Richard Peck

Richard Wayne Peck (April 10, 1934 – May 23, 2018) was an American novelist. He was born in Decatur, Illinois, but was raised in Chicago. He wrote young adult literature. He won the Newbery Medal in 2001 for his novel "A Year Down Yonder" (the sequel to "A Long Way From Chicago").
Peck died on May 23, 2018, at his home in New York City of cancer at the age of 84.