Betty Miles was born in Chicago on May 16, 1928, but for her first six years was raised in Baghdad, Iraq, by her missionary parents. Following college she worked as an assistant teacher at a progressive elementary school. Trying to find suitable books to read to the children led her to begin writing her own books, which in turn led to her career as an author or children's books. She emphasizes that she writes about what interests her; many of her books deal with real-life issues, such as ecology and feminism. She has won several awards and honors for her writing.
Biographical Sources: Something About the Author, vols. 8, 78 Something About the Author Autobiographical Series vol. 9
From the guide to the Betty Miles Papers, 1958-1995, (University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections [clrc])
