Lisa Bullard

The first thing Lisa Bullard wanted to be when she grew up was a shoe sales clerk. When that didn’t work out, she pursued her dream to be an award-winning writer. Her first publication came in grade school with a letter to a local newspaper. It took almost thirty more years for Lisa to see her first book in print. Not Enough Beds!, a picture book, was published in 1999. Two years later she won a Children’s Choice Award for Trick-or-Treat on Milton Street. Lisa has also written several nonfiction series, including the “Animal Opposites” books, which won a 2007 Teacher’s Choice Award.

Lisa began her acquaintance with the bookmaking process by working in the publishing industry for sixteen years. That background, combined with her own writing experience, gives her a unique perspective on how the book business combines artistry with industry. Now a full-time writer, Lisa also coaches new writers, teaches writing classes, and helps other writers to market their work more effectively.

Lisa enjoys visiting schools to talk with students about writing and publishing. Her book You Can Write a Story: A Story-Writing Recipe for Kids features many of the activities she has developed while working with these hundreds of student writers. It takes young writers step-by-step through the story creation process.

Lisa lives in Minneapolis with a tailless cat who is shaped like a bunny.

Lisa says: “One of the best reviews I've received came from a five-year-old. Her grandmother explained to me that the little girl had enjoyed my first picture book so much that she had memorized the entire text—all 225 words!—and happily ‘read’ the story all by herself. Halfway through reading the book one day, the girl stopped. ‘But Grandma,’ she asked, ‘just what is a hubbub?’ ‘Hubbub’ is a celebration-dazed, noisy, overfull, lovely-to-say-out-loud word—the one perfect word for that point in my story—and the word I had to work hardest as a writer to make fit. What a tremendous feeling for me to know that I have introduced a word like ‘hubbub’—and many other equally wonderful words—to kids I might never meet face-to-face.”




			Planet Protectors Series Millbrook Press, 2012 grades K to 2 Our planet needs help! Here come Trina and Tyler to the rescue. These enthusiastic kids show readers how to reduce, reuse, recycle, and more. The appealing artwork and picture book design make learning about protecting the planet fun. Watch Over Our Water illustrated by Xiao Xin ISBN 978-0-7613-6106-0 Choose to Reuse illustrated by Wes Thomas ISBN 978-0-7613-6104-6 Earth Day Every Day illustrated by Xiao Xin ISBN 978-0-7613-6109-1 Go Easy on Energy illustrated by Wes Thomas ISBN 978-0-7613-6107-7 Look Out for Litter illustrated by Xiao Xin ISBN 978-0-7613-6105-3 Power Up to Fight Pollution illustrated by Wes Thomas ISBN 978-0-7613-6108-4 Rally for Recycling illustrated by Wes Thomas ISBN 978-0-7613-6103-9



			Nina and Nolan Build a Nonsense Poem illlustrated by Patrick Girourard Norwood House Press, 2011 grades 2 to 4, ISBN 978-1-59953-437-4 Follow along as Nina and Nolan learn to write poems that are funny and playful.



			Autumn Series illustrated by Nadine Takvorian Picture Window Books, 2011 grades PreK to 3 Find out about the amazing changes that animals and trees undergo every fall. Leaves Fall Down: Learning about Autumn Leaves ISBN 978-1404860131 Busy Animals: Learning about Animals in Autumn ISBN 978-1404860148



			What’s the Difference? Series illustrated by Bandelin-Dacey Picture Window Books, 2010 grades K to 3 Young readers can learn the differences between two animals that share common traits but also have unique distinctions. What’s the Difference Between an Alligator and a Crocodile? ISBN 978-1-4048-5547-2 What’s the Difference Between a Leopard and a Cheetah? ISBN 978-1-4048-5548-9



			Lightning Bolt Books—Famous Places Lerner Publishing, 2010 grades K to 2 Each title explores a high-interest topic through simple text and reinforcing photographs. The Empire State Building hardcover ISBN 978-0-8225-9404-8 paperback ISBN 978-0-7613-5009-5 The Erie Canal hardcover ISBN 978-0-8225-9405-5 paperback ISBN 978-0-7613-5010-1 The Everglades hardcover ISBN 978-0-7613-4453-7 paperback ISBN 978-0-7613-5569-4 The Gateway Arch hardcover ISBN 978-0-8225-9406-2 paperback ISBN 978-0-7613-5011-8 The Redwood Forests hardcover ISBN 978-0-7613-4452-0 paperback ISBN 978-0-7613-5581-6



			Friends Forever Girls series illustrated by John Carrozza Inspire U ages 7 to 10 Nika Needs Your Vote 2009 ISBN 978-0-9792361-4-3 Election Day is coming soon, and Nika the bookworm is about to find out if she really has a chance to become class president. But no matter how the vote turns out, Nika knows she can count on the support of the Friends Forever Girls. Or can she? Suddenly it seems like Nika is facing friendship trouble everywhere she turns. Kristina Takes the Stage 2008 ISBN 978-0-9792361-2-9 Being in a play is one of the best things about Kristina's new school. Even better are the new friends she’s made, the Friends Forever Girls. But Kristina does have one big problem. One of the special hats for the play is missing, and Kristina knows it could be her fault! Follow along as Kristina discovers that the mystery of the missing hat is hiding a much bigger secret: a secret that teaches her what it truly means to be a “friend forever.”



			Ace Your Oral or Multimedia Presentation Enslow Publishers, 2009 grades 3 to 4, ISBN 978-0-7660-3391-7 Young readers can learn how to create and present an oral or multimedia presentation.



			Crocheting for Fun! Compass Point Books, 2009 grades 3 to 5, ISBN 978-0-7565-3861-3 Full-color photos and an informative text help young readers learn how to crochet.



			Pull Ahead Books – Forces of Nature Lerner Publishing, 2009 grades K-3 Each title explores a high-interest, action-packed topic through simple text and reinforcing photographs. Avalanches hardcover ISBN 978-0-8225-8827-6 paperback ISBN 978-1-58013-866-6 Blizzards hardcover ISBN 978-0-8225-8828-3 paperback ISBN 978-1-58013-867-3 Tsunamis hardcover ISBN 978-0-8225-8829-0 paperback ISBN 978-1-58013-871-0



			Fast Cars Series Capstone Press, 2008 grades 1 to 4 Learn all about some of the world’s most head-turning, high-performance cars. Chevrolet Corvette ISBN 978-1-4296-0098-9 Ferrari ISBN 978-1-4296-0099-6 Ford Mustang ISBN 978-1-4296-0100-9 Porsche ISBN 978-1-4296-0104-7



			You Can Write a Story! A Story-Writing Recipe for Kids illus. by Deborah Haley Melmon Two-Can Publishing, 2007 grades 1 to 4, ISBN978-1-58728-587-5 This easy-to-follow story-writing recipe will take young writers step-by-step through the creative process. They will learn how to mix ingredients like characters, settings and action. They will stir them up to create conflict. They will cook up a beginning, a middle, and an ending to a story. Finally, they can follow the book’s advice on how to treat their family and friends to a feast of the imagination. It's a recipe they can use again and again!



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