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Chronic Pain and a Poetryaction
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Question for you all: Can you personally recommend any good books about living with chronic pain? I was recently diagnosed with some spinal maladies. At least I have an answer to the back pain that began a year ago and has gotten steadily worse. I’m
Helping Student Writers Deal with Feedback
Hi, teachers! We all know that to grow as a writer, you need feedback on your writing. But feedback’s a hard part of the writing process for many people–of all ages. Here’s how I think about feedback and rejection. If I’m writing to express myself creatively, and I get negative feedback, I might feed sad
Thank You for Asking (an epistolary poem)
Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Just a reminder of a free Zoom about Oskar’s Voyage. Hope to see you there! This month, we poetry sisters wrote epistolary poems. I love this form of poems written as letters, even though I’ve only written a few of them. We were
Good News for Finding Family, and Why It Matters
[Teachers, click here for info about a free Zoom about Oskar’s Voyage with me and illustrator Kayla Harren in March!] I’ve been thinking a lot about why I write and where I find affirmation for my writing. While I’d like to say that internal satisfaction is all I require, that’s not really true. Huge book
I Am Heat, a Poetryaction to A River of Dust
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I am so excited! We got snow last night! My husband Randy is out right now at the airport picking up family that’s visiting from Georgia. They were so hoping for snow! And we got some. It’s our first snow since late October, I
Single-Session Author Visits for Poetry
[Teachers, click here for info about a free Zoom about Oskar’s Voyage with me and illustrator Kayla Harren in March!] Happy Valentine’s Day! Teachers, I’ve been somewhat stuck in the “contact with all students over multiple sessions” structure for my virtual visits, because that’s the structure of most of my in-person visits. But I’ve been
Lake Superior, a Poetryaction to Blue
Happy Poetry Friday, friends! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I had a lovely World Read Aloud Day on Wednesday, reading to and chatting with students in 5 states and 1 Canadian province. It was fun to share Oskar’s Voyage with them–and if you missed that, there’s an opportunity for a more in-depth Zoom
Write an Equation Poem for Valentine’s Day
[Teachers, click here for info about a free Zoom about Oskar’s Voyage with me and illustrator Kayla Harren in March!] Teachers, here’s a fun writing activity you can do with your students, and it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day! These snappy poems are short enough to fit on a handmade card! Just pick a person to
Always Something Burning
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I had MORE good news to share Thursday, plus invitations (both virtual and in person) for educators in my previous post, so please click here if you missed it. Thanks! I’m sharing a poem this week for everyone who loves someone with self-destructive behavior–whether that’s
A Whirlwind of Good News and Invitations for You
Oh my gosh. After a rough year last year, I’ve had such a lovely whirlwind of good news recently. I think I already shared that Finding Family is a Charlotte Zolotow Honor book(!) and and Eureka Gold Medal book(!). Zowie! Now I’ve learned the it’s also a CCBC Choices book and a Finalist for the
A Pony Frozen in Time
Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, we wrote poems inspired by the very cool pinata art of Roberto Benevidez. If you go here and scroll down, you’ll see the horse art that I wrote to. Oh, or here’s his IG post with it!
Eureka Award for Nonfiction!
Howdy, teachers! A couple of months ago I shared that Finding Family was a Eureka Gold Medal winner for Excellence in Nonfiction! Whee! Thanks you so much to the California Reading Association and to the Eureka Committee. At that point, the full list of winners wasn’t available, but now it is. You can watch this
Holding My Own Hand
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Have you seen the interesting poems consisting of overheard snippets of conversation that Susan Thomsen’s shared over time at Chicken Spaghetti? This week’s poem isn’t made up of all overheard snippets–but it was inspired by one. I really did hear a little boy at a
How Far Away Is the Moon?
The next full moon is on January 25. Invite students to view the full moon that night and think about how far away it might be. Then gather a basketball, a tennis ball, and a tape
How To Spend a Snowy Day
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m feeling that start-of-the-year energy! I kicked some bad writing habits to the curb, and I’m feeling much happier. Will everything get done? Nope. Will writing get done? Absolutely. Four quick things: 1. My next picture book is available for pre-order! It’s based on my
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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