Laura Purdie Salas

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You are here: Home / Poems for Teachers

Poems for Teachers

Hi, teachers! This is a gathering of blog posts and website pages that contain poems (by me and by other people) you might like to use in your classroom. 

  • My Poetry Books for Teachers

    June 27, 2016

    In addition to my books for kids, I have written some poetry books just for teachers. Happy poeming! The Heart of a Teacher is filled with poems for teachers and about teaching. Read more. 30 Painless Classroom Poems is a series of 6 books, each with 30 ...

  • The Heart of a Teacher

    April 8, 2016

    If you are a teacher or if you know a teacher who would like a pat on the back for such amazing work, check out The Heart of a Teacher: On Staff Meetings, Lice, Field Trips, and What Really Matters. The 64 poems range from ...

  • The Putrid Poetic Ponderings of Louis J. Pasternak, AKA Dr. Skullstench

    March 18, 2016

    About the Story “The Putrid Poetic Ponderings of Louis J. Pasternak, AKA Dr. Skullstench” is a funny read-aloud perfect for your poetry lovers–and your poetry haters. Fourth grader Louis is, shall we say, slightly unhappy about the poetry project at school, and he vows to write ...

  • Notecards & Prints

    December 1, 2015

    I love mixing words and images and putting poems or favorite thoughts with pictures. I’ve been sharing more poems like this on my site this past year, and people have started asking, “Hey, is this available as a print? Or a journal or a postcard?” ...

  • Laura’s Poetry Sampler

    October 27, 2015

    Sometimes editors or educators ask me what kind of poetry I write. The answer is all kinds! So I put together this sampler with 10 of my poems just to give some idea of the variety of my work. Some of these have appeared in ...

  • 15 Words or Less Poems Guidelines

    September 7, 2015

    Teachers and writers, 15 Words or Less Poems are a weekly chance to write a quick poem to a photo prompt. It’s super simple–no pressure! And you can use the posts however you like, whenever you like! If you’d like to participate online or you ...

  • Poems for Teachers

    September 6, 2015

    Hi, teachers! This is a gathering of blog posts and website pages that contain poems (by me and by other people) you might like to use in your classroom.  ( ) ( ) ( )

  • Poetry for Teachers

    September 3, 2015

    Hi, Educators, Once of my favorite things about being a writer is connecting teachers, reading specialists, media specialists, and other educators with poetry! Here are some resources your might enjoy: 30 Painless Classroom Poems – These are my poetry collections published specifically for teachers, with lots of great ...

  • Reading and Discussing Poetry in the Primary Classroom

    September 3, 2015

    Usually I write about writing poetry in my Poetic Pursuits columns, but this time, I want to share some thoughts about how teachers can read poetry to young kids in a way that makes those kids eager to listen to and love poetry. I offer this ...

  • 30 Painless Classroom Poems

    September 2, 2015

    What Is 30 Painless Classroom Poems? 30 Painless Classroom Poems is a series of books that makes it easy for you, the elementary school teacher, media specialist, or reading specialist, to share poetry. Each book contains: a collection of 30 poems by award-winning poet Laura Purdie Salas ...

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  • Fixing What Rips–a Cascade Poem

    January 26, 2023

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’ve been dealing with some back pain–what the heck? I’ve never had back pain and don’t have any idea what I’ve done. But anyway, I was soaking in a steaming hot bathtub last week and totally ...

  • Figure It Out, Henri Weldon, by Poetry Friday’s Tanita S. Davis!

    January 19, 2023

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Poetry Friday is famous!!! Okay, maybe not actually famous, but it’s got a big role in Tanita Davis’ (y’all know she’s one of my Poetry Sisters) JUST-PUBLISHED middle-grade novel, Figure It Out, Henri Weldon. From the publisher: ...

  • Five Fall Favorites, a Poetryaction

    January 12, 2023

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Whee! My blog MIGHT be receiving comments. If you’re willing, would you try commenting? It could be very brief! Thanks :>) I’ve really missed comments the past couple of weeks. [Note: If you get an error ...

  • How Could She Leave?

    January 5, 2023

    Trigger warning: This post contains content about suicide. Please, if you or someone you love is struggling, reach out for help. Suicide is preventable. People care about you, and there is help. One place to try is the Jed Foundation. It’s Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday ...

  • Box Your Shadow, Block the Sun — and Happy New Year!

    December 29, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I hope you had a beautiful Christmas/Hanukkah/winter celebration! I’ll share a few pics from mine next week :>) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was the box. I don’t remember who suggested this, but ...

  • No Degrees of Separation

    December 8, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Howdy, poetry friends, and welcome! During November, lots of writers were doing NaNoWriMo. I don’t write novels nor want to, so I sometimes come up with some other challenge for November. This year, in my Facebook ...

  • Recipe for a Song

    November 24, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone, and I hope you had a delicious and cozy Thanksgiving, if you’re in the U.S. (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, the Poetry 7 and I wrote recipe poems. I’ve written a few before and enjoy them, but ...

  • “So Much Love” – A Definito

    November 17, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Okay, friends, here’s another definito to go with Finding Family (coming in March from Lerner). I’m having a blast with these! Also, I’m wondering if anyone else has had a sneak peek at Billy Collins’ ...

  • “What Used to Be Whole” – A Definito to Go with a Forthcoming Book

    November 10, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’ve shared a couple of definitos recently, and I had so much fun I decided to write some to go with the challenging vocabulary in my forthcoming books. I’ve written several for Finding Family, ...

  • Jitters and a Giveaway

    November 3, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Many folks in the Poetry Friday community have been sharing their poems from What Is a Friend?, edited by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell. This book benefits IBBY, with the editors and poets all donating ...

  • Insomnia – a Dansa

    October 27, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Before I share today’s poem, I’m inviting you to check out my Halloween riddle-ku that I shared on Wednesday. I also shared an invitation for people who have a young student or family ...

  • 2 Brinicle Poems and a Cover Reveal

    October 20, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Before I share poems, I invite you to check out John Schu’s cover reveal for one of my Spring 2023 picture books. Click here to see Alexandria Neonakis’ gorgeous cover for FINDING FAMILY: THE DUCKLING ...

  • Plume – Another Definito

    October 6, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Last week, I shared a definito poem of the word “folly.” While I was working on that, I decided to do a second one, too. I have several books coming out in the spring, ...

  • Folly – a Definito

    September 29, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) [ETA: Our older daughter had unexpected gallbladder removal yesterday, so I’ll be a bit behind in replying to your comments. (She’s doing okay but is in a lot of pain.) Looking forward to getting ...

  • Flight #PoetryFriday

    September 22, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) You guys, Scotland was amazing. It was just magical to be able to travel with my husband and my sister and her husband, and then to have Maddie join us for the last weekend in Edinburgh ...

  • Thank You, Educators — a Post-Pandemic (well, sort of) Poem

    September 15, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) We’re home! We spent two fabulous weeks in Scotland, and I’m so grateful for the trip! I will share some photos eventually. Meanwhile, I’m happy to be back to Poetry Friday. Here’s a poem I just ...

  • 2 Small Reads Roundups for Right Now!

    September 1, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m off the grid, filling the creative well right now (and SO excited about it!). But I did want to point y’all toward 2 Small Reads Roundups that might be useful for you if ...

  • I Can’t Say for Sure

    August 25, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was the bop poem, and I didn’t like it. It’s a longer (to me) form, and I liked a few of the examples I read, but it’s ...

  • Hidden Life #PoetryFriday

    August 4, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Before I share my little poem this week, here are a few things: Joy Moore shares an example of the purposeful use of mixed meter in We Belong at her blog yesterday! Thanks, Joy! And Kathy Temean shares ...

  • The Deadliest (a phrase acrostic)

    July 28, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I really feel it’s impossible that it’s the end of July! I’ve done 8 library storytimes, had a sister visit for 10 days from Florida (whee!), gone to Duluth, MN, for a bit of ...

  • Hope Is an Arrow–and a Bit of Song of the Rain VII

    June 30, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Lebanese-American poet Kahlil Gibran is a poet I don’t know a lot about. I often hear lines of his quoted, and they’re gorgeous. But then I go to read a full poem, and I’m not as ...

  • Waiting for News

    June 23, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was a byr a thoddaid, a Welsh form.  Last Thursday, my husband and I went on a road trip to see Tears for Fears in Chicago! Awesome ...

  • My Face, Space, and Picture Day

    June 9, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’ve missed you guys the past few weeks! I’m dropping in this week to share my poem from Tabatha Yeatts’ fabulous Imperfect II – poems about perspective: an anthology for middle schoolers. I have now ...

  • At the Pond & Other Awesome Recent Books #PoetryFriday

    May 19, 2022

    Hi PFers! Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m mostly offline for May, and I’m missing you all. I wanted to just say that I’ve read some wonderful poetry books lately–you’ve probably seen these talked about in more depth on other blogs, ...

  • NPM2022 Day 31: If You Want to Know the Secret of You

    May 1, 2022

    Haha–seriously, I misread the calendar and prepared a post for the 31st (nonexistent) day of April. Oh well. Poetic license? We made it! A sticky note poem every day in April! Thanks for stopping by periodically to read and comment :>) Here’s one more secret poem ...

  • NPM2022 Day 30: If You Want to Know the Secret of a Pocket

    April 30, 2022

    Here’s another poem, like Thursday’s, that merges Patricia Franz’s idea of learning secrets by listening with a topic from  In the Middle of the Night. Art is by Angela Matteson :>) For this one, I thought of what I might have in my pocket and ...

  • Day 29: How Gratitude Is Like an Inflatable Kayak

    April 28, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, our Poetry Princess challenge was to write inspired by poet Taylor Mali. I enjoy hearing Taylor Mali’s work–and attended a virtual workshop with him a couple of months ago! But I like ...

  • NPM2022 Day 28: If You Want to Know the Secret of Perfume

    April 28, 2022

    You guys, I’ve been heartsick this week over the stories of a horrific crime in our region. A crime against a 10-year-old girl. And it’s reminding me again of my need to escape into books, stories, and poems. Reading them, writing them, celebrating them. I’m ...

  • NPM2022 Day 27: My Month in Water

    April 27, 2022

    For Classroom Connections Wednesday, I’ve got a sticky note poem inspired by one of my books, Water Can Be… (boatloads of activities on my book page). I used the same phrase construction, called a kenning, that I use a lot in the book.     Thanks for reading, ...

  • NPM2022 Day 26: Silly Radish

    April 26, 2022

    Sticking with yesterday’s radish connection, today’s sticky note poem is just a silly little wordplay. The linguistics part of my brain can’t stand that the consonants aren’t doubled before all those -ishes. Saddish, etc. But the poetry part of my brain insisted that these made ...

  • NPM2022 Day 25: Souvenir

    April 25, 2022

    Today’s sticky note poem is an acrostic about my favorite souvenir, which is a bowl bought in Iceland.   Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if you ended up here by chance, fantastic! Here are a few links you might find helpful. Intro to what ...

  • NPM2022 Day 24: pen + sticky note

    April 24, 2022

    Today’s sticky note poem:   Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if you ended up here by chance, fantastic! Here are a few links you might find helpful. Intro to what I’m doing this National Poetry Month ALL the sticky-note poems I’ve written so far To see ...

  • NPM2022 Day 23: lunch + Kindle

    April 23, 2022

    Today’s sticky note poem:   Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if you ended up here by chance, fantastic! Here are a few links you might find helpful. Intro to what I’m doing this National Poetry Month ALL the sticky-note poems I’ve written so far To see ...

  • NPM2022 Day 22: Happy Meal + Laura

    April 21, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Sometimes my little daily poems this month are about emotional things. Other times, they’re just quick jottings. Here’s today’s, followed by links to this week’s sticky note poems. Day 16: “Island Day” (a found haiku) Day 17: “rain + night” (a riddle-ku) Day 18: “open curtains ...

  • NPM2022 Day 21: Dolphin Encounters

    April 21, 2022

    Here’s another poem that evolved from the oppositifying of a bit of a Taylor Mali poem. I shared the Mali passage, etc. here. Now, I don’t want to sound all high and mighty, because I love dolphins. Honestly, if I had a chance to swim ...

  • NPM2022 Day 20: What the Rain Knows and a Cover Reveal!

    April 20, 2022

    Y’all might know that I love thunderstorms and rain. Today for National Poetry Month, I’m sharing one more rain sticky note poem (I shared two earlier this week here and here) AND a cover reveal! I have a picture book coming out in spring of ...

  • NPM2022 Day 19: My Mom-in-Law Can Make Anything

    April 19, 2022

    Here’s today’s sticky note poem. This one started out with my reading some Taylor Mali poems for an upcoming poem. This one broke my heart, and I decided to oppositify the first few lines. I’m telling you, just trying to pick an opposite word for every ...

  • NPM2022 Day 18: Open curtains + lightning

    April 18, 2022

    And another equation poem from the storm.   Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if you ended up here by chance, fantastic! Here are a few links you might find helpful. Intro to what I’m doing this National Poetry Month ALL the sticky-note poems I’ve written ...

  • NPM2022 Day 17: rain + night = ?

    April 17, 2022

    We had a lovely little thunderstorm last week at bedtime, and three poems came out of it. Here’s the first: I texted myself the thought that entered my head…I guess that’s draft 1? And wrote in my morning pages the next morning: Thanks for reading, and happy National ...

  • NPM2022 Day 16: Island Day

    April 16, 2022

    I’ve been having fun so far this month trying different poem springboards. Oppositify, the word association grid, N+7…Today’s sticky note poem came from a thought while I was fixing my lunch one day. I grouped three random things that I had out on the kitchen ...

  • NPM2022 Day 15: Mean Words

    April 14, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Here’s another sticky note poem inspired by an N+7 exercise. It came out of the same riddle-ku that Wednesday’s poem, “Mama Says” did. Below it, you’ll find some steps of my writing process on this one. Matt Forrest Esenwine has the roundup today. He’s ...

  • NPM2022 Day 14: Wind: a Sky-High Designer

    April 14, 2022

    One more N+7 draft, the last one for now. But I really liked the poems that came out of this exercise. I didn’t love DOING the exercise–so tedious looking up nouns (especially when you don’t have a printed dictionary, ahem). But I liked the way ...

  • NPM2022 Day 12: Cold Aches

    April 12, 2022

    It’s another N+7 draft for you today. The one I’m sharing here and also the one on Thursday both came out of the same stanza that I shared yesterday.  Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if you ended up here by chance, fantastic! ...

  • NPM2022 Day 11: Travel Law #1

    April 11, 2022

    Today’s sticky note poem is the result of another exercise, called N+7 (read about it here). Again, I use it as a starting place. Not to write a poem but to give me a springboard into a poem. Below the image, you’ll see a stanza ...

  • NPM2022 Day 10: Skyscraper Bones

    April 10, 2022

    Here’s another draft that grew out of an oppositify exercise. See a couple more here. I thought about pairing with art of a skyscraper being imploded or brought down with a wrecking ball…but somehow this image is what I wanted with it. Thanks for reading, and ...

  • NPM2022 Day 9: Magic Rock

    April 9, 2022

    I love rocks, and they show up a lot in my poetry!  Here’s my drafting process. Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if you ended up here by chance, fantastic! Here are a few links you might find helpful. Intro to what I’m doing ...

  • NPM2022 Day 8: Thirsty Rocks

    April 7, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Like yesterday’s poem (which I liked much better), this one resulted from that oppositify exercise of that same Robert Wallace poem. Janice at Salt City Verse has the roundup today! Yay, Janice! Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if you ended up ...

  • NPM2022 Day 7: The Sun Is Never a Spoon

    April 7, 2022

    Tried an exercise with some poet friends where you take a poem and replace every noun with its opposite. And then you see if anything in that new nonsense poem sparks an idea for you. Here’s the draft I ended up with, followed by the ...

  • NPM2022 Day 5: The Opposites of Chickadees

    April 5, 2022

    Had fun watching a few bird videos last week! Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if you ended up here by chance, fantastic! Here are a few links you might find helpful. Intro to what I’m doing this National Poetry Month ALL the sticky-note poems ...

  • NPM2022 Day 4: Hyperspace

    April 4, 2022

    I always feel like I’m in the opening credits of Star Wars when I drive in the dark during a snowstorm! Here’s the drafting of it, written at breakfast.   Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if you ended up here by chance, fantastic! Here ...

  • NPM2022 Day 3: Bird Calligraphy

    April 3, 2022

    Here’s today’s sticky-note poem! Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if you ended up here by chance, fantastic! Here are a few links you might find helpful. Intro to what I’m doing this National Poetry Month ALL the sticky-note poems I’ve written so far To see ...

  • NPM2022 Day 2: Ukraine

    April 2, 2022

    The news can’t help but seep into my writing. Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if you ended up here by chance, fantastic! Here are a few links you might find helpful. Intro to what I’m doing this National Poetry Month ALL the sticky-note poems ...

  • NPM2022 Day 1: Sandcastle

    March 31, 2022

    Hi there, readers, writers, poets, educators, and parents! Welcome to National Poetry Month 2022! This year, I’m keeping it simple. Every day, I’m writing and sharing one poem of some kind on a sticky note–so you know they’ll be short. Not that short is necessarily ...

  • Artisan at Work — a Dodoitsu [Poetry Friday]

    March 24, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Last Sunday, we Poetry Sisters met on Zoom for live writing. Our challenge this month was an ekphrastic dodoitsu. Yup. A dodoitsu (new to me) is a Japanese poetic form with a bit of ...

  • Leaving Things Behind–for Ukraine

    March 17, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) First up, if you’re an educator, please check out my template for writing a “We Belong” poem, which I shared a few days ago. :>) Now…the week before last, my husband and I took a staycation–unplugging from ...

  • Someone Took the Garden Tools #PoetryFriday

    March 10, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) If you’ve known me for a while, you probably know I struggle with plants. I love them, but kill them. Though I’m pleased to report that an ivy cutting I brought home in a paper towel/plastic ...

  • A Thank You Hug #PoetryFriday

    March 3, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Y’all, I am exhausted! But in a good way. I was out of town last week on school visits, and this week, I had my We Belong virtual book launch party and two virtual school visits. ...

  • One Egg–The Poetry Sisters Play With an Exquisite Corpse Poem

    February 24, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) It was so great to host last weekend, and thank you for all the kind comments and encouragement for my forthcoming picture book and virtual launch party! In case you missed it–or as a reminder–Please ...

  • “Do you come from close by?” from We Belong and the Poetry Friday Roundup!

    February 17, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone, to the Roundup! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) It’s been so nice to see some new people joining in and blogging these past couple of months. We are a welcoming community, and I hope you feel that and ...

  • Maybe You’re Quiet… and a We Belong Launch Party!

    February 4, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m sharing my forthcoming rhyming picture book today and inviting you to my launch party! A picture book always has an editor’s careful fingerprints all over it. But We Belong, my new book coming out March 1, ...

  • The Pit

    January 27, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Our Poetry Princess challenge this month was an overheard poem–a poem inspired by or somehow using words we overheard. I am a bad eavesdropper–not only am I not usually close enough to other people to ...

  • I Love You, Giraffe

    January 13, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I didn’t think I’d make Poetry Friday this week, but then… I wrote “giraffe eyelashes” in my gratitude list one night after an episode of The Secret Life of the Zoo (I adore that show!). The next ...

  • Free Online Storytime Tonight! (1/10/2022)

    January 10, 2022

    Hi, friends! At 6pm Central Time tonight, I’m doing an online storytime with Dakota County Libraries, and you’re invited! It’s open for all ages, but kids ages 5-9 will get the most out of it. I’ll be sharing part/all of three of my picture books, ...

  • Turtleneck, Free Author Visit Zoom, Storytime, and One Little Word–Whew!

    January 6, 2022

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So much to tell you this week, but our home is in disarray (covid has struck again, and yes, we are fully vaccinated and boosted). So I’ll keep this brief and not overwhelming :>) 1. Friends–I’m doing ...

  • Bell Song [Poetry Friday]

    December 30, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was a song around bells in some way. I wasn’t able to meet up with my poetry sisters last Sunday, but I did put together a draft ...

  • Poetry for a Winter’s Day #PoetryFriday

    December 23, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, it’s been a tough last 6 weeks. Our family has had the death of my father-in-law, two previously unplanned trips to Georgia (so glad Randy could be with his father before he passed), Covid-19 (despite ...

  • A Winter Riddle-Ku and a Poetry Contest!

    December 9, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) As I type this, I’m watching the sun rise over the horizon of townhomes, and the trees on our backyard retention pond are all frosted in white. Bare ash and aspen turned into lace–so beautiful. We ...

  • Without

    December 2, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) My father-in-law passed away last month, and he had a good passing. He was surrounded by family and love in the days before he died in his sleep. I’m sad for the loss of him but ...

  • Ode to Bare Branches

    November 25, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I hope you’ve had a beautiful Thanksgiving! Today, the day after Thanksgiving, we’re helping our older daughter move into her new apartment. I’m so happy for her, but honestly, if I never see another ...

  • A Thankful Poem and F&Gs #PoetryFriday

    November 18, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) It’s been a rough week. My husband’s father broke his hip a few weeks ago, and things have crashed downhill from there. Six of the eight siblings have gathered to show love and support and try ...

  • Roundup of Fall Small Reads [Poetry Friday]

    November 12, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Oops, I’m checking in late here! But I want to give y’all a link to my Small Reads for Fall roundup page! This was the main part of my November e-newsletter for educators, Small Reads. Check ...

  • Sheep Is a Solid Word [Poetry Friday]

    October 28, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) A quick invitation before my poem today! Click on the graphic for details and free registration. So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was a Wordplay poem, my choice–whee! Now, lots of poems have wordplay ...

  • Her Fur Is Soft as Mittens, But… #PoetryFriday

    October 21, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m late getting this together, but I have three big things to share! 1) Thank you! A huge thank you to all of you who sent both donations and good wishes to my friends Steve and ...

  • Some Poetry Advocates Need Our Help! #PoetryFriday

    October 14, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Today is my birthday–whee! I’m feeling extra grateful for friends and decent health and poetry this year. I want to share that two friends of mine, Steve and Vicki Palmquist, are going through tough times. You ...

  • Call of the Highland Sky #PoetryFriday

    October 7, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Wasn’t planning to post this week, but then my small group met yesterday, and I wrote this poem, inspired by a YouTube video. For your weekly poetry rabbit hole, fall into the Poetry Friday Roundup with fantastic ...

  • The Poetry Friday Roundup Is Here!

    September 23, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so happy to be hosting this week. I’m feeling sad about a breakup in the family, and this is a good distraction–along with being super busy with deadlines, storytimes, and promoting my ...

  • What Detroit Knows [Poetry Friday]

    September 2, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, I missed the Poetry Princess August posting because I was visiting family in Florida for the first time in almost two years! But I love the form they played with: What _ Knows. I ...

  • Bs Are a Few of My Favorite Things, and an Uplifting Anthology

    August 12, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Howdy, friends. This week, I’m sharing an old poem, because it recently found a new little audience. I wrote this spoof in 2009, inspired by Tricia Stohr-Hunt. (More details back here.) Now this poem is included in ...

  • Apart But Part

    July 29, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) You guys, this has been a rough writing week. Last weekend, I wrote live with my Poetry Sisters, and it was great. Although our challenge, a villanelle around some kind of dichotomy, was tough, ...

  • Welcome, Panther — a Tangled Poem #PoetryFriday

    July 22, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, I thought my life was in sufficient order that I could be a contributing member of Poetry Friday again, but I seem to be lacking! At the end of June, my Poetry Sisters posted tangled ...

  • Freeze-Up #PoetryFriday

    July 8, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) My sister Patty is visiting this week, and I am SO excited! I haven’t seen her in almost two years! But I really am trying to get back into my PF routine, so I got this ...

  • Why You Cry When You Read Me [Poetry Friday]

    June 24, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) You guys, I have so missed you! I hope you’re all well, and I’m excited to start catching up on all I’ve missed over the past month or two. We’re still getting settled in, but I’m ...

  • The Dance of Being Human [Poetry Friday]

    May 27, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) It’s still moving chaos in the Salas household! Today (Thursday), we closed on both our old place and our new place. Now we’re in a hotel nearby this coming week as we get some ...

  • Happy Retirement to Mary Lee Hahn! #PoetryFriday

    May 20, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! And, more importantly, happy retirement to Mary Lee Hahn, longtime unofficial leader of our Poetry Friday community. (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I was so tickled to get Irene Latham’s note about honoring Mary Lee today. Here’s how I feel about ...

  • More Fantastic Student Equation Poems #PoetryFriday

    May 13, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) PF friends, I can’t remember if I’ve already told you, but we’re moving at the end of this month (still in the Twin Cities), and our home and schedules are buried in boxes and question ...

  • Student Equation Poems #PoetryFriday

    May 6, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, all during April I shared an equation poem daily. (You can see them all here.) Now I’m exhausted :>) Luckily, I have some student poems to share. Back in March, I did several virtual Family ...

  • #EquationPoem 30

    April 29, 2021

    It’s my last National Poetry Month post–thank goodness! As much as I love it, I feel like I’ve run a marathon and I’m just barely stumbling over the finish line. April has been incredibly stressful with home hunting and now packing, but I’m so glad ...

  • #EquationPoem 29

    April 29, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 28

    April 28, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 27

    April 27, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 26

    April 26, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 25

    April 25, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 24

    April 24, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 23

    April 23, 2021

    Oh my gosh, it’s Poetry Friday. The month is starting to get away from me. We’re prepping for a move–more on that later. Meanwhile, make sure to visit Catherine Flynn for a wonderful draft of a poem of hope in defiance of hate and the ...

  • #EquationPoem 22

    April 22, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 21

    April 21, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 20 Plus an Equation Poem Video

    April 20, 2021

    Yesterday, I promised you a resource for doing equation poems with your students. It’s a video, but it’s only up until May 15, so don’t wait too long to use it in your classroom! I was super excited to partner up with Ramsey County Libraries ...

  • #EquationPoem 19

    April 19, 2021

    Before today’s equation poem, I want to say a big thank you to all of you who showed up for the poetry session of the Kaigler Festival on Friday! It was delightful to see so many friendly names in the chat. And if you want ...

  • #EquationPoem 18

    April 18, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 17 (donuts!)

    April 17, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 16

    April 15, 2021

    NOTE: This Friday (Apr. 16) morning, Irene Latham and Vikram Madan and I will be presenting about poetry at the Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival! Virtual event all week–tix free. More info at https://www.usm.edu/childrens-book-festival/index.php Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) For National ...

  • #EquationPoem 15

    April 15, 2021

    This Friday morning (tomorrow!), Irene Latham and Vikram Madan and I will be presenting about poetry at the Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival! Virtual event all week–tix free. More info at https://www.usm.edu/childrens-book-festival/index.php For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe ...

  • #EquationPoem 14

    April 14, 2021

    This Friday morning, Irene Latham and Vikram Madan and I will be presenting about poetry at the Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival! Virtual event all week–tix free. More info at https://www.usm.edu/childrens-book-festival/index.php For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with ...

  • #EquationPoem 13

    April 13, 2021

    NEW: This Friday morning, Irene Latham and Vikram Madan and I will be presenting about poetry at the Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival! Virtual event all week–tix free. More info at https://www.usm.edu/childrens-book-festival/index.php For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe ...

  • #EquationPoem 12

    April 12, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 11

    April 11, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 10

    April 10, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 9, Plus Some Guest Equation Poems!

    April 8, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Before I share my daily equation poem, I want to share some by special guests! These poems and illustrations are by 2nd and 3rd graders at Katzie Elementary in Surrey, British Columbia. I’m sharing them with ...

  • #EquationPoem 8

    April 8, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 7

    April 7, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 6

    April 6, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 5

    April 5, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 4

    April 4, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 3

    April 3, 2021

    Happy Poetry Month! For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are ...

  • #EquationPoem 2

    April 2, 2021

    For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here are several options ...

  • #EquationPoem 1

    April 1, 2021

    Happy National Poetry Month! For National Poetry Month 2021, I’m posting an equation poem each day. Maybe with an image, maybe without. I needed something very accessible and doable this year! Maybe you feel the same way? I’d love for you to join me, and here ...

  • The Wind Is an Owl [Poetry Friday]

    March 25, 2021

    I’m off the grid right now, so I’m not going to be visiting blogs this weekend, but I wish you a happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, our Poetry Princess challenge was dizzying dizains. We’ve done dizains once before, apparently, ...

  • Passports, by Margaret Atwood #PoetryFriday

    March 18, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Usually, I post poems for kids on Poetry Friday, but this week I’m going a different route. I hadn’t read any of Margaret Atwood’s poetry before–I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t realize she wrote poetry. Then ...

  • Heavy People – Severe Cold and National Poetry Month #PoetryFriday

    March 11, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I was excited to get a new edition of Snowman-Cold=Puddle on my doorstep last week! This one is a Simplified Chinese edition published by Yilin Press in China. They kept the English title on the cover because ...

  • Long Memory #PoetryFriday

    March 4, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) My friend and critique group buddy Joyce Sidman has a gorgeous new poetry picture book, which I’m sharing here with you today! It’s called Hello, Earth! Poems to Our Planet (Eerdmans, 2021), and it’s just wonderful. ...

  • Talent Is a Ticket [Poetry Friday]

    February 25, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was from me: Roll a set of metaphor dice and write a poem inspired by your metaphor. If you don’t have metaphor dice, try an online metaphor ...

  • Riddle-ku by 2nd graders! #PoetryFriday

    February 18, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Quick announcement: Monday is the second Write Alone Together free event I’m hosting. Want to write individually, but in community? Check out the details here. The first one, earlier this week, was just lovely! Now, on to ...

  • This Poem Is a Nest #PoetryFriday

    February 11, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Hey, do you want to write alone together? I’m hosting two Zoom events this month! See more here. Finally, I have read This Poem Is a Nest, by Irene Latham (illus by Johanna Wright, Wordsong). For my ...

  • Write Alone Together–You’re Invited!

    February 9, 2021

    Hi, teacher and writer friends. I got lots of lovely feedback and questions when I shared a poem draft last week inspired by my January experiences of writing alone together. Since my One Little Word this year is DARE, I’m trying something (to me) daring. I’m ...

  • Writing Alone, Together #PoetryFriday

    February 5, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, I realized this morning I hadn’t done a Poetry Friday post for this week. With not setting it up last weekend as usual, and then  WRAD and many deadlines during the week, I totally forgot ...

  • Four Forever, and Help Needed with Names

    January 28, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Two things first: Teachers, before I move on to my Poetry Friday post, I need your help! I’m revising a picture book and need to find names for several kid characters whose families come from ...

  • Snowmelt #PoetryFriday

    January 21, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) If you follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook (I’m @LauraPSalas on all of them), you might see my #OutsideEveryDay photos. I try to get outside most days and take a close-up photo of something that ...

  • An Audience of One #PoetryFriday

    January 14, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m trying to deepen my poetry practice in 2021, and one thing I’m doing is a book study of Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook. In last week’s practice, I chose a poem to imitate. One way ...

  • Winter Song #PoetryFriday

    January 7, 2021

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) We had a white Christmas, and that filled my heart with joy. I don’t love winter without snow. I do love winter with snow. It’s pretty much that simple. Here’s a draft of a poem. I feel ...

  • Would Your Students Like to Write with Me?

    January 5, 2021

    If you’d like to have an author visit, but it’s just not doable right now (for so many reasons!), check out my Small Writes video! In this first edition, I’m doing equation poems with students. You play the video, and your students write with or ...

  • Year’s End and a Bit of Bradbury #PoetryFriday

    December 31, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) And Happy New Year! Thursday morning, my Word for the Day from Gratefulness.org was by Ray Bradbury: “We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the ...

  • In the Bleak Midwinter — Beauty in Stark Times #PoetryFriday

    December 24, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) And Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating! This week, I’m sharing two different things. First up is a pair of wistful haiku, which was our Poetry Princesses prompt this month. (I’m updating this post on ...

  • Chimney Smoke or Wireless Fires #PoetryFriday

    December 17, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday, friends! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I haven’t been writing much new poetry recently. My days are filled with copyediting and passage writing, and I’m grateful for the work. I also have some internal plans for poetry “continuing education” in the ...

  • I’d Rather Stick With You #PoetryFriday

    December 4, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) How is it possibly December? Yowza. Last week, Irene Latham shared a lovely gift guide post, pairing gift ideas with her books. Love that…and stealing the idea. Here are some of my books from the past ...

  • Letter to a Thief – AKA Gifts from 2020

    November 26, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) And Happy Thanksgiving to all my U.S. friends! This post almost didn’t happen, so this will be quick! Our Poetry Princess challenge was hindsight, examined by revising or responding to an earlier poem. I ...

  • When Hope Is Not Easy #PoetryFriday

    November 12, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m sharing a poem I wrote shortly before the election four years ago. (It was a Poetry Princess prompt then.) For the first time in four years, I feel hopeful about our country. While personal things have ...

  • Qualities I Love in Art Forms and How They’re Reflected in What I Write

    November 9, 2020

    I was so honored to be part of the SCBWI/Smithsonian Nonfiction Conference! I was on a panel Saturday about The Personal Journey to Nonfiction. (It started right after Biden’s win was announced, and I was positively shaking with excitement and relief!) The panel was based on ...

  • Winter Is the Warmest Season #PoetryFriday

    November 5, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I love winter, even though I don’t do any winter sports. It’s just a time of beauty and renewal for me. But this year, for the first time in so many years, I’m not looking forward ...

  • They Have Their Uses, But… [Poetry Friday]

    October 29, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Last week, I shared a Halloween poem (just in case you’re looking for spoooooky! :>) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was “Oct 30: A naani poem, theme is foresight again (or autumn, or ...

  • A Halloween Riddle-Ku [Poetry Friday]

    October 22, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Howdy, everyone–thanks for your warm thoughts last week. My sister was briefly out of the hospital but is back in 🙁 The yo-yoing back and forth is wearing her down. Anyway, your kind thoughts here and ...

  • Nesting [Poetry Friday]

    October 15, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) You guys, it’s been a rough couple of weeks. My dad was in the hospital for several nights–he’s home and doing…sort of okay. Now my sister (the same one who had serious medical issues earlier this ...

  • Petting Zoo [Poetry Friday]

    October 1, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) First off–a big thanks for the Poetry Friday folks who attended the Moving Words library event I participated in last weekend. It was WONDERFUL to see familiar names in the attendees list and see your comments ...

  • High-Stepping Hippo [Poetry Friday]

    September 24, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) [Reminder about a free local library program (via Zoom) THIS Saturday. It will be Michael Hall, Joyce Sidman, and me–each talking a bit about how a book of ours came to be–then Q&A. Please ...

  • Traveling Together [Poetry Friday]

    September 17, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) You guys, I’m totally slammed from now through the end of October, so my posts will be uber-short. And I’ll still comment on other folks’ posts over the weekend, but I won’t get to everyone’s every ...

  • New Mouse [Poetry Friday]

    September 10, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) School has started up in some form or another in most parts of the country, and I’m thinking that, even digitally, many kids (and teachers) are feeling lost in a maze of new rules, new technologies, ...

  • Freedom Is a Word [Poetry Friday]

    September 3, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m listening to The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo right now. Wow. I don’t know why I haven’t read it before, other than I don’t read a lot of ya, and I had some strange idea ...

  • Make Time Fly?

    August 27, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was hindsight again — pick one of your old poems to revise and/or write a new poem in conversation with it… (any form). I am writing this on ...

  • Vacation Time #PoetryFriday

    August 20, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Thanks for all your empathy and sharing last week when I shared a poem about sad books. You guys are the best. This week, I’m sharing another poem written for BookSpeak, but this one is actually ...

  • A Purrrrrfectly Cute Interview Over at Angie’s

    August 17, 2020

    Hey, guess what? Author Angie Quantrell interviewed me for her blog, and the post is live! It’s not too long and has pictures of donuts, treadmill desks, adorable kids, and did I mention donuts? And a bit about my writing process for Clover Kitty Goes ...

  • Why Aren’t All Books Happy? #PoetryFriday

    August 13, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I wished you a happy day, but the truth is, I’ve been feeling a bit down. I tend to be relentlessly optimistic and generally feel grateful and content. And here’s the thing. Although my career, like ...

  • Blow It Up, Pufferfish! Plus the Poetry Friday Roundup

    August 6, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Today, I’m sharing a poem I wrote during a March Madness poetry competition several years ago. When I initially signed up to host, this would have been a Poetry Princesses Friday, but then ...

  • Pandemic Summer: an Etheree

    July 30, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) ——————————————————————————————————————————————- Hey, this part isn’t poetry, but it’s the LAST DAY for these two things, so I’m sharing here. First, there’s a Goodreads Giveaway. Win one of 20 copies–last day to enter is today. Second, it’s the ...

  • Dandelion Poems, Crafts, and Coloring Page

    July 29, 2020

    There’s something about a dandelion. I know many folks hate them, and I admit a yard over-run by them can be…intimidating. But a single beautiful dandelion seedhead…. I seem to have a number of dandelion poems. Here are two from two 2019 picture books, Snowman-Cold=Puddle ...

  • Obsession, a Cinderella Poem #PoetryFriday

    July 24, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) First up, I’m over at Lydia Lukidis’ Blissfully Bookish with a post about my newest picture book, Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten–and there’s a giveaway (ends today)! Please stop by if you have a chance! Sometime in ...

  • If an Aurora Appears [Poetry Friday]

    July 16, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Hi, Poetry Friday friends. First, thanks for all the lovely wishes for Annabelle’s wedding :>) Even a rainy day and social distancing couldn’t tamp down the joy! I missed PF last week, and I missed you guys. ...

  • Fireworks Poem

    July 2, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, we won’t be going to see any fireworks this year, but the ones Mercè López created for Lion of the Sky are more glorious, anyway! Now if we could just create a world where the only ...

  • “Morning” [Poetry Friday]

    June 25, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was: a theme of susurrus, or an image of thick woods, whatever form we wish! Maybe some of you wrote along with us? I look forward to ...

  • I Need You Need Me

    June 18, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Wasn’t the celebration of Nikki Grimes and her works last Friday fabulous? I had a lovely time meandering through the posts all last weekend. I’m busy this Poetry Friday with our older daughter’s wedding activities. She’s ...

  • Some Poems for World Refugee Day

    June 17, 2020

    World Refugee Day is coming up on June 20. This is a subject that holds power for me, and looking at the photos of refugees, meeting asylum seekers in a refugee camp overseas, and talking to people who work to help with refugees have all ...

  • “Shelter” by Nikki Grimes

    June 11, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I love Nikki Grimes’ work. Before my very first poetry collection was acquired, I attended the big national SCBWI conference in L.A. in 2006. I attended a session by Nikki on how to organize a poetry ...

  • The World’s Last Magic Bean #PoetryFriday

    June 4, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m sharing another poem readaloud from one of my 30 Painless Classroom Poems books. Now, today, I’m sharing another poem from Fairy Tale Garage Sale, which has the concept that all the characters in fairy tales are ...

  • Respirator [Poetry Friday]

    May 28, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.)  Also, Poetry Friends who have seen our Poetry Princesses/Poetry Sisters/Poetry 7 posts for many years — After more than a decade of writing together and several years of monthly assignments, we wondered if ...

  • Bright Star #PoetryFriday

    May 21, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, it’s been quite a week. Last weekend, we went to Madison, WI, to attend a drive-up bridal shower and visit in a safe way with our older daughter, whom we haven’t seen in person in ...

  • Fee-Fie-Foe-Fairian: Surprise! I’m Vegetarian! #PoetryFriday

    May 14, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Last week, I shared a poem from my book A Need to Feed. Some of you asked when it was coming out, and the answer is that it’s been out for years. It’s part of a ...

  • Blue Whale’s Apology #PoetryFriday

    May 7, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) A few cool things before my poem: I’m excited to share the awesome news that Snowman-Cold=Puddle is on the ILA Teachers’ Choice Reading List! Also, I recently created a bunch of #readaloud videos of some of my books ...

  • Secrets of the Loon Readaloud

    May 6, 2020

    Thank you SO much to everyone who came to the Facebook Video launch of Secrets of the Loon (photographer Chuck Dayton, Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2020). I can’t tell you how much I smiled as each familiar name popped up. I was very afraid nobody ...

  • Online Launch Party and #NationalPoetryMonth Roundup

    April 30, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) It’s May! Hooray! I want to share two things with you. First up, I’d like to invite you to the online launch party for Secrets of the Loon. It’s Monday, May 4 at 3 pm Central ...

  • Day 30: The Finish Line (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 30, 2020

    Wow. Does anyone else who wrote and posted poems daily feel as exhausted as I do? I hope I’m not the only one. Congratulations, poets! We made it! (Though we might not look as sleek and graceful as this guy.)

  • Day 29: A Special Day? (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 29, 2020

    Well, it’s a strange time to launch a book, isn’t it? I’ll be honest. Book publication days are typically mostly normal work days for me, anyway. Because a book launch party doesn’t usually happen on the publication day itself, the day itself is kind of ...

  • Day 28: Secrets of the Loon Book Birthday (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 28, 2020

    Whee! It’s the book birthday for Secrets of the Loon (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2020)! So for today’s poem, I’m sharing the opening quatrain of this rhyming picture book. I’m thrilled to welcome this book into the world. Loons are fascinating, and I think this ...

  • Day 27: Today I Took a Walk (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 27, 2020

    Hi, poetry friends! It’s the final stretch of Poetry Month! I actually took this walk and wrote this poem Saturday morning, but I had other poems to share the past couple of days. I’m writing LOTS of poetry this month–how about you? (And teachers, I ...

