Bill Cleaver
William Joseph Cleaver, born on March 24, 1920, in Hugo, Oklahoma, was an accomplished author known for his contributions to children's literature. After a childhood marked by his parents' divorce and subsequent relocations, Cleaver served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, earning an Air Medal. He began his writing career in collaboration with his wife, Vera Fern Allen, coauthoring around three hundred short stories for various magazines. In the mid-1960s, they shifted their focus to children's books, producing their first novel, *Ellen Grae*. Cleaver's work is distinguished by its mature themes and authentic portrayals of young people's emotional landscapes, tackling issues such as economic hardship and familial neglect. He received significant recognition throughout his career, including four National Book Award nominations and the Newbery Honor for *Where the Lilies Bloom*. This book, which also saw a film adaptation in 1974, is noted for its realistic dialogue and incorporation of humor and nature. Cleaver passed away on August 20, 1981, leaving behind a legacy of impactful storytelling for young readers.
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Bill Cleaver
Writer
- Born: March 24, 1920
- Birthplace: Hugo, Oklahoma
- Died: August 20, 1981
- Place of death: Winter Haven, Florida
Biography
William Joseph Cleaver was born on March 24, 1920, in Hugo, Oklahoma, to attorney William Edward Cleaver and Delpha Marie Richardson Cleaver. He had an older brother. When Cleaver was five years old, his parents divorced and enrolled him in a school in British Columbia, Canada. Cleaver moved from Canada to Seattle, Washington, when he was fourteen. He aspired to become an author but never pursued formal writing instruction.
Cleaver served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945, receiving an Air Medal with two clusters. He married Vera Fern Allen on October 4, 1945. They had no children. From 1945 to 1948, they lived in Seattle and Vancouver, Washington, where Cleaver worked during the week and wrote on weekends. Cleaver moved to Tampa, Florida, a state where his wife had spent part of her childhood, in 1948. He repaired watches and worked as a jeweler until reenlisting in the U.S. Air Force, being assigned to a base at Tachikawa, Japan.
Cleaver transferred to a post at Chaumont, France, in 1956, until his service ended in 1959, when he returned to Tampa for the next five years. Cleaver then lived in Carmel Valley, California, in 1965, moving later that year to Boone, North Carolina. In 1969, he began residing in Lutz, Florida, for several years. By 1971, Cleaver and his wife had settled in Winter Haven, Florida. Suffering an extended sickness, Cleaver died on August 20, 1981, at Winter Haven.
Cleaver began his writing career as coauthor with his wife of approximately three hundred short stories for U.S. and foreign magazines ranging from pulp periodicals to such high-circulation serials as Woman’s Day and McCall’s. Deciding to apply their writing ability to create children’s books instead, they crafted their debut novel, Ellen Grae, during the mid-1960’s. For each book, Cleaver discussed ideas with his wife for several months, brainstorming plots, themes, and characters. He researched information for their novels, which she typed while Cleaver advised story development and revision possibilities.
Critics praised Cleaver for incorporating mature themes and issues for his characters to confront and resolve, noting he crafted realistic dialogue and skillfully included humor and nature references to enhance the authenticity, universality, and literary qualities of his writing. Reviewers noted that he regarded his readers seriously by not trivializing young characters’ emotions and concerns as they dealt with apathetic families and communities and with economic and moral impoverishment.
Cleaver received four National Book Award nominations recognizing outstanding children’s books for Where the Lilies Bloom in 1969, Grover in 1971, The Whys and Wherefores of Littabelle Lee in 1974, and Queen of Hearts in 1979. Where the Lilies Bloom was named a 1970 Newbery Honor Book and was runner-up for the 1970 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award. His book Dust of the Earth won the 1977 Golden Spur Award from the Western Writers of America for Outstanding Juvenile Novel and the Lewis Carroll Bookshelf Award. United Artists released a film adaptation of Where the Lilies Bloom in 1974.