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Give Sheep Some Wool!

It’s mitten season! It’s the perfect time to read If You Want to Knit Some Mittens! Illustrator Angela Matteson made some really cute activity sheets to go with If You  Want to Knit Some Mittens. Here’s a little craft project for your students! You can give Sheep some wool, just like a real sheep grows

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Recipe for a Song–and NCTE!

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) How on earth is it Friday already? Eep! I’m just re-sharing a few things today, as I’m immersed in prepping for some speaking engagements Monday as well as for NCTE. First, I’m doing a webinar with SCBWI on Monday! Whee–more info here.   Second, here’s

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NCTE and a Thanksgiving Poem

One of the things I’m grateful for is that I’m going to NCTE this year! I haven’t been since 2019, and how I’ve missed it. When it had to be canceled in 2020, I was heartbroken. Not only did I miss seeing all my NCTE friends, but 3 (3!) of my books had been named

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We’re Bats, an Award, and NCTE!

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, no trick or treaters came by on our chilly Tuesday night, so now I’m battling those peanut butter cup treats all by myself! Last week, I didn’t make it in with a bat poem, so I’m sharing this one this week. I’ve written a

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A Thankful Venn Diagram #ClassroomConnections

I can’t believe it’s time to think about Thanksgiving! This will be the first time in more than 10 years, I think, that both our daughters will be here for Thanksgiving. Maddie’s lived overseas all that time, and Annabelle was out of state some of those years too. Lots to be thankful for! I’m also

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Her Time Will Come, a Bouts-Rimés Draft

Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, I feel guilty even posting this. Not only did I NOT get to the live write with my poetry sisters last weekend, I barely know what this form is. I just took the rhymed pairs that my more diligent wordsters donated and

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Zap! Clap! Boom! at a St. Paul Saints Game

Our local minor league baseball team, the St. Paul Saints, teams up with Mackin Education all summer long with a volunteer author reading a book at every Sunday home game. One day last month, I was the Reading Tree reader, and I shared Zap! Clap! Boom! The Story of a Thunderstorm. It was cloudy all

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Immovable

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m swamped with a new part-time job (royalties are down, and family expenses are up), a new contract to write four work-for-hire books, and several different presentations to work on–yikes! So, I’m sharing this silly poem about Highland cattle that I wrote after our first

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My Two Centos’ Worth

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Here’s a cento I wrote a while back (okay, okay, in 2008), in response to a challenge from poetry sister Tricia Stohr-Hunt. She challenged everyone to write a modified cento using titles of favorite books. I chose mostly from favorite poetry books and had a

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A Fabulous Fall Storytime!

I got to celebrate fall with a storytime at the South St. Paul Library last month! I have loads of books that include fall, such as Lion of the Sky; Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle; Colors of Fall; A Leaf Can Be…; and Shrinking Days, Frosty Nights. We sang songs, read poems, talked fall facts…it was really

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The Journey — A Draft of Diminishing Verse

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Howdy, friends! I’ve missed a week or two recently–LOTS going on here. Most excitingly, a new website design! More on that soon. There are still tweaks to make and kinks to work out, I’m sure, but…isn’t it beautiful? Thank you to Steve Palmquist at Winding

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Ready for Winter?

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year. But even as I’m enjoying the fiery colors and ice-free sidewalks and trails, I’m aware that it’s a short season here in Minnesota. And part of fall is getting reading for winter. We humans, just like other animals, get ready for winter in lots of ways. Here

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Getting Cozy for Fall–Knitting, STEM, Measuring, & Friendship Skills

Let’s talk about fall—my favorite season! It’s the perfect time to break out some knitted goodies. I haven’t knitted any gloves this year, but I’ve been working on this triangular shawlet for forEVER.  If You Want to Knit Some Mittens is great for discussions about the process of getting from sheep to mittens, along with

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The Best Gift for World Teachers’ Day

World Teachers’ Day (convened by UNICEF, Education International, and the International Labour Organization) is coming up on October 5, and teachers are working incredibly hard, as usual. You’re probably working very hard, too, so I’m going to suggest a quick and easy way to thank your kids’ teachers–buy them a book! Cute handmade gifts are

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