Heaven and Earth (2012) This book is one of the 'Seven' series in which seven grandsons are given a 'final request' in their grandpa's will. D.J. is asked to scatter his ashes on the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and the author climbed Kili in the summer of 2011 to research this book
  • Power Play (Spring 2013) – Cody's dream is to make it to the NHL – and being drafted into Major A brings him one step closer. His coach, the man who holds the key to those dreams, takes control of Cody is a way that could not only destroy his dreams but turns his life into a living nightmare.
  • Tagged (Fall 2013) – A special fusion book that combines hi/low with a graphic novel. Street art or graffiti? Defacing the city or enriching it? Artist or criminal? Oswald pursues his dreams while dodging the police, a Major determined to be re-elected, and hiding his identity from his friends.
  • My Name is Blessing (Fall 2013) – A picture book based on the life of a young man in the Creation of Hope Project.

References

  1. ↑ "Eric Walters". Orca Book Publishers. Retrieved 26 March 2010. 
  2. ↑ "Eric Walters Homepage.". 
  3. ↑ "Creation of Hope home". Retrieved 29 October 2011. 
  4. ↑ "Eric Walters bio". JRank.org. Retrieved 26 March 2010. 

External links

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