  • Day 26: A Bridal Shower Equation Poem: (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 26, 2020

    Not all my poems are based on real life. My warbler poem last Friday? I just needed a specific bird, that’s all. But this one is definitely real life. Our older daughter’s tropical-themed bridal shower happened on Zoom yesterday. And you know what? It was ...

  • Day 25: Seeing Mom Today (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 25, 2020

    April is drawing to a close. Are you exhausted? I am! But I’m also grateful for the intense whirlwind of creating poems daily (besides just the book project I’m working on). Now that Laura Shovan’s awesome #WaterPoemProject is over, I’m looking around, seeing which other ...

  • Day 24: Daily Party – a Skinny Poem [#NationalPoetryMonth2020]

    April 23, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was a skinny poem with the theme or spring or looking ahead. I love skinnys…sometimes. They’re one of those forms that for me either work right away…or ...

  • Day 23: These Are the Hands (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 23, 2020

    Today’s poem comes from a prompt at Michelle Heidenrich Barnes’ Today’s Little Ditty. This is from the first week of April, and I’m just finally getting around to it…better late than never? I’m also finally reading Michelle’s The Best of Today’s Little Ditty 2017-2018 anthology, ...

  • Day 22: Staying Calm in a Storm, by a Sea Goddess (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 22, 2020

    It’s the final #waterpoemproject poem. Thank you, Laura Shovan and all the contributing prompt writers! Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping to share an imagepoem here each day (or as often as I ...

  • Day 21: Grocery Store Heroes (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 21, 2020

    The theme of today’s #waterpoemproject is gift poems, and before I share mine, I want to share a gift I got recently. Snowman-Cold=Puddle is a nominee for the Minnesota Youth Reading Awards (Star of the North picture book category). This is Minnesota’s version of the ...

  • Day 20: An Oil Spill Diamante (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 20, 2020

    Today’s #waterpoemproject prompt resulted in a sad poem. I prefer to celebrate water and focus on the positive, but in thinking about “dirty water,” I couldn’t help thinking of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Here’s my diamante:   Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals ...

  • Day 19: Spindrift Definito (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 19, 2020

    Here’s today’s #waterpoemproject poem–a definito prompt from Heidi Mordhorst via Laura Shovan’s lovely project. I love definitos–this is my second one, and I’d love to write some more.   Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just ...

  • Day 18: Puddle Is a Word (#NationalPoetryMonth)

    April 18, 2020

    Here are today’s #WaterPoemProject poems. Each morning, I’m waking up and dragging myself into a poem. But then I get into my draft and the world drops away for 30 minutes. A lovely way to start today. Also, don’t miss the lovely article on poetry’s ...

  • Day 17: I Am From…by Water (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 17, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Today’s prompt for the #WaterPoemProject was awesome but challenging. How do you show the universality of water but still stay specific? Here’s my attempt: Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping to ...

  • Day 16: Drip from My Fingertips (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 16, 2020

    I’ve been participating in Laura Shovan’s fabulous #WaterPoemProject, and it’s the best decision I made for National Poetry Month. With only a few exceptions over the past several weeks, it’s been the first writing I’ve done each day. I check out the prompt, spend about ...

  • Day 15: Spring Peepers (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 15, 2020

    I haven’t heard spring peepers yet, though some of my local Minnesota friends have. Not sure if it’s because I’m in the city and not near any ponds or marshes, or because we have had snow several days the past week! Ha! Anyway, I’m going ...

  • Day 14: Goodbye to Jack (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 14, 2020

    Today’s #waterpoemproject poem explores a painful memory from 2017… Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping toCopy of Day X: (#NationalPoetryMonth2020) share an imagepoem here each day (or as often as I can). I’m ...

  • Day 13: Floor, Not Sky (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 13, 2020

    Today’s #waterpoemproject prompt involved thinking of some favorite words, then somehow connecting them to water. “Bamboozle” is a word I love the sound of, and it means to trick someone. It also has “bamboo” in it. So I thought about how bamboo in the rainforests ...

  • Day 12: Soap Bubbles (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 12, 2020

    Happy Easter! Today got away from me, and I confess this is a poem I wrote years ago, but it sort of fits today’s #waterpoemproject, so I’m sharing it here:   Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry ...

  • Day 11: Ode to the Shore of Lake Mizell (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 11, 2020

    Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping to share an imagepoem here each day (or as often as I can). I’m participating in Laura Shovan’s awesome #WaterPoemProject the best I can, so most ...

  • Day 10: Things to Do if You Are Spring — community edition! [Poetry Friday]

    April 9, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) These are hard days for writers, aren’t they? Especially ones who aren’t big names. And who have books from last year not selling too well along with books publishing this year and facing extra challenges. (I ...

  • Day 9: Water Volleyball (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 9, 2020

    Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping to share an imagepoem here each day (or as often as I can). I’m participating in Laura Shovan’s awesome #WaterPoemProject the best I can, so most ...

  • Day 8: Water Is a Word (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 8, 2020

    Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping to share an imagepoem here each day (or as often as I can). I’m participating in Laura Shovan’s awesome #WaterPoemProject the best I can, so most ...

  • Day 7: Still Spring (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 7, 2020

    Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping to share an imagepoem here each day (or as often as I can). I’m participating in Laura Shovan’s awesome #WaterPoemProject the best I can, so most ...

  • Day 6: In My Hand (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 6, 2020

    Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping to share an imagepoem here each day (or as often as I can). I’m participating in Laura Shovan’s awesome #WaterPoemProject the best I can, so most ...

  • Day 5: A Snow Envy Skinny (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 5, 2020

    Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping to share an imagepoem here each day (or as often as I can). I’m participating in Laura Shovan’s awesome #WaterPoemProject the best I can, so most ...

  • Day 4: Directional (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 4, 2020

    Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping to share an imagepoem here each day (or as often as I can). I’m participating in Laura Shovan’s awesome #WaterPoemProject the best I can, so most ...

  • Day 3: Things to Do if You Are Spring and Add Your Own Line #PoetryFriday

    April 2, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so pleased to have a Things to Do poem on the last page of the Spring 2020 edition of Children & Libraries, the ALSC journal. Here’s the first half of it. You can read the ...

  • Day 2: Nature’s Project Runway (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 2, 2020

    Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping to share an imagepoem here each day (or as often as I can). I’m participating in Laura Shovan’s awesome #WaterPoemProject the best I can, so most ...

  • Day 1: Ruler of the River (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

    April 1, 2020

    Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping to share an imagepoem here each day (or as often as I can). I’m participating in Laura Shovan’s awesome #WaterPoemProject the best I can, so most ...

  • Splash Zone #WaterPoemProject

    March 31, 2020

    Today’s poem is a form I’m unfamiliar with–a solage. I think I cheated, because only the first two lines are really supposed to rhyme? But here’s today’s imagepoem for Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject.

  • The Way I See It #WaterPoemProject

    March 30, 2020

    I love rain. There are few times I wish fervently for it not to rain, but I know those times are much more frequent for young athletes and their families. Today’s prompt was to write about water in two stanzas with opposite viewpoints. Here’s today’s ...

  • Canyoning #WaterPoemProject

    March 29, 2020

    I recently shared a favorite rock with some friends and also some schools I visited. It’s from Scotland, from a trip Randy and I took there in 2008. Today’s poem is inspired by a memory from that very same trip. Randy and I went canyoning, ...

  • What Is a Wave? #WaterPoemProject

    March 28, 2020

    I love water. It’s such a source of peace and calm and also motion and excitement. It’s just magic. Here’s today’s imagepoem for Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject.   I’m not thinking too hard about making these “good” poems or following all the directions exactly. But starting off most ...

  • First Date Haiku [Poetry Friday]

    March 26, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, in this world of chaos right now, poetry is one of the things keeping me calm and grounded. This month’s Poetry Princess challenge theme was “classic,” any form, any topic. I didn’t really know ...

  • Irish Memories – a Fogbow Fibonacci #WaterPoemProject

    March 26, 2020

    Here’s today’s imagepoem for Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject. Our challenge was a Fibonacci poem inspired by or about a fogbow. Fogbow is a kind of rainbow, which made me think of Ireland, which made me think about our amazing trip there several years ago. Hope to ...

  • Found Haiku from Wonderopolis

    March 25, 2020

    Laura Shovan has organized an awesome daily poetry prompt (around the theme of water) for students and grown-ups. I don’t know if I’ll be able to play every single day, but I’m going to do it as often as I can! Here’s today’s:

  • Read-aloud Videos for All Three Can Be… Books

    March 23, 2020

    Lerner has graciously given permission for authors and illustrators to share readaloud videos of their books on public platforms until June 30. So, here are my first three: I was a little (!) awkward on my first try. Here’s A LEAF CAN BE…   I got a little ...

  • Digital Collages Based on Water Can Be…

    March 18, 2020

    Okay, some of you might be tired of hearing how wonderful Rogers Elementary School is (here’s the overall description of my visit, and here’s the 2nd-grade music program inspired by Lion of the Sky), and in what cool ways they used my books over the ...

  • Belief in Birds and Asking Teachers for Poetry Tips #PoetryFriday

    March 12, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Before I share my poem, I have a favor to ask of any of you teachers. I will be presenting very soon about writing poetry with students. My audience will be pre-service teachers in a course ...

  • Book Trailer!

    March 10, 2020

    Howdy! Remember those awesome kids at Rogers Elementary School and their fabulous media specialist, Holly Dragisich? Well, I’m super excited to share that a few of the students appear in my book trailer for my next picture book, Secrets of the Loon. Enjoy–and please share ...

  • Author Visit at Rogers Elementary

    March 4, 2020

    I had three awesome school visits in February, and each one was a pleasure. But I’m going to share a few pictures from the last one, which was at Rogers Elementary School in Rogers, Minnesota. Holly Dragisich, the media specialist and school librarian, organized my three-day ...

  • More Than Two Sides [Poetry Friday]

    February 27, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Before moving on to my poem this week, I have a question for you. Do you know of one or a few kids ages 4-6 who would like to be in the book trailer ...

  • Fairy Ring [Poetry Friday]

    February 20, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I wasn’t planning to post this week as I’ve been on school visits, and also because of my commenting debacle last week. Fingers crossed for this week! But the awesome poetry workshop kids at Hassan Elementary reminded ...

  • Sacred Land #PoetryFriday

    February 16, 2020

    [NOTE: COMMENTS ARE FIXED NOW–THANK YOU FOR NOTIFYING ME!} Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Each winter, I get to play games on 6 Friday nights with a spectacular group of creative people (some in the kidlit world, others in entirely different worlds). ...

  • Your Song #PoetryFriday

    February 6, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I mentioned that I was going to try writing poems in 20 different places this year for #20for20. I don’t know if I shared my list of places here yet, but one of them ...

  • Haiku to Welcome the New Year

    January 30, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) We’re changing things up for 2020 and posting on the last Friday of the month. Or, you know, we kinda failed to get our act together for the First Friday, and…well, never mind. We’re ...

  • Grateful for…

    January 28, 2020

    I wanted to share a few more things I’m grateful for, because the harder or more stressful things are, the more it helps to focus on that. My husband Randy has been going through some painful medical procedures lately, with a scary fever and 3-night hospital ...

  • Toilet Gets Bummed Out and Dreamy from In the Middle of the Night [#PoetryFriday]

    January 23, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This is Week 3 (Week 1 here and Week 2 here) of my sharing a few bits from my three books on the 2020 NCTE Poetry Notables list! So honored about this!   And more big news to ...

  • Cover Reveal Today at Teacher Dance for My First Fiction Picture Book!

    January 20, 2020

    I’m so happy that Linda Baie is sharing a cover reveal today for my very first fiction picture book, which comes out this July from Two Lions. I hope you’ll stroll on over and check it out! Thanks, Linda:>)

  • 3 Equations from Snowman-Cold=Puddle [#PoetryFriday]

    January 16, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This is Week 2 (Week 1 here) of my sharing a few bits from my three books on the 2020 NCTE Poetry Notables list! So honored about this!   Before I share tidbits, I have to show you ...

  • Winter Haiku from Lion of the Sky [Poetry Friday]

    January 9, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I am gob-smacked to share that I have THREE books on the 2020 NCTE Poetry Notables list!   I am so happy! The committee is made up of teacher educators, poets, and poetry lovers, and I know they ...

  • Come In? [Poetry Friday]

    January 2, 2020

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I do not feel ready for 2020–in so many ways. But time doesn’t pause just because we need time to catch up (wouldn’t it be cool if it did?!), so here’s my poem from my poetry ...

  • Endings and Beginnings [15 Words or Less]

    December 26, 2019

    Hello, and welcome to the final 15 Words or Less Poems day (for now, anyway!) (guidelines here). I’m glad you’re here now, and I’m glad you’ve been here. I’ve been posting these photos and inviting you to write poems to them for many years now! ...

  • Immersion Suit [15 Words or Less]

    December 19, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I am also so grateful for all your support as I announced the hiatus of 15 Words or ...

  • Why Ms. Rob Is Awesome and Some Gratitude [Poetry Friday]

    December 12, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) If you stopped by for just the poem, here it is:>) I shared this (just the text) MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO on my blog. Wow. Double-click on the image to see it larger and/or download ...

  • Robot Man [15 Words or Less]

    December 12, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I wanted to let you know that 15 Words or Less will be going on hiatus for a ...

  • Still Shining (a gratitude sonnet) and a Poetry Gathering at NCTE [Poetry Friday]

    December 5, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) At NCTE, Laura Shovan organized a lovely dinner for kidlit poetry people. It was a huge gathering featuring lots of seafood (or, you know, creme brulee if you’re a seafood hater like me)! Here’s a photo ...

  • Broken Eggs [15 Words or Less]

    December 5, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I am rather butterfinger-y sometimes. This image makes me think of several things: omelettes, natch house fire sunrise And here’s my first draft. ...

  • Pumpkin Palm [15 Words or Less]

    November 28, 2019

    Happy Thanksgiving! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate this U.S. holiday. I firmly believe it’s always time to be ...

  • Look Through a Log [15 Words or Less]

    November 21, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Hello from NCTE! I’m in Baltimore right now spreading book and poetry love and connecting with wonderful writer ...

  • The Dot and NCTE [Poetry Friday]

    November 14, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Here’s a poem I shared recently, but I’m sharing it again, since it’s on the postcard I’ll be handing out to everyone I meet at NCTE next week in Baltimore. Here’s my schedule — hope ...

  • Under the Bridge [15 Words or Less]

    November 14, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Well, friends, I’m back home briefly! Next week, I’ll be at NCTE, and the week after is Thanksgiving. ...

  • Winter Before Fall? [15 Words or Less]

    November 7, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I’m out of town once again this week. Lord. Next week, I will be back to usual. I ...

  • The Voice of Winter–a Villanelle [Poetry Friday]

    October 31, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was Tanita’s choice: A villanelle on a wintry topic, including a pair of words (or homonyms thereof) from the following eleven: bleak, draft, gutter, chill, chime, glitter, ...

  • Echeveria [15 Words or Less]

    October 31, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I’m back from my magnificent week on the Great Lakes! What an adventure–you will start seeing photos here ...

  • Fall Tree [15 Words or Less]

    October 24, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  You guys, I am away from my office doing some exciting research. Check out my Twitter, Facebook, or ...

  • Ox Appeal, from EEK, YOU REEK! #PoetryFriday

    October 17, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I got to have lunch with Lerner editors Carol Hinz and Shaina Olmanson last week (rescheduled after I went to the wrong restaurant on our first attempt!). Here we are, all together at last! After lunch, Carol ...

  • Perfect Raspberry [15 Words or Less]

    October 17, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.    This image makes me think of several things: Raspberry Beret, by Prince picking berries in the Smoky Mountains on vacation ...

  • Moth Surprise [15 Words or Less]

    October 10, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  This pink underwing moth (I think?) lay dead on our front porch a couple of weeks ago :>( This ...

  • Visiting Elizabeth Dulemba’s Blog!

    October 7, 2019

    Happy Monday! In case you missed it, illustrator Claudine Gévry and I shared bits of our process for Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle over at the blog of the fabulous Liz Dulemba on Friday. (Teachers, do you use her awesome coloring pages?) I hope you’ll stop by to ...

  • From a City Dweller to Her Love [Poetry Friday]

    October 3, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Sara’s daughter, Rebecca, who’s been joining us recently (yay!), posed our challenge this month: a pastoral. She wrote: Some inspiration from The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms: “The pastoral ...

  • City Bird [15 Words or Less]

    October 3, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I love that even in a townhome very near a city’s downtown, I can look out my window ...

  • Photo Shoot Chaos

    October 1, 2019

    Just a light behind the scenes story today. My latest book, Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle, is dedicated to my five great nephews and nieces in the Atlanta area. My husband, Randy, recently visited family down there, and he hand-delivered copies to each child. Then, because he ...

  • What Time Forgot, by Nikki Grimes [Poetry Friday]

    September 26, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I recently read Nikki Grimes’ Ordinary Hazards. This young adult memoir in verse comes out October 8 and is by turns harrowing and hopeful. Nikki has always been such a smart, strong poet and woman–it was ...

  • Roll the Bones [15 Words or Less]

    September 26, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I love board games, and there’s a dice game we play with family (can’t remember the name of ...

  • #GetLibraryCarded – It’s Library Sign-Up Month!

    September 23, 2019

    I can’t let September slip away without saying thank you to libraries. Without libraries, I wouldn’t be much of a reader. Although my sisters taught me to read by age 4, almost all of my childhood books were library books, and 80% of my reading ...

  • Mosquitoes and Mexican Free-Tailed Bats [Poetry Friday]

    September 19, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This week, I’m delighted to share Marilyn Singer’s new poetry collection, Wild in the Streets: 20 Poems of City Animals! (ill. by Gordy Wright, published by Quarto Publishing) I’ve been a fan of Marilyn’s poetry for such ...

  • Pond Aerator [15 Words or Less]

    September 19, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  At the amusement park in August, I took this pic of a bubbler in a pond. This image ...

  • Dot Day and Giveaway Winners for Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle!

    September 16, 2019

    It’s International Dot Day–a great day to think about how you and your students might make your mark on the world! Read more here. Here are the two dots I’ve made in years past. And it’s the day I’m announcing the 5 winners of signed copies ...

  • The Opening of Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle + a Giveaway! [Poetry Friday]

    September 12, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Last week, my final picture book of 2019 published (I blogged about it here), and it’s a rhyming nonfiction book. I thought I’d share the opening two quatrains as my poem this week and ...

  • Seed Pod (15 Words or Less Poems)

    September 12, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. Isn’t t this close up of a seed pod lovely? This image makes me think of several things: Butterfly wings Old, ...

  • Snakes with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    September 5, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was, apparently, my choice. Last week, Sara emailed the group to say, “Are we still doing Laura’s challenge? September – Laura – A poem comparing something with ...

  • ELO Light Show [15 Words or Less]

    September 5, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Summer’s over, folks! What a whirlwind mine was, and you’ll probably learn more about it from the photos ...

  • It’s My Book Birthday for SNACK, SNOOZE, SKEDADDLE: HOW ANIMALS GET READY FOR WINTER + a Giveaway

    September 3, 2019

    I am so excited to say that my fourth and final picture book of 2019 comes out today! You might be thinking (if you live up north), “Seriously, Laura, you want us to think about winter on the very first day of school?!” Well…yes. I do. ...

  • Roller Coaster [15 Words or Less]

    August 29, 2019

    NOTE: Some readers are commenting and not seeing their own comments show up, even though they are showing up for me and others! I don’t know what’s causing this and am hopeful the WordPress or other platform gods will figure out how to solve the ...

  • Henna [15 Words or Less]

    August 22, 2019

    NOTE: Some readers are commenting and not seeing their own comments show up, even though they are showing up for me and others! I don’t know what’s causing this and am hopeful the WordPress or other platform gods will figure out how to solve the ...

  • Camping in Fall and Lee Bennett Hopkins #PoetryFriday

    August 15, 2019

    NOTE: Some readers are commenting and not seeing their own comments show up, even though they are showing up for me and others! I don’t know what’s causing this and am hopeful the WordPress or other platform gods will figure out how to solve the ...

  • Rearview Mirror [15 Words or Less]

    August 15, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  We live near our state capitol building, and the other day as we were driving somewhere, I saw ...

  • In Memory of Lee Bennett Hopkins [Poetry Friday]

    August 9, 2019

    It’s a sad Poetry Friday today. (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) NOTE: Some readers are commenting and not seeing their own comments show up, even though they are showing up for me and others! I don’t know what’s causing this and am hopeful the ...

  • A Pig in the Audience [15 Words or Less]

    August 8, 2019

    NOTE: Some readers are commenting and not seeing their own comments show up, even though they are showing up for me and others! I don’t know what’s causing this and am hopeful the Wordpress or other platform gods will figure out how to solve the ...

  • Raise Your Gaze — an Ekphrastic Definito [Poetry Friday]

    August 1, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, it’s the first Friday of the month, so of course I’m sharing a poem written in concert with my Poetry Sisters. This month, we wrote ekphrastic poems inspired by several pictures Sarah took in ...

  • Drumsticks [15 Words or Less]

    August 1, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Hello, poets of all kinds! It’s a rare unfiltered photo this week! But…still a mall one.   This image makes ...

  • Cow on a Flatbed? [15 Words or Less]

    July 25, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  On my way to a drum corps show a couple of weeks ago, we passed by this interesting ...

  • Building Growing Out of a Tree [15 Words or Less]

    July 18, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Randy and I often walk to a small park nearby and play Scrabble. The other night, I looked ...

  • It’s the Circle of…Barstools? [15 Words or Less]

    July 11, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. Last week was my dad’s birthday, the anniversary of my mom’s death, a medical emergency for my dad, ...

  • Heat Is a Lemon Lollipop – a Triolet [Poetry Friday]

    July 4, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was a triolet on the theme of heat. I’ve been buckled under a number of deadlines and didn’t think I was going to make it. But on ...

  • Waterfall [15 Words or Less]

    July 4, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here, especially on a holiday like today! Happy 4th of July!  This image makes me think of several things: canyoning in ...

  • Sneakers [15 Words or Less Poems]

    June 27, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  This image makes me think of several things: those displays of shoes/boots to represent people (soldiers often, but not ...

  • Poetry Blast and a Riddle-ku #PoetryFriday

    June 20, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Hello! I’m on my way to Washington, DC, for the annual ALA conference! I hope to maybe see a few of you there? I’m attending to take part in the Poetry Blast, an annual poetry celebration ...

  • Chandelier Jellyfish? [15 Words or Less Poems]

    June 20, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I love public art. When I walk through a building or a square and there are interesting and ...

  • Coral Reef [15 Words or Less]

    June 13, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  It’s another mall photo. Seriously, you know I’m not getting out enough when several weeks of pictures in ...

  • Equationpoems from Young Authors Conference #PoetryFriday

    June 12, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) The week of Memorial Day, I taught at Success Beyond the Classroom’s Young Authors ...

  • Skinny Poems with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    June 6, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was a skinny. I was excited because I saw some of these at Margaret Simon’s blog a while back and wanted to try them. A Skinny has 11 ...

  • Fruity Bath? [15 Words or Less]

    June 6, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I have missed you guys a lot on all these various weeks I haven’t been home to comment! Can ...

  • Formerly Known As… [15 Words or Less]

    May 30, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Prince’s death was a HUGE deal here in Minneapolis, and while walking around the mall before my WW ...

  • Who Will You Be Today? [15 Words or Less]

    May 23, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Thank you all for your poems and kind words last week. Though I was teaching (more about my ...

  • Ladybug, Ladybug [15 Words or Less]

    May 16, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I am on the third and final day of a poetry residency with 4th- and 5th-graders today, so ...

  • My Poems at the TLA Poetry Round Up #PoetryFriday

    May 9, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend the Texas Library Association conference in Austin to take part in Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong’s awesome Poetry Round Up. What a great event! I’m sharing the ...

  • Mask [15 Words or Less]

    May 9, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here’s another piece from the art crawl at the mall:>) This image makes me think of several things: coasters ...

  • Floor Bunny [15 Words or Less]

    May 2, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  When I went to my WW meeting a couple of weeks ago, there was an art display throughout ...

  • Korean War Veterans Memorial [15 Words or Less]

    April 25, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC is so haunting. This image makes me think of several ...

  • The Poetry of Puppetry 2: A St. Paul, MN Puppet Show!

    April 20, 2019

    On Friday, I went to the George Latimer Central Library in St Paul Minnesota (my library) to watch a puppet show created by my friend, librarian Kim Faurot. I have heard from writer friends about Kim’s awesome puppet shows, but I have never been to ...

  • What Am I Up To This National Poetry Month? You! #PoetryFriday

    April 18, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This year, for the first time in many years, I’m not writing a poem a day for Poetry Month. This makes me sad, but with school visits, a writing retreat, a book launch party, and a ...

  • DC Trees [15 Words or Less]

    April 18, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  My regulars, I’ve missed you the past two weeks! I was on a weeklong school visit one week, ...

  • Listen to Laura Share Snowman-Cold=Puddle Sunday Night!

    April 13, 2019

    Hi, friends! While I was at the awesome Denver Children’s Festival of Stories in March, Kristen Olsen recorded an interview with me for Tunes and Tales, her radio show about children’s literature. I answered questions about Snowman – Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations (Charlesbridge, illustrated ...

  • Introducing Lion of the Sky #PoetryFriday

    April 11, 2019

      lie down in whiteness     kick and SWISH and wave your arms            give me winter wings                                        –Laura Purdie Salas, from Lion of the Sky I’m so excited about this book, my third and final poetry collection of the spring! ...

  • Lighted Moose [15 Words or Less]

    April 11, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I actually don’t know where I took this photo, but it was in January, and it made me ...

  • Sharing a STEM literature activity at Patricia Newman’s blog

    April 10, 2019

    Hi, educators! Today, I have a guest post over at fabulous nonfiction author Patricia Newman’s site as part of her LitLinks series. In it, I explain a great way to use equation poems in other content areas. I hope you’ll stop by if that sounds ...

  • Poetry-Palooza Book Launch Photos

    April 8, 2019

    On Saturday, I celebrated my three spring releases with a launch at Red Balloon Bookshop! It was so great to share SNOWMAN-COLD=PUDDLE (Charlesbridge), IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT (Wordsong), and LION OF THE SKY (Millbrook) with readers! Click for more images, but here’s my ...

  • Sky Love Story – an Anagram Poem [Poetry Friday]

    April 4, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) We were scrambling for our form this month, and Tricia suggested anagram poems. She was inspired by Linda Baie’s lovely idea and poem here. As a theme, we picked weather or umbrellas or natural ...

  • Vietnam Veterans Memorial [15 Words or Less]

    April 4, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I’ve been to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC several times, and I’m moved by it every time. ...

  • Dreamy #PoetryFriday

    March 28, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I want to share one more poem from In the Middle of the Night, plus ask y’all a favor. Here’s the poem, one of the few unrhyming ones in the collection. I just love acrostics, and ...

  • Space Module [15 Words or Less]

    March 28, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here’s a space module in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. This image makes me think ...

  • Student Equation Poems for Poetry Friday #PoetryFriday

    March 21, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I am at the Denver Children’s Festival of Stories today and tomorrow, so I might not get to read your comments until Monday. I got the BEST surprise in my Facebook Inbox last week. A Twin Cities ...

  • Coast Guard Monument [15 Words or Less]

    March 21, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  While in DC, Randy and I admired these gorgeous bas relief (maybe?) sculptures for the various branches of ...

  • Join Me at Celebrate Science?

    March 18, 2019

    Hi, friends–I’m over at Melissa Stewart’s blog today explaining how when you read a nonfiction book written by me, you’re learning something about me (even though the book’s not about me!). I hope you’ll hop over and give it a read. Celebrate Science is an ...

  • Dirty Clothes Do-Si-Do [Poetry Friday]

    March 14, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) My newest poetry collection, In the Middle of the Night: Poems from a Wide-Awake House! (click the title to see my post last week introducing the book) is here! Thank you to all of the fabulous ...

  • Frosted Snowflake [15 Words or Less]

    March 14, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  You know I can’t resist a beautiful cookie, and while in DC I got this sparkling, lovely, iced ...

  • In the Middle of the Night Giveaway!

    March 12, 2019

    Thrilled that IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT: POEMS FROM A WIDE-AWAKE HOUSE comes out today! Yesterday, the awesome Dylan Teut kicked off the blog tour with an interview with me plus a giveaway! Learn about my creepy childhood basement, my inability to find my ...

  • Introducing In the Middle of the Night! #PoetryFriday

    March 7, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) On Tuesday, March 12, my second spring title, In the Middle of the Night: Poems from a Wide-Awake House, comes out. This beautiful book from Wordsong (where many of my very favorite poets have published amazing ...

  • Leatherback [15 Words or Less]

    March 7, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.   I love the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History! I only had a couple of hours in it on ...

  • Floor Lamp Waits [Poetry Friday]

    February 28, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, I dropped the ball on this one. This month, we Poetry Princesses wrote a mask poem. This one was MY choice! And yet, I didn’t get to it until this week. It’s funny ...

  • Metal Tree [15 Words or Less]

    February 28, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I adore real trees, but I am drawn to sculptures of trees, too, like this metal one on ...

  • Moose Topiary, Sort Of [15 Words or Less]

    February 21, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  This moose topiary/sculpture charmed me at the Botanical Garden in DC. This image makes me think of several things: Necco ...

  • Olmec Head [15 Words or Less]

    February 14, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. Even though I’m not! I’m at a family wedding in Atlanta and won’t be able to reply today! ...

  • 10 Nonfiction Picture Books with Interesting Structures or Formats #nf10for10

    February 10, 2019

    It’s February 10, time for 10 for 10! This awesome event created by Cathy Mere and Mandy Robek lets us celebrate nonfiction picture books–woohoo! Go to Enjoy and Embrace Learning to see the roundup or add your own post! Here are 10 nonfiction picture books that ...

  • Write an Equation Poem? [Poetry Friday]

    February 7, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, I bet you came here expecting to READ a poem, but I’m going to ask you to write one. A fast one! A simple one! This past Tuesday, my newest book came out, Snowman-Cold=Puddle: ...

  • Bird on a Branch [15 Words or Less]

    February 7, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here’s an itty-bitty birdie I spied while walking around the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. This image makes me ...

  • Lunch in a Refugee Reception Centre [Poetry Friday]

    January 31, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, Tanita came up with our challenge: a poem in the style of Marilyn Nelson’s “Minor Miracle,” about a small, miraculous thing you have seen or known. I’ll wait here while you read ...

  • Eyeborg [15 Words or Less]

    January 31, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.    Here’s another photo from my wanderings of the Smithsonian Gardens. This image makes me think of several things: a ...

  • First Visit to the Ocean [Poetry Friday]

    January 24, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I recently opened an envelope to find an ARC of I’m the Big One Now!, a forthcoming poetry picture book by Marilyn Singer (one of my favorites) and Jana Christy (love the charming art). Thank you, ...

  • Cloth Caught Midair [15 Words or Less]

    January 24, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  In Washington, I spent a lot of time wandering the Smithsonian Gardens. This image makes me think of ...

  • Introducing Snowman – Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations #PoetryFriday

    January 17, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m thrilled to introduce you to my first spring title this year, Snowman – Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations (Charlesbridge, 2/5/19), with gorgeous art by Micha Archer. It’s a combination of equation poems and prose sidebars. The ...

  • When Clouds Grow Claws [15 Words or Less]

    January 17, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  This is a sculpture from a museum in Washington DC. I believe (but am not certain) it was ...

  • Winter Poem Swap #PoetryFriday

    January 10, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This year, I participated in Tabatha Yeatts’ Winter Poem Swap for the first time. It was scary, as I had no idea what to expect. But I wrote my poem for Irene Latham (though postal catastrophes ...

  • De-Icing an Airplane [15 Words or Less]

    January 10, 2019

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here’s a photo taken from our plane as we sat on a snowy runway in late November. This image ...

  • Anatomy of Typography [Poetry Friday]

    January 3, 2019

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Fantasy: As 2018 wound down, the Poetry Princesses thoughtfully pondered how to begin the new year… Reality: Thankfully, Tricia emailed us all last week and said, basically, Ack! Let’s write a poem to one the ...

  • Storm [15 Words or Less]

    January 3, 2019

    Happy New Year! Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I love a good storm, but I did not get to experience this one. It’s just ...

  • Gizmo [15 Words or Less]

    December 27, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Thanks for making time to join our community during what is a very busy holiday week for many! One ...

  • Never Say No (to a Philly Cheesesteak) [Poetry Friday]

    December 20, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m back with my fourth and final poem from The Poetry of US, J. Patrick Lewis’ newest anthology with National Geographic. (You can find the other three here, here, and here.) In this poem, ...

  • Shrouded Plants [15 Words or Less]

    December 20, 2018

    Welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  One brisk morning at NCTE in Houston, I was walking to the convention center when I saw that this big ...

  • Pinwheels [15 Words or Less]

    December 13, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here are some pinwheels that “grow” in a lovely garden near the Houston Convention Center. This image makes me ...

  • Cleaning Out My Locker [Poetry Friday]

    December 6, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, we needed a last minute change to our plans, and someone (I think Liz? It’s usually Liz who keeps us blessedly on track) suggested a list poem that had to use two ...

  • Convention Center [15 Words or Less]

    December 6, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  This past few weeks have been full of highs and lows. I would prefer more highs and fewer ...

  • Wings Rising [15 Words or Less]

    November 29, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I hope you all had a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend. Ours was lovely, and fun, and busy. We celebrated ...

  • Can I Touch Your Hair? Gets Charlotte Huck Honor! [Poetry Friday]

    November 22, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) And HEY! There’s a giveaway for The Poetry of US happening on Goodreads. Don’t miss your chance:>) My heart and mind are still overflowing from NCTE last week! One highlight was co-presenting with our Poetry Friday ...

  • Give Thanks [15 Words or Less]

    November 22, 2018

    Happy Thanksgiving, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Our younger daughter lives overseas doing volunteer work. She lives on practically nothing and works to make ...

  • Gargoyle [Poetry Friday]

    November 15, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) A couple of weeks ago, I won a copy of Kate Coombs’ new poetry collection, Monster School (Chronicle, 2018, illus. by Lee Gatlin) from a giveaway on Jama Rattigan’s Alphabet Soup. Kate is a lovely poet, ...

  • Gold Statue [15 Words or Less]

    November 15, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Randy and I went on a wonderful tour of the Minnesota State Capitol building (a couple of blocks ...

  • Infinity [15 Words or Less]

    November 8, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  There’s a state office building near our place that has number sculptures out front. Many are on their side ...

  • I’m Looking for a Roommate for NCTE 2018–Oh, I’m Speaking, Too!

    November 7, 2018

    Hi, educator and writer friends! NCTE 2018 is almost here! I have a hotel room but have been so busy prepping for my sessions that I haven’t put in the time to find a roommate yet. Oops! I have a hotel room at the Hyatt Regency ...

  • Water, Water Everywhere [Poetry Friday]

    November 6, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m back with a third poem from The Poetry of US, J. Patrick Lewis’ newest anthology with National Geographic. I originally wrote this poem for one of my books for teachers, Wacky, Wild, and ...

  • World Tour (After a Lucia Micarelli Concert) [Poetry Friday]

    November 1, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, our Poetry Princess challenge was to write a poem with an anaphora–a repeated, open-ended phrase.  Recently, Randy and I attended a concert by Lucia Micarelli, a wonderful violinist. (We saw her years ...

  • Car with Eyelashes [15 Words or Less]

    November 1, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I’m not a car person, but I saw this cutie parked in our neighborhood recently. This image makes me ...

  • Revenge (of the Bonneville Salt Flats) [Poetry Friday]

    October 25, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) As promised, here’s another poem from The Poetry of US, J. Patrick Lewis’ newest anthology with National Geographic. I was looking back to see a bit of my writing process. I knew right away ...

  • Atlatl [15 Words or Less]

    October 25, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. If you tried to visit last week, or did visit in the brief window that the post was ...

  • Sacred Land [Poetry Friday]

    October 11, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m thrilled to be hosting today, as it’s almost my birthday, and I’m awaiting the arrival of The Poetry of US, J. Patrick Lewis’ newest anthology with National Geographic. It features poems about or ...

  • Dragonfly Captured! [15 Words or Less]

    October 11, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  This is a close-up of a dragonfly on one of the herons in La Crosse, WI. This image makes ...

  • spike roof shadow: Building Short Poems with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    October 4, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was my choice! And I chose short poems (6 lines or fewer) about animals that had to include three words (or forms thereof): spike, roof, and shadow. I ...

  • Double Vision [15 Words or Less]

    October 4, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I took this pic over the summer when Randy and I were getting new glasses. The optometrist was ...

  • Is This Just Fantasy? [15 Words or Less]

    September 27, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Okay, I try not to be too repetitive with images, but everyone had such fun with the chalk ...

  • Wind Tunnel [15 Words or Less]

    September 20, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here’s Randy in front of a dome near our old home. It’s used to create a wind tunnel ...

  • Toys Rise Up! [15 Words or Less]

    September 13, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.    We went to the Maple Grove Chalk Art Festival again this summer, and we were amazed as usual. ...

  • Daydreams Through a Looking Glass – Collage Cento [Poetry Friday]

    September 6, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, Sara chose a cento as our Poetry Princess challenge. Not just a cento, but a cento collage, in which we would each choose one word from a set of lines Sara provided ...

  • Jeweled Fish [15 Words or Less]

    September 6, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Happy first week of school for all your northern teachers! While visiting my older daughter in La Crosse, WI, ...

  • Paddle Boat [15 Words or Less]

    August 30, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Okay, one last (this one a rare unfiltered one) photo from Cyprus. On our first full day there, ...

  • Bikes at a Salt Lake [15 Words or Less]

    August 23, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.   Here’s another pic from our trip to Cyprus. Larnaca has a couple of salt lakes. They’re near the ...

  • Foreign Letters [15 Words or Less]

    August 16, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Another pic from our trip to Cyprus. This is from some kind of sculpture or monument, and I ...

  • Fountain [15 Words or Less]

    August 9, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  This is another pic from our Cyprus trip. Here’s a fountain by the ocean in Larnaca, in the ...

  • Afraid to Wish for Answers [Poetry Friday]

    August 2, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) You know, we Poetry Princesses organized our monthly challenges for this year at the end of 2017. And a sestina in July sounded just peachy. Really. Then…real life. My husband and I moved on Monday, ...

  • Peacock [15 Words or Less]

    August 2, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.   Here’s another photo from our trip to Cyprus. This lovely gent lives at the same camel park as ...

  • On Your Way to School #PoetryFriday

    July 26, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell have done it again, creating another poetry anthology perfect for educators to use to grow readers who are excited about poetry. Great Morning!  (Pomelo Books, 2018; hear a sample read here) ...

  • Hay! [15 Words or Less]

    July 26, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Before today’s challenge, I want to share some lovely news from Elaine Magliaro (author of the glorious picture ...

  • Spurious Sayings [Poetry Friday]

    July 19, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Here’s my final poem I wrote for the Madness Poetry competition created by Ed DeCaria–this is the one that kicked me from the tourney in the Final Four, where it was beaten by a fabulous Cinderella ...

  • Camel [15 Words or Less]

    July 19, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  While in Cyprus, we went to a camel park–and rode camels! I loved this handsome fellow. This image makes ...

  • Together. Three. [Poetry Friday]

    July 12, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This week has been a rough week. I went to a celebration of life for the husband of a friend, and I’ve had a lot of stress both personally (moving in a couple of weeks!) and ...

  • Mosaic Sky [15 Words or Less]

    July 12, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I really have a thing for airport art. Here’s a close-up of a piece of a mosaic: This image ...

  • Things I Will Miss When We Move – an Aphra Behn Poem [Poetry Friday]

    July 5, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) You know what happens when you collaborate? You stretch. You grow. You learn. Even if it’s not always a comfortable process, it’s well worth it! This month, our Poetry Princess challenge was an Aphra ...

  • Refugee Camp Mural [15 Words or Less]

    July 5, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here in the United States, we celebrated our independence and freedom yesterday. (Hope you had a fun  holiday!) ...

  • A Thousand Nicknames for Snow [Poetry Friday]

    June 28, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This might be an odd choice for the end of June(!), but I’m continuing along with sharing the poems I wrote for the Madness Poetry competition created by Ed DeCaria. This was for Round 3, and ...

  • Tower Bridge [15 Words or Less]

    June 28, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I love boats and water and bridges. I took this pic while we were on our Thames Rocket ...

  • Poems of Empathy – #PoetryFriday

    June 21, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m taking a break from sharing my Madness Poetry poems to ask you to go back and look at 1 or 2 student poems I shared earlier this week. I shared photos of 12 or so ...

  • Swan [15 Words or Less]

    June 21, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. In the flat we stayed in in London (Canary Wharf area) for a few days, we could feed ...

  • Right Now [Poetry Friday]

    June 14, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Here’s the second of the poems I wrote for the Madness Poetry competition created by Ed DeCaria. My assigned word was “doling.”  The background image is of two people I love on a rock by the ...

  • London Eye [15 Words or Less]

    June 14, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here’s a picture of the London Eye Ferris Wheel. I took it from my seat on a Thames ...

  • What We All Need [Poetry Friday]

    June 7, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I thought that this month, I’d share the poems I wrote for the Madness Poetry competition created by Ed DeCaria. Here was my first-round poem, written with the assigned word “coordinates.” I wanted to play a ...

  • Red Light, Green Light! [15 Words or Less]

    June 7, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.    We arrived in London very late at night, took the tube, and then walked to our flat in ...

  • 3 Limericks with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    May 31, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, our Poetry Princess challenge was limericks around the theme of birds and bees. Take that them any way you like;>) This was Tanita’s pick, and I was so glad she picked something ...

