Barbara Beasley Murphy was born to Dr.

William De Ford (a physician) and Henryetta (Kurtz) Beasley on February 4, 1933, in Springfield, Ohio. As a child, Murphy's mother read children's books and cited poetry to her. As Murphy grew up in Ohio, and then in North Carolina during World War II, many issues touched her, including cultural diversity, violence, and racism. Her love of children's books, including reading and writing for children, set the stage for Murphy's career as a writer.

She weaves the issues she faced as a child into her books.

As a young adult, Murphy attended Drake University from 1951 to 1953. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina in 1955. After graduation, Murphy pursued a career in junior high education as an English teacher in Euclid, Ohio (1956-1957). She progressed to become a high school speech and drama teacher...