"My protagonists are almost always observers. They're interested in people, they know people, they look at things and they think about them. And I think that's often the kind of kid who reads my books."
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1953, Davis and her family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the 1960s. Despite her enthusiasm for learning, her high school years were not inspiring; because of the youth gangs, racial tensions, and other violence in her urban neighborhood, she frequently cut class. Instead, she went to nearby museums, libraries, or parks to escape the madness of high school and follow her own interests. "It's incredible to me that I'm a schoolteacher now," Davis exclaimed to AAYA, reflecting on the contrast between her childhood and her eventual career. "But I think I'm trying to do better than was done to me. Everyday that I'm in the classroom and I'm not crazy or mean, then I'm helping," she explained. Fortunately, college would provide Davis with a more stable environment; she graduated from the University of Kentucky and has since pursued a career in educating young adults, mostly on the middle-school level.
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