Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Clyde Robert Bulla
Clyde Robert Bulla always knew he wanted to be a writer. He began his writing career with stories, columns, and a book, but they were all written for the adult audience. However, he soon discovered that he had a passion for writing children's books. Although Bulla did write some nonfiction books, most of his children's books were fiction. Bulla began his adult life as a farmer, but he eventually became a respected children's author.
Clyde Robert Bulla was born in 1914 on a farm in a small town near King City, Missouri. He was the youngest of four children born to parents Julian and Sarah Bulla. Bulla's father was a farmer, so from a young age, Bulla helped on the farm whenever he was needed. He even had to drop out of high school after only one year in order to help on the family farm during the Great Depression.
Bulla began his education in a small one-room country schoolhouse. Even as a young boy, he always knew he wanted to be a writer. When Bulla was in first grade, his teacher asked the class what they would do with one thousand dollars. Bulla said he would buy a desk or table so he could write his stories better. When he was ten years old, he won a prize from a writing contest. This convinced Bulla that he could make a living as a writer. His family expected him to be a farmer and didn't understand his desire to be a writer. That didn't stop Bulla from writing at night. When Bulla had to quit high school in order to help on the farm, he still kept writing at night. He also took correspondence courses and read as much as he could until he eventually received a high school education. Bulla even taught himself how to play the piano.