  • Iron Maiden [15 Words or Less]

    May 31, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  This lovely lady was along the Blackwater Basin near the flat we stayed in in Canary Wharf in ...

  • Mediterranean Blue, by Naomi Shihab Nye #PoetryFriday

    May 24, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I just finished reading Traveling the Blue Road: Poems of the Sea, a powerful recent Lee Bennett Hopkins anthology. Wow. I love the ocean so much, and these poems about ocean voyages and voyagers really touched ...

  • Aphrodite’s Rock [15 Words or Less]

    May 24, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  One thing we did while visiting our daughter in Cyprus was to to a few different beaches. The ...

  • Roundup of My Poetry Month Haiku [Poetry Friday]

    May 17, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, my Poetry Month efforts fell a little short this year. I am feeling kind of glum about that, but trying to just celebrate the effort, the process (more about my writing fail here). In that ...

  • Cereal? [15 Words or Less]

    May 17, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I feel so lucky to have visited a couple of non-English-speaking countries. It really opens my perspective. ...

  • Mystical Mandan Villages and Teacher #PoetryFriday

    May 10, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Each year Jone MacCulloch’s students at Silver Star School in Washington state send out poetry postcards during National Poetry Month. I had signed up back in March and promptly forgot about it. April was busy, to ...

  • Climbing Out [15 Words or Less]

    May 10, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Thank you for being such an active and kind community while I was out of town–out of the ...

  • Cow [15 Words or Less]

    May 3, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I’m still off the grid, so once again, I will not be able to comment. I’m hoping ...

  • Day 29: Haiku: waves roll in and out

    April 28, 2018

  • Day 28: Haiku: wooden bus stop bench

    April 27, 2018

  • Forget charts and rules [15 Words or Less]

    April 26, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I’m largely off the grid this week and next, so I won’t be able to comment on ...

  • Day 25: Haiku: a plane of strangers

    April 25, 2018

  • Day 24: Haiku: patio seats, treats

    April 23, 2018

    Girls’ day out with my daughter, Annabelle. Last day I’ll see her before her move to La Crosse…

  • Day 20: Haiku: egg nog jellybeans

    April 20, 2018

    Score!

  • In a Salt Shaker Far, Far Away [15 Words or Less]

    April 19, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  My older daughter Annabelle is moving to Wisconsin. I am going to miss her funny, loud, energetic, ...

  • Day 18: Haiku: fresh green fiddlehead

    April 18, 2018

    Just wishful thinking 🙂

  • Day 17: Haiku: Library beehive

    April 17, 2018

    Just got home from picking up a lovely pile of poetry books from my neighborhood library! I love the buzzing hum of activity that’s always there.

  • Day 16: Haiku: irritated geese

    April 16, 2018

    True story from Sunday:)

  • Day 15: Haiku: Before the news breaks,

    April 15, 2018

    Just thinking about the moments when something terrible has happened but we don’t know it yet…

  • Day 14: Haiku: sky yells, “Pillow fight!”

    April 14, 2018

    A little blizzarding, anyone? I remember a pillow fight when I was a kid, and the pillow ripped and the whole room just filled with white feathers. That’s what it looks like out our windows right now!

  • Day 13: Haiku: focus ripped into…

    April 13, 2018

    Not that this describes me, or anything… Too funny. I was so scatter-brained that I didn’t publish this on April 13 but left it in draft form. Oops.

  • Recipe for a Poetry Book–Happy Birthday, Lee Bennett Hopkins! [Poetry Friday]

    April 12, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Without Lee Bennett Hopkins and his books, I don’t think I’d be writing poetry for children today. When I first got the tiniest of inklings that I might like to dip a toe into the waters ...

  • Day 12: Haiku: headlights slice darkness

    April 12, 2018

    I was driving to the gym this morning when a beautiful white bunny zipped across the road in front of me. So glad the roads weren’t icy today!

  • Blur [15 Words or Less]

    April 12, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Sometimes I think I have more accidental images on my phone than I do intentional ones! This ...

  • Day 11: Haiku: steady drip-drop-drip

    April 11, 2018

     

  • Haiku: Day 10: Joyce summons spring with

    April 10, 2018

  • Day 9: Haiku: spin-out’s finished, but

    April 9, 2018

    I love winter. Winter driving? Not so much.  

  • Day 8: Haiku: white-haired man tries to

    April 8, 2018

    It’s hard watching people you love age…    

  • Day 7: Haiku: It looks like a book

    April 7, 2018

    This one is from me and all my writer and artist friends who put our hearts into our books…and for all of you who gives books to others (teachers and librarians, I’m looking at you!).  

  • Day 6: Haiku: Headline shouts, “ENOUGH!”

    April 6, 2018

    I’m trying to be more tolerant, because I know I complain about the heat all summer long:>) But this is my rebellion against all the whining about snow! Our Minneapolis paper had this big story about how sick people were of snow, but (online at ...

  • Borrow a Line with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    April 5, 2018

      Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, I seem to be on a real tree kick lately! This month, our theme, chosen by Tricia, was to borrow a line from Elizabeth Bishop’s One Art and use it in a ...

  • Extreme Swing and Day 5: The pause at the top

    April 5, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here’s a photo from last summer: I like roller coasters, but not things like this. So I ...

  • Day 4: Haiku: Basketball flies by

    April 4, 2018

     

  • Day 3: Haiku: Scarlet in April

    April 3, 2018

     

  • Progressive Poem Day 3 Is Here!

    April 3, 2018

    So happy to be part of Irene Latham’s Progressive Poem! Here we go! Nestled in her cozy bed, a seed stretched. Oh, what wonderful dreams she had had! Blooming in midnight moonlight, dancing with Did you see the wonderful post with Heidi Mordhorst, Irene Latham, and ...

  • Day 2: Haiku: Minnesota spring

    April 2, 2018

     

  • Day 1: Haiku: On the calendar

    April 1, 2018

    Happy National Poetry Month, and Happy Easter if you celebrate Easter! I’m keeping things simple this year, because life is complicated (with moves, travel, work–mostly good stuff, just…complicated). In years past, I’ve done daily poems with unified visual elements, because I do love that. This ...

  • Do You Hear the Wind? [Poetry Friday]

    March 29, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Did you see the poetry and other writing done by second graders here at Blog Tour Stop #7? If not, I hope you’ll hop over to comment. It was wonderful to hear kids sharing their families! ...

  • Snowpeople [15 Words or Less]

    March 29, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I hope you’re not offended that I’m still using snow-related photo prompts, but you know March and ...

  • Mandrake [15 Words or Less]

    March 22, 2018

    Madness Poetry is down to just four matchups! My matchup with J.J. Close, who does very clever wordplay, goes live at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time here. I hope you’ll visit and vote for your favorite on all four pairs of poems. Thanks to those of ...

  • A Poem with “Parlance”? It’s Madness!

    March 19, 2018

    Hi, teacher friends. I made it to Round 3 of Madness Poetry, where I had to write a poem for kids including the word “parlance.” Yeah… Anyway, voting is live, and if you’d go here to read the poems by Savannah Rogers and me and ...

  • The Putrid Poetic Ponderings of Louis J. Pasternak AKA Dr. Skullstench [Poetry Friday]

    March 15, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) How is it possible that March is halfway over! I’m teaching at a Young Authors Conference today, which is always fun. (It’s fun when I’m feeling well. We’ll see how today goes, as I’m–hack, hack–feeling gross.) ...

  • Voldetort the Turtle [15 Words or Less]

    March 15, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here’s Voldetort the turtle, whom we were caring for for a month or so until we could give ...

  • Security Camera [Poetry Friday]

    March 8, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This week, I’m sharing another calendar poem. My life at home has gone kinda crazy these past few weeks, and I’m not sharing these every week, so this one is from a couple of weeks ago. My ...

  • Eye [15 Words or Less]

    March 8, 2018

    Howdy, folks! I’m taking part in Ed Decaria’s Madness Poetry this year, and today is the last day for voting in Round 1. I’m pitted against Lissa Clouser, and we both had to write poems using the word “coordinates.” Lissa’s poem is lovely, and we ...

  • Visiting Kirby Larson and Ekphrastic Poetry with Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    March 1, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I have two things today. First, Meet My Family published yesterday! I’m honored to be over at Kirby Larson’s Friend Friday, discussing how my own unusual family (ok, let’s be honest–my own weird ...

  • Throne [15 Words or Less]

    March 1, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! It’s March 1, the book birthday for my new picture book, Meet My Family!  It’s all about families, animals, and diversity. Of course, that’s super exciting for me, but I know NOTHING gets in the way of 15 Words or Less :>) ...

  • Poetry with Margaret Simon’s Students [Poetry Friday]

    February 23, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Today is the first day of my Meet My Family blog tour! And I’m so excited that educator Margaret Simon is hosting this first stop! The poetry her students write is amazing, and I can’t wait ...

  • Penguin [15 Words or Less]

    February 22, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Last week’s photo, if you’re curious, was a filtered close-up shot of some bath salts my daughter ...

  • On the Wings of Stories #Poemsketch #Calendarpoem

    February 21, 2018

    Here’s my calendar poem this week–thank you to Jan Goodwin Annino for “jar,” Martha O’Quinn for “parasol,” and Leslie Leibhardt Goodman in Illinois for “airy.” (Would you like to suggest a word for me? Just go here!) I was thinking about all the ways books ...

  • A Poem for National Pig Day on March 1 [Classroom Connections] [Poetry Friday]

    February 15, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) [My Classroom Connections posts will share a way to connect one of my books or poems to a classroom topic–often something timely that you might be covering in the next month or so. Please share this ...

  • Silica Packet? [15 Words or Less]

    February 15, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I’m not going to tell you what this one is. It’s whatever you make of it!  This ...

  • ABCs with Traci Bold

    February 12, 2018

    Last week, I played a fun ABC word-association game with writer Traci Bold, and here are the results. I’m thinking about putting this on my website–probably more interesting than a traditional bio!

  • 10 Nonfiction Picture Books About Families #nf10for10

    February 10, 2018

    It’s February 10, time for 10 for 10! Here are 10 nonfiction picture books about all kinds of families–perfect for storytime or your classroom unit on families. Enjoy!   <img style=”border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;” src=”https://laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/10-nonfiction-picture-books-families-nf10for10″” width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ /> Todd Parr’s book just ooze love and acceptance. ...

  • Dandelion Poem [Poetry Friday]

    February 8, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m sharing another calendar poem this week. (Read what these are and suggest a word here.) This week’s calendar poem was written before last week’s–which I really struggled with! This one came a little more easily ...

  • Tile Trees [15 Words or Less]

    February 8, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. Would you like to suggest a word for one of my poems? I’ve had fun with “winter,” “cymbal,” ...

  • More Than Two Sides, a Tanka About Truth [Poetry Friday]

    February 1, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was my choice, so it’s extra frustrating that I found it SO challenging. I chose tanka (non-rhyming form with a 5/7/5/7/7 syllable count) as our form, because ...

  • Winter Sky [15 Words or Less]

    February 1, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Thank you for your poems last week! In case you’re wondering, that was a filtered picture of ...

  • A Poem for Black History Month and for Dreamers [Classroom Connections] [Poetry Friday]

    January 25, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) [My Classroom Connections posts will share a way to connect one of my books or poems to a classroom topic–often something timely that you might be covering in the next month or so. Please share this ...

  • Avalanche? [15 Words or Less]

    January 25, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.    This image (which I’m not going to identify right now) makes me think of several things: an avalanche Santa’s ...

  • 8 Things a Kid Believes In [Poetry Friday]

    January 18, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I wanted to give myself a new poetry challenge for 2018, and here’s what I decided to do. I had bought a Sierra Club desk calendar on clearance. Something about the empty spaces in their orderly ...

  • Angel Wings [15 Words or Less]

    January 18, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I got so  many beautiful holiday cards this year, and one of my favorites was from Poetry ...

  • When Death Moved In [Poetry Friday]

    January 11, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I hadn’t planned to post today, but this past couple of weeks, death has been touching the lives of Randy and me a lot in various forms. The death of our beloved dog, the death of ...

  • Candle [15 Words or Less]

    January 11, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Last week’s image was a close-up of the pompoms I use whenever we watch Dolphins games:>) This ...

  • Mae’s Wall of Warmth [Poetry Friday]

    January 4, 2018

    Happy Poetry Friday, and Happy New Year! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) 2017 ended on a low note for me, so I’m happy to be sharing poems with the Poetry Princesses today. We’ve decided to continue on our monthly journey of writing ...

  • Shredder [15 Words or Less]

    January 4, 2018

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Thank you, everyone who sent such nice thoughts of the death of our dog, Jackie. It’s been ...

  • My Favorite Poetry Picture Books of 2017 [Poetry Friday]

    December 28, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) It’s the final Poetry Friday of the year, and I’m going to wrap up with a simple list of my favorite poetry picture books that I read for the first time this year. These are the ...

  • In Memory of Jack

    December 28, 2017

    We just got home from the vet, where we had to have Captain Jack Sparrow put to sleep. It’s been a hard, hard day. Here are a few poems I wrote with Jack in mind, plus a video I made a couple of months ago. ...

  • Gloves in the Snow [15 Words or Less]

    December 28, 2017

    Hello, and welcome to the final 15 Words or Less Poems of the year! This is a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Walking to the mailbox with Jack is always an adventure. Trying ...

  • What Do the Trees Know? by Joyce Sidman [Poetry Friday]

    December 21, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Now, before we get to Joyce Sidman’s beautiful poem, I have neglected to post my year-end wishes. So, here you go, with joy and gratitude that you are part of my book and poetry world ...

  • Sailing Ships [15 Words or Less]

    December 21, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  So, the picture I posted last week was a filtered image (as usual) of some frosted glass ...

  • Hopscotch by Bob Raczka [Poetry Friday]

    December 14, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I have read so many wonderful books lately–many of which I heard about at NCTE. One of my favorites is Wet Cement, a fantastic book of concrete poems by Bob Raczka. This is not a new book ...

  • Coral? [15 Words or Less]

    December 14, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I took this pic in an airport a couple of weeks ago. Want to take a guess? ...

  • Jellyfish Dance [Poetry Friday]

    December 7, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, last week, I shared a lai, which the Poetry Princesses tackled for December. I liked it and wanted to try another, so here’s a #poemsketch with another lai.   I had one with a font I liked ...

  • Traffic Cones [15 Words or Less]

    December 7, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here’s a pic from a recent road trip. This image makes me think of several things: an airport ...

  • December #Poemsketch

    December 4, 2017

    I can’t believe it’s almost the end of the year! Here’s a #poemsketch for you today:>) I love December and winter, and I enjoy the fresh start feeling of a new year (though fall always feels like the beginning of my year, personally). But when ...

  • Lai-ing About with Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    November 30, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, we Poetry Princesses wrote lais (a 9-line, aabaabaab poem) on the theme of hope, light, or peace. I had done the little drawing below before thinking about this month’s poem. Then ...

  • Bike Rack [15 Words or Less]

    November 30, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  If you didn’t see my note earlier, sorry about last week! Major blog/Wordpress fail, and I lost ...

  • Silo Storm #Poemsketch

    November 28, 2017

    Apologies for those who visited last Thursday. I had several posts for Thanksgiving Thursday and Poetry Friday and one all about NCTE–and they have completely disappeared. :>( OK, moving on… There’s something about a farm silhouetted against the sky that always feels so nostalgic. As I’ve driven ...

  • After #Poemsketch

    November 21, 2017

    I have decided I really prefer the idea of typed text rather than hand-lettered. The watercolors are already very fluid and, uh, imperfect, and when I try to hand-letter, the whole thing just feels sloppy to me. Also, I’ve tried a few of these watercolor ...

  • Seamstresses #Poemsketch

    November 20, 2017

    I’m home from NCTE, which was lovely and overwhelming, as always! A little quiet time and a little nature (though it’s chilly here in Minnesota right now, so I’m mostly enjoying nature through the window!) always helps stitch my frazzled self back together!  

  • Without [Poetry Friday]

    November 16, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Today, I’m sharing a poem I wrote years ago, because on Michelle Heidenrich Barnes’ blog, my Lerner editor, Carol Hinz, challenged us to write poems about things not typically considered beautiful. As someone who thinks about life ...

  • Tree Puzzle [15 Words or Less]

    November 16, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  The leaves are all gone now from our beautiful maple, so I’m enjoying it through photos retroactively:>) ...

  • AAAS/Subaru Finalists — Children’s Picture Books [Science]

    November 15, 2017

    The Finalists for the AAAS/Subaru Science Books & Film Prizes have been announced, and I’m cheering to learn that If You Were the Moon made the cut in the Picture Book category! The longlist was announced last month, and now they’ve narrowed it down to ...

  • Bald Head #Poemsketch

    November 13, 2017

    I was thinking about writing a poem for Carol Hinz’ Ditty of the Month challenge–write about something not typically considered beautiful. (More info on this in my Poetry Friday post this coming Friday if you aren’t familiar with this.) I was thinking about bald heads, ...

  • Another Breath from Breathe and Be by Kate Coombs [Poetry Friday]

    November 9, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Last month, I shared Kate Coombs’ gorgeous new picture book, Breathe and Be (Sounds True, 2017). I think a lot of you connected with that post and the book, and I’m happy to share a bit ...

  • Listening Pod [15 Words or Less]

    November 9, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I want to say thank you to this community! On my school visits to Pinewood Elementary in ...

  • First Snow – Triolets with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    November 2, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was triolets using two of five words chosen by Liz (orange, fall, chill, light, change). I love triolets. They lend themselves to reflection because of the ...

  • Black Forest Face [15 Words or Less]

    November 2, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  This guy, which we bought at the first Renaissance Festival we ever went to, shortly after moving up here ...

  • Autumn Leaf #Poemsketch

    October 31, 2017

    You can never have too many autumn leaves.  

  • Almost Halloween #Poemsketch

    October 30, 2017

    Happy Halloween, almost! Enjoy the jack-o-lanterns!   Save Save Save Save Save Save

  • Train Through Fence [15 Words or Less]

    October 26, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I love trains, and I’ve never been on a “real” train ride–just a couple of scenic rides ...

  • And Fall Arrives + Looking for NCTE Roomie

    October 24, 2017

    Hello! I just realized it’s getting a bit late to share my poem about fall’s arrival, so I’d better hop to it! At the beginning of the month, I shared my hymn about fall from a dog’s point of view. A hymn about fall had ...

  • Not Frond of Palms #Poemsketch

    October 23, 2017

    I was playing with my watercolors, trying to learn how to do a wash, and I made this orangey one. Then I dropped a few drops of green to see what would happen. The little splotches reminded me of palm trees, so I added trunks. ...

  • Poems Are Teachers by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater [Poetry Friday]

    October 19, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Today is the National Day on Writing, and what better day to share Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s new book for teachers, Poems Are Teachers? This amazing book features 50+ poems by different poets (some of whom are ...

  • Hydrangeas (I think) [15 Words or Less]

    October 19, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I usually filter my photos because I like the way that makes them a little surreal and ...

  • Beach Ball #Poemsketch

    October 17, 2017

    It’s that time of year, when I’m taking down the deck planters and packing away summery stuff. Save Save Save Save Save Save

  • Lonely Sky #Poemsketch

    October 16, 2017

    Geese in a vee overhead is one of my favorite fall sights/sounds. But last week, a single goose flew overhead, honking mournfully. I know it’s just anthropomorphism, but it really sounded lost and sad to me.       Save Save Save Save Save Save Save

  • Breathe and Be by Kate Coombs [Poetry Friday]

    October 12, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Poet friend Kate Coombs sent me a copy of her new picture book, Breathe and Be (Sounds True, 2017). It came in the mail on a busy day (is there such a thing as an un-busy ...

  • Rescued Owl [15 Words or Less]

    October 12, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  One of the visitors to the Minnesota Children’s Book Festival recently was this great horned owl. This ...

  • Library Day #Poemsketch

    October 11, 2017

    Yesterday, walking into my critique group meeting, I read a newspaper article about a young paramedic who was killed in a local road crash. She had the same last name as a librarian casual friend, so I did a Google search, hoping to discover the ...

  • Unarmored #Poemsketch

    October 10, 2017

    Here’s a #poemsketch from last week, inspired by a small turtle I saw while on a walk with my daughter. That combined with world news of devastation (both natural and manmade) to make this poem. I like doing the dripping lines and writing on them. ...

  • Power Tower Cinderella #Poemsketch

    October 9, 2017

    Something about power towers always fascinates me, and rows of them automagically turn into double-Dutch jumpers. So I took a classic jump rope rhyme as the basis for today’s #poemsketch.   Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save

  • An Old Dog in Autumn with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    October 5, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, our Poetry Princess challenge was to write a hymn using a hymn meter around the theme of fall. This was Tanita’s choice. She’s the beautiful singer in our group! I will ...

  • Making Art [15 Words or Less]

    October 5, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  While I was at the Anderson Center at Tower View for the Minnesota Children’s Book Festival a ...

  • Finding a Flashlight #Poemsketch

    October 4, 2017

    Irma inspired all sorts of light-related poemsketches. I think this is the final one. Save Save Save Save Save

  • Games by Candlelight #Poemsketch

    October 3, 2017

    Playing Qwixx and other games by candlelight after Irma knocked out the power is a favorite hurricane memory. Just being in the storm with family instead of in our own place made it more adventure–less drudge/danger. Not literally, but in the way it felt. Save Save Save Save Save

  • Lamp #Poemsketch

    October 2, 2017

    Once at my sister’s house in Orlando, I found electric lights extra fascinating because we were 99% certain we would lose power during Irma. Here’s a #poemsketch. Save Save Save Save Save

  • An Open Book, by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater [Poetry Friday Roundup]

    September 28, 2017

    Welcome, everybody! I’m excited you’re here for the Poetry Friday Roundup! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) A couple of weeks ago, I made a Facebook faux pas in replying to a comment on my phone that I thought was to me, but wasn’t. ...

  • Burning Maple [15 Words or Less]

    September 28, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  One of the things that surprises me every fall is how maple trees don’t turn color all ...

  • Survival Supplies #Poemsketch

    September 27, 2017

    We had three amazing days at the beach, but we left a day early to head inland. My sister was supposed to spend that last night at the condo with us, but instead we headed to my Dad’s up the coast for a quick visit ...

  • Book Parties!

    September 26, 2017

    This past month has been full of reading and writing goodness. Here are just a few highlights. Feeling very grateful for the fullness of my book-encircling life! Little Free Library My new Little Free Library is up! I was sad to leave our LFL behind at our ...

  • Snowy Egret #Poemsketch

    September 25, 2017

    Walking in the sand, we watched snowy egrets plucking up their impossibly skinny legs to stalk through the incoming tide. My poemsketches are generally done very quickly. Written in less than 5 minutes and drawn/painted in the same. If I screw up the drawing, oh ...

  • Bird Footprints #Poemsketch

    September 24, 2017

    Continuing our Florida adventures…I loved seeing bird footprints in the packed sand after the tide rolled out.

  • Shovel Left Behind #Poemsketch

    September 21, 2017

    I passed this shovel half-buried in the sand on the beach two days in a row. It called to me for today’s #poemsketch. I have such lovely memories of collecting shells at the beach as a kid. And it’s Poetry Friday! Visit Amy at ...

  • Safety Pin [15 Words or Less]

    September 20, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Today is International Peace Day, so check out the #peaceday hashtag and also the Peace Padlet. It’s also, ...

  • Peace Sign Safety Pins

    September 20, 2017

    Tomorrow is International Peace Day! Poets Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and Margarita Engle have created a Peace Padlet that will go live tomorrow with all sorts of links to wonderful peace-related projects. Be sure to visit and follow the UN hashtag #peaceday! I don’t talk about ...

  • Mom’s Nightgown #Poemsketch

    September 19, 2017

    Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll share some poem sketches written earlier this month, on our trip to Florida. The day my husband and I flew down, we went to see my dad. When I went into the bathroom, I was struck by the ...

  • It’s State Fair Season! #Poemsketch

    September 18, 2017

    Today’s #poemsketch is from my day at the State Fair a couple of weeks ago. Very fitting as it is now feeling fallish here in Minnesota, as if summer is disappearing into the distance, waving a deep-fried goodbye! Save Save Save Save Save Save Save

  • What Is a Dot? [Poetry Friday]

    September 14, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Today is International Dot Day, inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ The Dot! You know, we got home from our Florida trip (which was quite a bit more “exciting” than anticipated, due to Irma) on Tuesday evening. ...

  • Moray Eel [15 Words or Less]

    September 14, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I was in Florida for the past week, and before Irma hit, Randy and I spent several ...

  • Strawberry-mango Waves #Poemsketch

    September 12, 2017

    There’s nothing I like better than a gorgeous sunrise or sunset. I love that it’s a possibility every single day. You just never know when one will spring up! Save Save Save Save Save Save

  • Step Into a Storybook #Poemsketch

    September 11, 2017

    Here’s a #poemsketch from the State Fair. It was so awesome watching kids practically step right into If You Were the Moon! Save Save Save Save Save Save Save

  • Locust Hurricane #Poemsketch

    September 7, 2017

    Here’s the “clumsy bug” from Wednesday’s #poemsketch that I showed the woman at the State Fair. I wrote it when I got home from a stressful walk one day last week. The Carolina locusts were everywhere! Flying into me. And I had on capri yoga ...

  • Trinity College Library [15 Words or Less]

    September 7, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Maddie took this photo in Dublin, at the Trinity College Library. Though it’s not immediately obvious due ...

  • Art in the Shadow of the Sheep Barn #Poemsketch

    September 6, 2017

    Today’s #poemsketch was inspired by a fun conversation I had with a woman at Read + Ride Day. We talked about Jaime Kim’s lovely art and showed each other pics on our phones of our own art attempts. Hers was a lovely, featherlight bird! ...

  • Stop Wishing for Me! [Poetry Friday with the Poetry Princesses]

    August 31, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was an ekphrastic poem to Sara’s choice of image. Here’s a picture she took while at a Highlights Foundation retreat (so jealous…someday!). On the way home from ...

  • Leopard [15 Words or Less]

    August 31, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I was at the Minnesota Zoo Friday night for an awesome Five for Fighting concert. He was ...

  • no home but kindness #Poemsketch

    August 29, 2017

    Today’s poemsketch was inspired by a homeless man and his dog. I used my Jack as a model. Poor Jack. He’s already a bit unique looking, but my clumsy doodle-painting did not help his case! Save Save Save Save Save

  • The Shape of a Hug #Poemsketch

    August 28, 2017

    Today’s poemsketch was inspired by a line in something I read a few days ago–probably a middle-grade novel or novel in verse. Anyway, there was a line in there about a hug being the smallest mathematical circle, or something like that, and that stuck with ...

  • Fly #Poemsketch [Poetry Friday]

    August 24, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’ve decided that, for a while, at least, I’m going to share my daily practice poems here when I don’t have another post scheduled. I write a practice poem almost every day. Just a quick thing. ...

  • Beetle [15 Words or Less]

    August 24, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  After last week’s beautiful but emotional poems, I was trying to pick something lighthearted for this week. ...

  • The Moon Visits Picture Book Builders

    August 22, 2017

    Hope you all got to see part of the eclipse yesterday! Here in Minneapolis, not so much. But it’s still fun to have so much attention focused on the moon. In fact, yesterday I shared a poem about how thrilled the moon was to finally ...

  • A Poem for the Solar Eclipse

    August 21, 2017

    I found this old diamante of mine Saturday morning and shared it on social media, but here it is again. Happy eclipse-viewing to those of you lucky enough to be in (or be traveling to) the path of the full eclipse today! Save Save

  • Statues in the Park, Round 2 [Poetry Friday]

    August 17, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) A couple of weeks ago, the Poetry Princesses shared poems written to the title “Statues in the Park.” I shared my poem and writing process (via time lapse video) in that post. Today, I thought I’d ...

  • Life Preserver [15 Words or Less]

    August 17, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.   In Duluth a couple weeks ago, we went to the Lake Superior Marine Museum like we always ...

  • Michael the Bulldozer [Poetry Friday]

    August 10, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I won a giveaway of Too Many Friends, Kathryn Apel‘s latest novel in verse, from Robyn Hood Black (aka artsyletters) earlier this summer. Thanks, Robyn! I finally got to read it recently!   The main character Tahnee ...

  • Maze [15 Words or Less]

    August 10, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  A nearby park has what the map describes as a maze–which I think is overstating it a ...

  • #pb10for10 – Some Favorite Rhyming Nonfiction Picture Books

    August 9, 2017

    I’ve never participated in this before, so I have no idea if I’m doing it right! And I’m a day early, because Thursday is 15 Words or Less Day here at my blog. But here are 10 rhyming nonfiction picture books I have loved. Some ...

  • Statues in the Park [Poetry Friday]

    August 3, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) The Process FEEL FREE TO SKIP DIRECTLY TO IMAGE POEM BELOW IF YOU LIKE! This month, our Poetry Princess challenge (my choice) was a poem of any kind, mood, or topic to go with ...

  • Sail On! [15 Words or Less]

    August 3, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  At Duluth Harbor last week, we got to watch a TON of sailboats come through the canal ...

  • City Hall [15 Words or Less]

    July 27, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  This is the City Hall clock tower in downtown Minneapolis. I took this pic from the roof ...

  • How to Make a Dog Live Forever [Poetry Friday]

    July 20, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) A couple of years ago, an anthologist invited me to submit poems for a how-to anthology. None of my poems were accepted, but this one, which I wrote just to submit to the anthology, has been ...

  • Balcony Cat [15 Words or Less]

    July 20, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  While walking Jack one evening, my husband and I saw this fearless kitty marching along a balcony ...

  • If You Are a Macaroni Noodle [Poetry Friday]

    July 13, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) My wheels have been spinning since Tabatha proposed a  mac and cheese Poetry Friday. Why? Because macaroni and cheese is my favorite food. In my childhood, bbq chicken and macaroni and cheese was my birthday dinner ...

  • Globe [15 Words or Less]

    July 13, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  That’s the globe that used to be on ...

  • She Walks in Glitter (Which Is a Lot Like Beauty) [Poetry Friday]

    July 6, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, it has been a chaotic, joyful, and sad summer so far. So when this month’s Poetry Princess challenge was a poem in the style of Byron’s “She Walks in Beauty,” I just ...

  • Egg [15 Words or Less]

    July 6, 2017

    Hello, poets, writers, noodlers–and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Thank you for keeping this community going while I’ve been on a semi-hiatus. Can’t believe ...

  • Flames of Gratitude [Poetry Friday]

    June 29, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This weekend, my daughter and I were supposed to be on a poetry retreat, working on a collaborative project. 48 hours. 1 hotel room. It would have been intense, but we had to cancel. Health issues ...

  • Eyebrows [15 Words or Less]

    June 29, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  At that chalk festival, there were a few large-scale works on boards, so I made Randy stand ...

  • Book Spine Poems with Kids [Poetry Friday]

    June 22, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Last week, I went to Plainview Library in Plainview, Minnesota, for a poetry event. My sister Patty (up from Florida) and daughter Maddie (home briefly from Scotland) came with me on this mini-road trip. It was ...

  • Mary Poppins [15 Words or Less]

    June 22, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I took this pic at the Maple Grove Chalk Art Festival two weekends ago. We went on ...

  • Keep a Pocket in Your Poem, by J. Patrick Lewis [Poetry Friday]

    June 15, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Last week, I shared my genre chant poem that appeared in JCL. By the way, in my newsletter for educators later this month or in July, I’ll be sending along a downloadable mini-poster of that poem, ...

  • Bee Cookie [15 Words or Less]

    June 15, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  While my sister Patty was up this past week, we indulged in way too many sweet treats. Like ...

  • “The Genre Chant” [Poetry Friday]

    June 8, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) The Journal of Children’s Literature has one of my poems in it in the spring 2017 edition. I initially wrote this poem to open a chapter on children’s literature genres in Terrell Young’s book, Children’s Literature, ...

  • Freeway Treeway [15 Words or Less]

    June 8, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Saw this on the road the other day. This image makes me think of several things: What if ...

  • Teaching Is Easy–You Should Try It, Too!

    June 5, 2017

    I had a lovely email a while back from a teacher who had my book, Heart of a Teacher, and wanted to know if she could use the poem “I Think You Should Try It Too) at a teacher appreciation event at another school in ...

  • Leaving Things Behind – a Golden Shovel Poem [Poetry Friday]

    June 1, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was to write a golden shovel poem. Tricia chose this prompt, and she also chose Gerard Manley Hopkins’ “Pied Beauty” as the poem we would all choose ...

  • Catacombs [15 Words or Less Poems]

    June 1, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  The Paris Catacombs are…overwhelming. So many bones. So many emotions: sadness, horror, reverence, acceptance, melancholy. We had ...

  • Writing Poems with 5th Graders [Poetry Friday]

    May 25, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Earlier this month, I got to write poems with the Literacy L.I.F.T. Club: Linking Imagination Fun & Text at Evergreen Park World Cultures Community School in Brooklyn Center, MN. My daughter Annabelle came along as an ...

  • Sculpture of…? [15 Words or Less]

    May 25, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  At the Reykjavik, Iceland airport, this eye-catching statue dominates. I thought it was a berry, as I ...

  • Summer Biopoem and Things to Do if You Are a Firework [Poetry Friday]

    May 18, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) A couple of weekends ago, I spoke at the Minnesota Kindergarten Association annual conference. For an hour, I shared with 2-300 teachers why poetry matters, what the process is behind my poetry/science books, and other poetry ...

  • Arc De Triomphe Stairway [15 Words or Less]

    May 18, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Before we get to today’s picture, congratulations to Lauren McBride, longtime 15 Words or Less contributor, on ...

  • Catching Up After Poetry Month [Poetry Friday]

    May 11, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I don’t know about you, but I was totally overwhelmed (in a good way, but still) by all the poetry shared during Poetry Month. I so need to go back and catch up on some folks ...

  • Pink Cow [15 Words or Less]

    May 11, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Last week, I shared a picture of Mont Saint Michel. In the little village nearby, several shops/restaurants ...

  • Things to Do if You Are a Minnesota Summer [Poetry Friday]

    May 4, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) It’s the first Friday of the month, so it’s Poetry Princesses Friday! This month was my choice, and I chose the Things to Do form with a seasonal angle. (See page 4 here ...

  • Mont Saint Michel [15 Words or Less]

    May 4, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Although the day trip itself was dreadful, one of the most beautiful things we saw in France ...

  • Looking for Native Speakers of Shona, Malay, Setswana, and Spanish

    May 3, 2017

    Friends in the children’s literature community, I’m hoping you can help me. I have a picture book coming out that uses just a word or two in several different languages. I need to make sure, though, that I’m using the proper word that would be ...

  • A Black-Eyed Susan Video for Maryland Educators

    May 2, 2017

    I’m honored that Water Can Be… is a nominee for the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award in the picture book category with many other books and writers I love! A Maryland school librarian contacted me to ask if I could make a little video to the ...

  • Drop of Water and Tree [National Poetry Month]

    April 30, 2017

    Here are today’s #wonderbreak poems. I have two left, so I’m sharing them both.     Thanks, everybody, for following along this month. I struggled some days to find something small and concrete to focus on, and I really meant to not do quite so many nature ...

  • Day 30 of the Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem!

    April 30, 2017

    Whee! It’s Day 30 of Irene Latham’s wonderful Progressive Poem (read more about this April tradition here). I will admit to being a bit nervous about being the last line. But last year, I got to be the first line, so…I figured turnabout was fair play. ...

  • Yellow Umbrella [National Poetry Month] #moreforAKR

    April 29, 2017

    Perhaps you were as saddened as I was by the recent death of writer Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Today has been named More for Amy Krouse Rosenthal day in an effort spearheaded by Kirby Larson, another lovely, generous writer, who is encouraging people to share love, ...

  • Dandelion [Poetry Friday]

    April 27, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This Poetry Month, I’m sharing a brief poem daily celebrating little sources of wonder and joy in my life. Here’s today’s #wonderbreak : I always think it’s funny how avid gardeners ...

  • Moon and Sunbound

    April 27, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  But because it’s National Poetry Month, I have a #wonderbreak poem to share, too! And it’s Poem in ...

  • Explorers [National Poetry Month]

    April 26, 2017

    Whoo! It’s getting tough as the month winds down. I have a worm picture I’m trying to write a poem to, but I’m just not there yet. So here’s today’s #wonderbreak. [Want to learn more or join in by sharing your own poems about joyful ...

  • Evergreen [National Poetry Month]

    April 25, 2017

    Whoops! Sorry for the later-than-usual post. Home from visiting family in Florida, and my schedule is all off! Here’s today’s #wonderbreak. When I took this picture, there ...

  • Scrabble [National Poetry Month]

    April 24, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak. Hmm. That is kind of hard to read, which I didn’t realize until I saw it bigger. Sorry about that. I’m back home ...

  • Taco [National Poetry Month]

    April 23, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak.   I love Mexican food. Especially tacos. That is all.     Save Save Save

  • Cattail [National Poetry Month]

    April 22, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak.  Happy Earth Day!       Save

  • Award [Poetry Friday]

    April 20, 2017

      Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This Poetry Month, I’m sharing a brief poem daily celebrating little sources of wonder and joy in my life. Here’s today’s #wonderbreak :   Now that we’re past the halfway mark, the ...

  • 3 Poems and an Icelandic Horse [15 Words or Less]

    April 20, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  However, because it’s National Poetry Month, I have a couple of other things to share, too:>) I’m Reading ...

  • My Scar [National Poetry Month]

    April 19, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak. This was really meant to be a poem about the scar on my knee/leg and how I don’t mind it. It’s a reminder ...

  • A Chair [National Poetry Month]

    April 18, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak. Feeling grateful for being able to sit outside my home and feel peace.     Save

  • Kitchen Canisters [National Poetry Month]

    April 17, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak. It would have been my Mom and Dad’s anniversary a few days ago. Mostly, I think of Mom with a smile on her ...

  • Running Water [National Poetry Month]

    April 16, 2017

    Happy Easter! Here’s today’s #wonderbreak. I was getting my sales figures last week for Water Can Be…, so that I could make my donation to WaterAid, ...

  • Clock [National Poetry Month]

    April 15, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak. I guess I might be kind of morbid, as I think about death quite frequently. But mostly the thought of death is a ...

  • Reflections [Poetry Friday]

    April 13, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) For Poetry Month, I’m sharing a brief poem daily celebrating little sources of wonder and joy in my life. Here’s today’s #wonderbreak : There is a LOT of bad news in ...

  • Icelandic Bicycle [15 Words or Less]

    April 13, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Iceland got a huge snowfall just before we arrived, so we saw lots of things buried in ...

  • Library [National Poetry Month]

    April 13, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak. I am at one of my two main libraries pretty much every day, returning and checking out books. Not to mention being online ...

  • Bud on Tree [National Poetry Month]

    April 12, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak.    Little signs of life in Minnesota amid a largely brown/yellow landscape!   Save Save

  • Snow [National Poetry Month]

    April 11, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak. Saturday, it felt like early summer, with temps in the 70s and sun belting out its almost-summer song. Today it was damp and ...

  • Railroad Tracks [National Poetry Month]

    April 10, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak.   I love railroad tracks, even though I’ve never been on trains, other than metro commuting trains or short scenic railroads. They always remind ...

  • Garden Center [National Poetry Month]

    April 9, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak.   March in Minnesota does not look like a beautiful spring picture book. It is sometimes snowy, which is beautiful. But if warmish temps ...

  • Oh My Darling Clementine [National Poetry Month]

    April 8, 2017

    For today’s #wonderbreak , I’m sharing some love for the delicious clementine. I don’t really eat oranges, but when it’s clementine season, I am there! This tiny gem that fits in my hand makes me feel like I’m already ...

  • Fire on a Windy Day [National Poetry Month]

    April 7, 2017

    I’m a bit of a pyromaniac. I don’t start fires, but I do love them, and having a fireplace is one of the things I’ve loved most about moving this past year! I was warming up by the fire while the winds howled outside yesterday, ...

  • Talking Back to Rilke with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    April 6, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.)   So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was to talk back to a Rilke poem. I love the idea of poems in response to other poems. But Rilke? Sheesh. Talking back seems so impertinent! ...

  • A Treat at Dairy Queen [National Poetry Month]

    April 6, 2017

    I do love me a good Mini Salted Caramel Truffle Blizzard. While savoring one, I started thinking about Dairy Queen and how it was the place to go after the girls’ soccer games, orchestra concerts, etc. Or, every once in a while, Annabelle and I ...

  • Northern Lights [15 Words or Less]

    April 6, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  One thing–OK, THE thing I most wanted to see on our February trip was the Northern Lights. ...

  • My Pen [National Poetry Month]

    April 5, 2017

    I write most things on my laptop or phone (using a bluetooth foldable keyboard). But I am always jotting notes to myself–and occasional poems–in longhand, with a pen. I have two favorite kinds. Today, I’m celebrating pens in my #wonderbreak. [Want to learn more or ...

  • Decorations [National Poetry Month]

    April 4, 2017

    Here’s today’s #wonderbreak.   Two days ago, I got a mug in the mail, a gift from Read Aloud Revival. The cardboard box it came in had the ...

  • A Dog on My Lap [National Poetry Month]

    April 3, 2017

    Today’s #wonderbreak celebrates the joy of petting a dog. Our beagle, Jack, is kind of barrel-chested. His ribs rise and fall excessively (it seems) when he is sleeping or very relaxed. I couldn’t get a pic that would ...

