One of my new favorite authors is none other than
local resident Laurie Lawlor who lives in Evanston, Illinios with her
husband and pets. She has two grown children who are attending
college. She has published more than thirty books and has been
nominated for numerous state awards. Laurie Lawlor writes both fiction
and nonfiction books for children and young adults. Currently, she is a
part-time faculty member of Chicago's Columbia College, where she teaches
writing to undergraduates and graduate students, as well as facilitating
teacher workshops.
Last year, while in the fourth grade, my daughter read Laurie Lawlor's
book,
Addie Across the Prairie, and she loved it so much she
shared the story with me. We both feel in love with Addie and were
thrilled when my daughter's teacher decided to create a Reader's Theater
around the book. My daughter faithfully read and memorized her lines
and when the time came her entire class performed their parts, wore costumes
and recreated Laurie Lawlor's story. The teacher than used the book
as a spring board for a science unit on the prairie and as a culminating
project the class went on a field trip to the Illinios prairie path.
I love this quote by Laurie Lawlor:
"Creating convincing characters and exciting adventures for children
remains for me the ultimate challenge of imagination and craft.
Young readers are the most demanding, vigilant, astonishing, and
rewarding readers of all."
