Sharon M. Draper Books In Order
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.Publication Order of Clubhouse Mysteries Books
Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs / The Buried Bones Mystery | (1994) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Lost in the Tunnel of Time | (1996) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Shadows of Caesar's Creek | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
The Space Mission Adventure | (2006) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
The Backyard Animal Show | (2006) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Stars and Sparks on Stage | (2007) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Hazelwood High Books
Tears of a Tiger | (1994) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Forged by Fire | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Darkness Before Dawn | (2001) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Jericho Books
Just Another Hero | (1970) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
The Battle of Jericho | (2003) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
November Blues | (2007) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Out of My Mind Books
Out of My Mind | (2010) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Out of My Heart | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Out of My Dreams | (2024) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Sassy Books
Little Sister Is Not My Name | (2009) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
The Birthday Storm | (2009) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
The Silver Secret | (2010) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
The Dazzle Disaster Dinner Party | (2010) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
Romiette and Julio | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Double Dutch | (2002) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Copper Sun | (2006) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Fire from the Rock | (2007) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Stella by Starlight | (2015) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Blended | (2018) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Collections
Buttered bones: collected poetry | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
Teaching from the Heart: Reflections, Encouragement, and Inspiration | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Jazzimagination: A Journal To Read And Write | (2000) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Not Quite Burned Out, But Crispy Around the Edges: Inspiration, Laughter, and Encouragement for Teachers | (2001) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
We Beat the Street: How a Friendship Pact Led to Success | (2005) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Panic | (2013) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Anthologies
About Sharon M. Draper
The American author and professional educator Sharon M. Draper is known the world over for her informative and award winning writing. Not only that, but she’s highly entertaining too, keeping readers hooked with her witty and intelligent novels, many of which are for children and Young Adults. A lot of her books are mystery novels too, as she keeps her readers guessing, all while constantly turning the page. This has proven to be a hugely successful formula for her, bringing in readers from around the world with her exciting style of writing.
Doing this for many years now, she is both an accomplished writer, as well as winning awards for her work as a teacher too. Motivating others, she has proceeded to travel across the world, lecturing and helping those in need to reach their full potential. With both her writing and her teaching she is a prestigious and prolific writer who is respected by many, both nationally and internationally. Maintaining a strong sense of creativity, she applies herself to a variety of different projects, making for a highly influential and important body of work.
From all of this she has also gone on to create many memorable characters, as they come to life off of the page for the reader. Finding a wide audience that have come to appreciate her many different stories and novels, she really does write from a place that’s both genuine and honest. Leaving an impact on her readers, she always manages to make a mark wherever she goes, ensuring that her work will always live on. There’s a lot more to come still though, as her writing career continues upwards and onwards for many years to come yet.
Early and Personal Life
Born in 1948 on the 21st of August, Sharon Mills Draper was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, where she would grow up with a love of reading. By eleven years of age she would read every children’s book in the library, before moving on to adult literature, finding a passion for the form. She would start to develop her own voice as a writer in the years to follow, building a niche and a profile for herself.
Attending Pepperdine University she would receive a Bachelor’s Degree, majoring in English, before going on to attend the Miami University of Ohio, graduating in 1974 with Master’s of Arts Degree. This would all pave the way for her future literary career, which begun following her working as a teacher in the Cincinnati public schools. Later she would begin writing herself in 1990, which she continues to this very day, living with her husband in their home in Cincinnati.
Writing Career
In 1990, following a challenge from one of her ninth-grade students, Sharon Draper would enter her short-story ‘One Small Torch’ into a writing competition for Ebony magazine. Winning $5000 she would soon discover that she had the potential to write for a living, something that was encouraged by famous author Alex Haley. Retiring from teaching in 2000, she would proceed to focus solely on her own work as a full-time author, producing her novels on a regular basis.
Winning countless book awards for her novels too over the years, she’s received many awards and nominations, not only for her work as a writer, but as a teacher too. Creating many stand-alone titles, she’s also gone on to produce a number of much loved series too, with readers from around the world appreciating each new title. She’s also written poetry and non-fiction too, with a lot more planned for the future, as her career grows from strength-to-strength.
Stars and Sparks Onstage
Originally published on the Aladdin publishing label, this was first brought out in 2007 on the 9th of January to much acclaim. Marking the sixth title in the ongoing ‘Clubhouse Mysteries’ series of books, it would provide another adventure for the four friends who call themselves the Black Dinosaurs. Dealing with various different mysteries, they work together and have fun at school, in this series of well told and entertaining stories.
At this point in the series the characters are set, with regular readers already being familiar with them and who they are. This doesn’t mean that the book can’t be enjoyed by itself, making for a fun and entertaining story all of its own. With a self-contained narrative, the stories aren’t always mysteries, with some being straightforward adventures for the friends.
Certain they’re going to win the $200 prize money in the school talent show, Jerome, Ziggy, Rico, and Rashawn are looking to get first prize. With their skills at singing and dancing, along with their glittery costumes, they plan to use the money to build up their clubhouse. It seems the group known as the Black Dinosaurs have some competition on their hands, as it appears that there’s a little girl with an all powerful voice set to take part. Who will emerge triumphant? Can they hope to win the competition and the prize money? What will happen when there are stars and sparks onstage?
Blended
First brought out in 2018 on the 30th of October, this would initially come out through the ‘Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books’ publishing label. This would be a stand-alone title written for a younger audience, with its leading female protagonist being eleven years old. Relating to her audience through its sense of realism, Draper brings a lot of heart to the story, delivering a powerful and well told message.
Feeling torn between her white mother and black father, both of who are now recently divorced, eleven year old Isabella has had to endure comments about her appearance and ethnicity all her life. When she’s spending time with her father and his family, she’s Isabella, and they’re the only black family in a wealthy predominantly white neighbourhood. Then when she goes to spend time with her mother, she’s in a smaller more cozy house, as she’s then Izzy, and it constantly feels like she’s switching between two identities. How can she ever truly feel whole though? Can she hope to find her own identity? What will happen as she finds herself feeling blended?
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