Rick walton author biography

Rick Walton was born 1957, in Provo, Utah.
Rick Walton became a children's writer because, after trying almost every other career in the book, he finally realized that writing for kids was one of.
About the author.

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In Memory of Rick Walton

Rick Walton, Utah’s beloved children’s author, passed away on October 7, 2016. In honor of his memory, friend and fellow author Carol Lynch Williams discusses Walton’s profound influence on Utah’s literary community.

PROVO, Utah (Jan. 10, 2017)—We’ve heard of famous children and young adult authors with Utah roots, such as Newbery Honor winner Shannon Hale or National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr. Utah’s contribution to the young adult and children’s literature scene is significant and often attracts notice. None of this might have been possible, however, without children’s literature author Rick Walton.

Walton passed away on October 7, 2016, after complications from a malignant brain tumor discovered in early 2015. Walton’s legacy and gift to creative communities in Utah is remarkable, and he will be missed by the many individuals whose lives and careers he influenced over the years. Appearing on the I.R.A. Children’s Choice list and the television program Reading Rainbow, Walton’s children’s books have inspired and delighted children, adults and

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Rick Walton, a prolific author of children's literature and a generous mentor to many other Utah authors, was born in Provo in 1957. He began earning his lifelong reputation as an energetic jokester during his time at Provo High School, where English teacher Joyce Nelson also suggested that his "short and funny" writing style would work well for children's books. Walton began submitting manuscripts to publishers in his twenties, but it would take several years before the first was accepted: in a 2009 interview with MormonArtist.net, Walton described writing the first manuscript accepted, a riddle book, as "Pure desperation. I had sent around a query letter that described eight projects on it. I sent it to over a hundred publishers." In the meantime, Walton earned his bachelor's degree in Spanish at BYU in 1980 and served an LDS mission in Brazil; he returned to BYU for a teaching certification in 1987 and completed his MA in English and creative writing in 1990. Besides teaching at the elementary level in various public and private schools, Walton also worked

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About the Author

Rick Walton was born 1957, in Provo, Utah. He received his bachelor's degree in Spanish from Brigham Young University in 1980 and his master's degree in 1999. Walton is the author of over sixty books for children. His works include joke books, picture books, a collection of poetry, activity books, show more mini-mysteries, and educational software. His titles include Once There was a Bullfrog, Why the Banana Split, Bertie was a Watchdog, and A Very Hairy Scary Story. (Bowker Author Biography)show less

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Living alone on her farm near the edge of the woods, Mrs. McMurphy tended to her animals with care, and went about her daily chores with a light heart. When a large pumpkin with a wicked grin appeared in her hall four days before Halloween, announcing that when it had teeth it would eat her, Mrs. McMurphy wasn't particularly worried, and put it outside. Each day the pumpkin reappeared in her house, with an additional feature - a nose,