Peter and Connie Roop Authors
Peter and Connie Roop
Authors
Peter Roop, a Wisconsin State Teacher of the Year, has been bringing books and children together for over 30 years. He has written extensively for Cricket and Cobblestone Magazines. He currently writes and speaks full-time. Last year he visited 22 state and talked with over 50,000 students!
Connie Roop, a high school environmental science teacher, is a recipient of the Women Leaders in Education Award from the American Association of University Women and a Kohl Education Foundation Award for Exceptional Teaching. In 1997 and 1998 she led groups of students to Belize to study the rainforest.
Together, Connie and Peter have written 100 children's books ranging from historical fiction to nonfiction. Seven of their books are "Reading Rainbow" books, including Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie, a Feature Book. Their books have received recognition from the National Association of Science Teachers, National Council of Teachers of English, the Children's Book Council, and the American Library Association. They received Wisconsin's Laura Ingalls Wilder Book Award. They have presented over 800 workshops for students, educators and writers in 26 states.
River Roads West: America's First Highways by Peter Roop (Author), Connie Roop (Author) Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover: 64 pages Publisher: Calkins Creek Books (September 2007) 
ISBN-10: 1590784308 ISBN-13: 978-1590784303 
Buttons for General Washington (On My Own Books) by Peter Roop (Author), Connie Roop (Author), Peter E. Hanson (Illustrator) Hardcover: 56 pages Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group; Library Binding edition (December 1986) 
Reading level: Ages 4-8
ISBN-10: 0876144768
ISBN-13: 978-0876144763
Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie (1st Avenue) by Peter Roop (Author), Connie Roop (Author), Peter E. Hanson (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8 Paperback: 56 pages Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group (July 1987) 
ISBN-10: 0876142757 ISBN-13: 978-0876142752
Going to Yellowstone by Connie Roop, Peter Roop Paperback Publisher: Farcountry Press (March 2005)
ISBN: 156037361X
Designed for children ages 8 to 13, Going to Yellowstone is chock full of fascinating information about Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the U.S.—and in the world. Chapters on geology, Native Americans, explorers, wildlife, historic structures, landmarks, and thermal features are supplemented by excellent color photos and illustrations.
Louisiana Purchase (Ready-for-Chapters) by Peter Roop, Connie Roop, Sally Wern Comport (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8 Hardcover: 80 pages Publisher: Aladdin Library (September 21, 2004)
ISBN:0689864450
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal This book begins with biographical sketches of the important people who shaped events prior to, during, and immediately after the Louisiana Purchase, such as Robert Livingston, James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson, Napolon Bonaparte, and Charles Leclerc. Concisely written, the large-print text includes information on the early exploration of the area, the French and Indian War, and the American Revolution. The authors also extend the topic to include the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the settling of the West and how these settlements affected the Native Americans, and the Missouri Compromise. The Roops dramatize and invent dialogue in the opening chapter, describing a bath scene in which Napolon decides to sell Louisiana. The black-and-white illustrations and map of the United States in the early 1800s may help students visualize some of the events. – Ann Joslin, formerly at Erie County Public Library, PA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist .... a good, concise history of the Louisiana Territory, written in terms accessible to middle-graders. Carolyn Phelan Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved
Give Me a Sign, Helen Keller! (Before I Made History) by Peter Roop Paperback: 55 pages Publisher: Scholastic (January 2004)
ISBN: 0439554446 ISBN-13: 978-0439554442
Let's Dream, Martin Luther King, Jr.!
