Melvin Lyle "Mel" Boring (born September 12, 1939) is an American children's author specializing in non-fiction. A member of the

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization that acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers ...

, Boring has produced works such as ''Incredible Constructions and the People Who Built Them''; ''Caterpillars, Bugs, and Butterflies''; and ''Guinea Pig Scientists: Bold Self-Experimenters in Science and Medicine'' (coauthored with Leslie Dendy). Boring also travels the world to speak to students about book writing and publishing while he wears a Cat-in-the-Hat costume.

Biography

Melvin Lyle Boring was born in

St. Clair Shores, Michigan St. Clair Shores is a suburban city bordering Lake Saint Clair (North America), Lake St. Clair in Macomb County, Michigan, Macomb County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms a part of the Metro Detroit area, and is located about northeast of d ...

, to Harold Truman, an electrician, and Helen Irene (née Hatfield) Boring. Boring earned his B.A. from Sterling College, Kansas, in 1961, and attended

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of ...

, where he received his Master of Divinity (M. Div.) in 1965. He began as an educator, which sparked his interest in writing books for children. He claims he had difficulty learning to read in early childhood, although he loved to hear books read to him. Those books, especially

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins ''The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins'' is a children's book, written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss and published by Vanguard Press in 1938. Unlike the majority of Geisel's books, it is written in prose rather th ...

'', served as inspiration for his career in writing.Profile
, authorsillustrators.com, April 4, 2007.

Family

He married his second wife, Carol Lynne Trettin, a registered nurse, on June 21, 1975; the couple has two children: Zachery and Katrina. He has two sons from his first marriage, Joshua and Jeremy.

Career

Boring has published twelve books and over twenty-five stories in such magazines as ''

Highlights for Children ''Highlights for Children'', often referred to simply as ''Highlights'', is an American children's magazine. It began publication in June 1946, started by Garry Cleveland Myers and his wife Caroline Clark Myers in Honesdale, Pennsylvania (the pr ...

'' and ''

Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

''. Boring's first twelve fiction submissions to children's magazines received a total of 143 rejections with only one acceptance.Profile of Mel Boring
April 4, 2007. He spent eighteen years as an Institute of Children's Literature instructor, teaching hundreds of his students how to write for children.

Books

*''Sealth: The Story of an American Indian'', Dillon, 1978. *''The Rainmaker'', Random House (New York, New York), 1980. *''Clowns: The Fun Makers'', Messner, 1980. *''Wovoka: The Story of an American Indian'', Dillon, 1980. *''Incredible Constructions and the People Who Built Them'', Walker (New York, New York), 1984. *''Birds, Nests, and Eggs'', NorthWord (Minnetonka, Minnesota), 1996. *''Caterpillars, Bugs, and Butterflies'', NorthWord (Minnetonka, Minnesota), 1996. *''Rabbits, Squirrels, and Chipmunks'', illustrated by Linda Garrow, NorthWord (Minnetonka, MN), 1996; 2nd. ed., Gareth Stevens (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), 2000. *''Fun with Nature'', co-authored with Diane L. Burns and Leslie Dendy, illustrated by Linda Garrow, NorthWord (Minnetonka, Minnesota), 1999. *''Guinea Pig Scientists: Bold Self-Experimenters in Science and Medicine'', co-authored with Leslie Dendy, illustrated by C.B. Mordan, Holt (New York, New York), 2005. *''Flamingos, Loons, and Pelicans'', illustrated by Andrew Recher, NorthWord (Minnetonka, Minnesota), 2006.

Honors and awards

*Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators of Iowa Award *''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'' Top Ten Science Books for Youth designation (2005) *''

Book Links ''Book Links'' is a quarterly magazine and is the supplement of another magazine ''Booklist'', which are based in Chicago. History and profile ''Book Links'' was launched in 1990. It began as a magazine published by the American Library Associat ...

'' Lasting Connections designation (2005) *Subaru Science Books and Films Prize finalist (2006) *

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

Best Books for Young Adults designation (2006) *

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...

Book for the Teen Age designation (2006)

References

External links

* http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/fun-with-nature-by-mel-boring