Children’s Author Robert Burleigh named Prairie State Illinois Author of the Year
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To be recognized March 17 during Illinois Reading Council’s “Literacy Outside the Box†conference in Springfield
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Springfield, IL – Chicago native Robert Burleigh has been named the Illinois Reading Council’s 2011 Prairie State Author of the Year, and will be recognized during the council’s “Literacy Outside the Box†conference being held March 17 – 19 in Springfield.
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Burleigh will be the featured speaker at the Prairie State Award Banquet from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 17 at Springfield’s President Abraham Lincoln Hotel.
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The Prairie State Author of the Year award recognizes an Illinois children’s or young adult author whose body of work demonstrates excellence, engenders a love of literature, and promotes lifelong literacy. Burleigh is the author of more than 35 books for children representing multiple genres that appeal to a wide range of age groups. Although written for children, his books captivate people of all ages.
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 “While the subjects vary, my books are linked philosophically, stylistically and structurally by my wish to capture where possible the emotional intensity – the essence – of whatever the subject is,†said Burleigh. “I believe the hard facts, historical and biographical, are extremely important, and I always weave them into the narrative. But beyond that, I like the book to convey the feeling of immediacy, of being there – whether there is flying an airplane, hitting a baseball, or painting a picture.â€
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       Burleigh’s books include:
- One Giant Leap
- Abraham Lincoln Comes Home
- Fly, Cher Ami, Fly!
- Napoleon:Â The Story of the Little Corporal
- Tiger of the Snows – Tenzing Norgay: The Boy Whose Dream Was Everest
- American Moments
- Amelia Earhart:Â Free in the Skies
- Into the air: The Story of the Wright Brothers’ First Flight
- The Secret of the Great Houdini
- Pandora
- Hercules
- Black Whiteness
- Who Said That? Famous Americans Speak
- Flight:Â The Journey of Charles Lindbergh
- Stealing Home – Jackie Robinson: Against All Odds
- Play Ball
- Game Day
- Goal
- Home Run:Â The Story of Babe Ruth
- Hoops
- Paul Cezanne: A Painter’s Journey
- Toulouse-Lautrec:Â The Moulin Rouge and the City of Light
- Langston’s Train Ride
- Seurat and the Grande Jatte:Â Connecting the Dots
- Into the Woods:Â John James Audubon Lives His Dream
- Looking for Bird in the Big City
- Edna
- A Man Named Thoreau
- Volcanoes: Journey to the Crater’s Edge
- The Sea:Â Exploring Life on an Ocean Planet
- The Future of the Earth
- Earth from above for Young Readers
- Chocolate:Â Riches from the Rainforest
- Goodbye, Sheepie
- Clang! Clang! Beep! Beep! Listen to the City
- I Love Going Through This Book
- Messenger, Messenger
- It’s Funny Where Ben’s Train Takes Him
- The Crossing
- The Triumph of Mittens
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Burleigh’s latest book, The Adventures of Mark Twain by Huckleberry Finn, will be published this year.
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For additional author information, visit www.robertburleigh.com. For more information about the March 17 – 19 Illinois Reading Council “Literacy Outside the Box†conference, visit www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org or call (888) 454-1341.
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