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The Moon Has Lost Her Memory
Happy Poetry Friday, and welcome! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I have so many friends (including here in the PF community) and family members, including our own immediate family, supporting people with memory loss, Alzheimer’s, dementia, etc. It’s such a devastating thing, and yet watching people guide and care for their loved ones
Storm-Making on a Trolley
On Saturday, illustrator Kayla Harren and I read stories on the Stillwater (MN) Trolley. What a cool idea! It’s part of Valley Bookseller’s summer storytime lineup. Kayla and I shared Oskar’s Voyage, which she illustrated so wonderfully! We didn’t get any action shots because we were both sharing, but all three of us (me, Kayla,
Homage to My Backbone
Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) It’s the last Friday of the month, which means it’s Poetry Sisters time! We wrote poems in the style of Lucille Clifton’s “homage to my hips.” Such a fantastic poem, and so hard for me to write in the style of. That confidence,
Teaching Is Easy–You Should Try It, Too! Plus June In-Person Events!
It’s that time again, when the school year is hurtling to its end and everyone is telling teachers how lucky they are to do nothing all summer. So, I’m sharing this :>) Then keep reading for some summer events if you’re in Minnesota! Happy summer, teachers! You have EARNED it! Illustrator Kayla Harren and I
Dreaming of Savannah
[ETA: I updated my How Much Money Does a Writer Make? page with my 2023 income report. Sadly, the answer is “not much!”] Welcome to Poetry Friday! Whether you’re a familiar face or a new visitor, I’m happy you’re here. (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Recently, I received a review copy of Bless
How Much Money Does a Children’s Writer Make?
Howdy, teachers! I usually share curriculum-related resources/info for my books here on Wednesdays. But this week, I’m sharing my “How Much Money Does a Writer Make?” post. I’ve just completed my 2023 edition. I know many educators and librarians also write. And sometimes you might wonder why authors can’t do more events or visits for
We Are…a Community
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) On Wednesday, I shared a bit about the Minnesota Book Awards event last week. Finding Family didn’t win, but it was a wonderful night! I also shared this poem as I thought about my Minnesota kidlit community. But the poem applies equally–probably moreso–to this Poetry
When a Writing Community Gathers
Last Tuesday night, I attended the Minnesota Book Awards event. Finding Family was a Finalist in the Children’s Literature category–so exciting! Here are some pics. It was such an honor to be grouped with these titles–you should read every one of them! Cori Doerrfeld’s Beneath took the prize–a gorgeous intergenerational story about how we are
In the Carolina Mountains
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Whew! I’ve been in a whirlwind with NPM, some work-for-hire work, a trip to Madison, and much more. All good stuff. But. Not a lot of poetry writing in the past month, other than NPM! Here’s something I wrote back in March. It was inspired
Visiting Madison and the Cooperative Children’s Book Center
My trip to Madison, WI, to accept the Charlotte Zolotow Honor for Finding Family was absolutely amazing. Randy and I drove down on Thursday and back home on Sunday. In between, we spent time with the fabulous staff of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, the Charlotte Zolotow Award Committee,and Kim Rogers and her husband, Kelvin.
Looking Back at National Poetry Month
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m in Madison, Wisconsin, for a few days. Finding Family is an Honor selection for the Charlotte Zolotow Award, and I’m going for the ceremony. I’ll get to tour the CCBC, meet the committee, and see my niece, Lily, who’s in college there. Should be
What I Learned from National Poetry Month
In my Small Reads newsletter recently, I talked about reflecting on our writing: Wouldn’t it be cool, after a big writing project is totally finished, if we asked students to reflect on their writing and think about those questions above? How fun would it be to ask them to give an “acceptance speech” about their
Hyacinth Magnipoem
Hi, and welcome! During National Poetry Month, I’m posting a magnipoem each day that I can. That’s a poem inspired by my simply looking at an object under a magnifying glass for 1 minute each day, and then jotting a poem. Feel free to try this with students (you can have them just get up
Birthday Gift Magnipoem
Hi, and welcome! During National Poetry Month, I’m posting a magnipoem each day that I can. That’s a poem inspired by my simply looking at an object under a magnifying glass for 1 minute each day, and then jotting a poem. Feel free to try this with students (you can have them just get up
Unanswerable Question Poem with the Poetry Sisters
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) During National Poetry Month, I’m posting a magnipoem each day that I can. That’s a poem inspired by my simply looking at an object under a magnifying glass for 1 minute each day, and then jotting a poem. Feel free to try this with students
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Are You Looking For?
Go to my Poetry page for:
- National Poetry Month projects through the years
- Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
- Introductions to several favorite poetry forms