LOIS WALKER, B.A., M.A.
UNIVERSITY TEACHER
Lois began her career in 1967 at Canada's Notre Dame University, for ten years directing and producing more than 40 mainstage productions for Notre Dame University Theater. She taught public speaking and acting in the Theater Arts Department, and Language Arts for the Education Department.
TELEVISION PRODUCER
In 1977 she moved to Ottawa, Canada, where she and her husband Herb, a former University Literature Professor, continued to pursue educational interests. Together they created and produced a touring theater production for elementary schools, which traveled throughout Canada and the United States for several years. In 1979, in conjunction with the Mid-Canada Television Network (MCTV), the Walkers began producing television programs for children. Four long running TV series, Take Part! (variety), Hands Up! Hands On! (crafts), Tell-a-Tale Town (storytelling), and Surf's Up! Let's Cook! (cooking), seen daily for 12 years on YTV, Canada's kids channel, and the Global Television network, would result in Lois becoming a household name in Canada as host of more than 450 half hours of children's television.
In 1985, Hands Up! Hand On! received a Can Pro Gold Award for excellence in children's television. In the 1990's, the programs were seen on YTV, CTV, the CanWest Global Television system, and were syndicated to 8 countries worldwide. Surf's Up! Let's Cook! and Tell-a-Tale Town are currently in reruns in Canada. Tell-a-Tale Town is currently in syndication on Book TV.
During her TV career, Lois wrote the lyrics and music for 40 children's songs and the major theme songs for each of her series.
NEWPAPER COLUMNIST
During the years of her television career, Lois also wrote a weekly children's column, Take Part For Kids, for the Vancouver Province newspaper and represented the newspaper yearly at the Pacific National Exhibition, where she promoted the newspaper and her column. In conjunction with this promotion, she performed children's concerts (songs and storytelling) throughout the run of the PNE exhibition.
SCRIPTS FOR SCHOOLS
In 1988, the Herb and Lois began writing and publishing Readers Theater and Choral Speaking scripts. The scripts were intended to assist teachers in promoting an interest in stories and reading in the classroom.
Their publishing company, SCRIPTS FOR SCHOOLS, a division of Take Part Productions Ltd., has expanded from an initial 10 published scripts in 1988, to its current 250 script titles. The scripts, which are developed by Lois and a team of skilled teacher-writers, are geared to many different reading levels (primary, intermediate, teen and adult), and encompass different curriculum areas such as social studies, science, and literature.
PROFESSIONAL STORYTELLER
For a number of years, Lois selected favorite stories from her published scripts and performed them as storytelling programs in schools and libraries, both in Canada and the United States. "Kiviok's Magic Journey" (based on an old Inuit folktale) became her signature piece, featuring countless volunteer teachers and librarians who came out of the audience to play the wicked raven! When she began taping the TV series Tell-A-Tale Town, she was able to fill the show with many of the other professional storytellers she had met along the way.
OTHER PUBLISHERS OF LOIS'S MATERIALS
Pembroke Publishers, Canada
Ginn, Canada
Houghton Mifflin, Canada
Deneau, Canada
Scholastic, Canada
John Wiley and Sons, USA
Verlag an der Rush, Germany
Selector, Mexico
DOK Publishers, USA
Pearson Education, Australia
Meriwether Publishing Ltd., USA
Mayflower Press, USA
LibrarySparks, Highsmith, USA
East and West Book Company, Ltd., Taiwan
PUBLICATIONS
TEACHER RESOURCES
The Instant Puppet Resourcebook for Teachers (Pembroke)
Readers Theater in the Elementary Classroom (Take Part)
Readers Theater in the Middle and Jr. High Classrooms (Contemporary Drama Service)
Readers Theater in the Classroom (East and West)
ILLUSTRATED STORYBOOKS
Misery's Tree and The Roly Rice Balls: Two Readers Theater Plays adapted from Portuguese and Japanese folklore (Pearson)
The Crazy Critters: an original Play For Children (Pearson)
The Gigantic Turnip Tug: a play adapted from a Russian folktale (Pearson)
SCRIPTS
Go Home, Goldie (Ginn)
The Rat Princess (Ginn)
A Thanksgiving Surprise (Highsmith)
MAGAZINE ARTICLES
The Roly Rice Balls of Taiwan (English Works)
Readers Theater: Effective and Fun (English Works)
CHILDREN'S ACTIVITY BOOKS
Puppets the Puppcorn Way (Take Part)
Crafts For Kids (Deneau)
Kid's Can Cook the Puppcorn Way (Take Part)
Get Growing! (Wiley)
Now semi-retired in Palm Desert, California, Lois continues to write scripts, maintain the Scripts for Schools website, and correspond by e-mail with teachers from all over the world!
