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On this next to the last day of 2011, almost the end of the year, I want to add one more voice in the series on beginnings. We've listened to people who begin with research, who begin with doodling around, who begin in their heads and don't write until they know a good portion of the story. Today's guest -- Anne … [Read more...] about Beginning With a Picture

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

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

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

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