  • Conker [National Poetry Month]

    April 2, 2017

    Happy National Poetry Month! Today’s #wonderbreak is about conkers, those big, round seeds that fall from horse chestnuts and conk you on the head. Seeds always amaze me, how they have everything they need inside to make…whatever they ...

  • Single Serving Size [National Poetry Month]

    April 1, 2017

    Happy National Poetry Month! Here’s today’s #wonderbreak. I told you guys this month’s poems would celebrate little things I love. They might not always be literally this little, but I figured I’d start out with this small item. I love ...

  • 5 Poetry Picture Books I’ve Loved Lately [Poetry Friday]

    March 30, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Today, I’m just sharing the five poetry picture books I’ve read and loved so far this year. If you’ve missed any of these, it’s time to order them or put them on reserve at your library! ...

  • Tectonic Rift [15 Words or Less]

    March 30, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  A favorite site in Iceland was the rift in Thingvellir National Park, where two tectonic plates meet. ...

  • National Poetry Month Plans: #wonderbreak [Poetry Friday]

    March 23, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Holy moley. Where has March gone? I know I have one more Poetry Friday post before National Poetry Month starts, but I thought I’d share my plans here a bit early in case anyone else has ...

  • Eiffel Tower [15 Words or Less]

    March 23, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  We went to the Eiffel Tower kind of on a whim, on our last day in Paris. ...

  • Wearing the Moon [Poetry Friday]

    March 16, 2017

    Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and Happy Poetry Friday! (You probably know what St. Paddy’s Day is, but if you’re wondering what Poetry Friday is, click here.) I’m wrapping up a week of Moon pictures, celebrating my If You Were the Moon launch party, which is happening ...

  • Moonglow [15 Words or Less]

    March 16, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! I’m interrupting the normal broadcast to let you know that Tina Cho has an interview with me today, which you can read here. Thanks, Tina!  It’s all moon, all week long, since my launch party is tonight for If You Were the ...

  • Lava Cave [15 Words or Less]

    March 9, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  For most of spring, I’m guessing, my pics will come from the wonderful trip Randy and I ...

  • Searching – an Ekphrastic Poem with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    March 2, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, we returned to ekphrastic poems, and Tanita chose our image. I filtered it, but you can see the original here.  I was looking at it on my phone, and I couldn’t ...

  • The Bumble Ball [15 Words or Less]

    March 2, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Back a couple of weeks ago, game night had a toy theme, and I came across this ...

  • Things to Do, by Elaine Magliaro [Poetry Friday]

    February 23, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Hooray for Elaine Magliaro! I am so happy to write this post, because it’s celebrating a book I have looked forward to for a long time! For many years, Elaine Magliaro blogged incredibly regularly about writing poetry ...

  • Last Leaf [15 Words or Less]

    February 23, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Our maple tree has been bare for ages, except for one or two last, lonely leaves. This ...

  • Whale Postcard [15 Words or Less]

    February 16, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  My sister Patty has always been the artist in our family. She is crafty and artistic, though ...

  • Game Night with Mostly Bookish Friends

    February 13, 2017

    Had a blast over the weekend playing games. The theme was 50 States, and Gary Nygaard organized the night. Our group has children’s authors, distributor reps, kidlit marketing specialists, my daughter Annabelle, a children’s librarian, a literacy coach, and a few assorted partners and other ...

  • Jone MacCulloch’s #PostcardXchange [Poetry Friday]

    February 9, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I shared a couple of poetry postcards two weeks ago, and here’s another one. This one’s from Jone MacCulloch, who organized the whole exchange to begin with!   I love the simplicity of this image and poem. And ...

  • Barely the Moon [15 Words or Less]

    February 9, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Last night, as Randy and I were driving home from downtown, there was this cool contrail like ...

  • One Day Too Late–Villanelles from the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    February 2, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, last Saturday, I looked at our Poetry Princess challenge list for this year and discovered we were sharing villanelles this week. On the theme of brevity or shortness. Which was funny, because a ...

  • Party Boar [15 Words or Less]

    February 2, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  A couple of weeks ago, Randy and I went to an exhibit called Martin Luther and the ...

  • PostcardXChange Love [Poetry Friday]

    January 26, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This year, I participated in Jone MacCulloch’s postcardXchange for the first time. I know a lot of these kinds of interactive exchanges go on among the kidlit community. I’ve always been intimidated and too busy, so ...

  • Ice Carving [15 Words or Less]

    January 26, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I often use filters, but this pic of the thin layer of ice on our street (which ...

  • The Best of Today’s Little Ditty [Poetry Friday]

    January 19, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) When I heard Michelle Heidenrich Barnes at Today’s Little Ditty was putting together an anthology, I was skeptical. What an enormous amount of work! The logistics alone of gathering poems from many poets published on her ...

  • Pawprint [15 Words or Less]

    January 19, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  This is Captain Jack’s pawprint on our front sidewalk. Something about our weather cycle of snow, melt, ...

  • Tower [15 Words or Less]

    January 12, 2017

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here’s a pic of Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, which I walked through several times a day at ...

  • Long Distance Relationship–Somonka with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    January 5, 2017

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) The Poetry Princesses are starting off 2017 with somonka, two combined Japanese tanka written in a love poem/response form. What better way to start off a new year than with some love? Still, with ...

  • Dolphin Lady [15 Words or Less]

    January 5, 2017

    Hello, and welcome to the first 15 Words or Less Poems of 2017! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  At NCTE in Atlanta, walking back and ...

  • Rounding Up the Poetry Princesses

    January 3, 2017

    I’m so happy to be continuing to write monthly with my Poetry Sisters–Liz Garton Scanlon, Kelly Ramsdell, Andi Sibley, Tanita Davis, Sara Lewis Holmes, and Tricia Stohr-Hunt. And Mary Lee Hahn joined us in 2021, too! Our list of collaborations is getting kind of long, ...

  • The Nerdies!

    January 2, 2017

    Each year, the Nerdy Book Club awards Nerdies to its favorite books in different children’s/ya categories. Have you seen the list of Poetry Nerdies yet, shared in a lovely post by Mary Lee Hahn? Some books I already know and love, and many more I ...

  • Losing Perspective [15 Words or Less Poems]

    December 29, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I hope everyone’s holidays have been going great! Mine have, but today is Maddie’s last day at ...

  • Airport Gorilla [15 Words or Less]

    December 22, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  More fun from the Atlanta airport. There was a series of sculptures by a Zimbabwean (I think) ...

  • The Scraps of the Year–Happy Holidays!

    December 19, 2016

    I love evergreens draped in snow, and I took this pic a few weeks ago. This filter on it made the bare trees even more beautiful, though. So stark and sharp and delicate. I thought about how this filter emphasized light and pale colors, and ...

  • Taking Pictures (by me) [Poetry Friday]

    December 15, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Last week, I shared about the awesome Risking Writing session at NCTE. Today, I thought I’d share my final poem in a more legible way. But if you’d like to hear about the session and see ...

  • Jigsaw [15 Words or Less Poems]

    December 15, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Going through the Atlanta airport for NCTE recently, I was enchanted by this ceiling in one terminal ...

  • Here and There

    December 12, 2016

    I’ll be posting sporadically for the rest of December as family fun and deadlines arm wrestle it out. I hope you’ll consider subscribing by email (just put your email in the box at the top of the right sidebar) to get notified be email when ...

  • What Will the Aide Do? [Poetry Friday]

    December 8, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I had something else scheduled for today, but this week, I noticed that several copies of my indie-published Heart of a Teacher sold in paperback (it’s also available in a Kindle edition). It dawned on me ...

  • Cookie Monster! [15 Words or Less Poems]

    December 8, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Before we start, I want to share something. Longtime 15 Words or Less participant and fabulous teacher ...

  • Sharing the Slides from the 2016 NCTE Notable Poetry List Session

    December 5, 2016

    I shared some photos from the NCTE Poetry Notables session in my Facebook NCTE photo album (you should be able to see the photos even if you’re not on Facebook). In case you’re interested in the list, which was announced earlier this year and is full ...

  • Going Peacock on You with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    December 1, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Poem 2: Ekphrastic Poem with the Poetry Princesses This is Part 2 of my Poetry Friday post this week. If you didn’t see yesterday’s Part 1, I invite you to go check out ...

  • What Didn’t Make the Cut in One Minute ‘Till Bedtime [Poetry Friday, Part 1]

    December 1, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday–eerrr….Thursday. Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This week is a Poetry Friday two-fer. Somehow, whenever there’s an outside thing I’m participating in for Poetry Friday, it’s always the first Friday of the month. So, that means I’m juggling two poems ...

  • Grid [15 Words or Less Poems]

    December 1, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Teachers, if I met you at NCTE recently, I’m glad you’ve come to visit! This is actually my ...

  • First Review of If You Were the Moon

    November 29, 2016

    Reviews are a little nerve-wracking–like going to parent-teacher conferences if you have no idea how your child is doing at school. But yay! Kirkus Reviews has reviewed If You Were the Moon (Millbrook, 2017) and had lovely things to say about it. Like: “In this inventive ...

  • [Crow Balance] 15 Words or Less Poems

    November 24, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. I shared 15 Words or Less poems with some educators at NCTE last weekend, and though probably none ...

  • Umbrella Chandelier [15 Words or Less Poems]

    November 17, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  When I was at the Minnesota Children’s Book Festival back in…September? October?–anyway, when I was there, I ...

  • Finding Wonders, by Jeannine Atkins [Poetry Friday]

    November 10, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I recently read Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science, by Jeannine Atkins. Partially because I love her work, partially because finding wonder is my goal both in life and in writing, so how could I ...

  • Storm [15 Words or Less Poems]

    November 10, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here’s another pic from Duluth. It was a stormy early morning, and we were watching a 1000-footer ...

  • Terza Rimas with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday Roundup]

    November 3, 2016

    It’s November, and the Poetry Friday Roundup is HERE! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was the terza rima, Tricia’ choice.  Initially, someone threw the election out as a possible theme. No way. I ...

  • Locks [15 Words or Less Poems]

    November 3, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  While Randy and I were in Duluth for my birthday, we noticed this set of posts on ...

  • The Country, by Billy Collins [Poetry Friday]

    October 27, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I was lucky enough to attend a Billy Collins event a couple of weeks ago for my birthday. I love his work, and he’s an excellent reader–wry, understated, and funny. My husband compared his delivery to ...

  • Viking Ship [15 Words or Less Poems]

    October 27, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  A couple of weeks ago, Randy and I attended the Youth in Music marching band show at ...

  • Ambush, by Jane Yolen [Poetry Friday]

    October 20, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I have a big fear of alligators. I grew up in Florida and have seen them up close (too close) and personal several times. Shudder. But I’m also fascinated by them. I’ve written a Putrid Poem ...

  • Window [15 Words or Less Poems]

    October 20, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  [Also, subscribers, did you get an email notification this morning that this post was up? I didn’t, and ...

  • We’re Bats, from One Minute Till Bedtime [Poetry Friday]

    October 13, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) In a couple of weeks, an anthology called One Minute Till Bedtime (Little, Brown), edited by former Children’s Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt, comes out. It’s already gotten a starred review from Kirkus (woohoo!), and I can’t ...

  • Mushroom [15 Words or Less Poems]

    October 13, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I was walking Jack the other day and came across this one small mushroom in a huge ...

  • Cover of If You Were the Moon and More 2017 Picture Books

    October 10, 2016

      The cover is up! At least, it’s up on Amazon, though not yet on Indiebound. Isn’t it beautiful? Jaime Kim has created gorgeous art for this book all about the different ways the moon behaves and affects our world. I was a little nervous about ...

  • Ekphrastic Poems with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    October 6, 2016

    Happy October, poetry friends. I love autumn, and I’m actually enjoying, kind of, the ongoing process of unpacking and settling in. And my writing has gotten back on track, too. I wrote all summer, but it was a frantic, meet-the-deadline-while-doing-a-million-other-things kind of writing. I’m still ...

  • Horse [15 Words or Less Poems]

    October 6, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  There’s a cool metal horse sculpture at the Anderson Center in Red Wing, MN, where I was at ...

  • Before Morning [Poetry Friday]

    September 29, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m excited for the upcoming publication of my friend Joyce Sidman’s Before Morning! It publishes on October 4, and it’s just gorgeous. This winter poem is set to stunning illustrations by Beth Krommes, and it’s racking ...

  • Tennis [15 Words or Less Poems]

    September 29, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I was downtown in Minneapolis a few weeks ago having a food truck lunch with Randy, and the ...

  • Tower [15 Words or Less Poems]

    September 22, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I took this picture at a drum corps rehearsal over the summer, and it makes me think of ...

  • Happy Birthday, Maddie!

    September 21, 2016

    It’s our daughter Maddie’s 21st birthday today, and I want to share a poem again that I wrote a couple of years ago, when she was first heading overseas to learn about missions work. A few weeks ago, we once again made the teary airport ...

  • Goodbye to Summer, Hello to Fall [Poetry Friday]

    September 15, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Since yesterday’s 15 Words or Less post was about the Hello/Goodbye doormat, I thought I’d share my “Goodbye, Hello!” poem again, which I was proud to have appear in Highlights last year: Goodbye, Hello! Goodbye, blue sky ...

  • Hello [15 Words or Less Poems]

    September 15, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. Thank you for continuing to tune in over the summer and participate, even though I’ve been largely absent. ...

  • Subway Map [15 Words or Less Poems]

    September 8, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. First off, love, love, loved the poems last week. And, if you’re wondering and didn’t see it in the ...

  • Clogyrnachs with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    September 1, 2016

    Happy September, poetry friends. Last month, I had to sit out from the Poetry Princesses 1st-Friday-of-the-month posting. This month, although I’m not bringing much to the table, I did at least write a poem. I wrote it on the plane ride down to Florida, where ...

  • Volcano [15 Words or Less Poems]

    September 1, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. Writer and educator friends, can you tell what this is? I’m not going to tell you right now, but ...

  • Quilt [15 Words or Less Poems]

    August 25, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. Hello, writer and educator friends. As I’m clearing out loads of stuff, I keep coming across things full of ...

  • Airport Piano Man [15 Words or Less Poems]

    August 18, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. Hello, writer and educator friends. My life grows ever more intense (I really didn’t think that was possible), and ...

  • Tyger [15 Words or Less Poems]

    August 11, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. Hello, writer and educator friends. My life grows ever more intense (I really didn’t think that was possible), and ...

  • Ekphrastic Poems with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    August 5, 2016

    Today is the first Friday of the month, so it’s Poetry Princesses day, but this month, I’m just spectating. I had hoped to participate last minute, but it couldn’t happen. We have new and improved family drama that I haven’t even wrapped my head ...

  • Spark [15 Words or Less Poems]

    August 4, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.   Thank you for your continued kindness and support regarding my mom’s passing. I wish my dad was online and ...

  • Splash [15 Words or Less Poems]

    July 21, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. Thank you for your continued kindness and support regarding my mom’s passing. I wish my dad was online and ...

  • Fluff [15 Words or Less Poems]

    July 14, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. I want to thank you all for your kind Comments, emails, and messages regarding my mom’s passing. It is ...

  • Dragon Dreams [Poetry Friday]

    July 7, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m heading out to NCTE this morning in Boston! Hope I might get to see a few of you there! I am always so pleased to have poetry in Cricket or any of the Carus literary publications. ...

  • Tractor [15 Words or Less Poems]

    July 7, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. I took this picture outside Dairy Queen after my event at Plainview Public Library recently. I always love heading ...

  • House for Sale with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    June 30, 2016

    OK, I’m not even gonna whine about procrastinating this month. July and August are filled with so many wonderful things…in the long run. In the short run, I’m overwhelmed. So it is what it is. This month, we Poetry Princesses wrote poems in the style ...

  • Disappearing [15 Words or Less Poems]

    June 30, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m glad you’re here. Randy took this pic while we were walking Jack. by the lake. The white edging on the trail is cottonwood ...

  • Dog on the Job, a Zeno Poetryaction [Poetry Friday]

    June 23, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Earlier this week, I shared a note of thanks for my beagle, Jack. Today, I’m re-sharing a zeno poetryaction he inspired a couple of years ago.   Ah, Jackie…For more poetry fun, don’t miss the Poetry Friday Roundup, ...

  • Tracks [15 Words or Less Poems]

    June 23, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m glad you’re here. Randy and I went downtown (Minneapolis) a week or two to attend a concert by Cantus, a choral group. The ...

  • My Voice, by Laura Shovan [Poetry Friday]

    June 16, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Last week, I read Laura Shovan’s Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, and I loved it! I’m happy to share a poem from it today, as well as my Goodreads/Amazon review: What a wonderful novel in verse! ...

  • Ducks on a Log [15 Words or Less Poems]

    June 16, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m glad you’re here. While Randy and I were walking Jack last week, we walked right by these mallards at the lake. Jack was ...

  • Revenge of the White Dragon [Poetry Friday]

    June 9, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I realize this poem is not seasonally appropriate, but this week I’ve been reading about 2015’s disastrous Mt. Everest avalanche, and it made me think of this acrostic I wrote years ago. Revenge of the White Dragon ...

  • Umbrella, Inside [15 Words or Less Poems]

    June 9, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m glad you’re here. Randy and I were killing time during a showing recently. We sat outside at a Freddy’s, and as I drank ...

  • Harpy Is Just a Word with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    June 2, 2016

    This is terrible. Two months in a row, I am setting this post up just days before, and I haven’t yet written my poem. With our house on the market, a daughter in the ER three times in one week, a week of Young Authors ...

  • Biopoems from Young Authors Conference [Poetry Friday]

    June 2, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Shoot! I forgot until this moment that this was the first Friday of the month, so it’s a Poetry 7 day! But I promised my Young Authors Conference writers last week that I would share our ...

  • Bird [15 Words or Less Poems]

    June 2, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m glad you’re here. I was picking up the yard before a showing last week, and I saw a flash of yellow on the ...

  • Testing Shame, a Poem About High-Stakes Testing

    May 26, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Hi poets and teachers–Over these last weeks of school, I’m sharing several poems from my new collection, The Heart of a Teacher. Today’s short poem is a sad one (but others are funny or sarcastic or ...

  • Jailed [15 Words or Less Poems]

    May 26, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m glad you’re here. Here’s a picture taken from our family room. My husband recently converted the room from a theater room with a ...

  • More Poems About Balance

    May 25, 2016

    Monday, I shared a poem about balance, and I thought I’d share the other two today. Can you tell I’m addicted to Canva lately? My graphic design skills are not great, but I love working with images and poems together. I will get better!

  • When They Write, a Poem About Student Writing

    May 24, 2016

    Here’s another poem from my new collection, The Heart of a Teacher. This one was inspired by the sound of students writing. I love when I’m visiting a school, and I set them off on a quick-writing exercise. When I say, “Go!” and the pencils ...

  • Seesaw Highs and Lows, a Poem About Balance

    May 23, 2016

    I received an email from first-grade teacher Erin Baker. She was preparing to teach a unit on balance to first graders and wondered if I had any relevant poems or could recommend any that related to the topic. I told her, “I have actually toyed ...

  • An Answer to, “Teachers have it easy–three months off!”

    May 19, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Hi poets and teachers–I’m sharing another poem from my new collection, The Heart of a Teacher, today. (And an educator just gave it a 5-star review on Amazon–so excited:>) About this time of year, lots of ...

  • Boxed In [15 Words or Less Poems]

    May 19, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m glad you’re here. Here’s a picture taken out my window. This image makes me think of: soldiers standing at attention what it would feel like to ...

  • Acceleration Exasperation

    May 17, 2016

    I promised to share a few poems from my new collection, The Heart of a Teacher, over these last weeks of school. Here’s one inspired by, well, you can probably guess. Right now, the Kindle version only is listed on Amazon, but in a few days ...

  • “A Mole of My Acquaintance” by J. Patrick Lewis [Poetry Friday]

    May 12, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well. I have been sharing a WHOLE lot of my work lately. I love to do that, but it’s nice to feature other people sometimes, too! Today, I’m sharing a poem by one of my very ...

  • Open Wide [15 Words or Less Poems]

    May 12, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m glad you’re here. Here’s a picture I took in my “Fishing Room” on a school visit in southern Minnesota, which I blogged about ...

  • The Heart of a Teacher Is Here!

    May 11, 2016

    Hi, teachers! Last year, I started tagging all my poem documents. You know, giving them labels in order to find all my poems that are, say, about science, or are haiku, or whatever. I realized then that I had a fair number of poems about ...

  • Water Can Be… a Black-Eyed Susan Picture Book Nominee!

    May 10, 2016

    I’m thrilled that Water Can Be… is a nominee for Maryland’s Black-Eyed Susan Award for the 2016-2017 school year. And it’s rubbing spines with so many books I love! You can see the list here (not just picture books–all the books). Thanks, Maryland! The only ...

  • Back to Life with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    May 5, 2016

    Oh, ah…hello. This is a little embarrassing. You see, each Saturday (I work Tuesday-Saturday, generally), I get my blog posts set up for the week, and then I just dash in throughout the week if I feel like it to add up-to-the-minute notes. So, it’s ...

  • Branches [15 Words or Less Poems]

    May 5, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m glad you’re here. Here’s a picture I took while my husband and I were walking our beagle down by the lake. These barren ...

  • The Progressive Poem–Complete!

    May 2, 2016

    It’s so fun to see how Irene Latham’s Progressive Poem ended up. I meant to keep up and read it every single day, but I fell short. I checked in periodically, but it’s just fabulous to read the entire thing, start to finish–head on over ...

  • Post-Putrid Poetry: Thank You!

    April 30, 2016

    Well, that was a rip-roaring Poetry Month! Thank you so much for reading Louis’ story. The comments meant a lot to me as I shared some work totally unlike my more usual stuff. I also enjoyed the emails you sent, sharing students’ poems that were ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 29: Poetry Heals: A Get Well Poem for Miss Sweetmallow

    April 28, 2016

    The kids all looked bored. Then it was my turn. “I’ve been writing interesting poems in Miss Sweetmallow’s class. She said we could write about whatever we wanted, and that made poetry a lot more fun.” Bran and Marty cheered. “But then she challenged me ...

  • Play(ne)ground [15 Words or Less Poems]

    April 28, 2016

    Hello, and welcome! Poetry Month is almost over, but we celebrate poetry year-round here:>) I’m happy you’re here for 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here)! Here’s my final pic taken in March on the way home ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 28: Family Recipe

    April 28, 2016

    “This next one,” said Goldie, “is about my family. We had a family reunion last summer, and it was so much fun. So I tried to capture that here, and I wrote it like it was a recipe.” Family Recipe Take a three-legged dash for a ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 27: Bats on the Move

    April 27, 2016

    Goldie writes poems so nice and sweet,like chocolate fudge, or some other treat. Goldie smiled at me as she came on stage. She obviously didn’t know I hate chocolate fudge. She stood right beside me, and she looked at me like, “Move it, Louis.” Then she whispered, “Move ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 26: Attacking Bubble Gum

    April 26, 2016

    I had tried to think of some way to improve this, but I couldn’t. So, I stepped up to the microphone (the best part of this MC job) and said: You’ve seen the good. You’ve seen the best.Now listen and let your eyelids rest. OK, not my ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 25: Talent Share Day

    April 25, 2016

    It was Ridgeway Talent Share Day. Miss S still hadn’t been back to school, but there she was in the audience. She looked a little greenish, but she smiled when I caught her eye.The lights dimmed.It was time.Marty was first. I had written a little ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 24: Class Is a Gas

    April 24, 2016

     Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #24: Free Verse Class Is a Gas My science teacher squirts perfume. “Every smell is particles. Smell that? You have tiny perfume particles in your nose and mouth.”   Sharp perfume stings our tongues. Then Farty Marty ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 23: Value Foods’ Hot Dog-Eating Contest

    April 23, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #23: The Narrative Poem Value Foods’ Hot Dog-Eating Contest Hot dogs Slog down Land in stomach Pound by pound SlickSlidy Go down easy Now I’m feeling Kind of queasy Going down They’re fine but then– Here they ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 22: Rules from Mom and Dad [Poetry Friday]

    April 21, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #22: An Opposites Poem Rules from Mom and Dad Chew with your mouth closed Always say please Sit still in your chair It’s not nice to tease Rules I Wish I Could Give Mom and Dad Don’t kiss me in public ...

  • Neon Sky [15 Words or Less Poems]

    April 21, 2016

    Hello! We’re more than halfway through National Poetry Month, and I hope you’re having a splendid celebration! I’m happy you’re here — this is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here)! Here’s my next pic taken in ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 21: Rabbits Recycle!

    April 21, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #21: A Poem Based on Research Rabbits Recycle! They sniff hay They chew it They poop it and then They sniff at their poop and start over again I made you queasy? Excellent! Here’s a rabbit poem for you! ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 20: This Really Happened!

    April 20, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #20: Poem Inspired by a Photograph This Really Happened! A Burmese python told the waiter, “I will try the alligator!” He opened wide to eat headfirst but got so full he felt he’d burst He ached and cramped, began ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 19: One Fine Spine–For Now

    April 19, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #19: The Persona Poem One Fine Spine–For Now I’m the spine of the book, the backbone, the side. I stand like a soldier and act like a guide. But as soon as you buy me, ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 18: Lamar Didn’t Listen

    April 18, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #18: The Limerick Lamar Didn’t Listen There once was a pig named Lamar Whose mom said, “Don’t mosey too far.”              But he wandered away            on that sad, tragic day. Now his feet ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 17: Bloody Memory

    April 17, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #17: Concrete Poem    Bloody Memory       After             math a velvet valentine    as red as the blood from the famous 2nd-grade pencil sharpener accident waits on my desk like a bomb. My name is written on the front in ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 16: Eddie’s Trick and So-Called Stew

    April 16, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #16: Quatrains Cafeteria Duo Trio 1.    Eddie’s Trick See cool Eddie? He’s my hero He’s the only kid who knows How to make the cherry Kool-Aid Flow like rivers from his nose 2.    So-Called Stew   The menu says stew but that ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 15: The Piandroid

    April 14, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #15: Make-Up-a-Word Poem My Mom, the Piandroid When my mother plays piano the tendons in her hand jump up and down practically burst through her skin like the wires of the piano snuck out of their wooden coffin ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 14: Grandma’s Snakes

    April 14, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #14: The Cinquain Grandma’s Snakes Old legs. Grandma’s dry skin has shiny blue veins that slither wriggle pulse bulge: Grandma’s pet snakes. I never knew my family was so disgusting until I started writing poetry. Cool! That IS ...

  • Sunroof [15 Words or Less Poems]

    April 14, 2016

    Howdy! How is your National Poetry Month going? I’m happy you’re here and ready to celebrate with you! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here)! Here’s my next pic taken in March on the way ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 13: Lemons Coming Out of My Pores

    April 13, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #13: The Diamante Lemons Coming Out of My Pores lemonade tangy, yellow clinking, drinking, chilling, summer, liquid, noon, basketball slipping, dripping, shaking clear, salty sweat You said 2 opposite or related things work. Lemonade turns into sweat! It turns ...

  • Celebrating Librarians

    April 12, 2016

    There are all sorts of days celebrating librarians (as well there should be!). Today is ALA’s National Library Workers Day. In honor of all my favorite librarians, I wrote a Can Be… poem about them. You can read my A Librarian Can Be… poem here, ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 12: Don’t Look at Uncle Gary!

    April 12, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #12: The Haiku Don’t Look at Uncle Gary! He wears a Speedo Like a plump water balloon Wears a rubber band Nothing shocks you? I’ll find something…I know haiku has to be about nature, but we were at the ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 11: My Mom Doesn’t ALWAYS Embarrass Me

    April 11, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #11: The Acrostic My Mom Doesn’t Always Embarrass Me Mom, I would be an Orphan without you!  Thank you for not Hugging me in public. Or private. Even when ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 10: Guaranteed to Make You Puke

    April 10, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #10: Hyperbole Guaranteed to Make You Puke If you ever need to make yourself sick the night before a test         or a family portrait             or dinner with Grandpa creep downstairs ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 9: The Ballad of My Shameful Mother

    April 9, 2016

    Dr. Louis Pasternak Skullstench: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #9: The Ballad The Ballad of My Shameful Mother Last Thursday my mom could not come to my game. I felt floods of relief and a trickle of shame. My mom always hollered and screamed at the ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 8: The Bald Truth [Poetry Friday Roundup!]

    April 7, 2016

    Welcome, all! I’m happy to be hosting a Poetry Friday Roundup during April–what fun! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I continue my Poetry Month sharing of “The Putrid Poetic Ponderings of Louis J. Pasternak, AKA Dr. Skullstench” (see right sidebar for more info) ...

  • Who, Me? [15 Words or Less Poems]

    April 7, 2016

    Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? Here’s my next pic taken in March on the way home from South Bend, IN to Minneapolis, MN.   This image makes me think ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 7: Head Cheese

    April 7, 2016

    Dr. Pasternak: Stealth Poet Poetry Assignment #7: Rhyme Head Cheese It wiggles and shimmies and does a slight jig It’s gelatin pickled with pieces of pig There’s a sliver of tongue and a big chunk of heart There’s a huge hunk of dark and mysterious pig ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 6: If You Accidentally Swallow Ocean Water

    April 6, 2016

    Louis J. Pasternak Poetry Assignment #6: The List Poem If You Accidentally Swallow Ocean Water … you also swallow: gloopy whale blubber broken starfish arms penguin poop dead fish sunken ships lobster shells and all the pee of all the kids in the world, even kids in ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 5: Shh…It’s a Snake

    April 5, 2016

    [Note from Laura: Hi, teachers and readers! If Louis were writing a gross poem about me today, it would be about head colds, congestion, crusty stuff, and maybe green stuff, too. :>(  Yup, I’ve got a cold. And I’m glad Louis isn’t here to describe ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 4: Pimple Popping

    April 4, 2016

    Louis J. Pasternak Poetry Assignment #4: Repetition Pimple Popping There’s a pimple on my cheek and I’m dying just to pop it I was picking at it yesterday ’til Marty hollered, “Stop it!” It’s shiny and it’s white and I’m dying just to pop it Bran shows ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 3: My Grand Canyon Feet

    April 3, 2016

    Louis J. Pasternak Poetry Assignment #3: Metaphors My Grand Canyon Feet Under a magnifying glass, my feet form a desert– sandy, dry, cracked deep slices carved out: canyons that held rivers a zillion years ago in the ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 2: Lovebug Popcorn

    April 2, 2016

    Louis J. Pasternak Poetry Assignment #2: Similes Lovebug Popcorn Kamikaze lovebugs crowd highways, smash into our windshield, explode like splotchy white popcorn Miss S – Did you see my simile? Lovebugs look like popcorn! How cool is that? Louis, I am always devastated when I drive through swarms of ...

  • The Progressive Poem Begins

    March 31, 2016

    Hello, and Happy Poetry Month–again! In a happy Perfect (Poetry) Storm, this is actually my third Poetry Friday post for Friday, April 1st! This one is because I am honored to be starting off Irene Latham‘s annual Progressive Poem. Irene, of Live Your Poem, invites ...

  • Grasshopper Reality TV with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    March 31, 2016

    Happy Poetry Month! Last month, we Poetry 7 shared our sedokas. This month, we’re back to ekphrastic art. I decided not to worry about being totally uncouth when it comes to art this time. Plus, I got to choose the art (that does help:>) I took ...

  • Putrid Poetry: Day 1: It Begins

    March 31, 2016

    It Begins Miss Sweetmallow said we had to write poetry. I hate poetry. I like folding my eyelids back so you can see the wet parts underneath. I like playing basketball until I’m dripping in sweat and then shaking my whole body so everybody gets a shower. ...

  • Eggshell [15 Words or Less Poems]

    March 31, 2016

    Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? Most of my pics seem to come from airports or planes lately! All this next month I’ll be using pics taken on the ...

  • Writing, Moving, and Spinning in Circles

    March 29, 2016

    We are selling our house. That means people come through almost daily to look at it, and I have to leave the house. I work at home, and I’ve always prided myself on being able to write just about anywhere–during orchestral concerts, at theme parks, ...

  • Rabbits Recycle, from Putrid Poetic Ponderings [Poetry Friday]

    March 24, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Here’s a poem from The Putrid Poetic Ponderings of Louis J. Pasternak, AKA Dr. Skullstench, which I’ll be sharing in serial form right here throughout National Poetry Month.  You can learn more here about the ...

  • Tangled [15 Words or Less Poems]

    March 24, 2016

    Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? Most of my pics seem to come from airports or planes lately! This one is in O’Hare. This image makes me think of: Charlotte’s web ...

  • A Putrid Poetry Class Readaloud for National Poetry Month!

    March 22, 2016

    Hello, teachers! I can’t believe it, but Poetry Month starts a week from this Friday. Holy moley. For the past several weeks, I have been trying to figure out what to do this year. I waffled back and forth but finally made a decision. I am ...

  • Happy Spring with Every Day Birds

    March 21, 2016

    Happy spring! Yesterday was the first day of spring, and birds were cheeping outside my window in the early morning, despite the frost on the ground. I celebrated by reading Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s new rhyming picture book, Every Day Birds (Orchard, 2016). Have you seen ...

  • Congrats to Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, Plus a Ken Slesarik First-Grade Poetry Project [Poetry Friday]

    March 17, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Life (both personal and professional) has been super busy lately, and I confess I wasn’t planning to post for Poetry Friday this week. But then… I saw that Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s Forest Has a Song, one of ...

  • Late Snow [15 Words or Less Poems]

    March 17, 2016

    Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? Here’s a picture I took in the South Bend, IN, airport on my way home from the Young Authors ...

  • Poetryaction for Summer Birds [Poetry Friday]

    March 10, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I got to meet Margarita Engle at NCTE last fall when we were signing books next to each other. What a lovely person! Have you read her Summer Birds, with glorious illustrations by Julie Paschkis? I confess ...

  • Landing [15 Words or Less Poems]

    March 10, 2016

    Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? Well, I’m kind of annoyed that there’s a person in my picture! The lens didn’t click fast enough, I guess. Oh well. When ...

  • Plans for National Poetry Month

    March 9, 2016

    Usually in April, I’m doing lots of speaking. This year, partially due to my website contact form woes, I’m in town basically the whole month. So, I’m trying to figure out what to do for a poetry celebration. Should I share a poetryaction every day? ...

  • A Sap and Sun Sedoka with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

    March 3, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! Last month, we Poetry 7 shared our ekphrastic poems inspired by Picasso sculptures. I was not too happy with either the sculpture OR my poem. I’ll try to be less curmudgeonly this month:>) This month, we wrote sedoka, and mine was kind of a ...

  • Snowplowasaurus [15 Words or Less Poems]

    March 3, 2016

    Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? I was walking the track at my gym a few weeks ago, and looking out the window, I could see a big tractor-thingy ...

  • A Poetryaction for If You Plant a Seed [Poetry Friday]

    February 25, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’ve blogged about NCTE last fall, and one of the many enjoyable sessions was the Children’s Literature Breakfast, featuring Kadir Nelson. I was quoting Kadir in a talk about mentor texts that I gave last weekend ...

  • Leaf Necklace [15 Words or Less Poems]

    February 25, 2016

    Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? OK, hopefully I’ve finally got it right this week! This is a picture of a gift given to me by Kim Doele, a 3rd-grade ...

  • What a School Can Be (Poetry Friday)

    February 18, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I wanted to give Wealthy Elementary School a small thank you gift for having me spend a week sharing poetry and nonfiction excitement with its students. So, I decided to write a poem. It’s hard to ...

  • Sort of Ceiling [15 Words or Less Poems]

    February 18, 2016

    Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? Sorry for the confusion last week–I had the settings to not allow comments (accidentally). We should be all good today, though! Thank you ...

  • I Don’t Know Art, But I Know What I Don’t Like [Poetry Friday]

    February 4, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! Last month, we Poetry 7 shared our crown sonnet about the Periodic Table–that was such a fun project to be part of! Now the good news is that we have renewed our vow to continue monthly poems through 2016. Yay! The bad news ...

  • Garden Snake? [15 Words or Less Poems]

    February 4, 2016

    Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? Here’s a picture my friend Vida posted on Facebook and offered up for 15 Words or Less (thank you, Vida!). At first glance, ...

  • A Plea from the Invisible–a Diversity Acrostic by Laura Purdie Salas

    February 2, 2016

    I was honored to have a poem in Dragon Lode not too long ago. Janet Wong wrote a great piece about diversity, and she included poems by both Margarita Engle and me. I keep some pretty great company, right? Here’s my poem–in one of my favorite forms, ...

  • Things To Do If… Student Poems

    February 1, 2016

    Last Friday, I was part of a literacy event in Stewartville, MN, called Hot Reads for Cold Nights. Wow. There were 500 or so people there, and organizer Renita Irvin had so many things going on: book exchanges, food, storytellers, silent auctions, and a ton ...

  • “Forgetfulness” by Billy Collins

    January 28, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Last week, I talked about how little I remember of the books I read. I was so grateful for those of you who chimed in and confessed similar experiences. And thank you, too, to Jane Heitman ...

  • Froggy? [15 Words or Less Poems]

    January 28, 2016

    Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? Here’s a picture of a stuffed frog. It’s one of Jackie’s toys, and it’s pretty nasty. This image makes me think of: Barney the ...

  • Poetryaction and Bookalikes for P. Zonka Lays an Egg

    January 27, 2016

    Here’s one more poetryaction! I am feeling more like a dreamer lately, wanting (but not having) more time for writing just for the heck of it—that’s a rare luxury for me. P. Zonka‘s daydreaming and its randomly beautiful results really touched me in this book. ...

  • Poetryaction for The Secret Life of Squirrels

    January 26, 2016

    Here’s today’s poetryaction! I’ve had this poetryaction for The Secret Life of Squirrels for a long time and am finally getting around to sharing it! I didn’t expect to like this book because, well, the cover looks a little cheesy to me. Then I read ...

  • Poetryaction for The Harvey Milk Story

    January 25, 2016

    While I try to catch up this week, I’m going to share a few poetryactions. Hope you like them!   The flap copy of The Harvey Milk Story says, “In making history that day, Minnie Milk’s intelligent, energetic and courageous son showed the world that…” so ...

  • A Poetryaction for Poetry Friday

    January 21, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This week, I’ve talked about writing about hard topics, worrying about manuscripts turned in, and reading things twice. Since I’m in technology chaos right now, I think I’m just going to share a poetryaction I’ve shared ...

  • Pipe Cleaners [15 Words or Less Poems]

    January 21, 2016

    Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? Here’s a picture from my basement clean-out. I’m gathering lots of arts & craft supplies into a pile to give to my daughter ...

  • A Skeleton for Poetry Friday

    January 14, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) In thinking about my word of the year–essential–I realized I had written a poem not too long ago that connected with that. This was part of Carol Varsalona’s Autumn Palette Gallery–a collection of lovely images and ...

  • Trunk [15 Words or Less Poems]

    January 14, 2016

    Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? Here’s one last picture from the Bell Museum of Natural History . This is a cross-section of a tree from a fig-tree display ...

  • Poetryaction and Bookalikes for Marilyn’s Monster

    January 13, 2016

    I’ve been working (for many years, off and on!) on a poetry project with a main character who feels rejected in  many areas of her life. She tries so hard to not want things like friends and invitations to birthday parties, because she doesn’t have ...

  • The Periodic Table – a Crown Sonnet by the Poetry Sisters [Poetry Friday]

    January 7, 2016

    Happy Poetry Friday! It’s that time again–we Poetry 7 are sharing poems! In November, we wrote ekphrastic poems, which I struggled mightily with. Now, we’re beginning 2016 by sharing our crowning achievement of 2015: a crown sonnet–hehe. One of the topics I suggested to the group (last ...

  • Antlers [15 Words or Less Poems] & Live Writing Video

    January 7, 2016

    Whee! It’s 2016, and this is the first 15 Words or Less Poems Day of the year! I’m glad you guys are here. Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)? I took this picture at the Bell Museum ...

  • Cougar [15 Words or Less Poems]

    December 31, 2015

    Welcome to the final 15 Words or Less Poems Day of 2015! Ready to wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less? (guidelines here) Here’s a picture I took at the Bell Museum of Natural History on Randy’s birthday last week. This image ...

  • Merry Poetry Friday Christmas!

    December 25, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday, and Merry Christmas! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m sharing a favorite old Christmas song today. When I was growing up, this was one that my mom played on the piano, and that we sometimes did during our family Advent Sunday ...

  • A Pear-y Pretty Chandelier [15 Words or Less Poems]

    December 24, 2015

    Hi, 15 Words-or-Less-ers! Merry Christmas Eve, if you’re celebrating! Ready to wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less? (guidelines here) Here’s a picture I took at the theater where we saw So You Think You Can Dance Thanksgiving weekend. It’s hard to tell in ...

  • BookSpeak, Old-School!

    December 23, 2015

    Last week, school librarian Karen Bentall shared a wonderful photo of a BookSpeak display in the Oak Ridge Elementary School library in Arlington, VA. Wow! It’s beautiful! I asked if I could share this cool artwork here and if she could tell me a little ...

  • My Biggest Fan

    December 22, 2015

    If you know me, you know that my husband, Randy, is always bragging on me, supporting me, and celebrating my writing. Today is Randy’s birthday, and I’m spending the whole day celebrating with him! He gets so short-changed, having his birthday right before Christmas. And ...

  • Poetry Friday Anthology for Science–remix!

    December 17, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’ve shared Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell’s awesome Poetry Friday Anthology for Science here before, and now there’s a new edition. Teachers requested a non-grade-level-edition for kids, and Janet and Sylvia delivered. Introducing The Poetry of Science: ...

