Sharon Draper is an African-american writer who has won multiple prizes for her works, including the Coretta Scott King Prize (twice) for Forged by Fire (1998) and Copper Sun (2007). A graduate of Pepperdine High school, Draper took up teaching until, in 1991, a student walked into her classroom with an Ebony Magazine ad and asked her to write a short story for that magazine. She accepted, and soon won $5000, for One Small Torch. This gave her the idea to write stories. After 24 tries, Tears of a Tiger was finally released in 1994, to instant success. She currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and four children. She's well known for her novel, Darkness Before Dawn, as well as The Battle Of Jericho.
Sharon Draper
