I'm interrupting this blog's usual focus on writing and stories and chiru to send you this holiday card--actually made by the kids at the Mount Vernon Elementary School with their art teacher, Sarah Fitzgerald (front, in the photo). Each art class watched the video of Snowflake Bentley. Then each student cut out a … [Read more...] about Holidy Greeting from the Kids of Mount Vernon
News
Beginning After Thanksgiving
Opening up the writing notebook on the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend seems almost like a beginning to me, or at least a very powerful "resuming." So I want, this week, to share the last two visitors to share thoughts on new projects. Today's guest is Jennifer Jacobsen, author of the very popular Andy Shane series … [Read more...] about Beginning After Thanksgiving
The Occasional Lift
Last week at this time I was visiting a school in Cedar Rapids to talk with students about bullying. The Cedar Rapids Opera Company will celebrate its 15th anniversary next year and they have asked Rob Nassif, a composer who divides his time between Cedar Rapids and New York City, to compose an opera for kids about … [Read more...] about The Occasional Lift
Talking with Readers and Writers
Writing is a pretty solitary activity. So, it's good once in a while to get out and visit with the ones we write for, the ones who read our books. And that's what I did on Thursday, November 3 at the Durant, Iowa, Elementary School. It's good to know that some students read Banjo Granny carefully enough to wonder why … [Read more...] about Talking with Readers and Writers
Good Inuksuit
In the last post, I mentioned going to the AASL in Minneapolis. Sharron McElmeel, Jeni Reeves, Carol Gorman and I spoke on how to foster curiosity in young readers and how librarians can become an important part of the collaborative process with teachers in helping students to become better readers. Our session had a … [Read more...] about Good Inuksuit
Thinking About Endangered Animals
I’m packing and otherwise getting ready to go to the 2011 meeting of the AASL in Minneapolis tomorrow and, since I’ll be talking about the chiru, I thought it might be appropriate to interrupt the discussion on beginnings to share a sampling of books about other animals who, like the chiru, are or have teetered on the … [Read more...] about Thinking About Endangered Animals