  • Great Gourd! [15 Words or Less Poems]

    December 17, 2015

    Hi, 15 Words-or-Less-ers! Ready to wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less? (guidelines here) Here’s a picture I took at the grocery store just before Thanksgiving. These gourds were huge! Granted, that mini-pumpkin with the crow on it is pretty small, but it was between ...

  • Welcome to My New Site!

    December 16, 2015

    Well, you’ve probably already noticed it here, but my site has a whole new look! Even though I still have tweaks to make–my open house would never happen if I waited for everything to be just so–I wanted to welcome you all to drop in ...

  • Poetryaction for Blizzard

    December 10, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, we’re going from fire to ice. Yesterday, I shared an image for 15 Words or Less that some of you wondered what it was. I thought it resembled frozen flames, and y’all saw fire, ice, ...

  • Ice on Fire [15 Words or Less Poems]

    December 10, 2015

    Hi teachers and writers! I’m offering something new in January for people who want to write (published, pre-published, no desire to be published–you are all welcome!) but who aren’t getting the writing done that they want to. It’s a low-cost Closed Facebook Group that will ...

  • Poetryaction for Please, Mr. Panda

    December 9, 2015

    Oh, my goodness. My writers’ group, the Wordsmiths, met yesterday for our holiday gathering. The laughing! The food! The good advice! Hope you are all enjoying some holiday gatherings with your teacher colleagues and/or writing friends, too! Please, Mr. Panda is a quirky little book! To ...

  • Poetryaction for Ben & Zip

    December 8, 2015

    OK, I know a beach book and poem isn’t exactly seasonal, but…a five-minute imaginary trip to the beach might be just what you long for, now that we’re knee deep into December! I used to be in a crit group with author Joanne Linden, and I ...

  • Poetryaction for Bedtime at the Nut House

    December 7, 2015

    Happy Hannukah to everyone celebrating! This week, I’m going to be sharing poetryactions. Quick poems written in reaction to picture books. I hope you like them! My house feels a little like The Nut House right now, mostly because of holiday stuff and book stuff. It’s all ...

  • The Light, a Poem Honoring CLA and Reading Teachers and Researchers

    December 3, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m reflecting on groups today. First up, the Poetry Princesses, aka Poetry 7, aka Poetry Sisters. We are Liz Garton Scanlon, Tricia Stohr-Hunt, Andi Sibley, Tanita S. Davis, Kelly Fineman, Sara L. Holmes, and me. And ...

  • Key Lime…Pie? [15 Words or Less Poems]

    December 3, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Here’s the key lime pie I shared yesterday from a Lerner author dinner during NCTE. Looks a little odd, but oh my goodness, it was heaven. This picture makes me think of: My frequent ...

  • Fierce, a Thanksgiving Villanelle

    November 26, 2015

    This villanelle isn’t about the holiday of Thanksgiving, but it is about how thankful I am for the wild world around me, even when I don’t get to explore that wildness very often. So I’m posting it today and leaving it up for Poetry Friday, ...

  • Jungle Tile [15 Words or Less Poems]

    November 26, 2015

    Hello, and Happy Thanksgiving! I figure we have plenty of images of turkeys and cornucopias and all that other good holiday stuff, so I just go with whatever catches my fancy:>) I’m thankful, as ever, for this 15 Words or Less community. You’re an important ...

  • Laura’s Poetry Sampler

    November 19, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) One of my favorite poets is Amy Ludwig VanDerwater over at The Poem Farm. Besides loving her work, I just love how generous and warm and smart she is. You probably already know her fabulous blog, ...

  • Inside Music [15 Words or Less Poems]

    November 19, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! I usually share photos I take, but I couldn’t pass by this one that my husband emailed to me. This picture makes me think of: Shadows (again!) — I love them Tiny elves holding a concert ...

  • 2 Kinds of Cats, a Poem by Laura Purdie Salas

    November 17, 2015

    I recently wrote a poem called “2 Kinds of Cats,” comparing a housecat and a tiger. I wrote this poem on assignment, for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and they wanted something that could be used in their magazine for 1st-graders.  Here’s the first ...

  • Brinicle, from National Geographic’s Book of Nature Poetry

    November 12, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! And happy Friday the 13th! No bad luck here today, unless you happen to be a starfish. Last month, I shared my Sailing Stone poem from J. Patrick Lewis‘ anthology with National Geographic, the Book of Nature Poetry — which just won a ...

  • X Marks What? [15 Words or Less Poems]

    November 12, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! I love trees and their shadows! This picture makes me think of: X marks the spot (of what?) Could you climb a shadow? Do shadows wish their casters would MOVE more so they could play together? And, here’s ...

  • Unwrapped, a Wild Poetry Cheer for Irene Latham

    November 8, 2015

    Happy blogiversary, Irene Latham, and thank you for inviting us to share in your theme of WILD this year! I live in the suburbs and have lived in the suburbs my whole life. I know it’s easy to trash talk about the suburbs, but, frankly, I’m ...

  • Ekphrastic Poems with the Poetry Sisters [Poetry Friday]

    November 5, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday!   It’s that time again–we Poetry 7 are sharing poems! Last month, we Poetry 7 wrote etherees, which I loved! This month, we tackled ekphrastic poems–all inspired by the same image. Tanita Davis shared this one, which caught our eyes and our imagination right ...

  • Armor [15 Words or Less Poems]

    November 5, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! I took this picture in Edinburgh Castle, I’m pretty sure. The swords and armor felt appropriate after all the cool costumes of Halloween!  This picture makes me think of: I wonder if knights handed down ...

  • “In Laughter and Play” by Nancy Bo Flood (and a giveaway)

    October 29, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I know it’s almost Halloween, so most of us are likely sharing scary poems. But I’m going a different route. This week, I’m sharing a poem from a book that’s not even a poetry book. It’s ...

  • Airplane Window [15 Words or Less Poems]

    October 29, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! I took this picture on an overseas flight a couple of years ago. There’s something about seeing clouds from overhead that makes me feel a lot safer while flying–totally irrational, but I can’t ...

  • Poetryaction and Bookalikes for In Mary’s Garden

    October 22, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) If you’re not a regular reader here, welcome! I share poetryactions, or poems written in reaction to picture books (usually) on a fairly regular basis. And I’m sharing one today! In Mary’s Garden, a lovely picture book ...

  • Cows [15 Words or Less Poems]

    October 22, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! I took this picture in Ireland. I always picture sheep and cow barns as so warm and cozy, but the reality rarely supports that! This picture makes me think of: Waiting in line for my ...

  • Poetryaction for Toad Weather

    October 21, 2015

    I had read Sandra Markle’s Toad Weather, and I was just in a mood to play with words, so I started jotting. Out came “toads” with “toes,” and “toads” with “roads,” and “herds” with “hurry.” I followed the syllable count of a cinquain here, but ...

  • Poetryaction and Bookalikes for Emu

    October 15, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) If you’re not a regular reader here, welcome! I share poetryactions, or poems written in reaction to picture books (usually) on a fairly regular basis. And I’m sharing one today! One of my favorite things about Claire ...

  • Pipes [15 words or less poems]

    October 15, 2015

    Hello, my fun 15 Words or Less community! Today, I’m driving home from a FABULOUS 4 days on the North Shore of Lake Superior. That’s one of my favorite places on earth, and Randy and I have been just hanging out, soaking up fall beauty, ...

  • Poetryaction and Bookalikes for By Mouse & Frog

    October 14, 2015

    Deborah Freedman’s By Mouse & Frog made me think about the old adage of opposites attract, and how so often kids are indeed friends with their own opposites (haven’t you ever wondered, “What does my kid SEE in that kid?”). This gave me the idea ...

  • Poetryaction and Bookalikes for Sweep Up the Sun

    October 13, 2015

    The phrase “stitching earth to sky with invisible thread” is my favorite part of this absolutely beautiful Helen Frost book, Sweep Up the Sun (follow-up to Step Gently Out, shown below). I took that image, that metaphor of a bird’s flight holding together the earth ...

  • Poetryaction and Bookalikes for Whale Trails

    October 12, 2015

    Good morning! I’m going to share some poetryactions this week, because it’s been a while! Hope you like them! Whale Trails, a fun and wonderfully structured book by Lesa Cline-Ransome made me think of the whale-watching trip Randy and I went on in 2010 when we ...

  • Sailing Stone, National Geographic’s Book of Nature Poetry, & the Poetry Friday Roundup!

    October 8, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome to regulars and newbies alike–I’m glad you’re all here. I’m happy to be hosting Poetry Friday today, and I’m extra happy to be sharing a beautiful new anthology edited by J. Patrick Lewis. You probably remember the Book of Animal ...

  • Reaching Hands [15 words or less poems]

    October 8, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Howdy, 15 Words or Less-ers! I took this picture a couple of years ago at a high school. I was walking down the hall, and these hands were overhead! They make me think ...

  • The Sun and the Moon Gripe a Little [Poetry Friday]

    October 1, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! I am at the ITEM conference today chatting with media specialists and instructional technology folks (and seeing some writer friends, too). Hopefully, we will not be squabbling like the moon and sun are in my poems today! Last month, we Poetry 7 ...

  • Flower Boot [15 words or less poems]

    October 1, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Good morning! I took this picture in Ireland, and though you can’t really tell, this shoe is hanging on a stone wall outside someone’s house. These flowers growing out of a hiking book ...

  • poetryaction for When the Wind Blows

    September 24, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I saw an early version of Linda Booth Sweeney’s When the Wind Blows, and it was already a lovely, image-drenched story! It’s super exciting for me to seeit now in published form! Congratulations, Linda. ...

  • Fossil [15 words or less poems]

    September 24, 2015

    OK, I think I have the Comment settings figured out so that it’s easier to Comment now. I just thought nobody was coming by! And, today’s the last day of the 99-cent sale of the Kindle edition of Riddle-ku: Haiku for Very Close Reading. Wake up your ...

  • Pencil Riddle-ku

    September 22, 2015

    Hi, you guys! Since the Kindle edition (you don’t have to have a Kindle to read it, though) of Riddle-ku: Haiku for Very Close Reading, part of my 30 Painless Classroom Poems series, is on sale for 99 cents today through Thursday, Sep. 24, I’m ...

  • Photopoem Summer Splashings Gallery

    September 21, 2015

    Have you guys seen what ELA consultant Carol Varsalona does each season at Beyond LiteracyLink? She puts out a call for photopoems, gathers them all up, and then creates a gallery online of everyone’s photopoems! I know she puts a ton of time into each ...

  • A Forest Riddle-ku

    September 17, 2015

    Hiya, everyone. If you are a subscriber to the blog, you should have received an email notification about this post. My awesome web designer worked with Wordpress Support yesterday and got everything straightened out. Thanks! And if you’re not a subscriber but you’d like to ...

  • The Giant Spider [15 words or less poems]

    September 17, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Well, I think I’ve used this photo before, but I honestly can’t recall…and if I did, it was several years ago. So, I’m going to use it! This sculpture called Maman, by Louise ...

  • Poetry Contest for 3rd-8th Grade

    September 16, 2015

    Pets Add Life, a non-profit awareness campaign about the joys of pets, is sponsoring a poetry contest for 3rd-8th graders. This is the eighth year for the contest, and teachers, if your student wins for his or her grade level, you win a $1,000 grant ...

  • Pinata [15 words or less poems]

    September 10, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)!   I went to a friend’s 40th-birthday party this summer, and here was her pinata. This picture makes me think of: 1) It’s unsettling to watch kids swing a bat at a human-formed pinata! 2) ...

  • Back to School with Poetry

    September 8, 2015

    Hi, teachers! Everybody’s back to school by now, right? I’ve been on an erratic blog schedule this summer, but now things will settle down. My daughter Maddie is settled in in Scotland, where she’ll spend the next 2-3 years doing social justice work. It is ...

  • Found Poems with the Poetry Sisters [Poetry Friday]

    September 3, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! Last month, we Poetry Sisters wrote classified haiku. This month…found poems! This past month has been chaos for me, as our younger daughter Maddie prepared to move to Scotland for 2-3 years doing social justice work. We’re so proud of her, but ...

  • The Arch [15 words or less poems]

    September 3, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)!   Here’s one more pic from St. Louis on my ILA trip. This, of course, is the Arch! I had fun zipping to the top of it. Nice to see at least ...

  • Bull vs. Bear [15 words or less poems]

    August 27, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)!   Here’s a pic from St. Louis on my ILA trip. St. Louis doesn’t have a stock market, but this cool bull and bear battle each other outside a financial firm (sculpture ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for Lost and Found

    August 20, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I love the whimsy of Oliver Jeffers’ books and the beauty and simplicity of his art. Sigh. Lost and Found made we wish for a little more whimsy and excitement and surprise in my own life. Really, ...

  • Big Fish [15 words or less poems]

    August 20, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!   Last week, I went with Maddie one day up to Duluth, a harbor town on Lake Superior, to take care of some stuff for her visa. She leaves for 2-3 years in only a ...

  • poetryaction for Totally Secret Secret

    August 19, 2015

    Who could not love Bob Shea’s Ballet Cat and Sparkles the Pony? In The Totally Secret Secret, you will recognize real kid behavior and the negotiations of friendship. I can’t wait for the next one coming out in 2016. Anyway, I thought about the secrets ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for Popcorn Astronauts

    August 17, 2015

    Popcorn Astronauts is full of zany and delightful poems about food, and it put me in mind of one of my favorite desserts, bomboloni from Biaggi’s. My sister Patty and I always go get it when she comes up to visit from Florida. And we ...

  • Eros [15 words or less poems]

    August 13, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Continuing my reliving of this past Father’s Day, we admired the big Eros sculpture outside of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I could swear I featured a photo of this sculpture years ago, with ...

  • poetryaction for Wherever You Go

    August 11, 2015

    For Wherever You Go,?I wondered how I would describe my own perfect path. And I wanted to use rhyme, which this book by Pat Zietlow Miller (beautifully illustrated by Eliza Wheeler) does in such a lovely way. I think it would be fun to have ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for Yard Sale

    August 10, 2015

    In Yard Sale, a lovely book by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Lauren Castillo, those cheery balloons at the yard sale, contrasted with Callie’s sadness about her family’s move to a smaller home and having to sell most of their belongings, really stuck in my ...

  • Classified Haiku [Poetry Friday]

    August 6, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! Last month, we Poetry Sisters wrote poems in the style of e.e. cummings. Whew! I’m glad that is finished. For July, we decided to do haiku in the vein of classified ads. Two ancient forms–ha! We were a bit behind this month and didn’t ...

  • Weebles [15 words or less poems]

    August 6, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! On Father’s Day, we also went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to see the Leonardo daVinci codex exhibit. Amazing! Randy wanted to browse the Mark Mothersbaugh exhibit, too. Not so amazing–well, just not ...

  • Displaying Your Students’ Poems or Other Projects

    July 30, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I learned about Padlets recently when Amy Ludwig VanDerwater created a Favorite Poem Padlet and shared it at The Poem Farm. So. Cool. I can see tons of ways that teachers could (and probably already are) using ...

  • Pit [15 words or less poems]

    July 30, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! On Father’s Day, we went to the Smack Shack in Minneapolis (delicious), and I took this pic there and Waterlogued it. This image makes me think of: 1) summer backyard “bonfires” 2) a heat gun 3) MacBeth’s ...

  • My Cat, by Valerie Worth

    July 23, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) With all the excitement over a lion or other big cat roaming a Milwaukee neighborhood, I thought “My Cat,” by Valerie Worth, would be appropriate for today. It’s from the book Pug & Other Animal Poems ...

  • Umbrellas [15 words or less poems]

    July 23, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!   When my sister Patty visited a few weeks ago, we went to an improv show (I love those!), and the mall had umbrellas all over. This image makes me think of: 1) Mary Poppins 2) If it ...

  • Meet Me in St. Louis? And poetryaction for Dolphin Baby!

    July 16, 2015

    I’m on my way to St. Louis this morning for ILA 2015! Anybody else heading there? Would love to see you–leave a Comment here or Message me on Facebook or DM me on Twitter. Maybe we can meet up! Now… Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what ...

  • Theater [15 words or less poems]

    July 16, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!   The Gordon Lightfoot concert last month was at the beautiful State Theatre in Minneapolis. I always love looking at the architecture and embellishments inside. This (Waterlogued) picture is looking up at the ceiling. This image ...

  • Fall is like a last-chance hand (the Poetry 7 are at it again)

    July 9, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! In June, we Poetry 7, Poetry Sisters, Poetry Princesses (depending on what day you catch us) wrote “poems in the style of…”After much hemming and hawing and debating, we decided to each write a poem inspired by a specific e.e. cummings poem. e.e. cummings ...

  • Belly of the Beast [15 words or less poems]

    July 9, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!   Randy and I went to see Canadian folksinger Gordon Lightfoot perform a couple of weeks ago. The stage design was very simple, with these long skinny triangles of fabric stretched taut in the background. ...

  • poetryaction for Giant Squid

    July 2, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I love the ocean and its mysterious creatures. I really enjoyed the text of Mary Cerullo’s Giant Squid, but one of Clyde F.E. Roper’s photos is what inspired this poetryaction. Alas, I didn’t create a Bookalikes, but ...

  • Marie [15 words or less poems]

    July 2, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!   Randy and our older daughter, Annabelle, visited family in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, and Randy sent me this sculpture of Marie Antoinette made entirely of cut paper except for the mannequin. Read ...

  • Random Body Parts, by Leslie Bulion

    June 25, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I love a poetry collection that’s a good mash-up, so Leslie Bulion’s latest, Random Body Parts (Peachtree, 2015), makes me squeal with joy! First, it’s poems about body parts. Yes, please. Annnd, it’s poems in a ...

  • A Jig and a Poem [15 words or less poems]

    June 25, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!   Usually, I post pictures I find beautiful or spooky or engaging. This one just makes me smile. When we were in Dublin, we were signed up for the Irish Dance Party at the Temple ...

  • poetryaction for See What a Seal Can Do

    June 24, 2015

    I loved See What a Seal Can Do (Candlewick). It has delightful language, beautiful art, and clear, simple facts. One of the words early in the book inspired this poetryaction full of wordplay.   Check out my Pinterest boards of poetryactions and bookalikes if you’d like to ...

  • A Poem for Charleston

    June 22, 2015

    I don’t usually post or write poems in response to current events, political issues, etc. It’s just not me. But last week, I wanted to write a poem using a random word from a Twitter or Facebook friend. I had decided to write a poem ...

  • poetryactions and bookalikes for Snow School

    June 18, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) OK, I perhaps went a little overboard with Sandra Markle’s Snow School, which I loved! This book was so full of wonderful, vivid action, so my first poetryaction is simply a list of verbs. It’s my ...

  • Iron Man [15 words or less poems]

    June 18, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!   When I was up in the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota in late April, doing a two-week poetry tour, I visited this 36-foot statue of an iron miner in Chisholm a couple of times. It ...

  • poetryaction for Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise

    June 17, 2015

    In Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise (Sean Taylor), I love the contrast between the dark, majestic language and the silly, everyday tone when Hoot Owl’s hunting methods don’t work. It makes me picture a kid pretending to be a superhero or something and talking all ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for Wolfie the Bunny

    June 11, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Dot in ...

  • Dandelion [15 words or less poems]

    June 11, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!   Honestly, nature blows my mind just about every single day. This image makes me think of: 1) an alien eyeball 2) each little pappus (new word for me) could be a broom or feather duster 3) being tickled And ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for Santa Clauses

    June 10, 2015

    Yes, I know it’s almost summer, and therefore not the right season for Bob Raczka’s Santa Clauses. Too bad! I didn’t hear about this wonderful book until halfway through December, and I wish I’d seen it earlier! So I’m sharing this poetryaction way out of ...

  • poetryaction for Spiky, Slimy, Smooth

    June 9, 2015

    This picture book all about textures made me really think about how things feel. Couple that with the fact that I’ve been doing a mindfulness meditation recently that invites me to really think about how things feel against my body (the stool rung against my ...

  • In Praise of Junk Food

    June 4, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! In May, we wrote odes. Over the top odes, free verse odes, perhaps ridiculous odes. But it was fun! The approaches of my Poetry Sisters (aka Poetry 7, aka Poetry Princesses–and, yes, we’re at work on a crown sonnet again, so the Princess ...

  • Window [15 words or less poems]

    June 4, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!   My husband Randy took this pic out his window at work in downtown Minneapolis a few weeks ago. So cool! This image makes me think of: 1) the giant climbing down the beanstalk after Jack 2) Hickory, ...

  • poetryaction for The Iridescence of Birds

    May 28, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I loved Patricia MacLachlan’s untraditional biography of Matisse, The Iridescence of Birds. It made me feel like I knew the heart of Matisse, like I knew what made him tick. I have written several long biographies, ...

  • Statue [15 words or less poems]

    May 28, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I can’t actually remember where I took this picture, even though it was in the past month or so. Oi. But even though it came out blurry, I kind of like it that way. This ...

  • When a Poem Is a Blanket

    May 26, 2015

    You guys know Michelle Heidenrich Barnes’ Ditty of the Month Challenge, right? Where a poet issues a challenge based on a topic or form or writing process? (My challenge was water poems–last year.) This month, Michelle spotlighted fabulous poet Nikki Grimes, who issued a challenge ...

  • poetryaction for If You Were a Dog [poetry friday]

    May 21, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I spent most of the last week in Florida, visiting family. That’s always an emotional time, so I’m choosing a lighthearted Poetry Friday selection! Jamie Swenson’s picture book is an explosion of fun sounds and wordplay. I ...

  • Concert [15 words or less poems]

    May 21, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!   I went to a Rush concert last week in St. Paul. Wow. I’m only a casual Rush fan (I love their smart lyrics, and I love the challenge of playing drums to Rush songs ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for Last Stop on Market Street

    May 19, 2015

    I love it when picture books can show a harder side of the real world but in a way that’s still comforting. I wrote this poetryaction from CJ’s point of view. And in one of those weird convergences, I was suddenly seeing Nanas everywhere (in real ...

  • Poetry Tips for Teachers Roundup

    May 18, 2015

    Hello! I’ve finally created an online roundup and a pdf printable roundup of my Poetry Tips for Teachers posts from National Poetry Month. Enjoy! Online compilation of Laura’s Poetry Tips for Teachers (Reading Poetry Aloud in the Classroom) PDF version of Laura’s Poetry Tips for Teachers (Reading ...

  • poetryaction for All Aboard [poetry friday]

    May 14, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) If you’re a regular visitor to the blog (and if you are, thank you:>), you know I love Rebecca Kai Dotlich’s poetry. She was one of the first poets whose work I fell in love with ...

  • Seagull [15 words or less poems]

    May 14, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Hi, everyone! I took this picture a few weeks ago in Grand Marais, MN, a beautiful little town on Lake Superior. It was a beautiful afternoon, and I got to walk along the lakeshore ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for You Are (Not) Small

    May 13, 2015

    Kids are always told they’re too young or too small for just about everything they want to do. This picture book reassures kids that they are not small…and they are. It depends on how you look at things. For this poetryaction, I borrowed a line from ...

  • poetryaction for Imani’s Moon

    May 12, 2015

    Sometimes I like to start a poetryaction by wondering what happened after the last page was turned. Has the main character changed? Are there hints in the book about what might happen in the future?     Check out my Pinterest boards of poetryactions and bookalikes if you’d ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled

    May 11, 2015

      Happy Monday! It’s been a while since I’ve shared some poetryactions and bookalikes, so I’m planning to share quite a few in the coming weeks! I love how Catherine Thimmesh clearly explains how paleoartists study, make inferences, draw analogies?and how they also must come to terms ...

  • Oh, Did You Need That Homework? [poetry friday]

    May 7, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I hope you had an awesome Poetry Month. I did. It was super busy with lots of visits to schools and libraries. However, I’m way behind on blog reading, and I especially am a bit ...

  • Straws [15 words or less poems]

    May 7, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Hi, y’all! It’s great to be back after a VERY busy and social Poetry Month! Here’s some commissioned art outside the Grand Canal Theatre in Dublin. I believe our tour guide said these are ...

  • Tip #23: Ask Kids Questions [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    May 5, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long (even if it was last month) Poetry Tips for Teachers series. This is the last tip, and I thank you guys so much for stopping by to read throughout April and today! Later this month, once I recover ...

  • 2 Poems for Poetry Friday!

    April 30, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! I’ll have another tip Tuesday in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. For today, I already have two poems I need to share because of other folks’ schedules, so I didn’t want to overwhelm you with even more stuff! For my first Poetry ...

  • Tip #22: Fess Up [and 15 Words or Less Poems]

    April 30, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #22: Fess up. If you don’t feel comfortable with poetry (whether it’s the poetry itself or just the dramatic presentation of it), it’s okay to let students know that. In fact, they are often ...

  • Tip #21: Focus on Sounds [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 29, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #21: Focus on sounds. If a poem features repeated sounds in it, emphasize those sounds as you read it so that kids will pick up on the repetition. In the poem below, for example, which ...

  • Tip #20: Mix It Up! [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 28, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #20: Mix it up! I hear people advise teachers, “Just share poems you love!” I kind of disagree with that. I mean, of course, share the poems you love. But perhaps your poetry taste ...

  • Tip#19: Let kids chime in! [Plus a guest post for rhyming writers]

    April 27, 2015

    First of all, writer friends, I have a guest post up at Angie Karcher’s RhyPiBoMo series. I shared an excerpt from the book Lisa Bullard and I wrote together, Rhyming Picture Books: The Write Way. Take a peek if you’re interested! And teacher friends, welcome to ...

  • Tip #18: Let the Poet Read [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 23, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #18: Let the poet read. If you’re self-conscious about reading poetry aloud, one way to ease into it is let the poets themselves read! I love the Poetry Speaks to Children anthology ...

  • Tip #17: Give a Line Some Space [and 15 Words or Less Poems]

    April 23, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #17: Give a line some space. One approach to reading poems aloud is to do a slight pause at the end of each line, whether there is punctuation there or not. That’s the identifying ...

  • Tip #16: Add Sound Effects [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 22, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #16: Add sound effects. Have kids make sound effects appropriate to the poem. Kids love being sound effects experts, and it give pre-readers, especially, a great way to be part of a poem reading ...

  • Tip #15: Echo Read [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 21, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #15: Echo read. Try echo reading. You read a line, and then the students echo it back to you. This is great for helping students’ fluency, and I’m always amazed at how quickly and ...

  • Tip #14: Riddle Me This [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 20, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #14: Make it a riddle. Turn a poem into a riddle. Kids love riddle poems, and they are super fun to both read and write. (I had a blast with riddleku in National Poetry ...

  • Tip #13: Lights Out! [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 16, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #13: Turn out the lights! Turn out the lights to help students focus. When you remove visual input, students are often able to listen more carefully. Fewer distractions. Something unexpected and new. ...

  • Tip #12: Use a Prop [and 15 Words or Less Poems]

    April 16, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #12: Use a Prop Use a simple prop to help share a poem visually. When I share Elaine Magliaro’s “Things to Do If You Are a Pencil,” I hold up–a pencil. And I point ...

  • Tip #11: Focus on Transitions [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 15, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #11: Focus on transition words. In narrative poems that tell a story, emphasize transition words, like “then,” or “first,” or “next” to help kids follow the chronology and make sense of the series of ...

  • Tip #10: Emphasize Important Words [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 14, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #10: Emphasize important words. Sometimes when you’re sharing a poem, you might be talking about a specific aspect of it, whether that’s the rhyme or a repeated word or something else. I might include ...

  • Tip #9: Speed It Up! [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 13, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. Tip #9: Speed it up. Speed up a poem! When you’re repeating a poem that’s about a fast topic, speed up your reading. Often, we’ll start out reading the poem slowly, so they get to ...

  • Tip #8: Connect With the Poem & Poetry Friday Roundup!

    April 9, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! I’m so pleased to be hosting Poetry Friday today, and thank you for dropping in! First, I’m going to continue my month-long series of Poetry Tips for Teachers. Tip #8: Connect With the Poem Help kids connect before reading the poem. Let’s take this poem from ...

  • Tip #7: Walk and Stop [and 15 Words or Less Poems]

    April 9, 2015

    Tip #7: Walk and Stop Walk around the room as you read, and then STOP moving at the most important, powerful part of the poem. Kids will naturally be following your progress, and when you suddenly stop, they will pay attention to what’s happening. When reading the ...

  • Tip #6: Make a Face [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 8, 2015

    Welcome to today’s tip in my month-long Poetry Tips for Teachers series. [Addendum: I had a little issue with a disappearing blog post and rewriting it and–well, I’ll spare you the details. I apologize for having the same basic tip two days in a row, ...

  • Tip #5: Make a Face [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 7, 2015

    Tip #5: Make a face. Keep an appropriate expression. Don’t grin during a sad poem or look serious during silly verse. If you were to smile while reading this poem, for instance, your students might be a little disturbed–or think you are!      

  • Tip #4: Slow Down [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 6, 2015

    Tip #4: Slow down. Read slowly. Much more slowly than you would read prose. Poems are dense and compact and a lot to take in! Here I am reading the poem–as slowly as I can:>)  

  • Tip #3: Post It [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 2, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! I’m hanging out with the wild Poetry 7 again! This month we wrote raccontinos–say what? I’d never even heard of them! (Make sure to go to Tricia’s post, where she explains the form a bit.) Anyway, I was in Scotland and Ireland this ...

  • Tip #2: Define It [and 15 Words or Less Poems]

    April 2, 2015

    Tip #2: Define it! Is there one particularly difficult word in the poem? If so, define it for kids before you read the poem. That way, not knowing the meaning of the word won’t stop them from comprehending and enjoying the poem. Before reading the poem draft ...

  • Tip #1: Twice Is Nice [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

    April 1, 2015

    Tip #1: Twice Is Nice When you introduce a poem, read it twice. Poems are dense with language and images, and they often hold way too much info to absorb in a single hearing. Generally, read the poem through one time without any direction to your ...

  • National Poetry Month and Poetry Tips for Teachers

    April 1, 2015

    Welcome to National Poetry Month and Poetry Tips for Teachers! I’ve met lots of teachers who feel nervous or uncertain about performing poetry for their students. And I’m the first to admit that I’m no professional performer! But I’ve gotten better and lots more comfortable ...

  • Thanks for Rocking My Blog and Welcome to National Poetry Month

    March 31, 2015

    Thank you to all of you who stopped by during March to celebrate my launch of? A Rock Can Be…, my third and final Can Be… book with Millbrook Press! I had fun looking for rocks to fit your donated words, especially when I was ...

  • Perfect [15 words or less poems]

    March 26, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I have bad wrists, so I use these Perfect Push-Up things during yoga and when I do push-ups. This image makes me think of: 1) my old spirograph (one of my fav toys) 2) being hypnotized 3) ...

  • Cow? [15 words or less poems]

    March 19, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I took this picture in Scotland when I went in 2008, and I will be going there again soon! This time, though, I’ll pretty much be only in Edinburgh, not out in the highlands ...

  • Stay! [15 words or less poems]

    March 12, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Sigh. I wanted to show you Jack’s trick of sitting nicely with a treat balanced on his nose. I say, “Leave it. Leave it. Leave it. OK!” And when I say OK, he whips ...

  • The Uprising–a Sestina [poetry friday]

    March 5, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! This month, we Poetry Princesses tackled sestinas. Huh. Here’s what I wrote in the Google Doc where we shared our drafts. As you can see, I did not feel all lightness and happiness about this month’s project! I hate long poems. I generally don’t like ...

  • Spectacles [15 words or less poems]

    March 5, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I’ve been having glasses issues lately, so I’ve been to the eyeglass store several times. Sigh. I might or might not have a pair I can live with now. This image makes me think ...

  • Blizzard, by Barbara Juster Esbensen

    February 26, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! Usually, when I recommend poetry books–whether it’s to educators, kids, or aspiring poets–I recommend focusing on very current books. But Barbara Juster Esbensen is one of my favorites (see other posts where I’ve shared her work here and here and here), and ...

  • Yarn [15 words or less poems]

    February 26, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! It’s yarn–pretty yarn close-up. This image makes me think of: 1) split ends 2) Santa Claus 3) bird nest And here’s my?first draft. I thought about how I find random bits of fuzz and fabric on the ground ...

  • Read Across America with 50 State Poems!

    February 24, 2015

    I am so excited to share the cool way that Catherine Flynn’s school, Sherman School in Sherman, CT, is celebrating Read Across America. You might remember that Catherine wrote the activity guide in my book Wacky, Wild, and Wonderful: 50 State Poems. Check out the ...

  • Why Can’t I Feel the Earth Spin? Why-ku by Laura Purdie Salas [Poetry Friday]

    February 19, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! I’m back with another why-ku–I’ve shared a few of these pairs over the past week, and it’s fun to look at them and remember just how much fun I had writing them! These are from my latest 30 Painless Classroom Poems book,?Why-ku: ...

  • Old Tree [15 words or less poems]

    February 19, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I think this tree was near Niagara Falls…but I’m not sure! Just one of those random pics I’ve had squirreled away for a 15 Words or Less day! OK, what kind of tree is ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for One Plastic Bag

    February 18, 2015

    This wonderful nonfiction picture book by Miranda Paul just came out–don’t miss it! It really made me think about the power of a single person. This book is about a woman who makes a tremendous difference in an environmental way.? I took a single line ...

  • Why Don’t We Float Away? [why-ku]

    February 17, 2015

    Howdy! Today, I’m sharing (late, since I woke up and thought–Ack, did I do a post for this morning?) another pair of why-ku from Why-ku: Poems of Wonder About the World. A Note from the Poet: Sometimes you just have to let your weird brain take ...

  • Meet My Collaborator, Mary Lee Hahn

    February 16, 2015

    I have just finished creating the sixth (and final, for now, at least) book in my 30 Painless Classroom Poems series. Most of you probably already know my collaborator for this one, but if not, I’d like to introduce you to Mary Lee Hahn, who ...

  • Why Can’t I Fly: Why-ku by Laura Purdie Salas [Poetry Friday]

    February 12, 2015

    Happy Poetry Friday! It’s been a busy week, and I’ve been under the weather. Sniffle, sneeze. Cough-cough-cough. But I’m pleased to share a pair of why-ku from my latest 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, Why-ku: Poems of Wonder About the World. Mary Lee Hahn wrote ...

  • Onion [15 words or less poems]

    February 12, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I just got a nifty little macro-lens for my iPhone. The other day, I was filling our onion powder spice jar, using a funnel. When I set the funnel down on the stove, tip ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for Star Stuff

    February 11, 2015

      This is one of the best biographies I’ve read in a while. I really loved it. And I connected to it personally because my dad worked at NASA for most of his career. I find star stuff fascinating. We watched shuttle launches in person, and ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for Taking a Bath With the Dog

    February 9, 2015

    Happy Monday! In making this list poem poetryaction, I realized there’s really nothing like listing things that cheer me up to put me in a good mood:>)     Check out my Pinterest boards of poetryactions and bookalikes if you’d like to see more:>)

  • Just a Rock [poetry friday]

    February 5, 2015

    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 ...

  • Burr [15 words or less poems]

    February 5, 2015

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! This image makes me think of: 1) a conch shell 2) a star 3) clingy people And here’s my?first draft.     Brilliant pale bony star of conch glows in ocean-sky Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved   Now it’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 ...

  • poetryaction for Junkyard Wonders

    February 4, 2015

      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!

    February 3, 2015

      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 ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for Yuck!

    February 2, 2015

      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 ...

  • poetryaction for Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla

    January 29, 2015

      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 ...

  • Flowers [15 words or less poems]

    January 29, 2015

    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 ...

  • Everglades–With a Dash of Salt: a 50 State Poems Poem

    January 26, 2015

    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 ...

  • Alaska: Night Lights: a 50 State Poems Poem

    January 22, 2015

    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 ...

  • Bell [15 words or less poems]

    January 22, 2015

    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 ...

  • Washington: Move It! a 50 State Poems Poem

    January 20, 2015

    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 ...

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

    January 15, 2015

    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 ...

  • Swirly Jack [15 words or less poems]

    January 15, 2015

    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, ...

  • Meet My Collaborator, Catherine Flynn

    January 14, 2015

    It’s time to introduce you to another collaborator for one of my?30 Painless Classroom Poems books. Readers, please meet Catherine Flynn, who created a completely awesome activity guide for Wacky, Wild, and Wonderful: 50 State Poems. Catherine Flynn Catherine Flynn has been a literacy specialist for the ...

  • Broken Yolk [poetry friday]

    January 8, 2015

    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 ...

  • Pineapple [15 words or less poems]

    January 8, 2015

    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. ...

  • Rowing to the Future [poetry friday]

    January 1, 2015

    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 ...

  • Moss [15 words or less poems]

    January 1, 2015

      Happy New Year, my 15 Words or Less people! I hope your 2015 is full of joy and adventure! Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I took this pic in the cemetery next to my sister’s house on my recent trip ...

  • poetryaction for Ben Franklin’s Big Splash

    December 30, 2014

        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 ...

  • poetryaction for Caminar

    December 29, 2014

      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 ...

  • poetryaction to Sometimes You Barf

    December 25, 2014

    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 ...

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

    December 25, 2014

    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 ...

  • poetryaction for Circle, Square, Moose

    December 24, 2014

      They’re back! I loved Zebra and Moose in Z Is for Moose, and now they’re back in another adventure! —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be inspired by the entire book, ...

  • poetryaction and bookalikes for Big Bug

    December 23, 2014

      I love books that give me a new perspective, that help me see the bigger picture–and both Big Bug and Me and My Place in Space (an older favorite of mine) do that! —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem ...

  • Happy Holidays and poetryaction to Camp Rex

    December 22, 2014

    Good morning, my wonderful kidlit community. I feel like we are a beautiful forest, stronger because we grow together. Thank you for being part of my kidlit world:>) And now, for today’s Kidlit Combos: I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo! is a wonderful rhyming picture book. So ...

  • poetryactions for Moonlight and It Is Night

    December 18, 2014

    Happy Poetry Friday! I’ve been to DC for NCTE and to Florida to visit family in the past month, which makes me feel a little discombobulated. The art in these picture books makes me feel like I’m home and all is right with the world. Here ...

  • Charmed [15 words or less poems]

    December 18, 2014

      Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Look at the beautiful bracelet Heidi Mordhorst gave me at NCTE. Aren’t totally unexpected gifts just the best. I don’t have the packaging with me as I write this, but it’s an Alex and ...

  • poetryaction for The Baby Tree

    December 17, 2014

    The Baby Tree is a funny and clever picture book, but somehow when I wrote my poetryaction, my first draft (and, for these poetryactions, I usually only do one draft, or maybe a quick second one) came out kind of creepy. I felt like a ...

  • Lionesses: Girrrrrrrrl Power! A Need to Feed Poem

    December 16, 2014

    Hi teachers! Here’s one more poem from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, A Need to Feed: Poems of Predators and Prey. This is the last one I’m sharing–at least for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed them! Note: Lionesses do most of the hunting for ...

  • Hickory Dickory Dance: A Need to Feed Poem

    December 15, 2014

    Hi teachers! Here’s another poem from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, A Need to Feed: Poems of Predators and Prey. Note: Chimpanzees like to poke anthills and termite mounds with a stick (from an arrowwood plant, not a hickory tree!). Ants run up the ...

  • Wolf: Death Dance [Poetry Friday]

    December 11, 2014

    Happy Poetry Friday! I’m in Florida visiting family for a few days, and I’m a bit out of the loop–but I’m glad you’re here! Here’s another poem from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, A Need to Feed: Poems of Predators and Prey. Note: In ...

  • Crabby [15 words or less poems]

    December 11, 2014

      Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Saw this display while grocery shopping (OK, it was really just a donut run) earlier this week. This image makes me think of: 1) crabgrass–hahaha! 2) barbed wire 3) coat of armor And here’s my?first draft. I did ...

  • Brotherly Love: A Need to Feed Poem

    December 9, 2014

    I’m going to share a few poems this week and next from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, A Need to Feed: Poems of Predators and Prey. They may be a little too bloodthirsty for some of you, especially in this lovely holiday season. ...

  • poetryaction for Flight School

    December 4, 2014

      I shared Flight School before as a Bookalikes for Flat Rabbit, but I ended up doing a poetryaction for it, too:>) One of the things that can make a list poem interesting–more than a simple list, like a grocery list–is a twist. That briefly-flying penguin ...

  • The View [15 words or less poems]

    December 4, 2014

    Starting your holiday shopping? If you’re looking for a nonfiction book, click here to see the signed, personalized books? (including a few rhyming ones, alphabet ones, and color-based ones) I sell through Amazon. Great gifts for teachers/classrooms:>) Thanks! Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words ...

  • poetryaction for Monday, Wednesday, and Every Other Weekend

    December 3, 2014

    I didn’t want to rhyme here, but I did want a bit of a swingy rhythm…   —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be inspired by the entire book, the setting, a ...

  • poetryaction for Silly Doggy!

    December 1, 2014

    Two fun and funny books!   —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be inspired by the entire book, the setting, a character, or even just a tiny detail in a picture or ...

  • poetryaction to Pierre in Love

    November 27, 2014

    Happy Poetry Friday! I hope you all had a terrific Thanksgiving! I’m very thankful for my online community of teachers, writers, and friends who gather around the cozy campfire we build of words and books and poems. My husband is having kidney stone surgery today, so ...

  • Silk [15 words or less poems]

    November 27, 2014

    HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I’m thankful for this enthusiastic, brave, wonderful group who gathers to share poems and feedback every week. Whether you’re a regular or just an occasional visitor, thank you. I’m glad you’re here! Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s ...

  • poetryaction for Trains Go

    November 26, 2014

    Starting your holiday shopping? If you’re looking for a nonfiction book, click here to see the signed, personalized books? (including a few rhyming ones, alphabet ones, and color-based ones) I sell through Amazon. Great gifts for teachers/classrooms:>) Thanks! Now, on to today’s poetryaction! I got this book ...

