Laura Perdew
Laura Perdew was the kid who preferred being outdoors to indoors – climbing a tree she wasn’t supposed to climb, mucking around in a nearby creek, digging for sand crabs at the shore, or building a snow fort whenever there was enough snow. But when she was indoors, she loved reading books and writing stories. After growing up and going to college in Virginia, she made her way to Colorado and found her place.
Today, Laura writes both fiction and nonfiction for kids, including The Fort (Page Street Kids, April 2020) and Biodiversity: Explore the Diversity of Life on Earth (Nomad Press 2019) which is on the Booklist editors’ list of the Top 10 Books on the Environment & Sustainability for Youth 2020. More and more she’s drawn toward writing books that showcase our amazing planet and all its biodiversity, and encourage kids to unplug, explore, and use their imagination. The research she does as an author has deepened the love and respect she has for the natural world. She finds the COOLEST facts as she digs. She often goes WHOA, NO WAY! For example, did you know Alaskan wood frogs FREEZE SOLID every winter? Then they thaw out in the spring and hop away. And that wetlands are Earth’s natural filters as well as buffers against storms? Ever heard of a velvet worm? Look it up (with video)! Laura could go on and on and on. She is constantly amazed by our planet. Yet she is also worried about it.
As an author, Laura wants to help kids think about the world we live in – to be as amazed by it as she is. She wants to help inspire wonder and understanding, because that leads to caring, which leads to action.
When she’s not researching and writing, Laura can often be found (surprise, surprise) outdoors – hiking, running, and exploring. Colorado is the perfect playground. Nothing beats a hike to a high mountain lake in the summer, meadows of wildflowers, and the endless blue Colorado sky. And while she is definitely a mountain girl, Laura loves the ocean too. Aside from hiking and running shoes, her favorite footwear is a pair of flip flops.
Laura Perdew is represented by Ana Crespo.
