Bob Lister (Bobby) grew up in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the oldest of six children, and moved to Portsmouth in 1976. With family ties in Portsmouth, he was a frequent visitor to the city prior to moving there. Bob is a former teacher, special-education director, and superintendent of schools, having spent most of his career in the Portsmouth schools. He has experience working with students at all levels. His invitations from classroom teachers provided opportunities to read and share stories to students, and this has always been important to him. His childhood experiences with his cousin Jimmy were the inspiration for this chapter book, The Adventures of Bobby and Jimmy. These stories were first introduced to his two sons, Joshua and Nathaniel, as bedtime stories when they were very young. Today, his grandchildren have heard many of these mischief-filled adventures of two eight-year-old boys and their favorite companion, Puggy. Bob graduated from Keene State College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary and secondary education, the University of New Hampshire with a master's degree in developmental disabilities, and George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University with a doctorate degree in curriculum and staff development. He has an education career spanning more than forty years in Portsmouth and other communities. In addition, Bob has enjoyed coaching baseball and soccer in elementary and high school schools. He hopes this chapter book will be used by teachers, parents, and grandparents to encourage creativity, exploration, and adventure in young children and inspire them to experience the outdoors with adventures from which memories are made.