  • poetryaction for What There Is Before There Is Anything There

    November 25, 2014

    NCTE was an amazing, overwhelming, exhausting time! Met, saw, heard so many fabulous poets, educators, writers, and editors. I’ll share some pics and highlights next week:>)     I like scary stories and dark and quirky picture books. I had fun thinking about what happens to my own ...

  • poetryaction for When the Wolves Returned

    November 24, 2014

    I love how When the Wolves Returned shows how the entire ecosystem of Yellowstone is interdependent. Great text! (Images…not so much, in my opinion.)   —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be ...

  • Misbehaving Magic Wand, by Laura Purdie Salas

    November 20, 2014

    Happy Poetry Friday! This is the final poem of 2 weeks of sharing poems from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, Fairy Tale Garage Sale. You know, some days I’m having bad technology days. Like lately, when my car keys, website, and anything else ...

  • Bow-Wow Pirate [15 words or less poems]

    November 20, 2014

      Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s Captain Jack on Halloween–he didn’t keep the hat on very long:>) But since he is Captain Jack Sparrow, it seems only fitting to celebrate his piratiness at least once a year! This image ...

  • Out of Time, by Laura Purdie Salas

    November 18, 2014

    Hi, teachers! This week, I’m sharing Cinderella poems from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, Fairy Tale Garage Sale. Here’s one from the lady herself.   A Note from the Poet: I love acrostics. They’re one of my favorite poetic forms. Usually, acrostic poems don’t rhyme, but ...

  • Meet My Collaborator, Colby Sharp

    November 18, 2014

    So, I’ve introduced you to Ed Spicer, the awesome teacher who wrote the activities for What’s Inside? Poems to Explore the Park,? and to Marcie Flinchum Atkins, who wrote activities for Riddle-ku: Poems for Very Close Reading. I’ve been sharing poems from the third book ...

  • Cinderella poem, by Laura Purdie Salas

    November 17, 2014

    Hi, teachers! This week, I’m going to share a few more poems from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, Fairy Tale Garage Sale. The book includes 7 fairy tales, each with an introductory poem and 3 poems from characters selling junk they don’t want/need ...

  • The World’s Last Magic Bean, by Laura Purdie Salas

    November 13, 2014

    Happy Poetry Friday! Today’s poem wraps up a week of poems from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, Fairy Tale Garage Sale. This one comes from Jack himself. As with every good horror story, this fairy tale ends with the seed (literally, in this ...

  • Enclosure [15 words or less poems]

    November 13, 2014

      Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! It’s another pic from the Walker Art Center’s Outdoor Sculpture Garden. This image makes me think of: 1) a gigantic spiderweb 2) a gerbil in a gerbil ball 3) an alligator caught in a fishing net And here’s ...

  • Solid Gold Sounds, by Laura Purdie Salas

    November 12, 2014

    Today’s poem from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, Fairy Tale Garage Sale, comes from the Ogre’s wife. They have a very traditional marriage, and she’s the one who has to do all the grocery shopping:>)   Note from the Poet:   When poets work on meter, we ...

  • Fee-Fie-Foe-Fairian: Surprise! I’m Vegetarian!, by Laura Purdie Salas

    November 11, 2014

    Today’s poem from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, Fairy Tale Garage Sale, comes from the Giant.     Note from the Poet: Sometimes, I just have a gross sense of humor, and that’s what I’m showcasing in this poem. Can you imagine if a vicious giant had ...

  • Jack and the Beanstalk poem, by Laura Purdie Salas

    November 10, 2014

    Hi, teachers! This week, I’m sharing poems from my new 30 Painless Classroom Poems book, Fairy Tale Garage Sale. The book includes 7 fairy tales, each with an introductory poem and three poems from characters selling junk they don’t want/need anymore. I’m going to share ...

  • poetryaction to Winter Bees

    November 6, 2014

    Happy Poetry Friday! Don’t miss Joyce Sidman’s wonderful new collection! For ?more poetry fun, visit the Poetry Friday Roundup at Diane’s Random Noodling!

  • Leaping Hare [15 words or less poems]

    November 6, 2014

      Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I took this pic at the Walker Art Center’s Outdoor Sculpture Garden on my birthday. It’s been years since I’ve been there! This image makes me think of: 1) a classic “Once upon a time” ...

  • poetryaction to Number One Sam

    November 5, 2014

        —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be inspired by the entire book, the setting, a character, or even just a tiny detail in a picture or a single phrase from ...

  • poetryaction to Peggy: A Brave Chicken on a Big Adventure

    November 4, 2014

      —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be inspired by the entire book, the setting, a character, or even just a tiny detail in a picture or a single phrase from ...

  • poetryaction to Dinosaur vs. School, by Bob Shea

    November 3, 2014

    I’ve been around those kids who take over a room with explosive voices and actions, and so I was totally sympathizing with the nervous classmates in Dinosaur vs. School, by Bob Shea.     —————————————————————————————————————————– I’ve been doing something new. After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down ...

  • “Snowflake Wakes” by Joyce Sidman [Poetry Friday]

    October 30, 2014

    Welcome to Poetry Friday (and happy Halloween)! Joyce Sidman has a new poetry collection coming out Tuesday, and it is glorious. It’s a companion book for Dark Emperor called Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold (HMH, 2014). I love Joyce’s work, nature, and ...

  • Scary Hands [15 words or less poems]

    October 30, 2014

      Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Usually, I post my own pics, but it’s almost Halloween, and I like this kinda creepy hand picture. This image makes me think of: 1) a scary funhouse 2) a cross between a demon and a ...

  • poetryaction to The Flat Rabbit, by Bardur Oskarsson

    October 28, 2014

    To say that The Flat Rabbit, by?Bardur Oskarsson, is an odd picture book is an understatement, since it’s about a rabbit that is…roadkill. Ugh. But, somehow, this ends up being a kind of sad, beautiful statement on life and what we do for each other, ...

  • poetryaction to Chengdu Could Not, Would Not Fall Asleep

    October 23, 2014

    Happy Poetry Friday! I’m sharing another poetryaction today. I sometimes have trouble sleeping. Lately, my back has been aching–I don’t know why. Long car trips to blame? Anyway, I felt bad for Barney Saltzberg’s Chengdu and wrote this cinquain in his honor. Here I am reading ...

  • Empty Liner [15 words or less poems]

    October 23, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! After eating a tasty vanilla mini-cupcake the other day, I thought the empty liner looked kind of sad and lonely. This image makes me think of: 1) what do the other cupcakes think when they ...

  • poetryaction to Super Sniffers, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

    October 22, 2014

    My little nonfiction book group is talking about some of Dorothy Hinshaw Patent’s books today, and one I read and loved was Super Sniffers: Dog Detectives on the Job. Very. Cool. Nonfiction. Book.   I decided to do a poetryaction for it, and at first I was ...

  • poetryaction to Take Away the A, by Michael Escoffier

    October 21, 2014

    I love the concept of Take Away the A, by Michael Escoffier. It pairs words together, showing what one word becomes if you take a letter out of it. ? One of the pairs in the book (the “i” pair) turned “stair” into “star.” I especially ...

  • My Little Free Library! and a poetryaction to Fall Leaves, by Loretta Holland

    October 20, 2014

        Look what I got for my birthday! More on my Little Free Library next week! And here’s another poetryaction, this one inspired by a beautiful book that Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading raved about, Fall Leaves. After I read this gorgeous book, I brainstormed ...

  • poetryaction to The Tree House That Jack Built, by Bonnie Verburg

    October 16, 2014

    Happy Poetry Friday! I’m sharing another poetryaction today. In this one, I just was intrigued by the monkey that’s pictured in much of the book, and I went off on a little tangent imagining how much trouble one monkey could make. So this is a ...

  • Dino [15 words or less poems]

    October 16, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I had an amazing time in Sheboygan for the Children’s Book Festival. Will share a few highlights next week. Meanwhile, here’s a pic I took at Bookworm Gardens, my new favorite place!? This image ...

  • poetryaction to The Promise, by Nicola Davies

    October 14, 2014

      I’ve been doing something new. After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be inspired by the entire book, the setting, a character, or even just a tiny detail in a picture or ...

  • This Merry-Go-Round [by Laura Purdie Salas]

    October 9, 2014

    Happy Poetry Friday! In person today, I’m sharing poetry and picture books with students at two Sheboygan, WI-area schools–fun! Tomorrow, I’ll be presenting at the Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival. If you are going, I hope you’ll find me and say hi! I’m sharing a riddle-ku today:   This ...

  • Hidden [15 words or less poems]

    October 9, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s a pic I took while walking the dog the other day. This image makes me think of: 1) a cemetery 2) hiding places 3) lying on the floor by a Christmas tree And here’s my?first draft. Hidden Worlds stolen????????? ...

  • A riddle-ku revision

    October 8, 2014

    I already mentioned that the second book in my 30 Painless Classroom Poems series is going to be Riddle-ku: Haiku for Very Close Reading. You might remember that I shared these poems here during National Poetry Month earlier this year. What was cool as I ...

  • Meet My Collaborator, Marcie Flinchum Atkins

    October 7, 2014

    A couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to Ed Spicer, the awesome teacher who wrote the activities for What’s Inside? Poems to Explore the Park (that book is free TODAY only on Kindle, by the way–just asking for an honest review in return). I’m ...

  • My Next Book: Riddle-ku: Haiku for Very Close Reading

    October 6, 2014

    I’m super-excited to tell you that the next book in my 30 Painless Classroom Poems series will be an updated version of the Riddle-ku that I shared here during National Poetry Month earlier this year. I got several comments and emails suggesting that they should ...

  • Scroll [15 words or less poems]

    October 2, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s a pic I took when we were in New Orleans in May for the International Reading Association conference. I loved the architecture there. This image makes me think of: 1) a swan at night 2) ...

  • A Taste of Voices from the March on Washington

    October 1, 2014

    Here’s a poem by J. Patrick Lewis from the collection Voices from the March on Washington (Wordsong, 2014), which publishes TODAY! The collection contains poems by both Lewis and George Ella Lyon, and it’s a gripping, complex collection that puts you in the minds of ...

  • “Lioness, After the Hunt” [by Irene Latham]

    September 30, 2014

    I’ve been sharing a lot about me, me, me lately, so this week, I want to share poems from some books I’ve mentioned here before but want to remind you of.? First up is a poem from Dear Wandering Wildebeest, Irene Latham’s fabulous new poetry ...

  • What’s Inside? and Poetry Friday Roundup!

    September 25, 2014

    Happy Poetry Friday! I’m making this post live on Thursday night for all you early-birds. Please put your links in Mr. Linky at the bottom of the post. And also click on Mr. Linky to see and visit all of the other Poetry Friday posts. I ...

  • Scarecookies [15 words or less]

    September 25, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s a pic from the bakery. I love frosted cookies! But scarecrows…hmmm. I think I’ve seen too many horror movies/TV shows where a scarecrow comes to life. This image makes me think of: 1) The ...

  • Meet My Collaborator, Ed Spicer!

    September 24, 2014

    I’ve been sharing poems the past couple of weeks from What’s Inside? Poems to Explore the Park. I’ll be officially announcing the book later this week, but first, I want to introduce the fantastic educator who has written classroom activities to go with my poems. When ...

  • Ninth-Inning Win (a What’s Inside poem)

    September 23, 2014

    Hi, teachers! Here’s the answering quatrain to yesterday’s What’s Inside couplet! ? Ninth-Inning Win ? A bull’s-eye of cork helps you punish fast pitches? and rubber and yarn add some bounce from within all tucked below zippers of tight ruby stitches This ball holds a breathtaking ninth-inning win! A Note from the ...

  • What’s Inside This Baseball?

    September 22, 2014

    Hello, teachers! Here’s another couplet from my What’s Inside? Poems to Explore the Park project. Most of the poems in this collection, which I’ll be announcing on Friday, are about natural items, but there are some manmade items, too, like this baseball. Stay tuned tomorrow ...

  • Poetry Friday – A Daughter Can Be…

    September 18, 2014

    Happy Poetry Friday! I don’t often write poems or verses for specific people. Well, I do, occasionally, but I don’t give it to them–I’m too self-conscious to do that. I’ve written poems for/about both my daughters but don’t think I’ve ever shared them. However, inspired ...

  • Beads [15 words or less]

    September 18, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s a pic from a chandelier in our hotel on our recent drum corps trip to NY. This image makes me think of: 1) Bubbles in the sea 2) a super-fancy necklace (hey, anybody remember the ...

  • Flowerful Flood (a What’s Inside poem)

    September 17, 2014

    Hi, teachers! Here’s the answering quatrain to yesterday’s What’s Inside couplet!     Petals like velvet, the color of blood, that fill up the breeze with a soft sweet perfume will flow down the hill in a flowerful flood as sunshine uncurls, unfurls each bloom   A Note from the Poet: My favorite words ...

  • What’s Inside This Bud?

    September 16, 2014

    Hi, teachers! Here’s another couplet from my What’s Inside? Poems to Explore the Park project. Stay tuned tomorrow for the answering quatrain:>)     What’s inside of a tightly closed bud, this tip of this stick sticking out of the mud?       A Note from the Poet:   I love assonance, which is ...

  • Poetry Friday – What’s Inside This Egg? by Laura Purdie Salas

    September 11, 2014

    Happy Poetry Friday! Today I’m sharing a What’s Inside question couplet and its quatrain answer. This is a bit out of a forthcoming poetry collection I’m putting together for teachers. Egg Like a Gem   What’s inside of this shell, blue and sleek? This egg like a gem in ...

  • Niagara Falls [15 words or less]

    September 11, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s a pic from our amazing overnight Niagara Falls stop that Randy and I made on our way home from drum corps championships in Rochester, NY. (I shared more pics on my Water ...

  • Changing to Moth (a What’s Inside poem)

    September 10, 2014

    Hi, teachers! Here’s the answering quatrain to yesterday’s What’s Inside couplet!   Changing to Moth ? Caterpillar started out, spring green and bright, It’s changing to moth, it’s arriving quite soon With pale wings to flutter through silvery night And flash in the path of the cool distant moon         A Note from the ...

  • What’s Inside This Paper Balloon?

    September 9, 2014

    Hi, teachers! I’m working on a new project, to be unveiled soon, and I’m going to be sharing bits of it here over the next couple of weeks. Here’s a couplet question. Stay tuned tomorrow for the answering quatrain:>)   What’s inside of this tiny cocoon? This soft, ...

  • Poetry Friday – Until I Saw the Sea, by Lilian Moore

    September 4, 2014

    Hi, poetry people! I’m over at Teaching Authors for my Poetry Friday post and my farewell to Teaching Authors. I hope you’ll stop by and read the lovely Lilian Moore poem I’m sharing.

  • Big Wheels [15 words or less]

    September 4, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I took this picture while riding somewhere in outstate Minnesota, through farm country. I don’t even know exactly what it is, but I’d love to see it in action! This image makes me think ...

  • Weeds [15 words or less]

    August 28, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! When I was walking Captain Jack the other night, the sun shining on these weeds caught my eye. This image makes me think of: 1) a UFO shining down 2) butterflies in chrysalises, waiting to fly 3) ...

  • Poetry Friday – “Good-bye, Hello!” by Laura Purdie Salas (a back-to-school poem)

    August 21, 2014

    I sold this poem to Highlights several years ago, and I’m so excited that it’s finally in the magazine! When I was a kid, I looked forward to the start of the school year SO much! Sure, I liked the free time of summer, but ...

  • Lamp [15 words or less]

    August 21, 2014

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Randy and I went to the American Idol concert last week, and I took this picture of a lamp in the lobby.?It makes me think of: 1)?butterfly wings 2)’sunrise 3) shuffling a deck of ...

  • Poetry Friday – “What a Day,” by J. Patrick Lewis

    August 15, 2014

    Hi, Poetry Friday friends! I’m over at Teaching Authors today with a Poetry Friday poem as well as some thoughts about writing by hand versus keyboarding. Hope you’ll hop over there and join me:>)

  • Statue [15 words or less]

    August 14, 2014

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s a pic I snapped in Vegas last spring. It makes me think of: 1)?a’deck of cards 2)?gila monsters and how their bacteria-laden saliva is what kills their prey 3) standup paddleboarding And here’s my?first ...

  • Poetry Friday – “The Mollusk That Made You,” by Joyce Sidman

    August 7, 2014

    I love Ubiquitous, by Joyce Sidman, and here’s one of my favorite poems from it! I wish you could see the delicate, beautiful art that goes with this poem. The Mollusk That Made You Shell of the sunrise, sunrise shell, yours is the pink lip of a ...

  • Shooting Star [15 words or less]

    August 7, 2014

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s a little prop from our?Minnesota Brass show this season, Supernova!?It makes me think of: 1)?a shooting star 2)?a squid 3) New Year’s Eve And here’s my?first draft: Comet I arc above Stars applaud my sparkling wake of dust and ...

  • Hands [15 words or less]

    July 31, 2014

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Our drum corps, Minnesota Brass, rehearsed at a middle school over the weekend, and this interesting sculpture was hanging in the corner. It makes me think of: 1)?a dandelion 2)?Freddy Krueger (there’s a ...

  • Poetry Friday – “Last Impression,” by J. Patrick Lewis

    July 25, 2014

    Hi, Poetry Friday peeps! I’m over at Teaching Authors today with a Poetry Friday poem as well as some thoughts about my recent reading. Hope you’ll hop over there and join me:>)

  • Fungus [15 words or less]

    July 24, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s a picture I took during my nature-poetry-writing workshop in Bemidji, MN, earlier this summer.?This image makes me think of: 1)?cauliflower 2)?Alice in Wonderland 3) s’mores! And here’s my?first draft: When I Eat S’mores, I Taste…? smoky ghost stories, crisp Superior ...

  • Go Fly a Kite, by Laura Purdie Salas [Poetry Friday]

    July 17, 2014

    Today’s poem comes from the fabulous Poetry Friday Anthology for Science, edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong. This latest offering in their Poetry Friday Anthology series is chock-full of poems exploring everything from physics to scientific methods to nature to machines to scientists. There’s ...

  • Metal Woman [15 words or less]

    July 17, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s a forgotten photo I found on my phone . This is a sculpture in an art gallery in one of the skyways in downtown Minneapolis.?This image makes me think of: 1)?the Jetsons 2)?how would you ...

  • What Rhino Knows, by Irene Latham [Poetry Friday]

    July 10, 2014

    Today’s poem comes courtesy of the lovely Irene Latham, who is just as delightful in person as she is in her books and on her blog. I’m proud that she is a housemate now, as her newest book (out August 1) is with Millbrook Press, ...

  • Hoofing It [15 words or less]

    July 10, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Happy Thursday, and if you’re visiting as a result of Mary Lee Hahn’s kind shoutout at nErDcamp MI, welcome! We love having new people drop by and give this a try–or use it with ...

  • Fireworks, by Rebecca Kai Dotlich [Poetry Friday]

    July 3, 2014

    Happy Fourth of July! I’m sharing a poem today by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, from her wonderful book, Lemonade Sun?(Wordsong, 2001).? I could take or leave fireworks, for the most part, but this poem makes an explosion in my brain–a beautiful, noisy, poetic burst. When I ...

  • Hallway Beacon [15 words or less]

    July 3, 2014

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Surprising nature images are my favorite poetry prompt, but?everyday stuff works, too! Here’s?our upstairs hall light.?The image makes me think of: 1)?an invisible creature watching (one eye is the light; the other eye is the ...

  • Lem Tremolo, by Kurt Cyrus [Poetry Friday]

    June 26, 2014

      I’m sharing a poem today by Kurt Cyrus, the poet and illustrator of one of my top five poetry collections, Hotel Deep (which I blogged about here). This one is from Your Skeleton Is Showing: Rhymes of Blunder from Six Feet Under (Disney-Hyperion, 2013, illustrated ...

  • Tree Eyes [15 words or less]

    June 26, 2014

    Today is the second and last day you can download Getting Published: How to Access Editors for free! This Kindle ebook is by Lisa Bullard and me, and it’s part of our Children’s Writer Insider Guide series. It covers a couple of basic tips as ...

  • Lichen [15 words or less]

    June 19, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I had such a great time at the Bemidji Library Book Festival! I led a two-hour nature-poetry writing workshop and did a storytime presentation. At the nature-poetry session, we took yarn circles ...

  • Turtle [15 words or less]

    June 12, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Look at what Patty,?my sister visiting from Fla., spotted as we walked Captain Jack (who totally ignored it). Here’s what this turtle makes me think of: 1)?moving boxes (which they don’t have to ...

  • Curly-leaf Pondweed, by Joanne Linden [Poetry Friday]

    June 5, 2014

    I’m sharing a poem from Fiddleheads to Fir Trees: Leaves in All Seasons?(Mountain Press Publishing, 2013),??by Joanne Linden, a friend of mine and former crit group buddy. The glorious artwork by Laurie Caple (cover image below does not do it justice!) combined with lovely poems ...

  • Grassy [15 words or less]

    June 5, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I took this picture at drum corps rehearsal last week. The little medians inside a parking lot had this tall grass that made it look like a miniature meadow! 1)?ocean waves (of course) 2)?tiny ...

  • “Geese,” by Valerie Worth [Poetry Friday]

    May 29, 2014

    My Poetry Friday post is up at Teaching Authors today–enjoy!

  • Prickly [15 words or less]

    May 29, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here are some Velcro?balls we’re throwing at targets all this week at a Young Authors Conference. I’m sharing the poetry activity here next week, so if you’re curious, stay tuned. Meanwhile, here ...

  • New Ways to Perform Poetry

    May 28, 2014

    I had a lovely surprise when the presenters at an IRA session performed one of my poems! The session was The Power of Poetry to Provide Teachable Moments, and the presenters had no idea I was in the audience (until my friend Janet Fagal told ...

  • T Is for Tide, by Richard Michelson [Poetry Friday]

    May 22, 2014

    I’m sharing S Is for Sea Glass today (Sleeping Bear Press, 2014), by Rich Michelson, and it’s completely different from his YA poetry collection that I shared here (wonky formatting–imported post). The poems, in A to Z order,?range from light-hearted to serious, and they’re mostly, but ...

  • Can Top [15 words or less]

    May 22, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I just realized I still had this?pic from Vegas. It is just a little thingamajig that was on the floor of the High Roller observation wheel we rode in. I was intrigued ...

  • Bathtub Car, by J. Patrick Lewis [Poetry Friday]

    May 15, 2014

    J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian–TOGETHER? Yep! They have a new funny car poetry collection out called POEM-MOBILES! It’s full of whimsical, punny poems by Pat and Douglas–because what else would you expect when these two madly funny men (funny madmen?) get together? And it’s ...

  • Tree [15 words or less]

    May 15, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! One last pic from Vegas! Here are?3 things this photo makes me think of: 1)?the evil trees in various tales, like Wizard of Oz 2)?bonsai trees 3) blown glass–I love individual pieces, but when I ...

  • Riddle-ku Roundup!

    May 12, 2014

    National Poetry Month was so fun! I thought it might be helpful if I posted one page with links to all the riddle-ku, so that if you’re new to them entirely or if you want to return here and use them again, you can use ...

  • November Night, by Adelaide Crapsey [Poetry Friday]

    May 8, 2014

    Hi, poetry fans! My Poetry Friday post, in which I share a gorgeous, short, seasonally-inappropriate poem by Adelaide Crapsey, is at Teaching Authors today. See ya there!

  • Globes [15 words or less]

    May 8, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s another pic from my trip to Las Vegas recently. Here are?3 things this photo makes me think of: 1)?SCUBA diving and the bubbles that float up 2)?blowing bubbles at a wedding 3) tiny fish ...

  • Rain Forest, by Marilyn Singer, pt. 2

    May 5, 2014

    How To Cross a Pond by Marilyn Singer ill by Meilo So I shared a beautiful poem called ?Rain Forest? by Marilyn Singer on Friday, and here are a few of my thoughts while reading it. All her beautiful language really gets me. The ground as a sponge ...

  • Courage [15 words or less]

    May 1, 2014

    ? Photo: Laura Salas National Poetry Month is over, and I had so much fun with riddle-ku! Thank you for all of you who stopped by to read, comment, or share these poems with kids. I really appreciate it! Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [squeeze]

    April 30, 2014

      THANK YOU for joining me for National Poetry Month, and I hope you’ve had fun with my riddle-ku! I’d love to hear your feedback, and I’d be thrilled to hear about or see how you used these little poems in your classroom this month. Please ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [tail whisks]

    April 29, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day My tail whisks my nose when I lie round as a dime I wish you were home –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ? ?   HINT 2:   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas (model: Captain Jack Sparrow:>) TITLE (AND ANSWER): DOG   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [smarter]

    April 28, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ?? ? ? I’m smarter than you My answers fly like jet planes But I feel?nothing –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): COMPUTER   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [dive into milk]

    April 27, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day I dive into milk It’s my start-the-day routine: Swimming with my friends –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved   HINT 1:       HINT 2:   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): CEREAL   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for using ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [mountain’s crumb]

    April 26, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ?? ? ? I’m the mountain’s crumb hard and old, jagged or smooth  Broken???????? Beautiful –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): ROCK   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for using ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [big drum]

    April 25, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ? ? ? Big drum, wooden, waxed I wait for your feet to beat a loud romping song –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:   ? .aLL Photos by?Randy Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): GYMNASIUM   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [don’t shoot]

    April 24, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ? ? Oh, no! Don’t shoot me! I like to gather, not hurt? pigtails, papers?please? –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:   ?   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): RUBBER BAND   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [watch me]

    April 23, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ?? ? I feel you watch me, wanting my hands to point to lunchtime or recess –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): CLOCK   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [water slide]

    April 22, 2014

      Educators, if you’re on Twitter, tonight I’ll be part of the #SharpSchu Book Club (along with Kate Messner!). Would love to answer your questions about LEAF CAN BE… and WATER CAN BE…. Click here for all the details! Hope to see you there! Now…back to ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [light rules]

    April 21, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ?? ? When I’m up, light rules When I’m down, darkness descends My moods switch often –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): LIGHT SWITCH   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [hold cold]

    April 20, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ?? I hold cold inside Unfold me out, make a spout I’m a white mustache –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): MILK CARTON   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [simple twist]

    April 19, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ? ? Without me, a door is an unmoving, flat wall I’m a simple twist –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): DOOR KNOB   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [no faces]

    April 18, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ? I don’t see faces Only back pockets and legs introduce themselves –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? [Addendum: Revision inspired by Michelle’s joke in the Comments: ? We dance cheek to cheek, but I never see your face. You rest on my legs. –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved] ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:     .aLL Photos ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [slurp-burp]

    April 17, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day Suck up! Make me a mini milk vacuum cleaner Sip soda?Slurp?Burp! –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:     HINT 2:   ?   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): STRAW   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for using these ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [yellow explodes]

    April 16, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ? My yellow explodes in the middle of summer like daytime fireworks –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): FLOWER   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for using these ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [darkness]

    April 15, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ? ? I grow when sun’s low, stretching silently away I am ground’s darkness –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): SHADOW   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [vast jungle]

    April 14, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ? ? I’m a vast jungle to ladybugs and earthworms? a backyard carpet –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:   .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): GRASS   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for using these ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [hand to dog]

    April 13, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ? ? I connect hand to dog in an endless tug of war I’m always well s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:     .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): LEASH   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [sleep launchpad]

    April 12, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day ? I’m a sleep launchpad Your dreams, like rockets, blast off while I cushion you  –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:     .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): PILLOW   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [halves]

    April 11, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day My halves–soft and rough? ????????? hold hands with their sticky grip I will not let go –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   ?   HINT 2:     .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): VELCRO   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [drift down]

    April 10, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day Alone, I drift down With friends, I lift, high and swift I make robins fly  –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   HINT 2:     .aLL Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): FEATHER   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [chase dirt]

    April 9, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day I chase dirt all day  My bristles race trash to the dustpan finish line  –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? ? HINT 1:   HINT 2:     .PhotosPPhPho Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): BROOM   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [over your head]

    April 8, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day I’m over your head and under your jumping heels We dance together –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   HINT 2:     .PhotosPPhPho Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): JUMP ROPE   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [secret wand]

    April 7, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day I’m a secret wand I wave over blank paper, make words?worlds?magic! –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   HINT 2:     .PhotosPPhPho Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): PENCIL   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for using these ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [sky-sea]

    April 6, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day I sail the sky-sea Fluffy ship blowing above My anchor is rain? –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   HINT 2:     .PhotosPPhPho Photos by Laura Purdie Salas TITLE (AND ANSWER): CLOUD   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for using ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [wave like a flag]

    April 5, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day I wave like a flag that calls in a green-breeze voice: ?Summer is coming!? ? –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   HINT 2:     . TITLE (AND ANSWER): LEAF   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for using these riddle-ku ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [wrapped-up sun]

    April 4, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day I am wrapped-up sun Boxed inside stone and metal Tied with flame ribbons ? –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   HINT 2:     . TITLE (AND ANSWER): FIREPLACE   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for using these riddle-ku with ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [merry-go-round]

    April 3, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day This merry-go-round spins upside down: I’m singing the room full of breeze ? –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   HINT 2:     . TITLE (AND ANSWER): CEILING FAN   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for using these riddle-ku with ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [pencil crop]

    April 2, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day I’m a pencil crop writing love notes on the ground– erasing the sky –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   HINT 2:     TITLE (AND ANSWER): FOREST   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for using these riddle-ku with ...

  • Riddle-Ku! [metal snake]

    April 1, 2014

      Riddle-Ku of the Day I’m a metal snake whose flickering silver tongue bites into your lunch –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ? HINT 1:   HINT 2: TITLE (AND ANSWER): FORK   [Educators, please click here to see a roundup of the entire month’s riddle-ku and also to get suggestions for using these riddle-ku with your ...

  • Winter Rain, by Christina Rossetti [Poetry Friday]

    March 27, 2014

    Hi, Poetry Friday friends–I’m over?at TeachingAuthors.com today with a gorgeous Rossetti poem! Hope you like it:>)

  • Ribs [15 words or less]

    March 27, 2014

    ? Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I’ve been taking pictures lately for my National Poetry Month Riddle-ku feature, and here’s one of my rejects!?Here are?3 things this photo makes me think of: 1) a tree in winter 2) an x-ray ...

  • Slow Jets [15 words or less]

    March 20, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! For Christmas, we gave our nephew a glow in the dark ant farm, and the ants finally arrived last month during a “warm spell” (aka above freezing). Nifty!?Here are?3 things this photo ...

  • “What Can You Make from Carbon?” by Laura Purdie Salas [Poetry Friday]

    March 13, 2014

    Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong have done it again! This time, their Poetry Friday Anthology is focused on science, and there’s a K-5 edition as well as individual grade-level student editions–illustrated! These books are fantastic, and I’m proud to have a number of poems in ...

  • Behind the Glass [15 words or less]

    March 13, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! On our plane ride home from Florida Sunday, I was behind this girl wearing her doll in a backpack. I was half amazed and half horrified. How cool! How creepy!?Here are?3 things ...

  • Natl. Poetry Month Sneak Peek: Riddle-Ku!

    March 12, 2014

    I’m excited about April, National Poetry Month! I can’t remember if I’ve ever done an original poem a day for April, but that’s what I’m going to do this time. I’m going to be sharing some riddle haiku–or riddle-ku. I know. Riddle-kulous, right? Anyway, I ...

  • “Pure Imagination,” by Roald Dahl [Poetry Friday]

    March 6, 2014

    view cop(R(. Today, I’m appearing in my first post at TeachingAuthors.com, where I’ll be a temporary member-whee! My post is about writing rituals, and I mention Roald Dahl over there, so I thought I’d share a Dahl poem here. As with his other writing forms, Dahl ...

  • Cock-a-Doodle-Doo [15 words or less]

    March 6, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! When Randy and I went up to the North Shore (of Lake Superior, in Minnesota) last month, this is one of the oversized side-of-the-road things we saw. There was also a Voyageur ...

  • “Ocean Tales,” by Laura Purdie Salas [Poetry Friday]

    February 27, 2014

    view cop(R(. I’m sharing an unpublished poem today, one I originally wrote as part of the collection that became BookSpeak! Poems About Books (Clarion, 2011).? I hope you like it! Ocean Tales Each book is a drop in an ocean of choices, A glimpse of a ...

  • Ghostly [15 words or less]

    February 27, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! This was?a cool scene during a color guard winter show recently.?Here are?3 things this photo makes me think of: 1)? The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (anyone remember that old movie?) 2)? a butterfly?eager ...

  • “Dusk,” by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, pt. 2

    February 24, 2014

    Forest Has a Song by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater, illus by Robbin Gourley Clarion, 2013 I shared a poem from this book for Poetry Friday?in celebration of its Cybils win in Poetry. (YAY!)?The words themselves are so simple, but there’s a lot going on. Here are a few things ...

  • “Dusk ,” by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater [Poetry Friday]

    February 20, 2014

    view cop(R(.Last year, I’shared a poem from Amy Ludwig Vanderwater’s stunning Forest Has a Song (Clarion, 2013)?here before, and today, I’m sharing another in celebration of its Cybils win! Yay! Um, and not bragging or anything, but guess who nominated Forest for the Cybils? Yup, ...

  • Lobster [15 words or less]

    February 20, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! This was part of some wall art at The Smack Shack in Minneapolis, made, according to the server, by making molds of real lobsters. Ick.?Here are?3 things this photo makes me think ...

  • “Snowflake,” by Nikki Grimes, pt. 2

    February 17, 2014

    Words with Wings by?Nikki Grimes Wordsong/Boyds Mills, 2013 I shared a poem from this book for Poetry Friday.? I love that this poem is all about the power of words. In the very first line, poet Nikki Grimes says “Say the word…” . It’s not the actual ...

  • “Snowflake,” by Nikki Grimes [Poetry Friday]

    February 13, 2014

    view cop(R(.I shared a poem from Nikki Grimes’ wonderful?Words with Wings?(Wordsong, 2013) here before, and today, I’m sharing another in celebration of the Coretta Scott King Honor this book just won! Woohoo! There is nothing I like more than seeing fantastic writers and books and ...

  • Snow Cloud [15 words or less]

    February 13, 2014

    Photo: Randy Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I took this picture a few days ago on the North Shore of Lake Superior. I was gathering lots?of images of water in various forms to use in materials related to my ...

  • A Meal of the Stars, by Dana Jensen, pt. 2

    February 10, 2014

    A Meal of the Stars: poems up and down by Dana Jensen, ill by Tricia Tusa Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012 Thinking About a Poem On Friday, I shared a poem from this book for Poetry Friday. That kite poem is one of my favorites from?A Meal of the Stars. ...

  • A Meal of the Stars (by Dana Jensen) [poetry friday]

    February 6, 2014

    A Meal of the Stars: poems up and down by Dana Jensen, ill by Tricia Tusa Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012 Happy Poetry Friday! Here’s my very favorite poem from this collection, and on Monday, I’ll share a bit more of my thoughts about it in my There’s No ...

  • Mirror [15 words or less]

    February 6, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I took this pic downtown (Minneapolis) because I liked the way the mirrors made it look like there were bowls holding these decorative balls, when there were really only half-bowls. Here are?3 ...

  • Blush (by Laura Purdie Salas) [poetry friday]

    January 30, 2014

    I’ve got a poem up as poem of the day?at PoetryMinute.org, the site started by U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt that features a children’s poem every day. Today, starting at 7 a.m. and for 24 hours, my poem “Blush” from Stampede! Poems to Celebrate ...

  • Tracks [15 words or less]

    January 30, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I took this pic while walking Captain Jack Sparrow by the lake. I love these tracks leading off into the distance.?Here are?3 things this photo makes me think of: 1)?tightrope walker 2)?the Yellow Brick ...

  • Look Up! [15 words or less]

    January 23, 2014

      Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I took this pic inside the Luxor hotel?in Vegas last year. When I’m looking for interesting pictures, I often look up. We tend to ignore what’s overhead most of the time. At ...

  • Rope [15 words or less]

    January 16, 2014

    Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! This is a closeup pic, and?here are 3 things this photo makes me think of: 1)?Shampoo commercial 2)?Rope swing 3) Hangman’s noose And here’s my first draft. I had fun ...

  • Bridge [15 words or less]

    January 9, 2014

      Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Hi, everyone–sorry if you got an incorrect email of this post yesterday (and it was probably still last week’s post, anyway). I’m switching over servers, and it’s a big honking mess! Anyway. ...

  • Song of the Ice Storm [poetry friday]

    January 3, 2014

    I wasn’t planning to post today, but Betsy’s Michigan poems inspired me when I stopped by to check out the round-up. So for my daily poem this morning, I wrote Song of the Ice Storm. Song of the Ice Storm winter storm swoops inon silent wings,but it ...

  • The View [15 words or less]

    January 2, 2014

    ?? ? Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Happy New Year! I mentioned earlier this week that I’ll be making some pretty major changes to the blog this year, but 15 Words or Less will not be going anywhere:>) I ...

  • Tree Neighbor [15 words or less]

    December 26, 2013

    ?? Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas yesterday if you are a Christmas celebrator! I did, and I totally forgot about today’s post. Oops! Sorry. Anyway, belatedly, here we go. Last ...

  • Dancin’ (Snow)man (by Laura Purdie Salas) [poetry friday]

    December 19, 2013

    Happy Poetry Friday! First, please check out my online holiday card, featuring another adorable snowman, for all of you, my online friends! Ok, thanks:>) Now, I wrote this poem back in 2007, inspired by Mike Wohnoutka’s art for Grace Lin’s Robert’s Snow auction. I had fun writing ...

  • Starlight [15 words or less]

    December 19, 2013

    ?? ?Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! I hope you saw my online card earlier this week–I consider this 15 Words or Less community one of my very favorite things about my online life! Here are 3 things ...

  • Schoolhouse (by Cynthia Grady) [poetry friday]

    December 12, 2013

    Happy Poetry Friday! Today I’m sharing a poem from I Lay My Stitches Down: Poems of American Slavery (Eerdmans, 2012), written by Cynthia Grady and illustrated by Michele Wood. At the NCTE Notables session in Boston, Cynthia and I were two of the author panelists. I ...

  • No bull! [15 words or less]

    December 12, 2013

    ?? ?Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! I had a looooong wait in the Boston airport as I was leaving NCTE last month, so I hung out with this handsome bull (Brahmin bull?) for a while.?Here are 3 ...

  • Song of Bravery (by Joyce Sidman) [poetry friday]

    December 5, 2013

    Happy Poetry Friday! I’m sharing another poem today from?Joyce Sidman’s?new book, What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms & Blessings (Houghton Mifflin, 2013). I was at Addendum Books recently for Indies First day,? and while I was there I picked up two copies of this book ...

  • Man or Machine? [15 words or less]

    December 5, 2013

    ?? ?Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here). Snow is falling hard and fast right now, so maybe by next week, I’ll have a gorgeous snowy image. But for today, it’s a picture from my physical therapy place! 3 things this ...

  • Thanksgiving [15 words or less]

    November 28, 2013

    ?? ?Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Happy Thanksgiving! Well, I was trying to figure out what picture to post on Thanksgiving. I wanted it to be something I’m thankful for, but didn’t think you guys would be ...

  • [15 words or less] Elmo in Trouble

    November 21, 2013

    ??                                             Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Three things this photo makes me think of: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Elmo escaping Sesame Street A kid in time-out having to watch a fun class party go on without him And here’s my first ...

  • [just wondering…] If Books Were Kids…

    November 19, 2013

    You know how writers are always saying that publishing a book is like giving birth to a child (but without the epidural and blood)? And you know how teachers and parents (well, parents who are honest) can usually sum up their kids in just a ...

  • [poetry friday] Ice Bridge (by Jane Yolen)

    November 14, 2013

    Happy Poetry Friday! Here’s a poem from one of my favorite anthologies–the oldie but goodie Once Upon Ice?(Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press, 1997, edited by Jane Yolen, with stunning photos by Jane’s son, photographer Jason Stemple. The poems in the anthology were written in response to the photo. ...

  • [15 words or less] Shadeless

    November 14, 2013

    ?? ?Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! I missed you guys! Glad to be back this week! Three things this photo makes me think of: 1) Rockets2) Umbrellas3) Post-hurricane destruction And here’s my first draft! Waterproof? Yes. Windproof? No. Umbrella is batteredUmbrella ...

  • [poetry friday] Sleep Charm (by Joyce Sidman)

    November 7, 2013

    Happy Poetry Friday! I’m sharing a poem today from one of my favorite poets, Joyce Sidman. Her new book, What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms & Blessings (Houghton Mifflin, 2013)?is a treasure from front to back. There’s so much beauty inside of it, equally from ...

  • [15 words or less] Submerged

    November 7, 2013

    ??                               Photo: Laura Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Three things this photo makes me think of: 1) Medusa2) Mermaid castle3) Duck feet And here’s my first draft! Floor Plans Beaver architectpulls soggy floor plansfrom fur coveralls,gnaws thoughtfullyon a pine pencil –Laura Purdie Salas, all ...

  • [happy news] Whee! The Journal of Children’s Literature!

    November 4, 2013

    I’m super excited and humbled to be in the Fall 2013 issue of the Journal of Children’s Literature, co-edited by Miriam Martinez,?Jonda McNair,?and?Sharon O’Neal! And look at the TOC image below to see which other poet whose work I so admire is in there with ...

  • [15 words or less] Giselle

    October 31, 2013

    ??                                   Photo: Randy Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Happy Halloween! Part of my birthday present from Randy was going to see the ballet Giselle. I’ve never seen anything but The Nutcracker (yawn). This was so cool! And, this photo ...

