Leslie Barnard Booth
children's book author
ABOUT
Bio from 1990
Fast Forward
My interests haven't changed much since 1990! I still love writing stories. I also love being in nature. I'm kind of obsessed with rocks, time, the universe, trees, crows, fungi, microbes, and nutrient cycling. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, graduated from Pomona College, and earned graduate degrees in education and creative writing from the University of Oregon. Now that I'm a grown-up kid, I get to visit schools, libraries, and nature centers to teach about writing and science. I'm passionate about affirming and making space for children's curiosity, creativity, and innate connection to the natural world.
Official Third-Person Bio
Leslie Barnard Booth is an award-winning author of lyrical picture books about science and nature. Her books One Day This Tree Will Fall (Simon & Schuster/McElderry) and A Stone Is a Story (Simon & Schuster/McElderry) have both been named Outstanding Science Trade Books by the National Science Teaching Association and Children's Book Council. Leslie grew up in Washington state, among giant trees and rugged mountains. She has taught at preschool, elementary, and college levels and holds an MFA in creative writing and an MS in education from the University of Oregon. She is also a mom to two daughters, and her children often inspire her creative work. She learns a lot from watching how they approach nature—the way they pause, crouch, and look closely at even the littlest, humblest creatures. Thanks to them, she's relearned what children seem to know intuitively: that every snail, stone, and clump of moss is full of wonder, if only we take the time to look. Leslie lives in Portland, Oregon, and her next book, I Am We: A Story of Crow Survival (Chronicle), releases in fall 2025. ​​Visit her at lesliebarnardbooth.com.
