Laurie Lawlor grew up surrounded by a family deeply passionate about theater. Summers were spent with her siblings in a summer stock repertory company located in a small Colorado mountain town. This theatrical endeavor was managed by her parents, with her mother overseeing costumes, cooking, accounting, and serving as the company's psychiatrist, while her father directed the artistic vision.
The Fifty-Year Friendship Between Beethoven and Nannette Streicher, Who Built His Pianos
Exploring the vibrant friendship between composer Ludwig van Beethoven and entrepreneur Nannette Streicher, this lively nonfiction picture book captures their shared passion for music and innovation. Through enchanting illustrations and lyrical prose, readers are introduced to the dynamic world of classical music, highlighting the contributions of both figures in a historically rich context. The narrative emphasizes creativity, collaboration, and the impact of their groundbreaking partnership on the musical landscape.
The Erie Canal, an engineering feat, significantly influenced American history while also affecting the environment, working conditions, and the Haudenosaunee people. Its construction and operation not only transformed transportation and commerce but also had profound sociopolitical repercussions that extended beyond the canal itself, highlighting the interplay between infrastructure and society.
A small rural Wisconsin community transforms a neglected dumping ground into a nature trail that connects an elementary school and a public library. This project highlights the restoration of publicly-owned land while showcasing three distinct ecosystems, emphasizing community involvement and environmental stewardship.
Strings quivered. Notes shimmered. Meet best friends acclaimed composer Ludwig van Beethoven and bold female entrepreneur Nannette Streicher in this lively and lyrical nonfiction picture book. In a tall, narrow building on a wide avenue pianos plinked and plunked day and night. Everyone in quiet Augsburg knew the Stein home. What music! In 1787, aspiring yet unknown composer Ludwig van Beethoven arrives at young Nannette Stein’s home. What follows is a decades-long friendship that persists whether life hits a low or high note. Acclaimed nonfiction writer Laurie Lawlor deftly depicts how these two fascinating friends—a composer with hearing loss and a woman who became an innovative piano maker in a time that discouraged female entrepreneurship—fought the odds and worked together in perfect harmony. The author of picture book biography Fearless World Traveler, Lawlor masterfully uses forgotten historical letters, a glossary, and rich back matter on both friends’ lives and art to introduce readers to the man behind the music, from his loud laughter to his crushing handshake. Complete with Fearless World Traveler collaborator Becca Stadtlander’s intricate mixed-media artwork, What Music deftly dives into musical history–and herstory–in an intimate yet expansive picture book biography that hits just the right note.
Scientist. Artist. Rule-breaker. The vibrant and daring life of Marianne North by the award-winning author of Super Women and Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World. In 1882, Marianne North showed the gray city of London paintings of jaw-dropping greenery like they'd never seen before. As a self-taught artist and scientist, Marianne North subverted Victorian gender roles and advanced the field of botanical illustration. Her technique of painting specimens in their natural environment was groundbreaking. The legendary Charles Darwin was among her many supporters. Laurie Lawlor deftly chronicles North's life, from her restrictive childhood to her wild world travels to the opening of the Marianne North Gallery at Kew Gardens to her death in 1890. The North gallery at Kew Gardens remains open to the public today. Becca Stadtlander's award-winning lush, verdant artwork pairs wonderfully with the natural themes. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year An NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students
Explore the groundbreaking contributions of six remarkable women whose scientific research has significantly impacted the world. This book highlights their achievements and the challenges they faced, showcasing how they broke through societal barriers to advance knowledge and innovation in their fields. Through their inspiring stories, readers will gain insight into the importance of diversity in science and the enduring legacy of these trailblazers.
The story revolves around a beloved neighborhood landmark, Big Tree, which is struck by lightning and split in two. In the aftermath, the community—comprising neighbors, city workers, and children—unites to honor Big Tree and plant a new sapling, Little Tree. This heartwarming tale highlights themes of cooperation, resilience, and the importance of community involvement, encouraging young readers to appreciate and engage with their surroundings.
The biography explores the life and contributions of Rachel Carson, a groundbreaking scientist and environmentalist renowned for her influential work, Silent Spring. It delves into her early experiences, passion for nature, and the challenges she faced in advocating for environmental awareness. The narrative highlights her dedication to scientific integrity and the impact of her writings on the modern environmental movement, showcasing her legacy as a trailblazer in conservation and ecology.
Exploring themes of healing and transformation, the narrative unfolds in a southeastern Wisconsin wetland, revealing its beauty and fragility. Laurie Lawlor shares her decade-long journey through this often-overlooked landscape, reflecting on its history from the ice age to the present. The book emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity and nature, celebrating the wetlands as vital ecosystems. Ultimately, it serves as an intimate account of refuge and renewal, highlighting the importance of preserving these endangered environments.
The future Bard of Avon, Will Shakespeare, while carousing with his friends, wooing women, and sneaking off to see plays, finds himself torn between two women--Anne Whateley, with whom his best friend is in love, and Anne Hathaway, with whom he has had romantic entanglements.
