Laura Purdie Salas

Laura Purdie Salas is the author of more than 55 books for children. Most of all, she loves to write poetry. Funny, serious, rhyming, free verse…she loves it all. Her first trade picture book poetry collection, Stampede! Poems About the Wild Side of School, was published by Clarion Books. She has 10 poetry collections from Capstone Press, as well as Write Your Own Poetry with Compass Point. Laura writes nonfiction on a variety of topics and for a wide range of ages. Kindergartners and primary students enjoy her fun nonfiction books, like Whose Shoes Are These? and Do Crocodiles Dance?: A Book About Animal Habits. For middle-graders, she has written about famous and not-so-famous people, skateboarding, and the Trail of Tears, among other subjects. And teens living on their own find tips and encouragement in Taking the Plunge: A Teen’s Guide to Independence.

In the past, Laura has worked as an 8th-grade teacher and an instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature. She enjoys speaking to adults, kids, and teachers about poetry and writing.

Most of the time, she’s either reading or writing. If she’s not, she’s probably playing board games or karaoke with her two daughters, Maddie and Annabelle, or losing a game of racquetball to her husband, Randy. She and her family live in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Stampede!
Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School
illustrated by Steven Salerno
Clarion Books, 2009
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0618914883

These 18 funny and imaginative poems observe students in their natural habitat and reveal their unusual behavior, crazy communication, and very healthy appetites. Whether they’re in the classroom, on the playground, or in the cafeteria, school brings out the animal in all of them. And if you look carefully as you turn the pages, you may even glimpse some of the wild side in yourself!

Coral Reefs: Colorful Underwater Habitats
illustrated by Jeff Yesh
Picture Window Books, 2009
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1404853737

Is a coral an animal or a plant? What kinds of animals and plants live in a coral reef? Why are coral reefs important to us? Swim through the pages of this book to find out why coral reefs are one of Earth’s treasures.

Tundras: Frosty, Treeless Lands
illustrated by Jeff Yesh
Picture Window Books, 2009
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1404853768

What kinds of plants and animals live in the tundra? How do they survive there? What is a pingo? Bundle up and trek across the pages of this book to discover why tundras are one of Earth’s treasures.

Are You Living?:
A Song About Living and Nonliving Things
ISBN 978-1404853027

From Beginning to End:
A Song About Life Cycles
ISBN 978-1404852938

Home on the Earth:
A Song About Earth's Layers
ISBN 978-1404852969

Move It! Work It!:
A Song About Simple Machines
ISBN 978-1404852990

With the emphasis on high-stakes science testing, Science Songs will provide a kid-friendly approach to science comprehension! Original lyrics to familiar tunes combine with lively illustrations to reinforce fundamental science facts. Exclusive website access to audio file included!

Picture Window Books
illustrated by Viviana Garofoli
2009, Grades 1 to 3

Chatter, Sing, Roar, Buzz:
Poems About the Rain Forest
A+ Books/Capstone Press, 2008
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1429617055

A collection of original, rain forest-themed poetry for children accompanied by striking photos. These books contain lots of snappy rhyming poems as well as several poetic forms.

Clearing the Rain Forest

here
green, lush
growing, reaching, breathing
chattering, singing, roaring, buzzing
slashing, burning, cutting, destroying
brown, barren
gone

(diamante)

A Fuzzy-Fast Blur: Poems About Pets
A+ Books/Capstone Press, 2008
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1429617048

A collection of original, pet-themed poetry for children accompanied by striking photos. These books contain lots of snappy rhyming poems as well as several poetic forms.

Come in,
Come in!

I'll make it easy
I'll open wide
I'll hope that you
will slide inside

Snakes eat mice
Some find that sad
But here's the truth:
They don't taste bad!

Always Got My Feet: Poems About Transportation
A+ Books/Capstone Press, 2008
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1429617062

A collection of original, transportation-themed poetry for children accompanied by striking photos. These books contain lots of snappy rhyming poems as well as several poetic forms.

Night Recipe

Tangle of highways,
Fast cars, blurred lights. Mix well.
Neon spaghetti

(haiku)

Lettuce Introduce You: Poems About Food
A+ Books/Capstone Press, 2008
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1429617031

A collection of original, food-themed poetry for children accompanied by striking photos. These books contain lots of snappy rhyming poems as well as several poetic forms.