  • [poetry friday] Mice on Skates (by me)

    October 24, 2013

    This week, I had mice on the brain. I recently shared Rebecca Kai Dotlich’s wonderful “Winter Home,” from Lee Bennett Hopkins’ Sharing the Seasons, with a group of librarians. And I read one of my favorite Billy Collins poems, “The Country,” which is hysterical. So ...

  • [15 words or less] Bacteria?

    October 24, 2013

    ?? Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Three things this makes me think of: 1) Bacteria in a petri dish2) Fishing nets full of jellyfish3) Pods. Pods with monsters in them And here’s my first draft! Fishing Net Strainer of the ...

  • [poetry friday] Otter’s Winter Song (by me)

    October 17, 2013

    Last week, I shared a sad and serious pantoum I wrote?as part of?the Poetry 7’s latest shenanigans. This week, I’m sharing a slightly (ha!) more lighthearted pantoum. Otter’s Winter Song The frigid air sings– time to tumble and dive! I’ve got better things to do than survive. Time to tumble and ...

  • [15 words or less] Funnel

    October 17, 2013

    ? ??     Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Three things this makes me think of: 1) The Wizard of Oz2) Calla lilies3) Doing India ink calligraphy with my big sister And here’s my first draft! Weekend Visit Home from College?She brought ...

  • “Buckled Bricks” and Poetry Friday Roundup!

    October 10, 2013

    Happy Poetry Friday! I’m making this post live Thursday evening for all you early-birds. Please put your links in Mr. Linky at the bottom of the post. And also click on Mr. Linky to see and visit all of the other Poetry Friday posts. I am ...

  • [15 words or less] Mermaid

    October 10, 2013

    ? ?? Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Three things this makes me think of: 1) Mermaid family reunion2) Sculptor who wants his statue to live3) Giant who skips boulders across a lake And here’s my first draft! On the Way ...

  • [poetry friday] Mortimer Minute Blog Hop

    October 3, 2013

      OK, I usually don’t take part in memes and blog hops and such. It’s not because I’m anti-social (although I am) (oops, did I type that out loud?)?or because I have an aversion to chain letters (although I do)–it’s because I’m having enough trouble keeping ...

  • [15 words or less] Towel Dog

    October 3, 2013

    ?     Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Three things this makes me think of: 1) Cruise2) Pet rocks3) Traction And here’s my first draft! What My Pet Rock Can’t DoMom: Bark. Pee. Bite.Me: Wag. Beg. Love.–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights ...

  • [poetry friday] “Nothing New” [Nikki Grimes]

    September 26, 2013

    Today’s poem comes from Nikki Grimes’ most recent work of excellent poetry. In Words with Wings, Gabby, an outsider and daydreamer, finds a way to make her daydreaming work for her with the help of a fantastic teacher. Here’s one of my favorites: Nothing New One or ...

  • [15 words or less] Scissors

    September 26, 2013

    ?   Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Three things this makes me think of: 1) Kindergarten2) Pelican pouch3) Baby bird with its beak gaping And here’s my first draft! Hunger Body small as your palmBeak gaping like Grand CanyonMade of emptiness ...

  • [poetry friday] “Bathtub Families” (by Billy Collins)

    September 20, 2013

    I usually share a kids’ poem, but today I’m sharing one by Billy Collins from his forthcoming Aimless Love. It’s available on Kindle now and in print next month. It includes selections from many of his collections, including Nine Horses, The Trouble with Poetry, and ...

  • [15 words or less] Book Plate and PoetryMinute.org

    September 19, 2013

    ?   Photo: Laura Purdie Salas I’m so excited! Have you heard about PoetryMinute.org, the daily children’s poetry site started by U.S. Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt? Every day, a poem for kids is posted–kind of like Poetry 180 for a younger crowd! And today, starting at 7 a.m. ...

  • [poetry friday] Voyager 1

    September 13, 2013

    Photo: NASA I’ve missed you guys! It feels so good to be back for Poetry Friday here at my new blog! I’m sharing a quick first draft I just wrote upon reading articles about Voyager One, which scientists say has left our solar system and will ...

  • [15 words or less] Face

    September 12, 2013

    ?   Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Three things this makes me think of: 1) Sand castles2) Death mask3) Optical illusions And here’s my poem first draft: Dream MonsterEmpty eyes,sunken foreheadknock at 2 a.m.,coffin holdingiron screams –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights ...

  • [15 words or less] Stubble

    September 5, 2013

    ?   Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! Welcome to my new blog! I’m still decorating and organizing, but I hope to start posting again next week! Here’s what this picture makes me think of: 1) Joysticks2) Razor stubble3) Buttons And ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Lifeboats

    August 8, 2013

        Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)! I’m on hiatus for a month or so, but I’m posting pictures on Thursdays so you all can still participate if you want to:>) Here’s what?this picture?makes me think of: 1)?Bumper ...

  • [15 words or less poems] To the Sky Light

    August 1, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I’m on hiatus for a month or so, but I’m posting pictures on Thursdays so you all can still participate if you want to:>) Here’s what?this picture?makes me think of: 1)?The incredibly strong ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Foamy

    July 25, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I’m on hiatus, but I’m posting pictures on Thursdays so you all can still participate if you want to:>) Here’s what?this picture?makes me think of: 1)?A log cabin 2) The ball pit at McDonald’s ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Wispy

    July 18, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I’m on hiatus for a month or so, but I’m posting pictures on Thursdays so you all can still participate if you want to:>) Here’s what?this picture?makes me think of: 1)?A cloud that ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Spidey?

    July 11, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I was downtown (Minneapolis) for a food truck lunch with Randy recently, and these window cleaners were hard at work. Here’s what they made me think of: 1)?Those circular swing rides at ...

  • [poetry friday] “Fire” (by Laura Purdie Salas)

    July 4, 2013

    Check out the cool printable that the Poetry Friday Anthology folks created for my cinquain poem, “Fire!” As we?already know, and as sad national news is proving more than ever this week,?firefighters are truly heroes who risk their lives for our safety.?(This printable was created ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Blue Mood

    July 4, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Happy 4th of July! I don’t know if anyone will stop by today, but I’m posting just in case:>) Isn’t this pretty??Here’s what?this picture?makes me think of: 1)?A blue-jay feather 2) A snow wake ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Swan

    June 20, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I did a young authors conference in Winona, MN, recently, and snapped this pic there. Here’s what it makes me think of. 1)?You are what you eat 2) A swan with feathers made ...

  • [poetry friday] “Woolly Rider” (by Nancy Bo Flood) & Giveaway!

    June 13, 2013

    I’m sharing a poem from a new-to-me poet, Nancy Bo Flood. This poem, “Woolly Rider,” is from Cowboy Up!: Ride the Navajo Rodeo?(Wordsong, 2013). When I did a young authors conference for a week recently, the theme was hooking your reader with a great beginning. ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Hay there!

    June 13, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I was driving home from a school visit in outstate Minnesota when this hay-filled truck passed by. Took a few pix without looking, and this one came out ok.?Here’s what?this picture?makes ...

  • [Poetry Friday] “On the Death of Blue Whales” (by J. Patrick Lewis)

    June 6, 2013

    I have a special treat today–a poem by?U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis. He tells me tomorrow (June 8) is World Oceans Day, so here’s?his haunting poem about one of the most gorgeous, mysterious ocean animals. . . On the Death of Blue Whales The zeppelins of the ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Eeek!

    June 6, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Oh, my funny brother-in-law and sister-in-law. When we went to their house for games shortly after Easter, they stashed this Easter decoration in the tub so that I almost had a ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Hard-Headed

    May 30, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I love this sculpture?inside a building in downtown Minneapolis. I don’t usually like art of people, but abstractions like this are fun. It makes me think of: 1) Decorated skulls and bones ...

  • [poem starter audio] You’d Better Be Scared (by me)

    May 23, 2013

    I’m trying something new today, inspired by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s post at Author Amok during Laura Shovan’s Techno-Verse celebration.?I recorded a poem starter audio using SoundCloud, which I’d never tried before. Thanks, Amy and Laura, for showing me this tool. It took me a while ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Juliet?

    May 23, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Last week’s photo: That was a set of plastic Easter eggs, opened, and placed on top of my open laptop. We recently went to a Gordon Lightfoot concert at the State ...

  • [poetry friday] “Robby” (by Judith Viorst)

    May 16, 2013

    I mentioned earlier this week that I’ve been writing a lot of assessment materials. I wish there was a lot less assessing going on in our schools, but I’ll confess right now that I usually have a great time writing poems for assessment companies. Poems ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Who Knows?

    May 16, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I think you’ll know right away what this is, but I’m not going to say in case anyone doesn’t know. It’s fun to write poems inspired by an ambiguous image! Here’s ...

  • [Poetry Friday] “Hand Shadows”

    May 9, 2013

    At one of my school visits last month, the kids who walked in front of the crowd while the projector was going did what came naturally–they made shadow puppets. Photo: churchfun.com Here’s a lovely poem by Mary Cornish… . Hand Shadows by Mary Cornish My father put his hands in ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Is That a #2 Pencil?

    May 9, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I took this pic at a winterguard show (the activity color guards’do over the winter, performing with flags, rifles, sabers, and other props) a few weeks ago.?Here’s what it makes me ...

  • [psvid] “The First” (J. Patrick Lewis)

    April 30, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. It’s the last day of April, and it’s been quite an adventure doing these Poem Starter Videos. I’ll share more about the process later, but I have to say it was very ...

  • [psvid] “Werewolf Warning” (Bobbi Katz)

    April 29, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from The Monsterologist: A Memoir in Rhyme (Sterling, 2009), by Bobbi Katz.?The premise of the collection is that a kid finds his uncle’s (shoot, I think it’s his uncle–I don’t have ...

  • The Progressive Poem Is Here: Poetry Month Day 28

    April 28, 2013

    You know, I love poetry games. The idea of making poems up on the spot based on words randomly assigned makes me happy. Writing group poems with 1st through 6th graders, never knowing what they’ll come up with, makes me happy. Adding a line to ...

  • [psvid] “A Fishy Spell” (Tamera Will Wissinger)

    April 28, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from Gone Fishing: A novel (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013), by Tamera Will Wissinger.?I love this novel in verse with a boy main character and aimed at second through fourth ...

  • [psvid] “Blustering Buster” (Linda Ashman)

    April 27, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from M IS FOR MISCHIEF: An A to Z of Naughty Children(Dutton, 2008), by Linda Ashman. Linda is such a fun and creative rhymer. As with Douglas Florian, one of ...

  • [psvid] “Book Plate” (Laura Purdie Salas)

    April 25, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month and Happy Poetry Friday! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. I’m?making this post live Thursday evening fo all you early-birds.?Please put your links in Mr. Linky at the bottom of the post. I have been out of town ...

  • [psvid] “Adaptation” (Tracie Vaughn Zimmer)

    April 25, 2013

    For all you 15 Words or Less folks, your mission is to watch the Poem Starter Video and take on its challenge in, yes, 15 Words or Less. And I’m out doing school and library events today but will get back to read your poems ...

  • [psvid] “Bluejay Sings Two Different Songs” (Mary Lee Hahn)

    April 24, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from The Poetry Friday Anthology (Common Core K-5 edition): Poems for the School Year with Connections to the Common Core?(Pomelo, 2013), edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, one of ...

  • [psvid] “The Guy in the Closet” (Heidi Bee Roemer)

    April 23, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from The Poetry Friday Anthology (Common Core K-5 edition): Poems for the School Year with Connections to the Common Core?(Pomelo, 2013), edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, one of ...

  • [psvid] “Song of the Boat” (Kate Coombs)

    April 22, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. We’re winding down into the last full week–I hope you’re having a great month! Today’s poem comes from Water Sings Blue (Chronicle, 2012), by?Kate Coombs. Kate is a magical writer–I hope you seek ...

  • [psvid] “Guinea Pig” (Lisa Wheeler)

    April 21, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. It’s a guinea pig weekend! Yesterday’s poem started came from a book called Guinea Pig Town, and today’s poem is “Guinea Pig,” by Lisa Wheeler, queen of wordplay. Lisa’s brand new book, The ...

  • [psvid] “Mistake” (Lorraine Marwood)

    April 20, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from Guinea Pig Town and Other Animal Poems?(Walker Books Australia and New Zealand, 2013), by?Lorraine Marwood. Lorraine is a new-to-me poet whose work I need to explore more!?I’m someone who’s ...

  • [psvid] “Jump!” (Marilyn Singer)

    April 18, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from A Stick Is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play?(Clarion, 2012), by Marilyn Singer.?Marilyn is the queen of fun poetry book concepts, and she and librarian Barbara Genco created ...

  • [psvid] “A Place to Share” (Kelly Fineman)

    April 18, 2013

    For all you 15 Words or Less folks, your mission is to watch the Poem Starter Video and take on its challenge in 9 lines or less. SHORT lines. :>) And TODAY is Poem in Your Pocket Day!?Educators, here are four short poems from The Poetry ...

  • [psvid] “Bats” (J. Patrick Lewis)

    April 17, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Hey, don’t forget tomorrow is Poem in Your Pocket Day! Here are four short poems from The Poetry Friday Anthology your students can use, and here are loads more ideas for the ...

  • [psvid] “Sack Lunch” (Charles Waters)

    April 16, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Hey, don’t forget this Thursday is Poem in Your Pocket Day! Here are four short poems from The Poetry Friday Anthology your students can use, and here are loads more ideas for ...

  • [psvid] “The Do Kind” (Janet Wong)

    April 15, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Hey, don’t forget this Thursday is Poem in Your Pocket Day! Here are four short poems from The Poetry Friday Anthology your students can use, and here are loads more ideas for ...

  • [psvid] “School Supplies” (Kenn Nesbitt)

    April 14, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from?Revenge of the Lunch Ladies: The Hilarious Book of School Poetry?(Meadowbrook, 2007), by funny-poem guy Kenn?Nesbitt. As a mom who has taken the kids back-to-school shopping for many years, I ...

  • [psvid] A Winter Haiku (Bob Raczka)

    April 13, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from GUYKU: A Year of Haiku for Boys?(Houghton Mifflin,?2010), by Bob Raczka. This fantastic book of haiku combines boys and nature to fantastic effect. I love that it’s a boy-friendly ...

  • [psvid] “Sing a Song of Cities” (Lee Bennett Hopkins)

    April 11, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from?City I Love (Abrams, 2009), by the person who has done more than anyone else to spread a love for and knowledge of children’s poetry. Not only is Lee Bennett Hopkins ...

  • [psvid] “Kisses” (Robert Weinstock)

    April 11, 2013

    For all you 15 Words or Less folks, your mission is to?watch the Poem Starter Video and take on its challenge in 15 Words or Less (but you only have to include your sound effect at least two times).? Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping ...

  • [psvid] “Signing on a Crew” (David L. Harrison)

    April 10, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from Pirates?(Wordsong, 2012), by David L. Harrison. This collection is probably one of my top five picture book poetry collections of all times. It is full of drama and conflict ...

  • [psvid] “Oak” (Douglas Florian)

    April 9, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from Poetrees?(Beach Lane Books, 2010), by poet and artist?Douglas Florian. One of the best rejection letters I ever got (I know–writers are weird) was from an editor who said my ...

  • [psvid] “The Chambered Nautilus” (David Elliott)

    April 8, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from In the Sea?(Candlewick, 2012), by David Elliott. I love his?trilogy of animal poetry collections,all illustrated by Holly Meade. They are just gorgeous in both word and art.?I have a ...

  • [psvid] “Coward Crocodile” (Renee LaTulippe)

    April 7, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from??Lizard Lou: A Collection of Rhymes Old and New (All About Reading Level Pre-1, Volume 2)?(All About Learning, 2011), by the talented and theatrical Renee LaTulippe of No Water River.?Renee ...

  • [psvid] “Dark Emperor” (Joyce Sidman)

    April 6, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from?Joyce Sidman‘s (click to check out her snazzy new website) amazing Newbery-Honor-winning collection, Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night?(Houghton Mifflin, 2010). Joyce is one of the most fantastic ...

  • [psvid] “Riddle” (Nikki Grimes)

    April 4, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from?The Poetry Friday Anthology (Common Core K-5 edition): Poems for the School Year with Connections to the Common Core (Pomelo, 2013), edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong.?It’s one of my ...

  • [psvid] “Moonlit Raccoon” (Deborah Ruddell)

    April 4, 2013

    For all you 15 Words or Less folks, you have two choices: Watch the Poem Starter Video and take on its challenge in 15 Words or Less, or write a totally different poem with the title “Moonlit Raccoon,” also in 15 Words or Less. You ...

  • [psvid] “Giant’s Wife Confides in Jack” (Rebecca Kai Dotlich)

    April 3, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from?Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist?(WordSong, 2013), by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Jane Yolen. I’ll tell you a secret. I have an unpublished collection of fairy tale-related ...

  • [psvid] “Hooray for the Sea and the ROV” (Leslie Bulion)

    April 2, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party. Today’s poem comes from Leslie Bulion‘s clever collection, At the Sea Floor Cafe: Odd Ocean Critter Poems?(Peachtree, 2011). The humor and wordplay in the terrific little book will really draw readers in, and ...

  • [psvid] “Invitation” (Amy Ludwig VanDerwater)

    April 1, 2013

    Happy National Poetry Month! And welcome to my monthlong extravaganza of posting a Poem Starter Video every day! Here’s the scoop. I decided to start sharing Poem Starter Videos to give teachers a quick and simple poetry activity for the classroom. These are quick and casual ...

  • [poetry friday] “Shades of Red” – a Poem Starter

    March 28, 2013

    1) Monday will begin National Poetry Month, and there will be all sorts on kidlitosphere poetry fun! I hope to feature a Poem Starter daily, with poems by lots of my favorite poets! . .2222)?? 2) This week, my poem is “Shades of Red,” from my book? ...

  • [15 words or less poems] The Mystery of the Sphinx

    March 28, 2013

      Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s a shot from outside The Luxor in Las Vegas, from my NCTE trip. This sphinx makes me think of: 1) Riddles, of course! 2) Having a root canal (something about that ...

  • [poetry friday] “I Am Fog” — a Poem Starter

    March 21, 2013

    1) If you’re a published poet with an in-print children’s poetry collection available in a printed version, and you’re interested in having a poem used in my Poem Starter series, please see my post from Tuesday! . 2) March Madness Poetry continues, and today, voting is live ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Gnarled

    March 21, 2013

    It’s March Madness Poetry time and the Sweet Sixteen poem matchups should be live soon. Visit, read, and vote:>)? Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I took this picture of a quirky-looking fruit, though I can’t remember where ...

  • [poetry friday] “Blow It Up, Pufferfish” — My March Madness Poetry Poem

    March 14, 2013

    There’s a crazy poetry battle going on, and it’s March Madness Poetry, created by Ed DeCaria! I had to use the word “fickle” in my poem, and I decided to write about the shape-shifting pufferfish (aka blowfish). I’m battling it out in Round One right ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Where Would You Like This Camel Delivered?

    March 14, 2013

    It’s March Madness Poetry time! Voting is now live on Round 1 Poems. My matchup is here–my pufferfish goes up against Walt Disney. I hope you’ll go check both poems out and vote for your favorite…and then browse through all the other match-ups, too! Photo: Screen ...

  • [poetry friday] “Ordinary” — a Poem Starter

    March 7, 2013

    This week, my poem is “Ordinary,” a cinquain from my book?Do Buses Eat Kids? Poems About School?(Capstone, 2008). . Ordinary Pencil Black tube hiding Inside yellow wrapping Leaves grey trail of letters, stories, Magic –by Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved Teachers, if you’re looking ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Giant Snowman

    March 7, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s a ginormous snowman I saw on my way home from a school visit a few weeks ago. It was huge–10-15 feet tall!?It makes me think of: 1)?What would a snowman carry ...

  • [poetry friday] “Say Yes” — a Poem Starter

    February 28, 2013

    I’m trying something new–poem starters! I’ve been trying to figure out what I can offer of value to teachers and young writers, and poem starters seems to be something lots of them are looking for. So I’m going to give it a try. I’ll be trying ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Petal

    February 28, 2013

    Poetry Lovers, I need your help with two things! I’m looking for a children’s poem about perseverance, and I need it by the end of today. Ack! It doesn’t need to actually be about it, but it has to demonstrate it. I have to read ...

  • [Poetry Friday] “A Coincidence of Greatness” (by J. Patrick Lewis)

    February 21, 2013

    It’s a triple-scoop Poetry Friday today! . 1) I was listening to Writer’s Almanac on NPR on my way to school visits last week, and I learned that both Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on Feb. 12, 1809. I’m excited to share this beautiful poem, ...

  • [15 words or less poems] Tickets!

    February 21, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Aren’t tickets fun? They mean something is going to happen!?Here’s what this image?makes me think of: 1)?Magic show 2)?Bag filled with memories 3) The old tickets Disney World had when I was growing up ...

  • [Poetry Friday] Cybils!

    February 14, 2013

    Well, my head is still spinning from the lovely news yesterday that BookSpeak has been given the Cybils award for Poetry! I had a specific book in mind that I thought would surely win it. When I got up at 5:30 and turned on my ...

  • [15 Words or Less Poems] Sparkle & Cybils!

    February 14, 2013

    Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. BookSpeak has been given the Cybils award for Poetry! I am so honored that my peeps–poetry book-lovers of the kidlitosphere–chose BookSpeak for this, especially when all the?Finalists are such fantastic collections/ anthologies that I love. (And I’m super thrilled that Wonder, which I just ...

  • [Poetry Friday] “The Slugger”

    February 7, 2013

    Two items for Poetry Friday today! 1) Since it’s the start of Black History Month and the time of year that baseball springs to life again, I thought I’d share ?The Slugger? from J. Patrick Lewis? newest collection When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders.This ...

  • [15 Words or Less Poems] Seedhead

    February 7, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s a seedhead from fall. I love how odd and prickly they look!?Here’s what this image?makes me think of: 1)?Brillo pad 2) Spiderweb 3) Hair going grey And here’s my poem first draft: Cinderella’s Beauty? Cracked skin red, ...

  • [Poetry Friday] “The Elf”

    January 31, 2013

    I’ve finished highlighting the picture book poetry books?on the CYBILS shortlist now. What a great bunch of books! Now I wanted to share a poem from A Little Bitty Man, which I read a while back. . . The style of poems in this book actually isn’t?the kind that’s ...

  • [15 Words or Less Poems] Glass Ceiling

    January 31, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s the atrium ceiling from the cruise ship we were on in late December. I love glass ceilings! Here are a few things this one makes me think of. 1)?The carapace of ...

  • [Good News] “Winter Window”

    January 30, 2013

    I’m excited to have a poem in Cricket Magazine.?It’s one I wrote a number of years ago, back when we had old double-paned windows with bad seals.?Every winter, the hot air from the house would meet the cold air outside and, between the two panes, ...

  • [Poetry Friday] The Shark (by David Elliott)

    January 24, 2013

    I’m highlighting poetry books?on the CYBILS shortlist–the ones that?I’ve read?but haven’t shared?here yet. Last week, I shared a poem from?Kate Coombs’ Water Sings Blue, and the week before that one from Douglas Florian’s UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings. These week I’m sharing one from In ...

  • [15 Words or Less Poems] Roots

    January 24, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here are the roots of a cool tree in the Bahamas–I think this was at a beach in Freeport. Here’s what this image?makes me think of: 1)?Knotted shoelaces 2) Mermaid hair 3) Medusa And here’s ...

  • [Poetry Friday] Seagulls (by Kate Coombs)

    January 17, 2013

    I’m highlighting poetry books?on the CYBILS shortlist–the ones that?I’ve read?but haven’t shared?here yet. Last week, I shared a poem from?Douglas Florian’s UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings. These week I’m sharing one from Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems, by Kate Coombs, beautifully illustrated by Meilo So ...

  • [15 Words or Less Poems] Glasses

    January 17, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Here’s what this image?makes me think of: 1)?Glasses of juice 2) Sunset 3) Tropical Lifesavers And here’s my poem first draft: Sunrise She squeezed Sun, caught each drop in morning’s clear glass… served the Eastern sky. –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights ...

  • [My Writing Life] I’m In the Journal of Children’s Literature!

    January 16, 2013

    I don’t think I ever had a chance to share this last fall. The NCTE‘s Journal of Children’s Literature featured one of my poems! I was so excited that they wanted to share a poem from BookSpeak! Part of what made it even more pleasing was that ...

  • [15 Words or Less Poems] Sea Serpent

    January 10, 2013

    Just updated my What’s New page for January. If you’re interested in what I’m excited about and what I’m not excited about in my writing life this month, feel free to drop by! And share what’s on your excited/not excited list in your comment:>) Photo: Laura ...

  • [Poetry Play] A Careerhyme Challenge

    January 7, 2013

    I miss taking part in poetry challenges and games, and I’m going to try to do better in 2013. At David Harrison’s blog, J. Pat Lewis has a Careerhymes challenge up. Go read the hysterical examples and try your own! Here’s mine: Why You Can Never ...

  • [Poetry Friday] CYBILS Finalists!

    January 3, 2013

    I hope you had a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate it, and that everybody had a terrific New Year’s. I am sick with the flu and wasn’t planning to post today. But, I’m so excited that BookSpeak has made the shortlist for the CYBILS Poetry ...

  • [15 Words or Less Poems] Lion

    January 3, 2013

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! The lion in the MGM lobby at NCTE in Vegas was in a boxing ring to promote some upcoming big boxing match. It was an arresting image, this gold lion in ...

  • [Poetry Friday] Icicles, Cold and Waiting (by Laura Purdie Salas)

    December 20, 2012

    I’m sharing a poem today on the theme of light. Recent news events have been so sad and scary. I sometimes feel guilty that I don’t follow them more closely, but I find my best way to combat them, to try to change the world, ...

  • [Poetry Friday] Driving West in 1970

    November 16, 2012

    To celebrate NCTE’s conference in Vegas, I went looking for a Vegas poem. Here’s one by Minnesota poet Robert Bly. Driving West in 1970 By Robert Bly My dear children, do you remember the morning When we climbed into the old Plymouth And drove west straight toward the Pacific? We were ...

  • [Poetry Friday] Think Big! by Liz Garton Scanlon

    November 9, 2012

    I usually share single poems from collections here, but today I want to share a bit of Think Big!, Liz Garton Scanlon’s latest beautiful picture book (Bloomsbury, 2012). This is a fantastic celebration of all forms of creativity, told in terse verse. The art shows kids preparing ...

  • Gathering Books Shows BookSpeak Some Book Love

    October 29, 2012

    Gathering Books’ current theme is Books about Books and the River of Words, and I was so excited with Myra’s lovely feature on?BookSpeak Friday. Gathering Books gathers books (obviously) but also book lovers, and it really touched me to read her thoughts on BookSpeak and ...

  • [Poetry Friday] Beacons of the Earth and Sky

    October 25, 2012

    I was in Wisconsin last week, leading (with Lisa Bullard, my Mentors for Rent partner), the Redbery Writers’ Intensive. It was definitely intense, and we had a terrific time working with five fabulous writers. More on that in a later post. After the retreat, we ...

  • [Poetry Friday] Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs

    October 19, 2012

    I shared this book once before, but I wanted to share Last Laughs (Charlesbridge, 2012, by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen) again as Halloween is closing in, since it’s the perfect time to enjoy a little ghoulishness! Barracuda’s Bite-size Demise My teeth were vicious; my bite was ...

  • [Nonfiction Monday] Eureka!

    October 15, 2012

    ?I am SO excited to announce that BookSpeak! Poems About Books (Clarion, 2011) was awarded a Eureka Gold Medal for excellence in nonfiction. This award from the California Reading Association is for?every book that is not expressly fiction.?Yay! And Dare to Dream…Change the World (Kane Miller, ...

  • [Poetry Friday] Book of Animal Poetry, Take 2 (with Classroom Guide!)

    October 12, 2012

    A few weeks ago, I shared an anthology edited by J. Patrick Lewis, U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate,?called Book of Animal Poetry. I promised to come back and share a lighter poem this time, and here it is! Sea Jelly It’s not made of jelly; it isn’t a ...

  • [15 Words or Less Poems] Webs

    October 11, 2012

    Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! This week’s image makes me think of: 1)?Scuba diving 2) Bat wings 3) Wading in Lake Superior and feeling the sharp rocks right through my water shoes And here’s my poem first draft: My Feet need gentle ...

  • Poetry Friday is Here! The Watch That Ends the Night

    October 4, 2012

    Poetry Friday is?here, and I’m starting off with a quick favor request (ack–that is probably not the proper hostess way to begin!). If you’ve read BookSpeak! Poems About Books, would you be willing to go to its Amazon page and either rate it via stars ...

  • [Poetry Friday] National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry

    September 28, 2012

    J. Patrick Lewis, U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate,?has yet another new book out, this one a glorious anthology for National Geographic called Book of Animal Poetry. Where do I begin? Well, the poems, of course. There are 200 of them, by classic poets, modern poets, names you’ll ...

  • [Be on the Lookout] Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse

    September 25, 2012

    I love to get a sneak peak of forthcoming poetry/novel in verse books, because anticipation is half the fun! Tamera Will Wissinger was a student in an online class Lisa Bullard and I taught, and she’s a graduate of Hamline University’s MFA program. I was so ...

  • [Poetry Friday] Charm Bracelet and the Poetry Friday Anthology

    September 21, 2012

    You’ll see lots of Poetry Friday regulars in The Poetry Friday Anthology (Common Core K-5 edition): Poems for the School Year with Connections to the Common Core, a new?offering from Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong (of PoetryTag Time fame:>) Here’s one of several terrific poems ...

  • [Poetry Friday] Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs

    September 14, 2012

    It seems like only yesterday that I was sharing Jane Yolen and Pat Lewis’ Take Two: A Celebration of Twins. Well, they’re back and better than ever. Their new collaboration is Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs (Charlesbridge, 2012). If you have a somewhat morbid sense of humor ...

  • [Poetry Friday] Sea Change (Another Rachel Carson poem)

    September 7, 2012

    Last Friday, I shared a poem I wrote about Rachel Carson. That poem appeared in Cricket Magazine. Today, I’m sharing the second Rachel Carson poem I wrote (this is when I was working on poems for Dare to Dream). I always knew that a time ...

  • [Poetry Friday] Rachel Carson: Reborn at Sea

    August 31, 2012

    While working on poems to submit for Dare to Dream, the fantastic new anthology edited by Jill Corcoran, I wrote two poems about environmental pioneer Rachel Carson. Jill chose a different poem, but I’m excited to say that both my Carson poems will be shared ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Dragon (by Madeleine L’Engle)

    July 27, 2012

    Madeleine L’Engle is one of my very favorite writers (have you met my daughter Madeleine:>), and today’s poem comes from her collection The Weather of the Heart. Many of the poems are religious and/or serious, but I’m sharing this whimsical one. from “The Dragon,” by Madeleine ...

  • Poetry Friday: Day of the Pigweed (by Doug Cushman)

    July 6, 2012

    I got a review copy of Pigmares: Porcine Poems of the Silver Screen (Charlesbridge, 2012) by Doug Cushman’recently. Warning: Scary creatures and hoggy puns coming your way!?The clever premise is that a young pig watches monster movies before bed and then has terrible nightmares, all ...

  • Poetry Friday: More Than a Number (lyrics by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater)

    June 22, 2012

    Last week, I shared lyrics, and this week, a song about kids, assessment, and our educational system popped into my inbox. Doesn’t sound that poetic, does it? But the song More Than a Number (words by Poetry Friday regular?Amy Ludwig Vanderwater and music by Barry ...

  • Poetry Friday: World (lyrics by John Ondrasik)

    June 15, 2012

    I was sharing one of my favorite songs, “100 Years,” by Five for Fighting (John Ondrasik) with a friend this morning. I’ve shared those lyrics here before, so I’m going to share another Ondrasik song instead. World Got a package full of wishes A time machine, a magic ...

  • Hear Poet David Harrison on Goose Lake

    June 11, 2012

    I hope you’ll take three and a half minutes to listen to this public radio interview with poet David Harrison. Not only to hear excerpts from and learn more about Goose Lake, his lovely e-collection that I reviewed here, but also because it’s really wonderful ...

  • Poetry Friday: What’s Looking at You, Kid? (by J. Patrick Lewis)

    June 8, 2012

    I usually share stand-alone poems on Poetry Friday, but this week, I’m featuring a rhyming picture book called What’s Looking At You Kid?(Sleeping Bear Press, 2012). J. Patrick Lewis has a new take on riddles, one of his favorite forms, judging by Spot the Plot ...

  • Poetry Friday: To One Dead (by Francis Ledwidge)

    May 18, 2012

    My drum corps family lost a member this week. He was support staff, someone I don’t think I had even met before. Last year, it was all I could do to hold myself together and survive the season–everyone else was kind of a blur.?But at ...

  • Poetry Friday: John Ciardi’s Shark Dentist (by J. Patrick Lewis)

    May 11, 2012

    U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis has a couple of new books that I just read, and today I’m sharing a poem from one of them, Edgar Allan Poe’s Pie: Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012). Each poem is a remake ...

  • Daisy Chain Haiku by the Poetry Sisters

    May 4, 2012

    The Poetry Sisters and I did a quick collaboration a couple of weeks ago. I am out the door in three minutes, so I’ll just share the verse. To see who’s who and read a bit of the background, please visit Andi Sibley and show ...

  • BookSpeak Is at the Dance!

    May 1, 2012

    TeacherDance, that is! Literacy Coach Linda Baie discusses BookSpeak at her blog TeacherDance?today. Her post took me back to my own teaching days, when I got to talk daily with kids about books they loved (and hated). When students would gather around to describe to ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #30

    April 30, 2012

    mittens and sunscreen vacation mates in coach class– leaving Chicago Whew! Day 30–I did it! Happy Poetry Month!

  • Poem-a-Day: #29

    April 29, 2012

    retrievers frolic– make friends with Lake Michigan, forgive its coldness? –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved —————————————————- I had a wonderful poetry event at the Evanston Public Library today celebrating the winning poets of the Jo-Anne Hirshfield Memorial Poetry Award. It was just so cool to see a room full ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #28

    April 28, 2012

    Quarters rub shoulders. Plastic ice cream bucket swings in homeless man’s hand. –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved

  • Poetry Friday and Poem-a-Day: #27

    April 27, 2012

    Gutter ball dinner Potato chips weigh heavy– Greasy bowling ball –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved Not a thing of beauty, is it? Dinner last night did not turn out well, and I ended up eating some noodles and a bunch of potato chips. Ugh. Now my stomach is ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #25

    April 25, 2012

    each darkling drop– even distant curling current– fuels ocean’s tides? –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved There is so much poetry deliciousness going on right now, and I’m missing most of it. That makes me partly sad, but it also gives me such a feeling of abundance, that there’s ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #24

    April 24, 2012

    black ink jumps off page somersaults, bounces, leaps high– royalty statement! –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved I just got my April royalty statement, and attached was the first royalty check I’ve ever gotten. It’s not a big check, mind you. A week of working at Target would pay ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #23 and the Hate-Mongering Tart

    April 23, 2012

    papery waves roll, dip and swell on forest floor– curling storms of birch –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved I love birch trees, and the North Shore, where we spent the weekend, is full of them. Birch bark on the ground inspired this haiku. Also, I have a guest post ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #22

    April 22, 2012

    fence-top weathervanes flash metallic sunbeams– line dance to breeze-beat –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved Randy and I went up to the North Shore (of Lake Superior) this weekend, and it was wonderful! A lot of people sell arts, crafts, homemade sausages/jerkies, etc. One house’s post-and-rail fence was topped ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #21

    April 21, 2012

    Birch bark learns to curl, yearns to sparkle like fireworks– crackles in campfire –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved

  • Poetry Friday and Poem-a-Day: #20

    April 20, 2012

    sun climbs all morning perches at sky-top: burns, sweats– declines rest of day –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved Happy Poetry Friday! Two pieces of news: 1) I’m on Your Daily Poem today! Do you know YourDailyPoem.com? I love it, and I was so thrilled when they took my poem “Unwrapped.”? ...

  • 15 Words or Less and Poem-a-Day: #19

    April 19, 2012

    Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Photo by Paolo Costa Baldi. License: GFDL/CC-BY-SA 3.0 I love this panoramic view of the Colosseum. It makes me think of: 1.?Gladiators, of course 2. Lions 3. The lens of a microscope Here’s my poem first draft, in haiku ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #18 (Plus Poem in Your Pocket and a BookSpeak Giveaway)

    April 18, 2012

    on riser’s top row first-grader flashes?white smile sun lights up the gym –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved —————————————————- That one is for my beautiful niece, Lily, whose first-grade music show last night was fantastic! Poem in Your Pocket Day is next Thursday, April 26. What poem will you be carrying ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #17

    April 17, 2012

    honeysuckle buckles, tucks green shoots and?fuschia buds? through warm, weathered fence –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved —————————————————- I’m visiting Irene Latham’s blog today (she of the progressive poem brilliance) and talking about metaphor in poetry, in 2 of my BookSpeak! poems in particular. I hope you’ll stop by and ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #1 6 and Nonfiction Monday: What We Wear (Maya Ajmera)

    April 16, 2012

    pink, red, blue daisies dance and sway to draw your eyes– dying for drama –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved Plants in their natural state are always gorgeous, but I do love the totally fake and cheerful colors of dyed daisies! So, that’s where I got my haiku from ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #15

    April 15, 2012

    atop your shoulders, taller than I hoped to be, I see other worlds –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved —————————————————- Cue sappy poem music. But BookSpeak! won the Minnesota Book Award (Children’s Literature category) last night, and I’m in a floaty/sappy mood today! And in that banquet hall full of ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #14 and a BookSpeak! Award

    April 14, 2012

    crumpled index cards abandoned confetti scraps after the awards –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved —————————————————- I’m jotting a couple of notes on an index card for the Minnesota Book Awards banquet. I don’t expect BookSpeak! to win, but when Stampede was a Finalist, I panicked when they started the ...

  • Poetry Friday and Poem-a-Day: #13

    April 13, 2012

    crab dances on beach tickling sandy ivories ???? playing summer’s song –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved Happy Poetry Friday! This haiku was inspired by a crab running across the beach on Survivor this week. Those tiny pointy legs that run so lightly across the sand always surprise ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #11 and Bank Street’s Best Books of 2012

    April 11, 2012

    (for J.P.) Her hand winds through air. Her mind stretches toward sun– Reaching for meaning. –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ?—————————————————- Great news! BookSpeak! Poems About Books is on the Bank Street’s Best Books of 2012, Ages Five to Nine. Woohoo! At least, that’s what I’ve been told. I can’t ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #10

    April 10, 2012

    Crisp brown stalks project, Tall tombstones?among new green– Daylily graveyard –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ?

  • Poem-a-Day: #9 and (Gulp) a Poem Video

    April 9, 2012

    Beagle’s Easter treat: forbidden Gobstoppers. Dread resurrection. –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ———————————————————— One of my goals for 2012 was to put some videos online. Videos of me reading poems.?A few clips from school visits or public events. Bits with me and Lisa Bullard answering some writers’ questions on ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #8

    April 8, 2012

    storm rises from ground… sand dispenses dust to sky… clouds tan leather sun –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ———————————————————— I almost wrote today’s haiku about our beagle getting into the Easter candy, but then I read this great interview with David Harrison about his?new collection, Cowboys. It’s at Sylvia ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #7

    April 7, 2012

    new pen ink rushes like snowmelt from spring mountains– quenching winter’s dry throat –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved  

  • Down on the [Poem] Farm with BookSpeak!

    April 6, 2012

    I’m over at poet Amy Ludwig Vanderwater’s The Poem Farm today, sharing the story behind “This Is the Book,” one of the poems in BookSpeak! And sharing thoughts on using the poem as a mentor text with young writers…

  • Poetry Friday and Poem-a-Day: #6

    April 5, 2012

    she waves her red stick– goalie in matador pads– welcomes charging bull –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved Happy Poetry Friday! My daughter Maddie had lacrosse tryouts recently, and she’s going to be goalie for the varsity team. Yikes. It’s nerve-wracking watching her defend the goal–but she loves ...

  • 15 Words or Less and Poem-a-Day: #5

    April 5, 2012

    I interrupt this regularly scheduled 15 Words or Less post to direct you to David Harrison’s blog, where he is featuring BookSpeak today–thank you, David! Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Sorry for the delay, you earlybirds–computer issues this morning! Photo: Dietrich ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #4

    April 4, 2012

    regal lion suns, soaks spring from weathered veldt: beagle on the deck –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved I love watching our beagle, Captain Jack Sparrow, sun on the deck right outside the window where I’m writing. He just soaks up the sun out of the planks of ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #3

    April 3, 2012

    eyes–dry, sandy beach packed down by day’s heavy feet– welcome high tide’s sweep –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved —————————————————————————————————————- I know more and more poets (including me) are at least thinking about e-publishing as print publishers buy fewer and fewer poetry collections and anthologies. Terrific poet David L. ...

  • Poem-a-Day: #2

    April 2, 2012

    leafy whiskers sprout on beech’s smooth, pale bark chin– no shaving ’til fall –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved I’m also at Laura Shovan’s Author Amok blog today with a villanelle and a post about my poetry-writing rituals. Hope you’ll drop by and say hi!

  • Poem-a-Day: #1

    April 1, 2012

    pond wears white swan gown velvet folds, feathers flutter– dragonfly pin shines –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved April is always a busy month for me, and this year that’s truer than ever. But I hate to see National Poetry Month just slide by without doing something ...

