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
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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
Start Here: Learn Something New
Beginning a new writing project has often been compared to taking off on a journey, or a hike, maybe, for short projects. When we start there's some trepidation. We don't know what lies ahead-- a surprise snake across the path? someone's territorial dog? Will we, or our story, fall into a pit? But there's also an … [Read more...] about Start Here: Learn Something New
Start Here, “Moodling” a Story Along
Starting a new story, with only a seed or two for that story, seems very dicey to me. Perhaps I expect too much too soon. Perhaps, as Jane said, I resist for a while because I know how hard it will be. But eventually, the story demands that I pull up my socks, sit down at my chair and write. Today's guest Dian Curtis … [Read more...] about Start Here, “Moodling” a Story Along
