Laura Purdie Salas

Writing the World for Kids

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Poetry Stretch: A seasonal poem

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Well, Miss Rumphius’  Poetry Stretch this week was something seasonal. I write lots of weather/season poems, so I was really, really tempted to post something I already wrote and polished. But that would be cheating. Sigh. So yesterday, in the midst of yet another rushed day, I wrote a poem to fit my mood and […]

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Ack–A Sonnet?

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I’m participating in Miss Rumphius’ poetry stretch this week, and it’s a sonnet. I’m taking part in that same poetry challenge she mentions, and I could also use some sonnet practice. Since I haven’t written one in, you know, decades. What on earth have I gotten myself into? Anyway, I have a sister coming into town […]

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Poetry Friday: Chrysalis

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Mary Logue is a award-winning Minnesota writer of adult novels, children’s novels, and poetry. She taught the very first class I took at the Loft Literary Center. Now she and her partner, National Book Award-winning Pete Hautman (how’s that for a powerhouse writing couple…geez!) live and sometimes write together (see their Bloodwater mystery middle grade series). Anyway, […]

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What Would You Dump From Your Career Portfolio?

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I was listening to NPR’s Talk of the Nation yesterday, and it was about people who work as telecommuters, freelancers, consultants, etc., and the various perks and challenges of that. One guest described the careers of many freelancers as investment portfolios. They do various kinds of work to fit various needs. They do certain work to […]

Robert’s Snow: Mike Wohnoutka

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I had heard of Mike Wohnoutka and seen several of his enticing, saturated-with-color books.  But I don’t know if I had ever officially met him before a Children’s Literature Network event last year. Arthur Levine came to Minneapolis and sat down for a conversation with 30 or so local published authors and illustrators. Then most of us headed […]

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Mini-Feature: Oh, Theodore! Guinea Pig Poems

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  OK, I swear I double-checked to make sure this title was not yet nominated for a Cybils. That’s my goal, to spread the word about some un-nominated poetry collections in the hopes that people will check out the books and someone will like them enough to nominate them. I suppose I was predisposed to […]

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Mini-Feature: Poems in Black & White

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  Here’s another poetry book not yet nominated for a Cybils. Over the past few days, I’ve read Poems in Black & White, by Kate Miller (Wordsong, 2007) two times. It’s filled with the kinds of poems that stay with me, that pop into my head at odd moments throughout the day. The premise is […]

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Robert’s Snow: Lauren Stringer

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   Lauren Stringer     Lauren is a Minnesota author/illustrator who’s participating in Robert’s Snow this year! Two of my favorite books that she illustrated are Our Family Tree (by Lisa Westberg Peters) and Castles, Caves, and Honeycombs (by Linda Ashman). The beautiful Winter Is the Warmest Season, which came out in 2006, was her first […]

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Mini-Feature: Bugs: Poems About Creeping Things

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Here’s another poetry book not yet nominated for a Cybils award. Yesterday, I read Bugs: Poems About Creeping Things, by David L. Harrison, illustrated by Rob Shepperson (Wordsong, 2007).  This collection of 40 poems about the things I try to avoid whenever possible (boxelders congregating around our electric meter and trying to find a way into the […]

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You Can Write a Story! (You Can, Really)

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Minnapolis writer Lisa Bullard has a terrific new children’s book out called You Can Write a Story.  It’s a great tool for kids and for teachers. It uses a cooking analogy to walk you through the steps of writing a story. It’s clear, easy to understand, and fun. I find that writing books for kids often  have […]

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