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We’re Bats, an Award, and NCTE!
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, no trick or treaters came by on our chilly Tuesday night, so now I’m battling those peanut butter cup treats all by myself! Last week, I didn’t make it in with a bat poem, so I’m sharing this one this week. I’ve written a
A Thankful Venn Diagram #ClassroomConnections
I can’t believe it’s time to think about Thanksgiving! This will be the first time in more than 10 years, I think, that both our daughters will be here for Thanksgiving. Maddie’s lived overseas all that time, and Annabelle was out of state some of those years too. Lots to be thankful for! I’m also
Her Time Will Come, a Bouts-Rimés Draft
Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, I feel guilty even posting this. Not only did I NOT get to the live write with my poetry sisters last weekend, I barely know what this form is. I just took the rhymed pairs that my more diligent wordsters donated and
Zap! Clap! Boom! at a St. Paul Saints Game
Our local minor league baseball team, the St. Paul Saints, teams up with Mackin Education all summer long with a volunteer author reading a book at every Sunday home game. One day last month, I was the Reading Tree reader, and I shared Zap! Clap! Boom! The Story of a Thunderstorm. It was cloudy all
Immovable
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m swamped with a new part-time job (royalties are down, and family expenses are up), a new contract to write four work-for-hire books, and several different presentations to work on–yikes! So, I’m sharing this silly poem about Highland cattle that I wrote after our first
I’m Reading Finding Family Aloud for Lerner’s Nonfiction November
Hi, everyone! Thanks for all the birthday wishes–I had a lovely day :>) I got fun gifts, like an Irish dance night next Friday night! And today, I’m sharing a gift Lerner has for you. How’d you like a great nonfiction picture book read aloud to your students every day in November? Sounds great, right?
My Two Centos’ Worth
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Here’s a cento I wrote a while back (okay, okay, in 2008), in response to a challenge from poetry sister Tricia Stohr-Hunt. She challenged everyone to write a modified cento using titles of favorite books. I chose mostly from favorite poetry books and had a
A Fabulous Fall Storytime!
I got to celebrate fall with a storytime at the South St. Paul Library last month! I have loads of books that include fall, such as Lion of the Sky; Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle; Colors of Fall; A Leaf Can Be…; and Shrinking Days, Frosty Nights. We sang songs, read poems, talked fall facts…it was really
The Journey — A Draft of Diminishing Verse
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Howdy, friends! I’ve missed a week or two recently–LOTS going on here. Most excitingly, a new website design! More on that soon. There are still tweaks to make and kinks to work out, I’m sure, but…isn’t it beautiful? Thank you to Steve Palmquist at Winding
Ready for Winter?
Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year. But even as I’m enjoying the fiery colors and ice-free sidewalks and trails, I’m aware that it’s a short season here in Minnesota. And part of fall is getting reading for winter. We humans, just like other animals, get ready for winter in lots of ways. Here
Getting Cozy for Fall–Knitting, STEM, Measuring, & Friendship Skills
Let’s talk about fall—my favorite season! It’s the perfect time to break out some knitted goodies. I haven’t knitted any gloves this year, but I’ve been working on this triangular shawlet for forEVER. If You Want to Knit Some Mittens is great for discussions about the process of getting from sheep to mittens, along with
The Best Gift for World Teachers’ Day
World Teachers’ Day (convened by UNICEF, Education International, and the International Labour Organization) is coming up on October 5, and teachers are working incredibly hard, as usual. You’re probably working very hard, too, so I’m going to suggest a quick and easy way to thank your kids’ teachers–buy them a book! Cute handmade gifts are
Being a Pond, a Poetryaction to Being a Dog
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This past couple of weeks have been humdingers. Oi. But I’m in this week with a poetryaction to Maria Gianferrari’s Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness. So fun! (You can see all my poetryactions here.) And for lots of wonderful poetry, don’t miss
Social Emotional Learning for the New School Year!
I have lots of wonderful teacher friends, and at the beginning of the year, many of them focus on building community in their classrooms and libraries. If you’re looking to build community, inclusiveness, and friendship skills, consider sharing two of my books, Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten and We Belong. Clover Kitty is especially relevant
Collect Rocks Day Is Coming Up!
Guess what’s coming up on September 16? Collect Rocks Day! Personally, I think every day is a good day to collect rocks! Agates are my favorite—what’s yours? Tell me in the comments! To celebrate, check out my readaloud of A Rock Can Be at https://youtu.be/xBuJ1Fys-9M And on my page for the book, I have a
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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