Edna Louise Spear Elementary School students welcomed award-winning author Mr. Laurence Pringle for a day to celebrate his dozens of books about nature, science, health and environmental issues.

School librarian Mrs. Meg Hoon set the library up with many of his famed titles, including “The Story of a Monarch Butterfly,” “Sharks! Strange and Wonderful” and “The Secret Life of the Red Fox.”

Mr. Pringle shared stories of his childhood and the one-room schoolhouse that he attended with only 18-20 students from grades 1-8. He told of his appreciation of nature and highlighted his gift of turning history and science into stories that have been beloved for many years. Mr. Pringle read his book “Naming the Cat,” a tale about a family who tries to decide on a name for their new pet. At the end of the story, the children guessed the name in unison – Lucky – and Mr. Pringle shared facts about feral cats and whether cats do actually land on their feet.

Students asked him some questions such as what his favorite book is, and they learned what an editor does to enhance a story. He also spoke about writing a strong lead to hook a reader. He read the lead from three books – “Because of Winn-Dixie,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “Matilda” – to the older students, encouraging them to name the story. They were able to identify all three books.

“He was so sweet when he left,” Mrs. Hoon said. “He said his time here was one of his favorite school visits of his career.”

Date Added: 3/3/2023