Laurie Morgan

Readings

The Diary of Mary Reynolds begins in 1902 when a 10-year-old girl and her family leave behind their comfortable life in Stratford, Ontario. They begin anew as homesteaders near the remote Northern Ontario town of New Liskeard. Mary Reynolds was a real person and the story of her adventures is part of our Canadian heritage. This is a junior novel suitable for ages 9 and up.

Mary Reynolds was my great aunt. I wrote this story to remember my family’s pioneer heritage. As part of my classroom visits, I bring a large collection of antique toys, school supplies, and farm and domestic items for the children to explore. I read a few pages from the book, and play a pioneer game featured in the story. We have a discussion about pioneer life in Canada, family generations, and the importance of asking older family members the history of their own families.

The most popular aspect of the visit is the hands-on exploration of the antiques. As well, the children write their name with an old fashion ink pen. At the end of the presentation, I give each child their own journal to begin writing their own history. I am available to sign copies of The Diary of Mary Reynolds for those who are interested in purchasing a copy of the book.

Book Sales:

Copies of Laurie's books can be brought to the readings for students to purchase and have autographed.

Biography

I have been a primary classroom teacher in York Region for over 22 years. Writing The Diary of Mary Reynolds was a labour of love over the past 10 years. This story is about my own ancestors and Mary Reynolds was my great aunt. I have always been interested in the pioneer days and collecting antiques and artifacts has been a fun hobby. While writing the book, I started visiting the Grade 3 classes in my own schools to share my collection and talk about pioneers since I had done so much research into those years. I enjoyed these visits tremendously because of the curiosity and enthusiasm of the students. Now that my book is finished it has become a part of my visits. I really enjoy sharing my family's story of their homesteading years. I also feel that it important to instill in the children the importance of asking their grandparents and family members the stories of their own families. The children have been excited to receive their own journal. It is my hope to bring Canadian history to life with the story of my family and the opportunity to see and touch everyday items from the past.