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TITLES
A WEALTH OF WONDERFUL BOOKS (Soon totaling 110 titles including those below. All those listed below published by Boyds Mills Press unless otherwise noted.)
- Cicadas! Strange and Wonderful, 2010
- Alligators! Strange and Wonderful, 2009
- Imagine a Dragon, 2008
- Penguins! Strange and Wonderful, 2008
- American Slave, American Hero: York of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 2006
- Snakes! Strange and Wonderful, 2004
- Come to the Ocean's Edge, 2003
- Bear Hug, 2003
- Whales! Strange and Wonderful, 2003
- Dog of Discovery: A Newfoundland's Adventures with Lewis and Clark, 2002
- Crows! Strange and Wonderful, 2002
- Sharks! Strange and Wonderful, 2002
- Dolphin Man: Exploring the World of Dolphins, 2002
- Scholastic Encyclopedia of Animals, Scholastic, 2001
- Global Warming: The Threat of Earth's Changing Climate, Chronicle, 2001
- Bats! Strange and Wonderful, 2000
- One Room School, 1998
- Everybody Has a Bellybutton: Your Life Before You Were Born
- Nature! Wild and Wonderful, R.C.Owen, 1997
- Taking Care of the Earth: Kids in Action, 1996
- Dinosaurs! Strange and Wonderful, 1995
- Scorpion Man: Exploring the World of Scorpions, Atheneum, 1994
- Octopus Hug, 1993
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Nearly all of the above books, plus a dozen more, are Accelerated Reader titles.
AWARDS
- In 2005 Larry won a major lifetime achievement award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, for "excellence in science books."
- The 1999 Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award for work that contributed "significantly to the quality of nonfiction for children."
- Special Conservation Award from the National Wildlife Federation "for numerous outstanding environmental books aimed at children and young adults."
- National Council of Teachers of English 1998 Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, for An Extraordinary Life: The Story of a Monarch Butterfly.
- National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Honor Book, for Dophin Man: Exploring the World of Dolphins.
- More than 70 of Larry's titles have been selected as Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children by the National Science Teachers Association. Many of Larry's titles also earn starred reviews and a place on honored lists.
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GRADES
K-8 (even pre-K)
LENGTH OF PROGRAMS
About 30-35 minutes for K-1; 40-50 minutes for grades 2-8. Length can be adjusted to fit a school's needs.
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PROGRAMS
Larry prefers to give up to 6 programs a day. This makes it possible for him to be with all grades, K-5 (or more). Also, it allows more personal interaction with students, and more kids have opportunities to participate.
All of his varied programs aim to nurture writing skills and excite interest in reading, and in biography, science, and other nonfiction literature. Teachers often remark that Larry's programs give them a wealth of teachable ideas on which to follow up. The programs reinforce education goals in the language arts — in writing and reading (especially of informational literature). The many examples Larry provides from his books help students learn about the craft and structure of good writing, and the integration of knowledge and ideas that are key to good nonfiction writing. Students see how an author develops a topic with facts and details, based on solid research, then improves it by editing and revising. (And, by the way, Larry's programs also induce student laughter, chuckles, and grins!)
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In programs for K and 1st grade, Larry celebrates reading — "alone with a good book, you are never alone" — and gives details of the fun of writing books about animals. It is fun to be curious, and to do research, meeting all sorts of experts (dolphins, bats, scorpions). A good book is a result of teamwork — author, editor, expert, artist. Larry shows and describes examples of this teamwork in action. He also shows a few of the weird and wonderful items given to him because he writes many animal books. Time permitting, he reads one of his fiction picture book titles (revealing details about the book's writing along the way).
For grades 2 and up, programs feature a growing emphasis on the writing process — the importance of a good beginning, solid research, and revising. The amount of participation by students also increases with older grades, as does the time allowed for Q & A. For grades 4 and up, usually a few minutes are devoted to a fun quiz: can anyone identify these fiction books upon hearing Larry quote their first sentences? This reinforces the importance of a strong beginning, to hook readers, and Larry also gives examples from nonfiction literature. Each program is enriched, and enlivened, by examples and stories about the creation of specific books and the teamwork of writer, expert, and artist — whether the subject is alligators, the Lewis and Clark expedition, or the life of a monarch butterfly.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS
A day's visit can include one or more of WRITERS WORKSHOPS. The number of students must be limited since they will have an opportunity to read what they have written. Larry also welcomes the opportunity for a WRITERS LUNCH with a group of students selected by teachers. This is not meant to be a powerful educational experience — just readers and writers hanging out, sometimes talking about reading and writing. Kids love it!A WORD FROM LAURENCE PRINGLE
"If you asked me in third grade, or high school, or college, if I would ever write a book, my answer would have been a strong NO! Even at age 30, the same answer. Now I've had more than a hundred books published. I tell kids that the same thing could happen to them — they may surprise themselves, their families, and the world with accomplishments that they do not yet dare to dream.
"Through the years I've learned quite a bit about the writing process, and I love sharing ideas with students. They are often surprised to learn that even an author of many books feels that writing can be hard work — and is still trying to become a better writer."
FEES
$1,100 for a full day of up to 6 programs (full range of grades). In many cases, no extra charge for travel and lodging. Several factors, including multiple school visits in an area, can reduce costs. Just ask!
SET-UP AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS
- Two long tables, front of stage, or similar surface on which to display about 20 of Larry's books (which he provides).
- ELMO or similar device, plus screen, set up to show details of art, editing changes, expert comments (aiming for accuracy of both text and art), and other details of the book creation process. This equipment is vital for large groups in a large space, but often is not needed for smaller groups in the more intimate setting of a library/media center.
- Microphone (preferably cordless that clips to shirt) is often needed in an all-purpose room or similar large space.
- A bottle, or two, of water.
AUTOGRAPH INFORMATION
Some schools choose to offer autographed books for purchase by students — a challenging task to organize but one that kids and families appreciate. Larry provides an up-to-date list of in-print books and of publisher contact information. Books ordered for autographing get substantial discounts. If time allows, Larry prefers to sign each book to each specific student's name. And, of course, he's happy to sign his books that are already in a school's library or classroom collections.
LEARN MORE ABOUT LAURENCE PRINGLE
Laurence Pringle
PO Box 252
West Nyack, New York 10994
Telephone: 845-623-7275
2nd Telephone: 845-623-7273
Email: octopushug@yahoo.com
Website: www.laurencepringle.com
