BIOGRAPHY
Laurence Pringle grew up in western New York, roaming woods and fields, exploring ponds and creeks. These boyhood experiences led him to earn degrees in wildlife conservation from Cornell University and the University of Massachusetts.
Some details about early influences that led to his life of writing about nature, wildlife, and environmental issues are revealed in his 84th book, One Room School, and in Nature! Wild and Wonderful, a
Larry was an editor of Nature and Science, a children's science magazine published at The American Museum of Natural History in New York City. (If he hadn't been hired as a rookie editor-writer for that magazine, he might never have written for children!) When that magazine ceased publication in 1970, Larry decided to try to survive as a freelance writer. He's still trying!
The Chicago Tribune has called him "one of America's top nonfiction writers for young readers."
Larry's youngest "kids" are now in college, leaving an empty nest he shares with his wife, Susan (a 4th grade teacher). When he is not gardening, fishing at the ocean's edge, or helping around the house, he gets some writing done. His 100th book, Whales! Strange and Wonderful was published in 2003. The Kirkus review concluded: "A rare nonfiction book that works beautifully as a read-aloud, as a whole, it's as wonderful as the whales." Six other titles have since been published, several are now being illustrated by artists, and Larry looks forward to future writing projects.
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