As an educator and environmental activist, Renée Bandes has always felt passionate about saving our world for future generations by teaching those generations how to become better stewards of their environment than their forebears have been.
To that end, Renée decided to give one of the greatest gifts of knowledge one can give: Books!
Over 20 years ago, Renée had the idea to write her first book, The Day the Sun Forgot to Wake, which then grew into a series of Little Laurie’s Science Stories. While the books flowed from her mind to her page, often based on her own questions as a child, and her experiences working as a teacher in the public school system, she was never able to find the right illustrator who could vividly capture the image she had in her mind.
In 2022, Renée partnered with Michael Evans, a child development specialist and science blogger to help bring Little Laurie to life.
The first of Little Laurie’s Science Stories is currently being illustrated and edited, and should go to print mid-2022!
The series will focus on colorful stories for kids between toddler and 2nd grade that answer the questions that 5-year-old Laurie poses to her mom as she tries to make sense of the world around her.
In addition to an engaging story, each Little Laurie book will include a related age-appropriate science experiment that the kids can do at home, along with documentation for educators that will allow them to associate each story with relevant NGSS standards.
Through their work together, Renée and Michael decided to expand Renée’s original vision of science themes for early learners. In addition to Little Laurie’s Science Stories, upcoming projects include a book series for kids in 3rd through 6th grade called Ninja Née, and a website for older teens and adults that focuses on science news, trivia, and communication called Onward Science.
Keep an eye on the News & Updates page to learn more about each project as they near publication.