How Do You Like Your Milk?

Milk is gulped or swallowed,
It’s flavored, stirred, and tasted
Mom says milk should be drunk up
and never, ever wasted

Milk is chugged or guzzled,
It’s slurped or burped or sipped
But milk is always extra good
on cookies that are dipped

From Seed to Daisy: Following the Life Cycle
illustrated by Jeff Yesh
Picture Window Books, 2008
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-1404849198

What does a seed need to grow? Are Shasta daisies perennial plants or annual plants? Let your mind bloom as you learn about the life cycle of the Shasta daisy.

From Seed to Maple Tree: Following the Life Cycle
illustrated by Jeff Yesh
Picture Window Books, 2008
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-1404849310

What does a seed need to grow? What color flowers does a sugar maple tree have? Let your mind bloom as you learn about the life cycle of a sugar maple tree.

From Mealworm to Beetle: Following the Life Cycle
illustrated by Jeff Yesh
Picture Window Books, 2008
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-1404849259

Is a mealworm a worm or an insect? How long does the pupa stage last? Crawl through the pages of this book, and learn about the life cycle of a beetle.

These books are all part of the Amazing Science series. Take a bird's eye view of the birth, growth and development, reproduction, and end of each life. Complete with sidebars, these books are sure to be a great read.

Flashy, Clashy, and Oh-So Splashy:
Poems about Color
A+ Books/Capstone Press, 2008
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1-4296-1204-3

A collection of original, color-themed poetry for children accompanied by striking photos. These books contain lots of snappy rhyming poems as well as several poetic forms.

Dirt

Young Bobby went outside to play
In a black-muddy, spring-sloppy way.
He took off his shoes
As he danced in the ooze
And gave thanks for the glorious day!

[limerick]

Seed Sower, Hat Thrower:
Poems About Weather
A+ Books/Capstone Press, 2008
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1-4296-1209-8

A collection of original, weather-themed poetry for children accompanied by striking photos. These books contain lots of snappy rhyming poems as well as several poetic forms.

Bolt

Silver flash dances
from sky to earth in one leap—
Electrifying!

[haiku]

Tiny Dreams, Sprouting Tall:
Poems about the United States
A+ Books/Capstone Press, 2008
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1-4296-1208-1

A collection of original, United States-themed poetry for children accompanied by striking photos. These books contain lots of snappy rhyming poems as well as several poetic forms.

Grand Canyon

rock
hard, red
rising, rippling, towering
water flowing, canyon growing
carving, wearing, eroding
sunken, brown
river

[diamante]

And Then There Were Eight:
Poems about Space
A+ Books/Capstone Press, 2008
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1-4296-1207-4

A collection of original, space-themed poetry for children accompanied by striking photos. These books contain lots of snappy rhyming poems as well as several poetic forms.

Then There Were Eight

Poor ball of ice, we know you exist; but you're
Little and solid and we must insist on
Undoing the past, so though you'll be missed, we've
Taken you
Off of the "real planet" list

[acrostic]

Shrinking Days, Frosty Nights:
Poems About Fall
A+ Books/Capstone Press, 2008
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1-4296-1205-0

A collection of original, fall-themed poetry for children accompanied by striking photos. These books contain lots of snappy rhyming poems as well as several poetic forms.

Day's End

orange lights flickering,
orange windows bright
orange skies decorate
autumn-glow night

orange jack-o-lanterns,
orange falling leaves,
orange nights steal away
summer like thieves

Do Buses Eat Kids? Poems about School
A+ Books/Capstone Press, 2008
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-1-4296-1206-7

A collection of original, school-themed poetry for children accompanied by striking photos. These books contain lots of snappy rhyming poems as well as several poetic forms.

Ordinary

Pencil
Black tube hiding
Inside yellow wrapping
Leaves grey trail of letters, stories,
Magic

[cinquain]

Write Your Own Poetry
Compass Point Books, 2008
grade 5 to 7, ISBN 9780756535193

No topic is off-limits in poetry. Whether you want to write poems that make people laugh out loud, gasp in surprise, or see things in a new way, this book is for you. Conquer the blank page and express your thoughts, feelings, and observations in the magical world of poetry.

Awards
Association of Educational Publishers' 2008 Distinguished Achievement Award - winner

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