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Books and Trails
When I presented at the fantabulous Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygan, WI, last fall, I was just mesmerized by all the creative and beautiful integrations of books and nature and art! So, boy, was I excited to see that WATER CAN BE… has been chosen by the Jim Halls Foothills Learning Center (in Boise, ID) as
Just a Rock [poetry friday]
Happy Poetry Friday! Well, it’s my 27th wedding anniversary, and I feel like I should be posting something more romantic. But here I am, with a villanelle about rocks, because the first Poetry Friday of each month is my Poetry Seven post. But Randy is my rock, and we’ve been through our share of T.
poetryaction for Junkyard Wonders
I often don’t like picture books that teach overt lessons. But this one was lovely, and I wanted to work the main point, the lesson, into my poetryaction. Check out my Pinterest boards of poetryactions and bookalikes if you’d like to see more:>)
poetryaction and bookalikes for Toucan Can!
I don’t celebrate silliness enough, and I don’t know why. When I do read something silly that is expertly done, I like it. But then it will be many months before I look for more. I tried to borrow Juliette MacIver’s wonderful silly style for my poetryaction! Here I am reading my poetryaction: [soundcloud
poetryaction and bookalikes for Yuck!
Yuck! Kids know how fun it is to be grossed out! This book shows the foods different young animals like to eat, and they all seem pretty disgusting. Then it ends with a reversal about what those animals think about human food. This made me think of one of my favorite childhood/teen sandwiches–grilled peanut
poetryaction for Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla
I was excited to share on Wednesday about Water Can Be… making it onto the Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly Commended list. And one of the reasons it’s such an honor is because of the OTHER books loved by the award committee. Katherine Applegate’s Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla earned
Flowers [15 words or less poems]
Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I love taking close-up pics with my phone. Just ordered a little macro lens–can’t wait to try it. Maybe I’ll be able to do non-blurry close-ups! This image makes me think of: 1) Easter 2) fairy princess dolls or My Little Pony dolls
Charlotte Zolotow excitement!
Congratulations to Jenny Offill, author of SPARKY,? for winning the Charlotte Zolotow award for outstanding writing in a picture book! I’ve read and done a poetryaction for SPARKY (the funny story of a quite unusual pet!), but it hasn’t posted yet. The award committee also chose 5 Honor books and 9 Highly Commended titles, and
Everglades–With a Dash of Salt: a 50 State Poems Poem
Hi teachers! The last poem I’m going to share for now from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, Wacky, Wild, and Wonderful: 50 State Poems, is the one inspired by my home state, Florida. Note: Florida Bay is an 850-square-mile estuary at the southern tip of Florida. The freshwater flowing south through the Everglades
Alaska: Night Lights: a 50 State Poems Poem
Happy Poetry Friday! Here’s another poem from my latest 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, Wacky, Wild, and Wonderful: 50 State Poems. Note: The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are usually visible only in the far North. They can be many colors and shapes. Various Indian tribes in Alaska and Canada have at times believed that
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
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
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
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
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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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