Laurel Dee Gugler

Readings

Laurel Dee gives presentations which are entertaining and highly interactive. They include storytelling, and (depending on age of group) may also include music, chants and rhythm activities. See descriptions below.

1. JK – Grade 3: Let Those Word Birds Fly – Highly interactive and entertaining; Use chants, storytelling, music as well as Laurel’s books to demonstrate word-crafting skills (for example, rhythm, rhyme, cumulative techniques. Teacher handouts are given to encourage children to try their own word-crafting skills.

2. Grades 3 – 6: Storytelling and readings from Laurel’s junior grade novel with input about the writing process. Topics may include dialogue, characterisation, plot development or topic requested by teacher. As Laurel’s novel, Catching Forever draws from her childhood memories, children are drawn into a discussion of how their experiences may match those of the protagonist and the author. Catching Forever draws on Laurel’s memories of growing up in a rural Mennonite community, but deals with universal themes of a need for acceptance and coping with bullies.

3. Storytelling: For all ages. As indicated, Laurel tells orally from her novel, Catching Forever. As well, some of her picture books are retold folktales. Also she tells other favourite tales and “Stories to Solve” which includes riddles and stories told in the manner of riddles. The audience solves the mystery. Writing input can be incorporated into a storytelling presentation if desired, especially after tellings from Catching Forever or from her picture books of retold tales.

Special Equipment:

An easel with a deep ledge is used to hold sets of enlarged illustrations from several of my picture books. Instead of reading from the book, I go through the enlarged illustrations when telling the story.

Book Sales:

Copies of books can be brought to be sold and autographed, if requested.

Biography

Laurel Dee Gugler is a storyteller, picture book author and children’s novelist. Owner of a company called Whimsical Words, Laurel delights in crafting playful word patterns which dance and frolic across the pages of her book.

Born in Kansas, Laurel grew up on a farm with cows, chickens, turkeys, kittens, and lots of sisters. Expected to help with the work, she milked cows by hand, gathered eggs, fed the animals, and drove a zippy, red tractor. Her early education began in a tiny, rural, one-teacher school, which, unfortunately had a tiny library. However, the teacher brought books from the city’s public library, and Laurel devoured these. “Perhaps limited access to books during my early years is a reason I enjoy writing them now,” she says.

Since leaving Kansas, Laurel has worked as an elementary school teacher, education coordinator of Hamilton Children’s Museum, co-founder and coordinator of a multicultural storytelling group for Hamilton’s SHAIR International Resource Centre, and author/storyteller in the Artist-in-the-Classroom program for HWS School Board. As well, she has volunteered as an English teacher in India, toured the U.S. with a traveling peace display, and taught Elderhostel courses on Family Stories.

Laurel continues to bring multimedia author and storytelling presentations to schools, libraries and other venues.

Websites:
www.canscaip.org/bios/guglerld.html
www.storytellingtoronto.org/Pages/Directory.html
www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=737&N=Laurel%20Dee%C2%A0Gugler

OTHER PRESENTATIONS:
Laurel is also a storyteller and is available for family literacy events.