Mildred D. Taylor

Author profile

born

in Jackson, Mississippi, The United States

September 13, 1944

gender

female

genre

Children's Books

About this author

edit data

Mildred Delois Taylor is a famous author, known for her children's fiction books.

She did not stay in Jackson long; the racial discrimination in the South influenced the belief of her father, Wilbert Taylor, that better opportunities awaited his family in more northern states. Thus, after her first three months of life, her family moved to Ohio after her father established a factory in Toledo, Ohio. This move got her extended family to thinking about going North as well; it ended up that Mildred D. Taylor grew up surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins.

But Mr. Taylor still had a love for his old home, so there were several trips to the relatives that had stayed in the South. Many stories of the family history and actual childhoods were told...more Mildred Delois Taylor is a famous author, known for her children's fiction books.

She did not stay in Jackson long; the racial discrimination in the South influenced the belief of her father, Wilbert Taylor, that better opportunities awaited his family in more northern states. Thus, after her first three months of life, her family moved to Ohio after her father established a factory in Toledo, Ohio. This move got her extended family to thinking about going North as well; it ended up that Mildred D. Taylor grew up surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins.

But Mr. Taylor still had a love for his old home, so there were several trips to the relatives that had stayed in the South. Many stories of the family history and actual childhoods were told during those visits, and were the core inspiration for Mildred Taylor’s stories and books.

This storytelling time was a regular event on the trips to the South. The family storytellers recollected accounts of struggles with severe racism in the South, tragedies and triumphs; humorous yarns were told and many of the stories were about surviving and the African-American family keeping their dignity in a racist culture. Mildred went to the University of Colorado.

These anecdotes became very clear in Mildred’s mind. In fact, once she recalled that as the adults talked about the past “I began to visualize all the family who had once known the land, and I felt as if I knew them, too...” Taylor has talked about how much history was in the stories; some stories took place during times of slavery and some post-slavery.

Her saga about the Logan family is really based on her whole family history. For example, it starts out with The Land, which is based on the stories she heard about her great-grandfather, who was the son of a white plantation owner and a black woman in Alabama and how he purchased land in Mississippi. She is currently working on her last book, Logan, that finishes the saga off with the Logan family moving from Mississippi to Ohio.

(less)

combine editions
Mildred D. Taylor's Books

Average rating: 3.77 · 66,135 ratings · 2,779 reviews · 26 distinct works · Similar authors

	Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Logans, #4) 3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 avg rating — 57,695 ratings — published 1976 — 59 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Let the Circle Be Unbroken 4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 avg rating — 2,398 ratings — published 1981 — 12 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Land 4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 avg rating — 1,950 ratings — published 1974 — 20 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Road to Memphis 4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 avg rating — 1,383 ratings — published 1992 — 14 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Song of the Trees by Mildred D. Taylor, Jerry Pinkney (Illustrator) 3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 avg rating — 513 ratings — published 1975 — 15 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gold Cadillac by Mildred D. Taylor, Michael Hays (Illustrator) 3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 avg rating — 491 ratings — published 1987 — 8 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Friendship 3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 avg rating — 456 ratings — published 1987 — 9 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Well: David's Story 3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 avg rating — 447 ratings — published 1995 — 12 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mississippi Bridge 3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 avg rating — 406 ratings — published 1990 — 10 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Roll of Thunder Gift Set: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; Let the Circle Be Unbroken; The Road to Memphis 4.39 of 5 stars 4.39 avg rating — 243 ratings — published 1996	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Mildred D. Taylor…

Series by Mildred D. Taylor

Logans (6 books)
by Mildred D. Taylor
3.763012606201883 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 65,206 ratings

Upcoming Events

No scheduled events. Add an event.

Quotes by Mildred D. Taylor

“So many things are possible as long as you don't know they are impossible”
― Mildred D. Taylor, The Land

tags: impossibility, inspirational, possibility

39 people liked it

“She grabbed his arm. "Let it be, son!" she cried. "That child ain't hurt!"
"Not hurt! You look into her eyes and tell me she ain't hurt!”
― Mildred D. Taylor, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

21 people liked it

“Poor Christopher-John had fallen into the hands of Miss. Daisy Crocker. I greatly sympathized him, but as in everything else, Christopher John tried to see the bright side in having to face such a shrew every morning. "Maybe she done changed," he said hopefully on the first day of school. However, when classes were over he was noticeably quiet.

Well?" I asked him.

He shrugged dejectedly and admitted, "She still the same.”
― Mildred D. Taylor, Let the Circle Be Unbroken

tags: books, humor, teachers

15 people liked it

See all Mildred D. Taylor's quotes »

Polls

What Newbery Medal winner would you like to read in October?

1936: Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

4 votes 30.8%

2006: Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

3 votes 23.1%

1934: Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women by Cornelia Meigs

3 votes 23.1%

1977: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

2 votes 15.4%

1942: The Matchlock Gun by Walter D. Edmonds

1 vote 7.7%

13 total votes

comments and details

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Wild Things: YA G...: YA Reading Challenge #2 Report Points Here	305	312	Nov 04, 2009 01:49pm
Wild Things: YA G...: MAY Nominations: Fantasy Theme	59	164	Apr 30, 2010 09:44am
Wild Things: YA G...: July WINNERS: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman and Leviathan by Scott Westerfield	47	88	Aug 07, 2010 12:49pm
Historical Fictio...: Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred D. Taylor	27	102	Aug 15, 2010 11:58pm
Reading with Style: RwS Completed Tasks	927	237	Dec 01, 2010 06:41am
All The Books You...: * Recomend a Book	124	181	Aug 01, 2011 07:44am
The Seasonal Read...: Summer Challenge 2011 - Completed task posts with ?s/problems	267	250	Aug 31, 2011 08:42pm

More…

Is this you? Let us know. If not, help out and invite Mildred to Goodreads.

Mildred's Fans (166)