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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

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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

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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

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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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The Cover of My Next Picture Book

Happy 2024! I’m SO excited to show you the cover of my first 2024 picture book. It’s called Oskar’s Voyage, and it’s a rhyming adventure story about a small chipmunk who accidentally stows away on an enormous Great Lakes freighter. I’ll be sharing more about it soon, but it’s coming on March 5, and it

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Seven Years On — A Breakup Poem #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Hello, friends, and Happy 2024! I’m starting the year with lots of hopes and plans to share more kinds of poetry, to make more time for writing poetry, and to spend less time on business and promotion stuff. It’s just dragging me down. Here’s a

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December, an Elfchen

Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone, to the final Poetry Friday of 2023! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Amazing watercolorist Michelle Hogan is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup this week. I feel like I’m in a contest to see how many times I can say the same two words in one paragraph :>D 2023

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You, Moon, a Poetryaction to the Museum on the Moon

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I haven’t read as many picture books/poetry books this year as I usually do. But I finally got my hands on one I’ve been eager to read. I bet you’ve read or at least read about Irene Latham’s lovely The Museum on the Moon poetry

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Give the Gift of Belonging

December is a rough time of year for anybody who’s feeling sad or left out. That makes it the perfect time to share We Belong, with its message of belonging and inclusivity. You could also print out this lovely mini-poster and display it, using it to jump start a discussion on belonging. And if you

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Creator, WRAD, and NCTE 2024?

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m still processing NCTE 2023, but I know proposals are in progress right now for NCTE 2024, with its theme of Heart Hope Humanity. I’d love to attend and take part in 1–3 sessions. I’m especially interested in poetry, picture books, nonfiction, writing process, and

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NCTE and Morning Is…, a list/cento poem

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Whew! What a couple of weeks it’s been–NCTE one week and Thanksgiving the next. I’m grateful for both, but I’m glad to be quietly at home now :>) NCTE was difficult for me this year. I think it’s partly because I hadn’t been in FOUR

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Memory Game for Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready for Winter

How Animals Survive Winter – a Memory Game

Brrr! Winter is well on its way here in Minnesota (some say it was on its way back in August–haha), and the animals have figured out how best to survive it. If you read Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle with your students, you can follow it up with this memory game to help reinforce the ideas of

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Hawk, Inspired by Valerie Worth’s Small Poems

Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Happy Thanksgiving! I was at NCTE last weekend, and I have so much to be grateful for about that. I’ll share some pics and stories next Friday! Meanwhile, this month, we were writing poems in the style of Valerie Worth. I so enjoyed

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I Need You Need Me

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Today, Friday, I’m in Columbus, OH, for NCTE! It’s my first time attending since 2019, and it feels exciting and overwhelming. I’m not nearly as organized and prepared as I like to be for a big conference, but that’s just the reality of life lately.

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