About
Laurie Ann Thompson grew up in the fields and forests of northern Wisconsin and now lives between the mountains and the sea in western Washington State. A naturalist and former software engineer, she writes to help her readers—and herself—better understand the world we all share. She is co-author of the Two Truths and a Lie series (with Ammi-Joan Paquette) and author of several award-winning nonfiction books, including teen how-to guide Be a Changemaker and Emmanuel's Dream, a picture book biography about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah which won the ALA Schneider Family Book Award and an Odyssey Award Honor.
Featured Work
Emmanuel's Dream
Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah's inspiring true story—which was turned into a film, Emmanuel's Gift, narrated by Oprah Winfrey—is nothing short of remarkable.
Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people—but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled.
Thompson's lyrical prose and Qualls's bold collage illustrations offer a powerful celebration of triumphing over adversity.
