Her work has been honored by many groups, including the National Association of Social Studies Teachers and the National Association of Science Teachers. In 1989, she was the first winner of the Minnesota Book Award for children's books. She was the recipient of the 1994 Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, given by the National Council of Teachers of English.
To date, Barbara has written the following books, some of which have been published in France, England, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark:
SWING AROUND THE SUN (LERNER, 1965) - Poems of the four seasons.As a writing teacher for the Institute of Children's Literature, Barbara is currently a mentor for students who are learning how to write articles and books for children and teenage readers.COLD STARS AND FIREFLIES (HARPER/COLLINS 1984) - Poetry.
WORDS WITH WRINKLED KNEES (HARPER/COLLINS 1986) - Poetry using the names of animals as the animals themselves. For example, the word "elephant" would be a word with wrinkled knees.
WHO SHRANK MY GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE? (HARPER/COLLINS 1992) - Poetry looking back at those days.
THE STAR MAIDEN (LITTLE, BROWN 1988) - A re-telling of a Native American legend.
LADDER TO THE SKY (LITTLE, BROWN 1989) - Another Native American legend re-told.
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER (LITTLE, BROWN 1990) - Science information about the loon.
TIGER WITH WINGS (LITTLE, BROWN 1991) - Science information about the great horned owl.
PLAYFUL SLIDER (LITTLE, BROWN 1993) - Science information about the North American river otter.
SPONGES ARE SKELETONS (HARPER/COLLINS 1993) - Primary grade science information.
BABY WHALES DRINK MILK (HARPER/COLLINS 1994) - Primary grade science information.
THE GREAT BUFFALO RACE (LITTLE, BROWN 1994) - Another Native American legend re-told.
THE DREAM MOUSE (LITTLE, BROWN 1995) - A Lullaby Tale from Old Latvia.
A CELEBRATION OF BEES (HOLT Fall 1995) - How parents and teachers can help children write creatively.
DANCE WITH ME (HARPER/COLLINS Fall 1995) - Poetry.
ECHOES FOR THE EYE (HARPER/COLLINS Spring 1996) - Poetry about patterns in nature.
SWIFT AS THE WIND (ORCHARD Spring 1996) - Science information about the cheetah.
THE NIGHT RAINBOW (ORCHARD Fall 1996) - Poetry about the northern lights.
She also speaks and conducts workshops at schools, universities, and conferences around the country.
You can contact Barbara directly at