In Memory of Robie Harris

Floor Speech

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Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life, the work, and memory of one of America's most impactful authors, Roberta ``Robie'' Harris.

Robie, a gifted writer, a fierce advocate for free speech, a treasured friend. An educator at heart, she wrote to answer the questions that children asked her, the questions about how to understand their changing bodies, feelings, and experiences of the world they grew up in. Her award-winning writing treated children with respect and autonomy, covered a wide variety of topics from engineering and architecture to nutrition and genetics.

There are few people in this life who are kindred spirits. Robie was one for me. I am forever grateful for her friendship, humor, and generosity. Her illustrator and dear friend, Michael Emberly, described her best when he said: ``She was a complicated human being in the best sense, and she had one of the best attributes you can say about a human being--she was memorable.''

I will always remember and be inspired by Robie. My heart is with her family as they grieve. Robie's passion for working with children was a shared mission. Her husband, Bill, founded KidsPac, which advocates for early-childhood education. Her sons, David and Ben, have followed in their footsteps, working to address child poverty in this country and psychological needs.

Life without Robie will never feel the same again, but through her writing and her continued work and the work of her family, her kind and her generous spirit will always be with us.

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