Bette Greene
Bette Greene is the author of several books for children and young adults, including Summer of My German Soldier, The Drowning of Stephan Jones, and the Newbery Honor book Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe. She currently resides in Florida.
Greene was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Arthur Evensky and Sadie , but was raised in the small city of Parkin, Arkansas, where her parents ran the general store. Her maternal grandparents were Hyman and Tillie Steinberg who were very successful in the baking business in Wynne, Arkansas. As a Jewish girl in a town of Christian fundamentalists, she experienced discrimination and learned what it was like to be an outsider. Since her parents spent a lot of time in their store, Greene was raised mainly by her familys AfricanAmerican housekeeper, Ruth, who served as the model for the character of the same name in Summer of My German Soldier.
Source: Wikipedia