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Bell [15 words or less poems]

Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I love bells. I really like the big, gongy kind, but pretty much any curved metal makes me happy. This image makes me think of: 1) a jewel 2) the Seven Dwarves (not sure why, but metal makes me think of mining, I

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Washington: Move It! a 50 State Poems Poem

I’m moving across the country for this poem from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, Wacky, Wild, and Wonderful: 50 State Poems. I didn’t know we had rain forests in the U.S. until I wrote a series of ecosystem books for Capstone several years ago. Here’s the Washington poem. Note: The Hoh rain forest

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Booklist Gives Rocky Love

Delighted to share that Booklist has given A ROCK CAN BE… a lovely review! “[N]atural guessing game…challenging children…broaden their thinking…beautiful picture book…” What is not to love here? Thank you, Booklist! (The highlights and bold were added by me:>) A Rock Can Be … Salas, Laura Purdie (Author) , Dabija, Violeta (Illustrator) Mar 2015. 32

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North Carolina: On Her Way to the Graveyard: a 50 State Poems Poem

Happy Poetry Friday! This week, I’m sharing a poem from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, Wacky, Wild, and Wonderful: 50 State Poems. Note: Cape Hatteras is the outermost point of land on the Outer Banks Islands. These flat, sandy islands lie about thirty miles off the coast of North Carolina. Cape Hatteras is

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Swirly Jack [15 words or less poems]

Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I took this pic while Randy was washing Captain Jack Sparrow, who was just a teensy bit ripe! Maddie usually bathes him, but she’s been away since early September, so… Jack wouldn’t hold still, but I kind of liked this effect. This image

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Broken Yolk [poetry friday]

Hi, Poetry Friday peeps! Last week, I shared my triolet, “Rowing to the Future,” the first in a series of monthly poems I’m writing along with my Poetry 7. This week, I thought I’d share the other triolet I wrote. Broken Yolk Each dawn spills from a fractured night. Sun’s flaming yolk escapes the break

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Pineapple [15 words or less poems]

Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I often take fruit to potluck gatherings so that I’ll have something healthy to eat (between cupcakes). I love the patterns of pineapples, both the outside and the inside, when I spiral cut them. This image makes me think of: 1) chainmail on

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Lullaby and Kisses Sweet–a New Lee Bennett Hopkins Anthology

Yippee! Lee Bennett Hopkins has a new anthology coming out on March 3, and it’s the cutest board book I’ve seen in ages. It’s called Lullaby and Kisses Sweet: Poems to Love with Your Baby (Abrams). Lee notified everyone that the book is on sale for a great price right now in pre-order on Amazon,

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I’m EMBRACE-ing 2015!

Each January, I choose a word of the year. This year, my word, my theme, is EMBRACE! I plan to try to embrace my writing life. If I can’t embrace it, I’m going to try to ditch it–either not do it (and quit feeling guilty about not doing it), outsource it…something. I love picture books,

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I’m Nerdy!

WATER CAN BE… was named a Nerdy Book Award winner in the Poetry category. Woohoo! This means a lot, not only because of the way these awards are chosen, but also because of the fabulous other Poetry winners. This was also a big surprise. I had thought that WATER, if it got any votes at

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Rowing to the Future [poetry friday]

Happy first Poetry Friday of 2015! I’m excited for a fresh new year. 2014 was not a bad year in most ways, but I just like the feeling of moving forward. Even though the past several years seem to be moving forward all too quickly. But–in a lovely way to end the year–I joined forces

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poetryaction for Ben Franklin’s Big Splash

    The author uses a LOT of alliteration in this book–and I’m a fan of alliteration, but there were so many “s” sounds and words that I tried to avoid them in my poetryaction. Fail. All I really did was swap out “s” for “sh,” I fear. Oh, well. Fun book, and I had

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poetryaction for Caminar

  I don’t usually remember specific plot points of books. Instead, I tend to remember flashes of small moments, images that, if a book is really powerful, come back to mind at seemingly random times. Caminar, which I just read, and Red Midnight, which I read quite a few years ago, both have scenes that

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poetryaction to Sometimes You Barf

Happy Poetry Friday! Maybe you overindulged yesterday and can relate to this book. I personally have a brickle hangover. And Captain Jack got sick yesterday and guess who was on clean-up duty. Yup, me. Ugh. Anyway…   We’ve all been the kid or sat next to the kid or been teaching the kid who barfed

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Tights [15 words or less poems] and Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas if you celebrate Christmas. And whether you do or don’t, I’m glad you’re here! Our day has turned a little topsy-turvy, and I don’t know whether I’ll be able to stop back in later or not, but I’ll try. I hope you have a joyful time, whatever your day holds! And if you

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