Barbe, Walter B.

"If you can write," Dr. Walter Barbe says, "you can't think. Writing structures your thinking and keeps it on target."And Dr. Barbe writes! The 1986 edition of Books in Print listed 33 of his titles. Dr. Barbe writes "recreationally" for such publications as Family Circle and Antique Dealers. And he tackles daily problems by-writing about them. As an adjunct professor of The Ohio State University, he also teaches academic professionals how to write for publication."When you get interested in something, if you're a writer, how could you not write about it?" he asks.Dr. Barbe joined Highlights for Children in 1963 as an associate editor. He became the publication's second editor in 1965, and it's second editor in chief in 1971, succeeding Highlights founder Dr. Garry Cleveland Myers.Dr. Barbe is a teacher, editor, psychologist, researcher, author, and lecturer. He has won innumerable awards and citations, including a 1984 award for "dedication and service" from the Association for the Gifted, and a 1982 Meritorious Service Award conferred on him by the International Reading Association.He is currently serving as the chairman of the IRA Children's Book Award Committee, a committee that annually selects the best picture book and young adult book by a new author.