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Larry Dane Brimner

ラリー・デイン・ブリムナー

Rarī Deīn Burimunā

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1949-11-05 （St. Petersburg, Florida）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
St. Petersburg, Florida (birth) → Kodiak Island, Alaska (childhood) → San Diego, California (residence) → Tucson, Arizona (writing studio)

Career

Occupations
Children's author, Teacher, Presenter
Active Years
1974-

Education

San Diego State University
British Literature
Degree: B.A.
Period: 1967-1971
Year of Graduation: 1971
Country: United States
San Diego State University
Education
Degree: M.A.
Period: 1979-1981
Year of Graduation: 1981
Country: United States

Awards

Jane Addams Children's Book Award
2008
Work: We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin
Category: older children
Organization: Jane Addams Peace Association
Result: Winner
Orbis Pictus Honor Book
2011
Work: Birmingham Sunday
Organization: National Council of Teachers of English
Result: Honor
Eureka! Gold Award
2011
Work: Birmingham Sunday
Organization: California Reading Association
Result: Gold
Carter G. Woodson Book Award
2012
Work: Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor
Organization: National Council for the Social Studies
Result: Winner
Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
2012
Work: Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor
Organization: Association for Library Service to Children / American Library Association
Result: Honor
Sibert Medal
2018
Work: Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961
Organization: American Library Association
Result: Winner
Norman A. Sugarman Award and Honor for Biography
Organization: Cleveland Public Library
Result: Winner/Honor
Teachers' Choice Award
Result: Winner
Eureka! Silver Award
Organization: California Reading Association
Result: Winner
Best Book for the Teen Age (New York Public Library)
Organization: New York Public Library
Result: Selected

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin

2007 Children's biography / Non-fiction

A children's biography of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, presenting his life and achievements and placing them in the context of the struggle for equality and civil rights.

Civil rights movementEqualitySocial justice

Birmingham Sunday

2010 Children's non-fiction

A children's non-fiction account of the civil rights struggles in Birmingham, Alabama, covering violence, resistance, and community efforts.

Civil rightsHistorical educationResistance and peaceful protest

Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor

2011 Children's non-fiction / History

Through the confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor, the book introduces 1960s racial discrimination and protest movements.

RacismConflict and justiceCivil rights movement

Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961

2017 Children's non-fiction / History

Tells the story of the 1961 Freedom Ride, conveying to young readers how black and white activists challenged racial segregation in public transportation.

Freedom RideSolidarity and resistanceHuman rights education

STRIKE! The Farm Workers' Fight for Their Rights

2013 Children's non-fiction / Social movement

Based on the experiences of migrant children the author once taught, this book recounts the farm workers' struggle to secure labor rights.

Immigration and laborLabor movementSocial justice

Bibliography

  • Being Different (1995)
  • Cats! (early reader)
  • We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin
  • Birmingham Sunday
  • Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor
  • Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961
  • STRIKE! The Farm Workers' Fight for Their Rights

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Child-friendly, factual narrativeNonfictional approach that organizes historical materials into a narrativeEducational and accessible prose
Recurring Motifs
Civil rights and equalitySocial justiceConflict and reconciliation between opposing figures

Health

  • Electroshock therapy (received in the past)
    大学在学中
    An experience tied to psychological and social pressures at the time; it influenced his later writing on LGBTQ topics.

Legacy

Larry Dane Brimner is recognized for conveying civil rights and social justice history through children's non-fiction. He has received multiple major children's literature awards and contributes to youth education through school visits and talks.

Archives

  • Larry Dane Brimner Papers - University of Southern Mississippi (de Grummond Children's Literature Collection)

Trivia

  • The early reader Cats! has sold more than 300,000 copies.
  • He discovered he was gay while in college and, under parental pressure, underwent electroshock therapy.
  • He frequently visits schools and speaks to encourage young writers.
  • Lives in San Diego and maintains a small writing studio in Tucson.