Lenore Look at Lafayette School: Talking about Reading, Writing, Alvin Ho, and Other Author's Day Things

This Friday, Lafayette School's Reading Road Trip welcomes author Lenore Look for a visit that promises to be entertaining, educational, and flat-out fun!  Our action-packed Author’s Day program includes four school-wide presentations and Student Writing Lunch Bunches for fourth and fifth graders.

Lenore Look began creating picture books when she was in kindergarten. Her first official book was published in 1999, followed by more picture books and two popular chapter book series, Alvin Ho and Ruby Lu. Spending time with Alvin has transformed our Author’s Day guest into a Red Sox fan and an enthusiastic collector of Fenway Park trivia.

Alvin and Flea

The Ruby Lu series is set in Seattle, Washington, Lenore Look's childhood home. Although she currently lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, the author holds fond memories of “foggy mornings and slugs on the sidewalk” from her Pacific Northwest youth.

Poster by Heather I.

As luck would have it, Lenore Look is the author of one of the most popular titles on the Fifth Grade Reading Road Trip List, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things. Fourth graders are wild for Alvin, too, and the Alvin Ho series has skyrocketed up the LMC Top Checkouts chart!
Let's pack our Reading Road Trip suitcases and travel to Concord, Massachusetts, to catch up with Lafayette School's favorite fictional friend....

Book Trailer by Carly and Ella

Alvin and His PDK

Alvin is a young boy who loves superheroes and comes from a long line of brave Chinese farmer-warriors. He wants to make friends, but first he must overcome his fear of… everything.
Alvin assembles a PDK (that's Personal Disaster Kit in Alvin-speak) to help him deal with life's fearsome moments.  Reading Road Trippers have been building customized PDKs to prepare themselves for the challenges of fourth and fifth grade:

Fourth Grade PDK

Fifth Grade PDK

Fifth Grade PDK

Fourth Grade PDK

Personal Disaster Kit  by Lauren C.

Fifth Grade PDK

Fourth Grade PDK

Personal Disaster Kit  by Ethan F.

Check out an Alvin Ho video book commercial created by Alexa:

... and another book commercial, this one by Hannah S.

Alvin’s adventures and misadventures continue in Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters. Alvin and his father, inspired by nature-loving hometown hero Henry David Thoreau, venture into the New England wilderness on a camping trip. Alvin makes a new friend and learns that he can be brave despite his fear of… everything.

Poster by Nick D.

In Alvin Ho: Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, and Other Man-Made Catastrophes, Alvin confronts another terrifiying life challenge.  He is invited to a girl’s birthday party, but his fear of… everything may prevent him from attending.

Poster by Axel M.



The latest in the series, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances, follows Alvin as he learns about death when his grandfather’s best friend passes away and he offers to accompany Gung Gung to the funeral.

It's just about time to hit the road to Author's Day. But first, let's watch a dramatic Alvin Ho book trailer, created by Bridget and Grace: