Walt Morey
Encyclopedia
Walter "Walt" Morey was an award-winning author
of numerous works of children's fiction
, set in the U.S. Pacific Northwest
and Alaska
, the places where Morey lived for all of his life. His book Gentle Ben
was the basis for the movie and television show of the same name.
He wrote
a total of 17 published books, most of which involve as a central plot element the relationship between man and animals. Many of his works involve survival stories, or people going into the wild to "discover" themselves; redemption through nature is a common theme of Morey's works.
Morey began going to school in 1912, in Jasper, Oregon
. He was never very keen on school. In 1934 he began working in a veneer plant, making brushes in a paintbrush factory and doing work in the woods. On July 8, 1934, he married his first wife, Rosalind Ogden, in Portland, Oregon
. Rosalind died February 28, 1977. On June 26, 1978 he married Peggy Kilburn.
Early in his writing career, he also published numerous short pulp fiction stories. For much of his life, he was a boxer
and diver
, in addition to being an author.
Morey has won the following awards:
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of numerous works of children's fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
, set in the U.S. Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
and Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, the places where Morey lived for all of his life. His book Gentle Ben
Gentle Ben
Gentle Ben is a children's novel by author Walt Morey, first published in 1965. The book concerns the friendship between the title character, a bear, and a young boy named Mark...
was the basis for the movie and television show of the same name.
He wrote
a total of 17 published books, most of which involve as a central plot element the relationship between man and animals. Many of his works involve survival stories, or people going into the wild to "discover" themselves; redemption through nature is a common theme of Morey's works.
Morey began going to school in 1912, in Jasper, Oregon
Jasper, Oregon
Jasper is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located southeast of Springfield on Oregon Route 222, at the confluence of Hills Creek and the Middle Fork Willamette River....
. He was never very keen on school. In 1934 he began working in a veneer plant, making brushes in a paintbrush factory and doing work in the woods. On July 8, 1934, he married his first wife, Rosalind Ogden, in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Rosalind died February 28, 1977. On June 26, 1978 he married Peggy Kilburn.
Early in his writing career, he also published numerous short pulp fiction stories. For much of his life, he was a boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and diver
Underwater diving
Underwater diving is the practice of going underwater, either with breathing apparatus or by breath-holding .Recreational diving is a popular activity...
, in addition to being an author.
Morey has won the following awards:
- Dutton Junior Animal Book Award for Gentle Ben and Kavik the Wolf Dog
- Sequoia Book Award
- Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award
- The Monique Alexis Hoswoot Award
- William Allen White Children's Book AwardWilliam Allen White Children's Book AwardThe William Allen White Children's Book Award is an annual book award chosen by Kansas students. It was established by Ruth Garver Gagliardo in 1952, in memory of William Allen White and is administered by Emporia State University. It was the first statewide readers' choice book award in the United...