(Scholastic Chapter Book Biography)
by Peter Roop, Connie Roop
Paperback: 59 pages
Publisher: Scholastic (January 2004)
ISBN: 0439554438
Let's Drive, Henry Ford! (Before I Made History)
by Peter Roop, Connie Roop Paperback:65 pages Publisher:
Scholastic (January 2004)
ISBN: 043967624X 
Sacagawea: Girl of the Shining Mountains by Connie Roop, Peter Roop Hardcover: 178 pages Distributed by Peter and Connie Roop
ISBN: 060629256X
Editorial Review
From School Library Journal A biography of Sacagawea from the time she was captured by the Minnetaree through 1806, when Lewis and Clark left for home. ... the author offers a portrait of a Native American in which her admiration for the individual colors her writing. ... the book is a well-researched, readable biography. Those seeking additional information on this expedition will find the extensive bibliography useful. Carolyn Angus, The Claremont Graduate School, CA Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Good-Bye for Today : The Diary of a Young Girl Art Sea by Connie Roop, Thomas B. Allen (Illustrator), Peter Geiger Roop Reading level: Ages 9-12 School & Library Binding - 48 pages (May 2000) Atheneum; 7 ;
ISBN: 068982222
Laura doesn't want to keep a journal, but her mother says she must. After all, writing about the day-to-day life aboard her father's ship, the Monticello, will preserve her memories of a most interesting and at times terrifying, experience.
The Monticello is a whaling ship, and Laura's father has decided to bring Laura, her mother, and her little brother, William, along on this voyage, for as soon as they fill the ship's hold with whale oil in the Arctic they shall return to their home in New Bedford -- a home that Laura, who was born in the Sandwich Islands, has never seen.
But the long trip to the Arctic is a perilous one indeed. There are terrible storms, increasing cold, the thrill (and pity) of the whale hunt, the loss of crew members, and most of all the threat of ice, which can surround a ship and squeeze it into splinters.
Based on real journals from children who lived aboard nineteenth-century whaling ships, Peter and Connie Roop's story introduces young readers to one plucky girl and her family's unusual but fascinating lifestyle.
Editorial Reviews
From Children's Literature - This literary style nicely captures life aboard the whaling ship by giving Laura's perspectives on this journey. As Laura was encouraged to keep a diary for educational purposes, readers too can delight in the nautical terms that Laura learns on her trip. The author's writing truly brings the reader on board, introducing the challenges and perils that are faced at sea--chasing whales, battling storms and ice brigades, and living simply and in close quarters. Using this book in class for literary and historical reasons provides a great segue to discuss and encourage in-class or at-home journaling, a practice that lets students comfortably describe events and express their feelings. Regardless of the use, the book gives a glimpse into 19th century living of whaling families. 2000, Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, Ages 7 to 10, $16.00. Reviewer: Melinda Tierney—Children's Literature
From Booklist This engaging, diary-format story describes a young girl's voyage on a nineteenth-century whaling ship captained by her father. Written in Laura's believable first-person voice, the entries convey the often dangerous life on board. Passages, which include details that will fascinate kids (the food, the living quarters, the chamber pots, the on-deck school hours, and the particulars of whaling), are illustrated with Thomas Allen's small, sepia ink pictures (designed to look as if Laura has drawn them), interspersed with lovely full-color spreads of the story's action. .... Gillian Engberg Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved From Kirkus Reviews Allen's (Good-Bye, Charles Lindbergh, 1998, etc.) sepia ink sketches set alongside the text illustrate many objects that may be unfamiliar to the modern reader. These include a chamber pot, sailor's knots, and a harpoon. Two-page color pencil-and-oil wash illustrations interspersed with the text give the larger context of the whaling scene. These luminous images sharpen the reader's understanding of a bygone life. Additional information and historical background are included in an authors' note, and a glossary is placed at the front of the book for easy reference. A good read with an interesting historical background. (Fiction. 8-10) -- Copyright 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
An Eye for an Eye (Jamestown's American Portraits) by Peter Roop, Connie Roop Hardcover (June 2000) Jamestown Pubns; ISBN: 0809205874 Reading level: Young Adult Paperback - 144 pages (January 1, 2000)
NTC/Contemporary Publishing Co.; 
ISBN: 0809206285
Paperback ISBN:0769634222
In 1775 fourteen-year-old Samantha, who should be wearing dresses, knows she that in britches she can out-hunt her twin and out-sail her older brother near their James River home, but can she use those skills against the British when the American Revolution begins?
