Larochelle, David 1960-

views updated

Larochelle, David 1960-

PERSONAL:

Surname is pronounced La-row-shell; born October 26, 1960, in Minneapolis, MN; son of Roger (a welder and construction worker) and Ruth LaRochelle. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: St. Olaf College, B.A., 1983; University of Minnesota, B.S., 1984. Hobbies and other interests: Entering contests, "orienteering," camping, travel, coaching and judging events for Odyssey of the Mind/Destination Imagination (creative problem solving program for children).

ADDRESSES:

Home—4791 Stewart Ave., White Bear Lake, MN 55110. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Teacher of fourth grade at a school in Coon Rapids, MN, 1984-88; freelance illustrator and writer, 1988—.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Parents' Choice Award for the book Prime Time Together … with Kids; Minnesota Book Award, 2005, for The Best Pet of All; Sid Fleischman Humor Award, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, 2005, and cited among top ten debut novels and as editors' choice by Booklist, among best books for young adults by American Library Association and books for the teen age by New York Public Library, and as choice book by Cooperative Children's Book Center, all for Absolutely, Positively Not.

WRITINGS:

FOR CHILDREN

A Christmas Guest, illustrated by Martin Skoro, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 1988.

The Evening King, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1993.

The Best Pet of All, illustrated by Hanako Wakiyama, Dutton (New York, NY), 2004.

Absolutely, Positively Not (young adult), Arthur A. Levine Books (New York, NY), 2005.

The End, illustrated by Richard Egielski, Arthur A. Levine Books (New York, NY), 2007.

AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR; PUZZLE BOOKS

The Case of the Missing Lynx, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 1995.

The Invisible Suit Case, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 1995.

A Dog Gone Dilemma, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 1996.

Trapped in Hill House!, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 1996.

The Pirate's Yo-Ho-Hoax, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 1997.

Detective Dave's Bummer Vacation, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 1997.

Miss Taken's Identity, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 1998.

Detective Dave: Space Case, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 1998.

The Mighty Big Book of Travel Mysteries, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 2002.

Picture That!: Halloween Puzzles, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 2002.

Picture That!: Christmas Puzzles, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 2002.

Detective Dave's Mad Mysteries, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 2006.

ILLUSTRATOR:

Donna Erickson, Prime Time Together … with Kids, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1989.

Janet Greeson, reteller, The Stingy Baker, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 1990.

Debbie Trafton O'Neal, Before and after Christmas: Activities and Ideas for Advent and Epiphany, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1991.

Donna Erickson, More Prime Time Activities with Kids, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

Debbie Trafton O'Neal, Before and after Easter: Activities and Ideas for Lent to Pentecost, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1993.

Jill Westburg McNamara, My Mom Is Dying: A Child's Diary, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1994.

Donna Erickson, Donna Erickson's Rainy Day Fun Book, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1996.

Donna Erickson, Donna Erickson's Year-round Holiday Fun Book, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1996.

Donna Erickson, Donna Erickson's Great Outdoors Fun Book, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1997.

Donna Erickson, Donna Erickson's Travel Fun Book, Augsburg (Minneapolis, MN), 1997.

Donna Erickson, Donna's Day, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.

Joyce Bumgardner, The New My Writing Book, Froggie Press, 1998.

Barbara Maitland, The Bookstore Valentine, E.P. Dutton (New York, NY), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS:

David LaRochelle once told CA: "I love children's books. Few things give me greater joy than reading a good children's book. Maybe I haven't completely grown up because I still prefer children's books to books for adults.

"Some of my favorite authors when I was growing up were E.L. Konigsburg, Edward Eager, E. Nesbit, and C.S. Lewis. Their stories were an important part of my life. That is one of the magical things about books: an author can write a story that will move, inspire, or entertain people s/he has never met. I hope that my books will also somehow connect with readers."