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Riddle-ku by 2nd graders! #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Y’all might know I love mentor texts and use them in my own writing a lot. And few things make me happier than when my own books inspire other people to write. That’s why I’m super excited to share these riddle-ku, written by 2nd graders

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Look for Signs of Spring #ClassroomConnections

A leaf is a leaf. It bursts out each spring when sunny days linger and orioles sing. –Laura Purdie Salas, from A Leaf Can Be…   Up here in Minnesota, it’ll be a while yet before spring comes. But those of you in other areas might already be seeing buds on trees and shrubs that

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Love Your Family for Valentine’s Day #ClassroomConnections

Valentine’s Day is a great time to talk about how we love our families, even though our families might be different from our friends’ families. My book Meet My Family, a rhyming nonfiction picture book celebrating all kinds of families in the animal world, is a wonderful lead-in to this discussion. Sing and move to

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Writing Alone, Together #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, I realized this morning I hadn’t done a Poetry Friday post for this week. With not setting it up last weekend as usual, and then  WRAD and many deadlines during the week, I totally forgot about it. Until 3 a.m. today. I went back

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Melting Snowman Art Project #ClassroomConnections

Wow! Art teacher Leah Newton emailed me recently to share this very cool art project related to Snowman – Cold = Puddle. She’s got a great lesson plan where kids learn about color theory and the states of matter AND make lovely art at the same time! Don’t miss it. And teachers, nothing makes writers

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Four Forever, and Help Needed with Names

Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Two things first: Teachers, before I move on to my Poetry Friday post, I need your help! I’m revising a picture book and need to find names for several kid characters whose families come from different areas in the world. The kids are

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Snowmelt #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) If you follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook (I’m @LauraPSalas on all of them), you might see my #OutsideEveryDay photos. I try to get outside most days and take a close-up photo of something that catches my eye. I don’t write poems to the

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Migration North Is Starting!? #ClassroomConnections

In our icebox winter here in Minnesota, it’s hard to believe there are any birds flying north at this time! But a few species are beginning their journeys. If you’re talking about migration in your classroom, I’ve got two books you might want to share (and activities that go with both—just follow the links). Also,

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An Audience of One #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m trying to deepen my poetry practice in 2021, and one thing I’m doing is a book study of Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook. In last week’s practice, I chose a poem to imitate. One way I want to stretch myself poetically is to imbue

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Write a Snowperson List Poem #ClassroomConnections

If you live in a cold climate, it’s prime snowman-building time! That makes it a great time to talk about the states of matter and how snow and ice are forms of water. Here’s a printable .pdf students can use to write a snowman list poem. It’s one of a handful of materials (including water

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Winter Song #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) We had a white Christmas, and that filled my heart with joy. I don’t love winter without snow. I do love winter with snow. It’s pretty much that simple. Here’s a draft of a poem. I feel like it needs a third stanza to tie

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Year’s End and a Bit of Bradbury #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) And Happy New Year! Thursday morning, my Word for the Day from Gratefulness.org was by Ray Bradbury: “We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” –Ray Bradbury A little meandering

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In the Bleak Midwinter — Beauty in Stark Times #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) And Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating! This week, I’m sharing two different things. First up is a pair of wistful haiku, which was our Poetry Princesses prompt this month. (I’m updating this post on my phone, as we lost internet during our Minnesota

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Passing by a Winter Cottage

Chimney Smoke or Wireless Fires #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday, friends! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I haven’t been writing much new poetry recently. My days are filled with copyediting and passage writing, and I’m grateful for the work. I also have some internal plans for poetry “continuing education” in the new year:>) For now, though, I’ll probably be resharing

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