Whales and Dolphins (Hello Science Reader!, Level 1.) by Peter Roop, Carol Schwartz (Illustrator), Connie Roop Paperback (November 2000) Scholastic Trade;
ISBN: 0439099129
Basic fun facts are presented in rhyming, kid-friendly text, with lush illustrations. Young readers will learn about these aquatic mammals: where they live, what they eat, and what they do to survive in the great blue sea.
In Their Own Words Series
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 Sojourner Truth by Peter Roop, Connie Roop"I am pleading for the mothers, Who gaze in wild despair, Upon the hated auction-block, And see their children there."With these words Sojourner Truth sang about the pain that women slaves felt when their children were sold away from them. Sojourner Truth was born a slave in New York. Her son Peter was taken away from her and she went to extraordinary lengths to get him back. Through hard work and the help of her friends, Sojourner freed herself and her children from slavery. As a free woman, she traveled across the country speaking against slavery and in favor of women's rights. Reading level: Ages 9-12 Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Scholastic; Reissue edition (February 1, 2003) ISBN: 0439263239 | |
4 "In Their Own Words" Journals Coming Soon!
| The Diary of Joseph Plumb Martin (In My Own Words) by Connie Roop, Peter Roop Reading level: Ages 9-12 Library Binding - 64 pages (October 2000) Benchmark Books ISBN: 0761410147 | The Diary of John Wesley Powell (In My Own Words) by Connie Roop, Peter Roop, John Wesley Powell Reading level: Ages 9-12 Library Binding - 64 pages (October 2000) Benchmark Books; ISBN: 0761410139 |
| The Diary of David K. Leeper (In My Own Words) by David Rohrer Leeper, Connie Roop, Peter Roop, Reading level: Ages 9-12 Library Binding - 64 pages (October 2000) Benchmark Books; ISBN: 0761410112 | The Diary of Mary Jemison (In My Own Words) by Mary Jemison, Connie Roop, Peter Roop, Reading level: Ages 9-12 Library Binding - 64 pages (Oct. 1, 2000) Benchmark Books; ISBN: 0761410104 |
More Published Books
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Ahyoka and the Talking Leaves by Peter Roop, Connie Roop, Yoshi Miyake (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12 Paperback 1 edition (August 1994) Beech Tree Books; 
ISBN: 0688130828
Ahyoka helps her father Sequoyah in his quest to create a system of writing for his people.
1996 Florida Sunshine Award. ALA Notable Trade Book
Editorial Reviews
From Horn Book The young daughter of Sequoyah, the famous Cherokee, is the focus of this short, historical novel about Sequoyah's work to develop a written language for the Cherokee. Details of the Cherokee culture are carefully woven into the text, and the epilogue and bibliography give the reader enough information to place the story in history and separate the historical fact from hypothesis. -- Copyright 1992 The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.
Pilgrim Voices : Our First Year in the New World by Connie Roop (Editor), Shelley Pritchett (Illustrator), Peter Roop (Editor) Reading level: Ages 9-12 Paperback - 48 pages (November 1997) Walker & Co;
ISBN: 0802775306
Listen to the Pilgrim voices as they tell in their own words the joys and sorrows of their first year in America.
Notable Trade Book.
C.C. Lewis Shelf Award
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist The Roops give a new twist to the familiar story of the Pilgrims' first voyage to North America and the original Thanksgiving celebration. Drawing on diaries and journals, they use the Pilgrims' own words to describe the voyage on the Mayflower; exploring the land and meeting the Indians; the hardships, illnesses, and hunger during the first winter; and the harvest festival. The diary format and first-person voice contribute authenticity and vitality to the text, with colorful paintings by Shelley Pritchett adding interest. Karen Hutt Copyright 1996, American Library Association. All rights reserved
Off the Map : The Journals of Lewis and Clark by William Clark, Connie Roop (Editor), Tim Tanner (Illustrator), Peter Roop Paperback - 48 pages Reprint edition (April 1998) Walker & Co; ISBN: 0802775462 
A look back at the adventures of Lewis and Clark describes their two-year, eight thousand-mile trek through the uncharted Louisiana Territory.
