Laurie Halse Anderson

Author StudyMSED 7331

Christina Tucker Dyson

Biographical Information• Born on October 23, 1961 in

Potsdam, NY• Born Laurie Beth Halse

(“Haltz”)• As a child she loved historical

fiction• As a teenager she enjoyed

science fiction and fantasy• At sixteen she lived in

Denmark on a pig farm as an exchange student

• She attended Onondaga Community College for two years.

• She graduated from Georgetown University in 1984 with a BSLL in Language and Linguistics

• When she began to write books she received many rejection letters.

• In 1996 her first book Ndito Runs was published.

• Later in 1996 Turkey Pox came out.

• Finnegan’s Wake was the most important book to her

• In 1996 her first book Ndito Runs was published.

• Later in 1996 Turkey Pox came out.

• Finnegan’s Wake was the most important book to her

• She gets an idea for a novel everyday. Ideas for novels pop into her head out of nowhere. Sometimes she gets ideas while she is reading, sometimes in an airport, or from something she overhears. She starts writing a book based on a plot or a character. First drafts are her least favorite part of writing. But her favorite part is when the magic is flowing and she loses track of things. She says that writing keeps her sane. She always feels better after she has been writing.

• She has three life mottos:– Adapt and overcome.– Read or die.– It’s not a mistake if you learn from it.

Novels

Picture Books

Jobs

• 1989 – 1992: Reporter, The Record and The Philadelphia Inquirer

• 1992 – 1998: Freelance Reporter for trade journals

• 1998 – today: Full-time author and speaker

Memberships

• Author’s Guild

• Organization of American Historians

• Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators

Awards

• 2002 Free Library of Philedelphia/Drexil University Children’s Literature Citation

• 2004 Fayetville-Manilus Hall of Distinction

• 2006 Onondaga Community College Alumni Faces Award

Prom

• ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2006 Nominee

• ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults 2006 Nominee

• International Reading Association Young Adults Choice

• Junior Library Guild selection• New York Times Best Seller List

Prom• Prom is about an ordinary, normal girl (as she describes herself),

named Ashley Hannigan. Her best friend is Natalia Shulmensky. Natalia is on the prom committee and Ashley doesn’t really care about the prom. During math class one day, their teacher Ms. Crane was arrested, she had stolen their prom money. Surprisingly Ashley is the one that comes up with the idea to have the prom in the gym at school. Nat, the committee and the principal convince Ashley to help with the planning. All of the committee pitched in finding chaperones, vendors, security, DJ, etc. The gym is decorated so beautifully, you couldn’t recognize it. Through a strange turn of events Ashley ends up at the prom minus TJ her loser boyfriend. She dances with a drop dead gorgeous guy. She avoided her vice principal most of the night. She had help from friends, strangers, even teachers. The vice principal told her she would be arrested if she attended prom. At the end of the night, her luck ran out. The judge dropped the charges though because when he was in school, he hated Mr. Gilroy's class too. To find out all of he details, read the book.

• This book hit home because I am a math teacher and prom advisor. However, I have never run off with any money. I like how the students all pitched in to have a great prom

Strategy for Prom

• I think a good project for this book would be to have students tell what they would do if all of their prom money had been stolen.

• You could also have them plan a prom budget. Then you could have students exchange plans to see what they had in common.

Speak• ALA Best Book for Young Adults• ALA Top-10 Books for Young Adults• ALA Quick Picks for Young Adults• Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist• IRA Young Adult Choice• Junior Library Guild Selection• Michael L. Printz Honor Book (ALA)• National Book Award Finalist• New York Public Library Book for the teen Age• New York Times Best Seller List• SCBWI Golden Kite Award• YALSA Popular Paperback for Young Adults

SpeakThis book is about teenager Melinda Sordino. Before high school she had a lot of friends and a good existence. Then during a summer party everything changes for her. She loses all of herfriends. She called the cops to a party during the summer where alot of people got in trouble. When she enters the ninth grade, she has lost all of her friends. People that do not even know her hateher. She is not the same girl that she used to be. She becomeswithdrawn. She doesn’t like to talk to anyone. Even her parentsdon’t seem to notice that anything is seriously wrong with her.Something happened at that party that has changed her. Will sheever tell anyone what happened?

Speak was also made into a movie. Laurie Halse Anderson playeda lunch lady that dipped mashed potatoes for Melinda.

Strategy for Speak

• There are several characters in this book. Even though they are not all main characters, students do learn enough about them to know what makes them tick. Students can choose a character and do a body biography for that character. They need to draw representations of their heart, hands, feet, backbone, and mind. They also need to include something in the background that relates to the character.

Catalyst

• ALA Best Book for Young Adults

• ALA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults

• New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

• YALSA Odyssey Audio book Award

CatalystThis book took place in the same high school as Speak did. It even had some common characters which I thought was cool. This bookwas about Kate Malone. Her father is a preacher, Rev. Dad, andher mother died when she was in the fourth grade. She has abrother Toby who she takes care of. She even gives her fatherheadache medicine when he needs it. Kate has a Good Kate anda Bad Kate that live inside her head. She runs at night becauseshe can’t sleep. She is waiting to hear from the only college thatshe applied to, MIT. Due to a barn fire that causes damage to ahouse, Teri Litch and her brother Mikey come to live with theMalones. Kate and Teri do not have the best of relationships. They are continually forced together. They soon develop atolerance maybe even a friendship with each other. Kate’sboyfriend, Mitch, doesn’t quite seem to understand her relationshipwith Teri. As they all grow closer, the unthinkable happens whichthrows them all into a tailspin. To find out what happened and ifKate got into MIT read the book.

This book was very good. It had a little bit of everything in it from religionto romance to incest to friendship to stress. There are so many avenuesthat a class could explore when reading this book.

Strategy for Catalyst

• At the end of the book Kate makes a decision about what she is going to do instead of going to MIT. What do you think happens after that? What did you want to happen at the end of the book?

• Students will write a continuance of the ending or they will write an alternate ending for the book. Their essay should be at least two pages.

Twisted

• ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2008 • ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults 2008• International Reading Association Top Ten of

2007• New York Public Library Best Book for the

Teen Age• New York Times Best Seller List• Several State Awards and Bookseller and

Media Recognitions

Fever 1793• ALA Best Book for Young Adults• International Reader Association Teacher’s Choice• Parent’s Guide to Children’s Media Award• Jefferson Cup Honor Book (for historical fiction)• Junior Library Guild Selection• Children’s Book of the Month Club Selection• The New York Public Library’s 100 Best Books of Fall

2000• The New York Public Library's “Best 2001 Book for

the Teenage

Sources

• http://www.writerlady.com/me.html

• http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-anderson-laurie.asp

• http://www.writerlady.com/me.html