Lourie presents Hudson canoe trip
Adventure writer Peter Lourie visits Haldane fourth-graders Thursday, Dec. 13. Photo courtesy of Haldane
Peter Lourie, a renowned adventure writer, visited Haldane fourth-grade students on Thursday, Dec. 13 to present his journey down the Hudson River in a canoe. He was the first person to canoe down the entire 315-mile length of the Hudson River from its source in the Adirondack Mountains to Manhattan. His children’s book Hudson River: An Adventure From the Mountains to the Sea described his adventure. He also wrote about his journey in an adult book, River of Mountains: A Canoe Journey Down the Hudson.
Lourie shared a PowerPoint presentation of his journey to highlight the discussion of his travels. He related stories from his childhood with students, who responded to him. His humor, down-to-earth style and riveting manner captivated the students.
Following the PowerPoint presentation, Lourie spent time with each fourth-grade class discussing his writing process. He talked about the importance of journal writing and of writing about what the children know. He stated that good writing is detailed writing.
Lourie gave the children a sneak preview of images from his new books on Africa, polar bears and manatees. Many of the students decided that they might want to be adventure writers when they grow up.