Notable Trade Book
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist , September 1, 1993 Excerpting the voluminous journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition into a short, illustrated book, the Roops offer colorful glimpses of an important event in American history. ... The full-color illustrations, mainly in warm earth tones, give the pages an attractive look, but the most vivid pictures come from the journals themselves: "November 8, 1805. Proceeded on to a point. Waves so high we landed, unloaded, and drew up our canoes. We are all wet and disagreeable." This vivid source material would be a welcome part of any classroom study of the subject. Carolyn Phelan Copyright 1993, American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
The Buffalo Jump by Peter Roop, Bill Farnsworth (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover - 1 pages (August 1996) Rising Moon;
ISBN: 0873586166
Little Blaze longs to lead the herd in the buffalo jump, his tribe's main source for food and clothing. A jump was also a chance for the ahwa waki, the buffalo runner, to earn a new name. But his father has chosen his brother, Curly Bear, instead, and Little Blaze is angry. When Curly Bear stumbles while leading the herd, will Little Blaze be able to forget his hurt feelings and save his brother?
1997 Finalist for The Storyteller Award,
Western Writers of America
Editorial Reviews
From Horn Book In a dramatic tale, a Native American boy is angry when his brother is chosen over him to lead the buffalo jump, a prehistoric hunting method. ... Realistic oil paintings convey both the characters' emotions and the story's drama. An author's note provides historical information and explains that the story features the Blackfeet tribe. -- Copyright 1997 The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.
Westward Ho, Ho, Ho! by Peter Roop, Connie Roop, Anne Canevari Green (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12 School & Library Binding - 40 pages (September 1996) Millbrook Press; 
ISBN: 0761300201
Presents essays, jokes, riddles, and suggested readings on aspects of the Wild West, from the Oregon Trail to the Alamo, from Native Americans to cowboys, from explorers to outlaws.
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist. It's the jokes and riddles that will attract kids to this light introduction to the history of the West. On each double-page spread, there's a quick overview of a subject--from trappers and traders to Native Americans and cowboys--along with a few cartoons, a group of riddles, and a list of one or two books for further reading. ... teachers will welcome the humor as a way to get kids relaxed and listening. Hazel Rochman Copyright 1996, American Library Association. All rights reserved.
OTHER BOOKS
| Walk on the Wildside! Millbrook, 1996 | Martin Luther King, Jr. Heinemann 1998 |
| Susan B. Anthony, Heinemann, 1998 | Seasons of the Cranes, Walker, 1989 |
| Stick Out Your Tongue!, Reading Rainbow Book | Go Hog Wild!, Reading Rainbow Book |
| Let's Celebrate Halloween!, Millbrook, 1997 | Let's Celebrate Christmas!, Millbrook, 1997 |
LOOK FOR THESE SERIES
 Let's Celebrate Halloween |  Let's Celebrate Valentines Day, |  Let's Celebrate Thanksgiving, |
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The Roops are available individually or together for school or conference visits and have a variety of programs:
Story of a Story - A program on the writing process from idea to publication which has been presented over1000 times from Maine to Hawaii.
Student Writing Workshops - Nonfiction, fiction , and poetry.
Teachers In Print - A writing workshop for teachers who want to write for publication.
Comments from past presentations:
"Peter Roops visit was the highlight of the school year! It was the best use of PTA funds ever." Pat Sykes, Principal.
"Our students and staff were equally delighted, educated, and inspired by your presentations. It was a wonderful experience!" Kim Dahl, Media Specialist.
"I will definitely recommend you to others who are planning conferences and desire quality speakers!" Lynette Mehall, Illinois Reading Council Speaker Chair.
"You made writing and reading come alive! Your humor, questions, examples and explanations captivated our kindergartners through fifth graders as you led them on "The Trail of a Tale". Judy Hoeppner, Library Media Specialist, Sussex, WI.
Peter and Connie Roop
2601 N. Union St.
Appleton, WI 54911-2141
Phone 920-731-5364
Email: mailto:peterroop@aol.com
To return to home page click HERE. 04/29/08 Date this page was edited
