Richard Peck (writer)

Richard Peck
Peck at the National Bookfest in 2013
Born	(1934-04-10) April 10, 1934 (age 82) Decatur, Illinois, USA
Occupation	Writer
Nationality	American
Period	1972–present (as novelist)
Genre	Young adult fiction, horror, mystery
Notable awards	Edgar Award 1977 Margaret Edwards Award 1990 National Humanities Medal 2001 Newbery Medal 2001

Richard Wayne Peck (born April 5, 1934) is an American novelist known for his prolific contributions to modern young adult literature. He was awarded the Newbery Medal in 2001 for his novel A Year Down Yonder (the sequel to A Long Way From Chicago.) For his cumulative contribution to young-adult literature he received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1990.

Richard Wayne Peck was born on April 5, 1934 in Illinois to Virginia Grey Peck and Wayne Peck. His mother was a Wesleyan University graduate in economics and his father owned a service station. He has a sister, Cheryl, who is an administrator at a college in Springfield, Illinois. He attended elementary and high schools in Decatur.

Peck began his career as a high school teacher, but much to his dismay, was transferred to a junior high school to teach English. After a while, he decided to cut his career short and write. However, these observations about junior high school students proved excellent material for his books. He said, "Ironically, it was my students who taught me to be a writer, though I was hired to teach them."

Peck studied at DePauw University, earning a bachelor's degree in English in 1956. He belonged to the Delta Chi fraternity and spent his junior year abroad at the University of Exeter. After college, he was drafted into the US Army as a chaplain's Assistant and spent two years serving in Stuttgart, Germany. In a 2003 interview he commented, "I think your view of the world goes on—for the rest of your life—as the world you saw as you emerged into it as an adult."