alliteration noun [U]. âº English the repetition of âconsonants at the âbeginning of two or more words, as in âlive and âlearn. (Definition of alliteration from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary Â© Cambridge University Press).
Walter Dean Myers, noted author of books for young adults, was born in Martinsburg, WV, in August 1937 to an impoverished family. His mother died when he was only 3, leaving his father with seven young children and a family in chaos. Unable to manage on his own, Myers' father gave custody of his young son and two of his daughters to Herbert and Florence Dean. The Deans became Walter foster parents. They moved their new extended family to the Harlem district of New York City, where both parents found blue-collar jobs to support their children.
Biography. Myers was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia. When his mother died while giving birth to his little sister, Myers was given over as a child to Florence Dean, who was the first wife of George Myers (Walter's biological father), who raised him in Harlem, New York. Myers later took on Dean as his middle name in honor of his foster parents Florence and Herbert.