M is for Maurice Sendak

Born: June 10, 1928

Excellent Books:  Where the Wild Things Are and over a dozen others.  Many have won awards.

From His Life:  When Maurice was about 20, he and his brother took a set of model toys to a toy store.  They wanted the toy store to commission a set.  Instead, the store offered Maurice a job arranging toy displays in the window.  He accepted the job.

Advice for Aspiring Writers:   Children need less protecting than we sometimes think.  Maurice once said, "...from their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, that fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, that they continually cope with frustration as best as they can.  And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis.  It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things."   See Barnes & Noble for more great quotes.

Website: http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/Kids/AuthorsAndIllustrators/ContributorDetail.aspx?CId=12708