![]() ![]() A year later, he became the first children's writer to be given a National Humanities Medal, an award he received from President George W. He received his highest praise for "A Year Down Yonder," set in rural Illinois during the Great Depression and winner of the John Newbery Medal in 2001 for the year's best children's book. Willing from the start to address social issues, his debut novel "Don't Look and It Won't Hurt" was a story of teen pregnancy later adapted into the acclaimed independent film "Gas Food Lodging." ![]() His publisher, Penguin Young Readers, told The Associated Press, that he died after a battle with cancer.Ī native of Decatur, he was a prolific author who wrote dozens of books, but didn't start until his mid-30s when he decided to quit teaching. Peck died on Wednesday at his home in New York City at age 84. NEW YORK - Prize-winning children's author Richard Peck, who drew upon his Illinois roots for such favorites as "A Long Way from Chicago" and "A Year Down Yonder," died earlier this week. ![]()
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