About the Author:
Meet Doug Wilhelm
In my books, I'm trying to tell good stories that have meaning—and that connect with young people's real lives today. My writing for young adults is based on listening to them, which I try to do often.
Along with The Revealers, I have written nine other books for young readers. I live in Rutland, Vermont, have a teenage son, and am a full-time, self-employed writer. The first thing people often notice about me in person is that I'm very tall. I'm six foot ten! When I visit schools, this always causes a stir.
Something I could do
I was born in 1952 in Portland, Oregon, and moved to suburban New Jersey when I was in kindergarten. All through elementary school I was an avid reader. Suddenly, in middle school, I began to write. I was writing stories, poems, even a play. Until then, I hadn't been good at much of anything—I was tall, skinny, awkward, and not very popular—and it made a big difference to feel that this was something I could do.
Like the main characters in The Revealers, I was bullied a lot in middle school. The idea for the novel grew, in part, out of my own experiences. To read about that, go to The story behind The Revealers.
I studied English and played basketball at Kenyon College in Ohio, and after graduating I traveled by land from Europe to India and Nepal. It was a great adventure, and I dreamed of going back. After working as a newspaper reporter and editor back in New Jersey for several years, I did return to Asia, to spend time talking and listening with young people who were Muslim. I wrote a book about my experiences, called Street of Storytellers—but no one would publish it. It was rejected about 75 times! In those years I learned how challenging it is to be a professional writer.
I kept at it, moving up to Vermont and earning my living by writing articles, newsletters, brochures, and things like that for all kinds of organizations. My son Bradley was born in 1987. His mom and I were divorced a few years later, but we stayed good friends. I'm very proud of my son, who's now a tall, strong, kind young man.
In 1992 I was asked to write a science-fiction novel for "Choose Your Own Adventure," a popular series of interactive fiction for young readers. I went on to write eight "Choose" books, and I learned a lot about writing stories that could keep young readers turning the pages.
No better reward
After leaving the series, I wrote two novels for young adults—and the first one, Raising the Shades, was published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in 2001. It's the story of a boy who is trying to cover up his dad's alcohol and drug problem, but finds he can't ... and maybe he doesn't want to. Raising the Shades has been nominated for the 2004-05 Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award.
The Revealers came out next, and has been strongly received by young readers, teachers, librarians, guidance counselors, parents, and others. Many schools have used it to open up the subject of bullying. Young readers across the country have nominated The Revealers for the 2004 Teens Top Ten list of the American Library Association.
What has meant the most to me has been hearing how much the book has meant to young people who often feel, as I did, lonely and isolated in their lives. I couldn't ask for a better reward than that.
Click here for a complete list of Doug Wilhelm's books for young readers.
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