What better way to get a class excited than with live insects! Related to her book Don’t Squash That Bug!, Natalie Rompella (often referred to as “The Bug Lady”) brings to presentations a few of her creepiest buddies, including a hissing cockroach, a walking stick, and various mounted insects.

Rompella didn’t always love science. It wasn’t until she began teaching that she fell in love with the subject, especially with insects! After discovering her passion, she got her Master of Education in Science Education. She then went on to write curriculum for the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago, where she also taught science in the Chicago Public Schools. Currently, she teaches part-time in Barrington.

Rompella began her career as an author by writing leveled readers for Scott Foresman on science topics, fiction, and historical fiction. Her first trade book, Don’t Squash That Bug! (Lobster Press, 2007), explores fourteen of the thirty-two orders of insects. It not only contains facts about each order, but also gives the scientific name, where else in the world the insects live, how to find them, and how they are beneficial to nature.

Rompella also enjoys science fairs, participating herself from first grade through eighth. She has written two books for Heinemann, Science Fair Projects: Ecosystems and Science Fair Projects: Chemistry. While working at the Nature Museum, she gave presentations to students on science fair projects and would love to continue helping students, parents, and teachers get ready for science fairs.

Famous Firsts: The Groundbreakers, Trendsetters, and Risk-takers Who Got America Moving! (Lobster Press, 2007) is her fourth book and will appeal to nine- to twelve-year-olds who love extreme sports. This book walks readers through the birth of ten different sports, all started in America: surfing, cheerleading, sled dog racing, water skiing, trampolining, flying disc throwing, skateboarding, BMXing, snowboarding, and in-line skating. Using Famous Firsts as an example, Rompella shares the importance of getting the facts straight through proper research and shows how to make any fact exciting.

Currently, Rompella is working on a book for teens: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The Ultimate Teen Guide.

Contact Information:
Email: info@natalierompella.com
Website: http://www.natalierompella.com