Cynthia Rylant is an American author. She has written more than 100 children's books in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 and Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

. With the divorce of her parents when she was four and living without running water and electricity she became an author including works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Her novel Missing May

Missing May

Missing May is a children's book, the recipient of the 1993 Newbery Medal. It was written by Cynthia Rylant, who has written over 60 children's books such as The Islander.-Plot:...

 won the 1993 Newbery Medal

Newbery Medal

The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...

 and A Fine White Dust was a 1987 Newbery Honor book.
Rylant has received a number of awards and honors for her work.