About the author - Meindert Dejong

Meindert Dejong was born on 4^th March, 1906 in a small village called Wierum in Netherlands. At a very young age, Meindert helped in their family business, farming. Life was not easy for him as a young boy as he and his family had to move to the United States so his brothers wont he drafted for the World War 1. His family was poor and he had to go to private schools.

He used to get bullied when he was young because he was from a different country. That meant Meindert always felt alone during his time in America. We know this as he showed his life through the character of Tien Pao in The House of 60 Fathers.

Meindert Dejong still remains as one of the most successful children authors of 20^th century, although he is not so famous any more, but he should be as most of his books got prestigious awards. The award winning books he wrote were:

1. ·         Shadrach (1953)
   
2. ·         Hurry Home Candy (1953)
   
3. ·         The Wheel on School (1954)
   
4. ·         The House of Sixty Fathers (1956)
   
5. ·         Along Came a Dog (1958)
   

After all his wonderful work, he was awarded the International Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1962 for his great efforts on writing books for the younger generation.

Most of his books, including The House of Sixty Fathers, is based around World War 2. Meindert Dejong worked for the US Army Corps during World War 2 in China. 

He died on 16^th of June 1991 after surviving for 85 years.

Reference: "Meindert DeJong: A Gentle, Persistent Spirit." Meindert DeJong: A Gentle, Persistent Spirit. Central Rappahannock Regional Library, 2015. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <http://www.librarypoint.org/meindert_dejong>.