The Missourian Award 2006

• 1978, Outstanding Contributions to Children's Literature, Central State University;
  
• 1981, Distinguished Alumni Award, Drury College;
  
• 1983, Poet Laureate, Drury University;
  
• 1994, Celebrate Literacy Award, Springfield, Missouri Council of the International Reading Association (IRA);
  
• 1994, Celebrate Literacy Award, Missouri State Reading Association;


• 1994, Friend of Education Award, Missouri State Teachers Association;


• 1995, Inducted into Writers Hall of Fame;


• 2001, International Reading Association Community Service Award for "Sky High on Reading" literacy project;


• 2001, Missouri Governor's Humanities Award;


• 2002, Celebrate Literacy Award, Springfield, Missouri Council of the International Reading Council;


• 2002, Friend of Education Award, Missouri State Teachers Association;


• 2003, David Harrison Conference Room named in Springfield, Missouri's Library Center;


• 2004, Inducted into Drury University's Ernest R. Breech Hall of Fame;


• 2004, named Friend of School Libraries by Missouri Association of School Libraries;


• 2004, The poem, 'My Book' sandblasted into the sidewalk of the Children's Garden at the Burton Barr Public Library in Phoenix, Arizona;


• 2005, Honorary Doctorate in Letters from Missouri State University;


• 2006, Missourian Award; Missouri Library Association's Literacy Award for Body of Work;


• 2008, Poet Laureate, Drury University;


• 2008, Honorary Doctorate in Letters from Drury University;


• 2009, David Harrison Elementary School named and opened in Springfield, Missouri.


• 2010,The poem 'My Book' from Somebody Catch My Homework has been selected by the Pueblo, Colorado City-County Library District to decorate their new bookmobile that will be driving out to several underprivileged/underserved communities in Pueblo County. The purpose of the van is to provide positive experiences with books, reading and the library. We find in these little communities that people are often intimidated to come into the big building and it eases their fear to deal with a van and one library employee at a time.

Poet Laureate for Drury University

HONORS AND AWARDS
For Books

• A Monster is Coming! The Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best list for 2012.
• A Thousand Cousins:
  • IRA/CBC Children's Choice, 1997;
  • Kansas State Reading Circle list, 1997-98;
  • Missouri State Reading Council Seal of Approval, 1998;
• bugs, poems about creeping things:
  • "Seeing Stories" exhibition at the Westchester Art Center, 2007;
  • New York Public Library's annual list "Children's Books, 2007 for Reading and Sharing" 100 Titles, 2007;
  • NCTE Notable Poetry Books, 2008;
• Cave Detectives, Unraveling the Mystery of an Ice Age Cave:
  • Junior Library Guild Selection, 2007;
• Caves, Mysteries Beneath Our Feet:
  • Society of School Librarians International Honor Book, 2002;
  • Michigan Reading Association Readers' Choice List, K-1, 2003;
  • Arizona Young Readers' Award nominee, 2006;
• Dylan the Eagle-Hearted Chicken Selected to appear in the Zaner-Bloser Voices Reading program.

Glaciers, Nature's Icy Caps:

• Bank Street College Best Books of the Year list, 2007;
• The Hawaii State Public Library annual annotated bibliography of science trade books, 2007;
• Missouri State Teachers Association, New Books for Missouri Students, 2008;

Mammoth Bones and Broken Stones

• Nominated for Society of American Archaeology's 2010 Book of the Year for a book that presents archaeological research to a broad audience;
• Recommended by National Science Teachers Association, 2011

Mountains, The Tops of the World:

• Missouri State Teachers Association, New Books for Missouri Students, 2006;

Piggy Wiglet:

• Bank Street College Best Books of the Year list, 2008;

Pirates:

• Kansas State Reading Circle List, 2009;
• NCTE Notable Poetry Books, 2008;
• nominated for Cybils Award, the Children's and Young Adults Bloggers Literary Awards;
• VOYA's Nonfiction Honor List, 2009;
• Texas Blue Bonnet Award 2010-2011 Master List
• Indiana Young Hoosier Master Reading List, 2011-2012

Somebody Catch My Homework:

• IRA/CBC Children's Choice, 1994;
• Kentucky Blue Grass Award nominee, 1994;
• Missouri State Reading Council Seal of Approval, 1998;

Sounds of Rain:

• St. Louis Post Dispatch Best Books for Young Readers, 2006;
• The Hawaii State Public Library annual annotated bibliography of science trade books, 2007;
• Kansas State Reading Circle list, 2007;

The Book of Giant Stories:

• Christopher Medal, 1972;

When Cows Come Home:

• Bank Street College Best Books of the Year list, 1995;
• IRA/CBC Children's Choice, 1996;
• Kansas Stare Reading Circle list, 1995-96;
• List of Virginia Young Readers Program, Virginia State Reading Association, 1996-97;
• Young Readers' Master List Program, Missouri State Reading Council Seal of Approval, 1998;

Wild Country:

Best Books for Young Adults nominee, 1999.