Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Zilpha Keatley Snyder is a storyteller. She has been telling stories for as long as she can remember. It was somewhat of a tradition in her family. Zilpha's mother and father would often tell stories about their own lives. They told stories about their parents and the things that they did as children. Zilpha loved hearing their stories. Even more, she loved telling stories on her own. But Zilpha's stories were different. The stories that Zilpha's parents told were always true. Zilpha felt that her stories needed a little help! Zilpha was very young. There weren't a lot of interesting things going on in her life. Her stories just couldn't compare to all of the great stories her parents told. So, Zilpha would often take matters into her own hands. She might not have had a long and interesting life to draw her stories from, but she did have one thing - imagination! Zilpha could rarely resist the urge to spice up her stories with a bit of her own imagination. It happened so often that Zilpha's mother would often tell her, "Just tell it. Don't embroider it."
Zilpha's childhood was filled with stories. She made up her own stories and games about the people and animals around her. She read a lot of books. She thought of the library as a place filled with magic, excitement, and adventure. And, of course, she told a lot of stories. When Zilpha was eight years old, she made a remarkable discovery. She learned that there were people who made a living telling stories! Not only were these people paid to write stories, sometimes they were even praised for it! It was then that Zilpha knew that she wanted to be a writer.
Zilpha went on through school and attended Whittier College in southern California. Reading was still one of her favorite things to do. She also held on to her desire to become a writer. It was still her ultimate goal. Still, after graduation, Zilpha felt that she needed to take a job doing something practical. So she became a schoolteacher. Much to her surprise, it was a job that she really enjoyed. Zilpha's life became pretty busy after that. She got married. She married Larry Snyder, a student of music and an Air Force man. Because of the Korean War, Larry's job in the Air Force kept him very busy. The couple moved fifteen times during the first ten years of their marriage! They also had two children together. (Their third child was adopted from China, as an eleven year old, almost ten years later.)