  • Poetry Friday: March Madness, Poetry-Style

    March 16, 2012

    Ed DeCaria at Think Kid, Think has got the March Madness Poetry Tournament going in full swing. So today for Poetry Friday, I’m sharing the poem I wrote in a slight foggy panic Wednesday night after two days of school visits (which were wonderful, but exhausting). But ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Bells (Edgar Allan Poe)

    February 24, 2012

    I love Edgar Allan Poe. So much of his work is melancholy and haunting (both literally and lyrically). For Poetry Friday today, I’m sharing a section from IV of “The Bells.” Earlier parts of the poem get shared often, but I rarely see the entire ...

  • Poetry Friday: On a Night of Snow (Elizabeth Coatsworth)

    February 17, 2012

    My sister, JP, the one closest in age to me, had a medical emergency Wednesday night at work. She was rushed to the ER, where they did cranial surgery to relieve pressure. She’s in a medically-induced coma. I’m in shock. She’s in Florida, unconscious, and ...

  • And the Cybils Go To…

    February 14, 2012

    Photo: Midori Happy Valentine’s Day! Today, the Cybils winners are announced, so get ready to show some love for some great books! It was fun and educational to be a final round judge in Poetry this year. I’ve been a first-round judge several times before–totally different experiences! We had ...

  • Poetry Friday is Here at Goose Lake!

    February 9, 2012

    OK, this isn’t Goose Lake. But Poetry Friday IS here. I’m happy to be hosting today and to be sharing?David Harrison‘s?Goose Lake, an e-collection I recently received. David is a poet, writer, educator, blogger–he does it all. He has many wonderful poetry books out. In ...

  • wholly to be a fool for Randy

    February 6, 2012

    My husband Randy and I have been married 24 years today, which is pretty hard for me to believe! I am not good at love poems to people (somehow?it’s much easier to write a love poem to a cranberry bush or a snowman or a pencil), ...

  • Poetry Friday: Best of a Bad Spell (Steven Withrow)

    February 2, 2012

    Steven Withrow (founder of PACYA and creator of Library of the Early Mind) has a newly revised’digital poetry collection called Crackles of Speech. I don’t see it on Amazon.com, and as far as I can tell, he’s giving it away as a pdf free! Which ...

  • Poetry Friday: Juvenile Court (Sara Henderson Hay)

    January 27, 2012

    I got the book Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry for Christmas, and I just cracked it open last night. I have an unsold collection of kids’ fairy tale poems, and?it’s such a rich field to plow. I’ve only read a few of the ...

  • Cybils Finalists Announced!

    January 2, 2012

    Yay! The Cybils First-Round Panelists have announced the finalists for each?category of these online book bloggers’ annual awards. I’m a Second-Round Judge in Poetry, and we are eagerly starting our discussions! Here are the Poetry Finalists: Cousins of Clouds: Elephant Poems Dear Hot Dog Emma Dilemma: Big Sister ...

  • Poetry Friday: Requiem (Paul B. Janeczko)

    December 30, 2011

    This week, poetry broke my heart. And isn’t that what it’s supposed to do sometimes? I was reading Paul B. Janeczko’s Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto (Candlewick, 2011). These poems told in the voices of people at the Czech concentration camp during WWII offer moments of ...

  • BookSpeak! A Proud Poetry Nerdie

    December 28, 2011

    In a few days, the Cybils finalists will be announced, and I’ll have six weeks to talk poetry books with my delightful co-judges! I’m excited to learn?which books?the first-round judges selected. Meanwhile, it was fun to have BookSpeak! Poems About Books named as a Poetry Nerdies ...

  • David Harrison’s New Poetry e-Book

    December 19, 2011

    Robyn Hood Black did a great interview with poet David Harrison on Friday, featuring his new poetry e-book, Goose Lake: A Year in the Life of a Lake?(which I will be downloading after New Year’s to read). The post has poems and inspiration to spare, ...

  • Poetry Friday: Ring Out, Wild Bells (by Alfred, Lord Tennyson)

    December 16, 2011

    I feel kind of out of the poetry loop this past few months. I’ve been a first-round poetry judge for the CYBILS several times, and that means Oct-Dec=reading all the great children’s/ya poetry that I missed throughout the year. This year, I’m a second-round judge, ...

  • Poetry Friday: Tree (Janet Wong)

    December 9, 2011

    Janet Wong writes such beautiful poetry, and I was re-reading her book Twist: yoga poems yesterday. Janet was on my mind for a few reasons (besides having just had fun seeing her at NCTE). First, though I don’t know her all that well, she generously made ...

  • Poetry Friday: Lost Poems (Ralph Fletcher)

    November 11, 2011

    I love Ralph Fletcher’s writing books for kids, and this?one is no exception:?A Writing Kind of Day: Poems for Young Poets (Wordsong, 2005). I have not had much time for actual writing lately–just lots of writing-business-related tasks. Ugh. So I’m feeling like my ideas and neglected ...

  • Poetry Friday Roundup: Starry Beach

    November 4, 2011

    Welcome to Poetry Friday! This is my first time hosting here at my new (and still being decorated) bloghome on Wordpress, and I’m happy you’re here! Here’s a poem I wrote earlier this year. It’s part of a batch of seashell poems I wrote to submit ...

  • Poetry Friday: Chocolate-Covered Ants (by J. Patrick Lewis)

    October 27, 2011

    It is a well-documented fact that J. Patrick Lewis can write a poem about anything! And so today, in honor of National Chocolates Day (who knew?), our U.S. Children's Poet Laureate shares this poem about chocolate-covered ants. I was looking for a photo to put here, but ...

  • Happy Birthday, BookSpeak!

    October 25, 2011

    Today is the pub date of my second poetry collection with Clarion! Happy Birthday, BookSpeak! In BookSpeak!, 21 wild, wacky, and winsome poems showcase the magic on a single bookshelf. Characters plead for sequels, book jackets strut their stuff, and a raucous party starts when the lights go ...

  • Poetry Friday: Dogku (Andrew Clements)

    October 21, 2011

    Stories told in haiku often don't work for me because in needing to move the plot forward or summarize a lot of stuff in one short poem, the haiku become prose-y and very distant from the qualities I love about them–their photo-of-an-instant feeling and their ...

  • Poetry Friday: Desert Moon (by Marilyn Singer)

    October 14, 2011

    Marilyn Singer's latest free verse poetry collection, A Full Moon Is Rising (Lee & Low, 2011), is framed by a set of lovely poems about a girl watching the "Broadway Moon" from New York City. In between the opening and closing poem, customs and celebrations and dreams of ...

  • Poetry Friday: p*tag, a poetry e-thology for teens

    October 6, 2011

      Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, pioneers of spreading kids' poetry via e-books, are at it again. Their last outing was Poetry Tag Time, which I posted about here and shared my poem from here. Their latest Kindle release is p*tag, another poetry anthology, this ...

  • Poetry Friday: Two Twosomes from Marilyn Singer

    September 30, 2011

      Marilyn Singer comes up with the best ideas. Hello! Reverso fairy tales in Mirror Mirror? I often read her books and think, I wish I'd thought of that. I just read Twosomes: Love Poems from the Animal Kingdom (Alfred E. Knopf, 2011). Each poem is ...

  • Happy Birthday, Maddie!

    September 21, 2011

    My youngest daughter turns 16 today. I can't believe it! I thought about writing her a poem, but I stink at writing poems for people I love. I wrote one for Randy a few years ago and put it in his birthday card, and he ...

  • The Loudest Quiet

    September 21, 2011

    I wanted to play in The Miss Rumphius Effect poetry stretch this week, which was about scale and magnitude. My dog, Captain Jack Sparrow, was sick last night, and it made me go into worrying mode. Here’s a poem that swam around my head as ...

  • A Dazzling Display of Dogs, by Betsy Franco

    September 20, 2011

    Saturday night we had a surprise party for my almost 16-year-old daughter. Yesterday, I read the poetry collection A Dazzling Display of Dogs, by Betsy Franco, illustrated by Michael Wertz (Tricycle Press, 2011), guaranteed to make any dog lover smile (and probably most non dog-lovers, ...

  • Poetry Friday: Spider (Alice Schertle)

    September 16, 2011

      Keepers (Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1996) is an older poetry collection that I have and just love. Alice Schertle is a wizard! As the weather turns cooler, spiders are invading the house. Bigger ones than usual, too. In honor of them, I'm sharing ...

  • Circling Around

    September 14, 2011

    I've been working on a fiction shared reader of fewer than 150 words. It has to be a journey, use a certain phonetic sound throughout, rhyme, and include the basic shapes. Whew! What a puzzle to work all that in. I turned in a draft ...

  • Poetry Friday: Constellation (by Bob Raczka)

    September 9, 2011

      Sad news: ALA has decided not to include the fabulous Poetry Blast in 2012 at their annual convention. Marilyn Singer and Barbara Genco have always worked so hard to put on this amazing event (which I featured video clips from in several recent Poetry ...

  • Poetry Friday: Sylvia Vardell’s Clips from the ALA Poetry Blast, Part 3

    August 26, 2011

      In case you, like me, missed Sylvia Vardell's fantastic series of clips from the ALA Poetry Blast (organized and hosted by Marilyn Singer and Barbara Genco), I'm posting links here. She shared the text of Marilyn's lovely introduction for each poet along with a ...

  • One Book I Love: I Am the Book

    July 26, 2011

    A new anthology from Lee Bennett Hopkins is always cause for celebration. I Am the Book (Holiday House, 2011, illustrated by Yayo) is even more so because the poems are all about books! This anthology feels a little younger than many of his anthologies–partially because there are more ...

  • Poetry Friday: Sylvia Vardell’s Clips from the ALA Poetry Blast, Part 2

    July 22, 2011

      In case you, like me, missed Sylvia Vardell’s fantastic series of clips from the ALA Poetry Blast (organized and hosted by Marilyn Singer and Barbara Genco), I’m posting links here. She shared the text of Marilyn’s lovely introduction for each poet along with a ...

  • Poetry Friday: Sylvia Vardell’s Clips from the ALA Poetry Blast

    July 15, 2011

      In case you, like me, missed Sylvia Vardell’s fantastic series of clips from the ALA Poetry Blast (organized and hosted by Marilyn Singer and Barbara Genco), I’m posting links here. She shared the text of Marilyn’s lovely introduction for each poet along with a ...

  • Poetry Friday: Golden Possibilities (by me)

    July 1, 2011

     Happy Poetry Friday! Last week, I shared “Get Smart With the Periodic Table,” which recently appeared in KNOW Magazine, a Canadian science magazine for kids. The theme for the issue was the elements, and here’s the other poem I had included in that issue. Golden Possibilities   Labeled Au ...

  • Poetry Friday: Get Smart With the Periodic Table (by me)

    June 24, 2011

     Happy Poetry Friday! I thought I’d share my light verse poem that recently appeared in KNOW Magazine, which is a Canadian science magazine for kids. The theme for the issue was the elements, and I had fun poring over the periodic table for the first time ...

  • Poetry Friday: Summer (Barney Saltzberg)

    June 17, 2011

     My summers haven’t really been carefree since I was about 10. And I don’t like hot weather, so I prefer being outdoors in other seasons. In summer, I soak up the air conditioning, mostly! Still, I love poems celebrating summer and all its outdoor magic. ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Summer I Was Sixteen

    May 20, 2011

     Here’s another one from the fantastic Poetry 180 site. It reminds me a little bit of the summers I was 11-12-13, growing up in central Florida. I was not old enough to be working full-time in the summers yet, though I did lots of babysitting. But ...

  • Poetry Friday: Poetry (Don Paterson)

    May 6, 2011

     I usually feature poetry for kids or teens, but this week, I’m sharing a poem about poetry by Don Paterson. It’s one of the many I’ve been marking up in my Poetry 180 book. I just love it, and I hope you do too. from Poetryby Don Paterson In ...

  • Poetry Friday: Jellyfishing, by Leslie Bulion

    April 29, 2011

       Leslie Bulion is such a fantastic science poetry writer! She has fun with it and imparts tons of information at the same time. Last year, I shared a poem from her Hey There, Stink Bug collection. This year, I’m happy to share a poem from ...

  • Acting Out “After the Storm”: Teacher Tips

    April 25, 2011

    Friday, I posted my poem "After the Storm" from PoetryTagTime, the fun, inexpensive (99 cents!), teacher-friendly e-anthology of the 30 poems from Sylvia Vardell’s Poetry Tag feature for National Poetry Month. Yesterday, at the PoetryTagTime Tips blog, Sylvia posted some great teaching tips for teachers to use with my acrostic poem, ...

  • Poetry Friday: After the Storm (by me)

    April 22, 2011

    Roger Sutton recently posted about Poetry Tag Time, the e-anthology brilliantly created by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong to try to make poetry more accessible and get it into more classrooms. 30 fun and fantastic kids’ poems for only 99 cents! So I thought I’d share my ...

  • “How to Talk to a Girl” at GottaBook!

    April 14, 2011

      I’m excited that my found poem (kinda), "How to Talk to a Girl," is up at GottaBook as part of Greg’s fabulous 30 Poets/30 Days celebration. I hope you’ll go visit! Diane at Random Noodling has the Poetry Friday Roundup!

  • Poetry Friday: The Year of Goodbyes (Debbie Levy)

    April 8, 2011

      I met Debbie Levy at the ALA Poetry Blast in 2010, and her son and her mother, Jutta, were with her at the dinner afterward. That’s where I first heard about The Year of Goodbyes (Disney-Hyperion, 2010), a collection of free verse poems telling the story of ...

  • PoetryTagTime, E-Poems for You

    April 5, 2011

    Tag–you’re it! I’m so excited to be part of PoetryTagTime, a poetry e-book! It’s a groundbreaking project from Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong.     As so many of us despair about getting poetry published, getting it into the hands of kids, Sylvia and Janet took action and ...

  • Poetry Friday: Memory (Tracie Vaughn Zimmer)

    March 24, 2011

    ?? While I was in New York this past week (more on that soon), I went to The Strand bookstore. I really wanted to buy a book, so of course I?headed to the poetry section, where I spotted Tracie Vaughn Zimmer’s newest collection, Cousins of Clouds: ...

  • Poetry Friday: Calling All Readers (by me)

    March 11, 2011

      A student of Sylvia Vardell, professor as well as poetry ambassador blogging at Poetry for Children, let me know recently she was creating a review of BookSpeak!, my poetry collection coming out from Clarion this fall. Sylvia gave her an f&g, and the student (not ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Secret of the Machines

    February 25, 2011

      I’ve shared before that one of my favorite poems of all time is "Seal Lullaby," by Rudyard Kipling. Today, I’m sharing another Kipling poem. On NPR this morning, they were discussing outsourcing and the effect of computerizing and digitalizing on our economy. I went looking this ...

  • Poetry Friday: Let Me Die a Young Man’s Death (J. Patrick Lewis)

    February 18, 2011

      If you’re a fan of J. Patrick Lewis’ poetry for kids (and if you’re not, what on Earth is wrong with you?!), I hope you’ll enjoy digging into his recent collection for adults, Gulls Hold Up the Sky (Laughing Fire Press, 2010). To me, the hallmark ...

  • CYBILS!

    February 15, 2011

    Yesterday, the Cybils were announced! A huge congratulations to all the winners–you can find the complete list of winning books here. It was a treat to be on the Poetry Panel, and I want to give a special shout-out to the winner in the Poetry ...

  • Poetry Friday: Happy Anniversary, Randy

    February 4, 2011

      My anniversary is Sunday, but we’ll be cleaning and cooking for the Super Bowl that day and having people over, so Randy is taking today off work so that (after a couple of errands and can’t-skip tasks) we can spend time celebrating our 23 (gulp) ...

  • Poetry Friday: Wintry Warmth (by me)

    January 28, 2011

      On Facebook last week, Aimee Jackson asked what were our favorite things about winter, and it reminded me of this poem I originally wrote to promote a Lauren Stringer snowflake in the fundraiser Robert’s Snowflakes. I barely recognize it, but 3-1/2 years later, it does ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Ghoul at the Gate (Jessica Swaim)

    January 21, 2011

      I love Jessica Swaim’s Scarum Fair, another one of our Cybils Finalists in the poetry category! I hope it doesn’t get categorized as a Halloween-season-only type book, because chills and scares are fun all year long. (In fact, chills and scares on a -20-degree morning ...

  • Poetry Friday Roundup: Snail at Moonrise (by Joyce Sidman)

    January 13, 2011

    Welcome to Poetry Friday! Last week, I mentioned that I would feature Cybils Finalists on the next several Poetry Fridays. Who knew that today I would be doing that while celebrating a Newbery Honor for one of the poets I look up to most, and whom ...

  • Newbery Honor for Joyce Sidman!

    January 11, 2011

    I am SO excited that Joyce Sidman won a Newbery Honor for her Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night (see my post here for an excerpt). Joyce is a warm and generous person and a genius poet! I’m also thrilled to see poetry recognized in ...

  • Poetry Friday: Winter Home (by Rebecca Kai Dotlich) from Sharing the Seasons

    January 7, 2011

    Sharing the Seasons, one of Lee Bennett Hopkins’ several wonderful 2010 anthologies, is a Cybils Finalist and one of my favorite poetry books of the year. It explores all the seasons, and after a cross-country ski outing this morning, I need to share a lovely ...

  • It’s Like Billy Collins Read My Mind!

    January 5, 2011

    I mentioned recently that I had ordered Billy Collins’ Picnic, Lightning and a couple of other poetry books as my own Christmas gifts. And in a separate post, we chatted about writing in books and whether it’s a sign of love or a desecration (most, ...

  • Cybils Finalists!

    January 4, 2011

    It was fun being on the Cybils panel again this year–and it was a surprise how many wonderful children’s poetry books I missed reading when they came out. We had little debates over how much to emphasize kid appeal (my vote was A LOT), whether ...

  • Poetry Friday: My End of Year Haiku to You

    December 24, 2010

    My poem this week for Poetry Friday is actually the haiku I wrote yesterday for my online holiday card: Whatever you celebrate this holiday season, I believe the power of poems can be part of it. Words matter. And so do all the people we connect ...

  • Poetry Friday: December (by Aileen Fisher)

    December 17, 2010

    One of my favorite Christmas collections is Do Rabbits Have Christmas? (Henry Holt and Co., 2007), written by Aileen Fisher and illustrated by Sarah Fox-Davies. The poems here are deceptively simple, they’re filled with great imagery, and they really bring the joy and wonder of ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Swan (by Jack Prelutsky)

    December 10, 2010

    At my writing group last week, tundra swans came up, and they made me think of this poem from Jack Prelutsky‘s The Carnival of the Animals. I like Prelutsky’s beautiful verse more than his wacky stuff, and I love this poem. The SwanThe stately and beguiling ...

  • Poetry Friday: Guyku, by Bob Raczka

    December 3, 2010

    I confess I’m not much of a fan of pop culture-themed haiku collections. I’ve read ones based on hockey, pirates, and zombies lately, and none of those did much for me. The haiku part was always just a gimmick. And if you took away the ...

  • Poetry Friday: Frame, Mask and Mirror and The Heart (JonArno Lawson)

    November 19, 2010

    Think Again (Kids Can Press, 2010), by JonArno Lawson, explores love from the point of view of a teen boy and girl. Forty-three very short rhyming poems reveal longings and questionings and regrets in poetry, and the line drawings (by Julie Morstad) show a vague story arc. The ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Wolf (by David Elliott)

    November 12, 2010

    In the Wild (Candlewick, 2010) is a delightful collection from David Elliott and Holly Meade, who also did last year’s On the Farm. I’d like to share a poem that captures the feeling of our Minnesota weather right now. Even though we don’t have snow ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Witch’s Garden (Lilian Moore) and Kidlit Con

    October 29, 2010

    In honor of Halloween, I’m sharing this poem from Something New Begins, an out of print Lilian Moore collection that Elaine Magliaro, I think, first recommended to me. Love, love, love this book! This poem is originally from Moore’s collection, See My Lovely Poison Ivy. The Witch’s ...

  • Poetry Friday: Recycled

    October 22, 2010

    I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the freelance life lately, and discouraged by my writing career–where it’s at, where it’s going, how long I can keep up the work necessary to satisfy both the family budget and the writing I love to do. I know some things ...

  • Poetry Friday: A Note (by Wislawa Szymborska)

    October 15, 2010

    I’ve just read Monologue of a Dog, by Polish poet Wislawa Szymborska. I’ve loved several of her poems over recent years, but this is the first time I sat down and read an entire collection. Wow. My favorite poem in the whole book is "Return Baggage," but it’s ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Insult (by me)

    October 8, 2010

    A couple of weeks ago, I shared how I came to write some found poems recently.Last week I shared another found poem ("I’m Sort of Sorry About What Happened While I Was Walking My Dog"), again aimed at about 4th-5th grade. Today I’m sharing one last ...

  • Poetry Friday: I’m Sort of Sorry About What Happened… (by me)

    September 30, 2010

    Last week, I shared how I came to write some found poems recently.This week I’m sharing another found poem, again aimed at about 4th-5th grade. Today’s found poem is called "I’m Sort of Sorry About What Happened While I Was Walking My Dog," and the ...

  • Poetry Friday: How to Talk to a Girl (by Me)

    September 23, 2010

    I wrote some found poems to submit for an anthology a couple of months ago, but the way I do found poems is a little different–I like to find an article or song or whatever and use it kind of like a word bank to ...

  • Poetry Friday: Dark Emperor (Joyce Sidman)

    September 16, 2010

    Joyce Sidman’s newest collection, Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night, is  gorgeous. It shows how Joyce uses a scientist’s eye and a poet’s heart as she approaches each topic. I had a hard time choosing which poem to share because there are so ...

  • Poetry Friday: Housekeeping (Jeannine Atkins)

    September 2, 2010

    I’m only a third of the way through Borrowed Names (Henry Holt, 2010), Jeannine Atkins‘ beautiful poetry/biography collection focusing on three women–Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, and Marie Curie–and their relationships with their daughters. These poems are so conversational they almost feel like prose poems. ...

  • Poetry Friday: suggestion (Mackenzie Connellee)

    August 13, 2010

    I’ve been reading Naomi Shihab Nye’s latest anthology, Time You Let Me In (Greenwillow, 2010), featuring 5 poems each by 25 young poets. It’s a wonderful book, and I love the idea of getting to read several poems by each poet. Many times in an ...

  • Poetry Friday: Stars (Rebecca Kai Dotlich)

    July 23, 2010

    This week, I wanted to choose a poem for my daughter, Maddie. She was at camp a few weeks ago, and she loved it so much that this week she’s back there as a S.W.E.A.T. That stands for a lot of really nice stuff, but ...

  • Poetry Friday: “Do You Have Any Advice For Those of Us Just Starting Out?”

    July 16, 2010

    I love this poem. The spaceship notebook and the turtlenecks always make me laugh. It’s not only perfect advice for the beginning writer, but also a reminder to tired, jaded, uninspired writers. Or people in general. Family health issues and other things out of my ...

  • Poetry Friday: Bell Rocket Belt (by J. Patrick Lewis)

    June 18, 2010

      I received a box from The Creative Company last week, and the first treasure I opened was Skywriting: Poems to Fly, a new collection by J. Patrick Lewis. Pat is one of my favorite poets, and this beautiful collection, filled with his trademark humor, really made ...

  • Poetry Friday: Spread the Good News

    June 11, 2010

      Congratulations to Alice Schertle, whose wonderful Button Up! Wrinkled Rhymes was one of the winners in the K-3 category of the 2010 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People. I blogged about Button Up! here and it’s such a terrific poetry collection. And Stampede! Poems to Celebrate ...

  • Poetry Friday: Jane Kenyon Went to My Pool?

    May 28, 2010

      I started reading Jane Kenyon: Collected Poems recently, and was shocked when part of one of the poems described a landmark of my childhood, The Langford Hotel, in Winter Park, Florida. My family had a membership to the pool, and my dad put on pool/diving shows ...

  • Poetry Friday Right Here!

    May 20, 2010

    I’m posting this on Thursday night, because I know some of y’all will be chomping at the bit to add your links! How great is that eagerness to participate in a poetry gathering! My offering is short and sweet this week: a fourteener (14 ...

  • The 4:00 Book Hook Gives Stampede a Shout-Out

    May 17, 2010

    There’s a new e-newsletter in town, the 4:00 Book Hook! Each month, the free Book Hook will recommend children’s books, from preschool through young adult titles. You can read all about it and learn how to subscribe here. The newsletter targets people who share books with kids–teachers, librarians, ...

  • Poem of the Day: No Images (by Waring Cuney)

    April 21, 2010

      Today is Day 4 of my week of school visits in southwestern Minnesota, and today I get to spend ALL day at one school. It’s a luxury! One thing I love to emphasize with kids is the fun of reading poetry aloud. Check out Marilyn ...

  • Poem of the Day: The Mollusk That Made You (Joyce Sidman)

    March 31, 2010

    So many people are doing so many cool things across the kidlitosphere in honor of National Poetry Month! I need to find a centralized list to share. (Addendum: Laura Evans at Teach Poetry K-12 has a comprehensive list in the righthand sidebar–check it out!) Meanwhile, ...

  • David Beckham: Soccer Celebrity, Poetic Hero

    March 22, 2010

      I see that Britain’s poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, has written a poetic tribute to David Beckham, the soccer superstar who tore his Achilles tendon (ouch!) in a game last week. She said she was moved by images of Beckham on the sidelines, in tears ...

  • Poetry Friday: Fortune (by Dobby Gibson)

    March 18, 2010

        Last Friday, I participated in a reading of some of the finalists for the Minnesota Book Awards. Just ahead of me, poet Dobby Gibson read some selections from his collection Skirmish. I really enjoyed the poems he read, and I bought the book afterward. I haven’t ...

  • Poetry Friday: I Sailed a Poem to the Grocery Store (original poem)

    March 12, 2010

      It’s been a while since I’ve participated in a Poetry Stretch at The Miss Rumphius Effect. In fact, I haven’t been doing daily poems, either. I had to put that ritual and several others on hiatus this winter in order to meet deadlines. ...

  • The Beehive Is Back in Style

    March 9, 2010

    I found out yesterday through Google Alerts that my poetry book A Fuzzy-Fast Blur: Poems About Pets has been shortlisted for the 2011 Beehive Award (Utah’s Children’s Book Award).  Woohoo! Libraries will acquire as many books as they can (it’s a pretty dang long shortlist, ...

  • Poetry Friday: A Round of Rondeau Redouble

    March 4, 2010

      So, every once in a while, I get to write poems with the Poetry Princesses, which is an intimidating thrill. First, we did the crown sonnet. Next up was the villanelle. And then, with barely time for a deep sigh of relief after we posted those ...

  • Poetry Friday: Nest, Nook & Cranny (Susan Blackaby)

    February 19, 2010

      I’ve been reading lots of animal and nature poetry books for kids lately, and here’s a poem from Nest, Nook & Cranny, by Susan Blackaby, illustrated with charcoal drawings by Jamie Hogan (Charlesbridge, 2010). These are poems about different habitats and the lives led in them. ...

  • The Cybils Winners Have Been Announced!

    February 15, 2010

    What a Valentine’s Day treat! Yesterday, the winners of the 2010 Cybils Awards were announced, and it’s a sweet group. A special congratulations to Joyce Sidman (Red Sings from Treetops) and Liz Garton Scanlon (All the World) for their wins in the Poetry and Picture ...

  • Poetry Friday: Downy Woodpecker (Sallie Wolf)

    February 12, 2010

      OK, I feel kind of dumb not doing a love poem on the Friday before Valentine’s Day, but I’m guessing all the other Poetry Friday bloggers have this covered! Although I like to look at birds, especially raptors, I’m not a very good birdwatcher. I ...

  • Swallowed Whole (Original Poem)

    January 29, 2010

    I’m dashing out the door to present at a Young Authors Conference today, and my workshop involves writing poems about your fears and hopes. So I thought I’d share this poem that I wrote and shared back in 2007 about my biggest fear–a knock at ...

  • One Book I Love: The Cuckoo’s Haiku

    January 26, 2010

    One book I’m loving right now is The Cuckoo’s Haiku (Candlewick, 2009), poems by Michael J. Rosen (illustrated by Stan Fellows). In keeping with my mini-blogging vow for the present, I’ll just share one haiku. Dark-eyed Junco phased like tilted moonshalf shadow, half reflectionjuncos cross the snow –Michael J. ...

  • Poetry Friday: R You Sure? I’m Not (Poetry Stretch Poem)

    January 22, 2010

       Like Liz at Liz in Ink, who by the way is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today, I’m hoping to post more of my poems on Poetry Fridays. Mine will be mostly poems I do for various online poetry stretches, so they aren’t actually finished ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Swan (Mary Oliver)

    January 15, 2010

       I love lots of Mary Oliver’s poetry. She sees and describes nature in a way that puts me RIGHT there with her. And of course her poems are never just about nature–there’s always something to tie the poem into our daily lives–the goals we set, the decisions we ...

  • Poetry Friday: Reply to the Question “How Can You Become a Poet?” (Eve Merriam)

    January 8, 2010

       I kept reading about the book The Tree That Time Built: a celebration of nature, science, and imagination, poems selected by Mary Ann Hoberman and Linda Winston. Elaine at Wild Rose Reader blogged about it. An SLJ blogger raved. Oh! And I see Mary Lee at A ...

  • Lyrics as Poetry: You’re My Home (Billy Joel)

    December 22, 2009

    Today is my husband’s birthday! Since I love many song lyrics as poetry, I wanted to share an old-school Billy Joel song that we almost chose to have sung at our wedding (we went with Onward, by Yes, instead). Happy birthday, Randy. You’re my home. ...

  • Poetry Friday: Old Tongue (Jackie Kay)

    December 18, 2009

      My friend poet/writer/reviewer Carol-Ann Hoyte sent me some links to poems and readings by Scottish poet Jackie Kay. I finally got around to listening to her poems and interview the other day while I was doing some brainless puttering. Wow. I must get her ...

  • One Book I Love: Voices of Christmas

    December 14, 2009

    Nikki Grimes’ latest picture book, Voices of Christmas (Zonderkidz, 2009), is one of those books that makes me go, Why hasn’t someone done this before? It’s a collection of poems that together tell the story of the birth of Christ. Each spread introduces the character ...

  • Poetry Friday: Wounded (an original villanelle)

    December 11, 2009

    Last Friday, a group of seven of us, led by Liz Garton Scanlon of Liz in Ink, posted original villanelles. I had wanted to do something other than a nature poem, because those feel like home, and I wanted to push myself out of the comforts ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Villanelle People

    December 4, 2009

    OK, you know Liz Garton Scanlon, of Liz in Ink? You know how she’s always so enthusiastic and passionate about stuff? Well, a month or so ago, she emailed our group that wrote the crown sonnet a year and a half ago (that long?). And ...

  • A Poem for Lee Bennett Hopkins

    December 2, 2009

      Maybe you’ve heard that Lee Bennett Hopkins, gifted poet and anthologist, was officially awarded NCTE’s Excellence in Poetry for Children Award the weekend before Thanksgiving? I couldn’t attend the Philadelphia conference because I was in Atlanta for a joyful family wedding, and it sounds like ...

  • Poetry Friday: Shoal of Sharks (Richard O’Connell) and Bear Attack (me)

    November 13, 2009

    OK, I have poems about scary things on my mind this week. I just finished reading The Grizzly Maze: Timothy Treadwell’s Fatal Obsession with Alaskan Bears (excellent book, by the way) and I’m also working on a lesson plan about fear and hope and ...

  • Poetry Friday: The House (J. Patrick Lewis)

    November 6, 2009

      The House (Creative Editions, 2009) is a gorgeous poem/picture book by J. Patrick Lewis, stunningly illustrated by Roberto Innocenti (love that name). The house, built in 1656, is the main character of this story. The rhyming (but definitely not silly) poem tells the story of what the ...

  • One Book I Love: Button Up! Wrinkled Rhymes (by Alice Schertle)

    November 4, 2009

    Button Up: Wrinkled Rhymes, by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Petra Mathers, is adorable! A book full of mask poems, which I love, all told from the points of view of different articles of clothing. I was going to share "Tanya’s Old T-Shirt," but Tricia already ...

  • Poetry Friday: Zombie Haiku

    October 29, 2009

      Since it’s almost Halloween, I’m doing a scary Poetry Friday post. The pic above is me with my husband, Randy. Randy’s a newspaper editor/reporter, and he got to be a zombie for the night at a local Halloween attraction and write about it. Then he ...

  • One Book I Love: Food Hates You, Too

    October 27, 2009

    Who could resist a title like Food Hates You, Too (Disney-Hyperion, 2009)? Not this picky eater! With poems and illustrations by Robert Weinstock, this collection shows off a wry, sly sense of humor. "Ferris-Wheeling" is one of my favorites in the book. Ferris-Wheeling Ferris-wheeling is appealingwhen your stomach ...

  • Shrinking Days on Tour

    October 26, 2009

    OK, nothing’s really on tour. But the leaves are golden or on the ground (or both), it’s almost Halloween, and my book Shrinking Days, Frosty Nights: Poems About Fall, the first book I wrote in the Capstone series I did, had two nice mentions recently. First up, it’s ...

  • Poetry Friday Right Here!

    October 15, 2009

      Happy Poetry Friday! I’ve been re-reading Words with Wrinkled Knees: Animal Poems, an old collection by Barbara Juster Esbensen (who also wrote one of my favorite poetry collections ever, Swing Around the Sun). Here’s one poem I love: You must readthis word under waterunderwavering nets of coollightA ...

  • My Blog Meander for Stampede

    October 12, 2009

    I didn’t really do a concentrated blog tour for Stampede…more like a mosey or a meander. And now I just wanted to have all the stops listed together in one blog post ...

  • Poetry Friday: Picnic, Lightning (Billy Collins)

    October 9, 2009

      I felt like sharing a Billy Collins poem this morning, and "Picnic, Lightning" won the Poetry Friday lottery. I really love the tiny dark unmoored ship and the ending images of immersing yourself in the now, the ordinary moments that make live so vivid. Picnic, Lightning "My ...

  • Poetry Friday: Spot the Plot (J. Patrick Lewis)

    October 2, 2009

      J. Patrick Lewis has a new poetry book out this fall. OK, really, he has 2 or 3 or maybe even 5! And this one, Spot the Plot, has the cleverest premise ever. Each poem is a riddle full of clues to a children’s book. ...

  • Poetry Friday: Without (an original poem)

    September 25, 2009

      Today, I have a poem and a question to share with you. First, the question. I’m looking for recommendations of poetry journals for adults featuring accessible, mainstream poetry. I love Billy Collins, Kay Ryan, Jane Kenyon…so you can see I don’t really go too much ...

  • Poetry Friday: Without Rancor (an original poem)

    September 18, 2009

      I took a wonderful poetry class at the Loft in Minneapolis last spring. One of our exercises was to write a poem with the word "rancor" in the title. Most of my poems are NOT actually about my personal experiences, though people often think they are. ...

  • Poetry Friday: School Supplies

    September 10, 2009

      All week, I’ve been sharing school-themed poetry books I love. And of course, I couldn’t leave out School Supplies, a Lee Bennett Hopkins anthology. Here are just a couple of the poems I love from this book: Homework It rustles itshifts with no windin the room tomove ...

  • A Couple More School-Themed Poetry Books…By Me

    September 9, 2009

    I’ve been posting this week about school-themed poetry books I love, and I guess I would not be living up to my promotion commitment if I didn’t sneak in a mention of my own two books. I’ve shared poems from both before, so I’ll just ...

  • One Book I Love: Lunch Money and Other Poems About School

    September 9, 2009

    It’s the second day of school, and I’m continuing to share some of my favorite school-based poetry collections. This one, Lunch Money and Other Poems About School, is by Carol Diggory Shields. It’s more than 10 years old and is one of the first children’s ...

  • One Book I Love: Countdown to Summer

    September 8, 2009

    During summer, I’m counting the days until school begins again, but for most kids, it’s the opposite. Prolific, wonderful poet J. Patrick Lewis knows that and has created a new collection called Countdown to Summer: A Poem for Every Day of the School Year (Little, ...

  • Countdown to School: Poem #4 (I Don’t Know Why)

    September 3, 2009

    Still counting down to the start of the schoolyear with a week’s worth of unpublished school poems. Here’s a poem I wrote based on my time as an 8th-grade teacher. I had a couple of students who would always be at school early, helping me out ...

  • Last Week of Summer: Poem 3 (#2 Wand)

    September 2, 2009

    I’m celebrating the last week of summer with poems about school! Here’s poem #3. #2 Wand PointedEnds write lettersNeat–Caging magicIn Lines onSheets –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved And Stampede! got a nice mention on the PlanetEsme Plan. Yay!

  • Is It Time for School Yet? Poem #2

    September 1, 2009

    Thanks, you guys, for all your empathy (both here and on FB) over my editorial news. I really appreciate your encouragement! And, in a stroke of good timing, on the day I shared my bad news, I got word yesterday that an editor at a different house ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Poems We Wear (original poems)

    August 14, 2009

      LJ’s giving me fits this morning, so I’ll try this super quick to see if it works! The Poetry Stretch at the Miss Rumphius Effect this week was to write poems about articles of clothing. Early in the week, I wrote two for my daily poems–totally ...

  • One Book I Love: The Monsterologist

    August 11, 2009

    One book I’m loving right now is The Monsterologist: A Memoir in Rhyme, ghostwritten (ha!) by Bobbi Katz and illustrated by Adam McCauley. I met Bobbi at ALA in Chicago and bought this fun collection at her signing. The premise is that a person who ...

  • What’s Cold and What’s New?

    August 5, 2009

    The Poetry Stretch this week at The Miss Rumphius Effect is to write a dictionary poem. I love cold weather and think it gets a bad rap, so I decided to define cold through the seasons. Is This Cold? cold?kold n. [from Old English cald; huddled next to ...

  • Cooking Up Recipe Poems (2 Original Poems)

    July 9, 2009

      Shhh! Don’t tell the Poetry Friday police! I’m posting a day early because I leave tomorrow morning at 5 a.m. for the airport to head to Chicago for ALA. This week’s Poetry Stretch at The Miss Rumphius Effect is all about recipe poems. On Monday and Tuesday, ...

  • Poetry Friday: Dry Sea Skin and The Best Place to Be… (2 original poems)

    July 3, 2009

    Summer is my least creative time of year, so I’ve been extra grateful for the Poetry Stretch challenges at The Miss Rumphius Effect recently. This week’s challenge was to write an acrostic (where the first letter of each line forms a word when you ...

  • Poetry Stretch: Obsession, by Prince Charming

    June 11, 2009

     This week’s Poetry Stretch  over at Miss Rumphius Effect is about fairy tales. My WIP is actually a collection of poems all with a certain hook and related to fairy tales, but I can’t share one of those here. So here’s a different one, for an ...

  • Falling Down the Page

    June 3, 2009

      Last year, at Wild Rose Reader, I won a copy of Falling Down the Page: A Book of List Poems, the new Georgia Heard poetry anthology with a poem in it by Elaine Magliaro. Publication got pushed back a year, and I was so delighted to ...

  • Plagiarism Made My Day

    May 18, 2009

    OK, not the plagiarism part, but an effect of it. Just recently, my husband was asking if I worry about people taking poems I post online and posting them elsewhere or publishing them as their own. The reality of that crosses my mind occasionally, but I ...

  • Poetry Friday: Red Sings from Treetops

    May 8, 2009

      Look what came to my house while I was out of town on school visits last week! I’d been eager to see Joyce Sidman’s newest poetry book, and here it is! Red Sings from Treetops: a year in colors(illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski). Joyce, along with teacher ...

  • Poetry Friday: Laura’s at 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast

    April 17, 2009

    ? Ever since I started blogging, I’ve been secretly envious of all the wonderful interviews posted at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Well, guess what? Today, I’m there?in an interview fabulously conducted by Jules.?If you have time to grab a coffee or an orange juice and read ...

  • Poetry Friday: Tracie Vaughn Zimmer and Steady Hands

    April 3, 2009

      Talented poet Tracie Vaughn Zimmer has a new collection out called Steady Hands: Poems About Work! What a terrific glimpse into people’s working life. From Janitor to Babysitter, Organizer to Surgeon, this collection takes jobs and shines a light on them, making you see them ...

  • Poetry Favorite: A Few of My Favorite (B) Things! (Original Poem)

    March 27, 2009

      A couple of weeks ago, Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect participated in a challenge and shared her favorite D things, a letter assigned randomly to her by Julie Larios, who had praised P. Well, cool. I emailed Tricia to get a letter, and she sent ...

  • Poetry Friday: no justice n o p e a c e (by Arnold Adoff)

    March 20, 2009

      Two weeks ago, I posted J. Patrick Lewis’ poem for the Peace Project, and last week, I posted mine.  This week, to complete the trifecta of Peace Project Poems featured here, I share with you this fabulous poem by Arnold Adoff, whose award-winning work over the years ...

  • Poetry Friday: The Rules of History (J. Patrick Lewis)

    March 6, 2009

      Earlier this week, I posted about the Peace Project Judy Fisk Lucas is putting together. The prolific, terrific J. Patrick Lewis shared his submission for the project with me and graciously agreed to let me post it here. The Rules of History  The fatter the king, ...

  • Poetry Friday: Evasive Maneuvers (by Billy Collins)

    February 27, 2009

      I headed to southern Minnesota for two days of school visits, which went great. Part of my presentation involves sharing with kids how I was always reading as a kid, even when my parents insisted I go outside to play and get fresh air. I ...

  • Poetry Friday: A couple of sijo

    February 20, 2009

    Each week, I say to myself, I need to do the Poetry Stretch at The Miss Rumphius Effect. And then somehow the week is gone. But yesterday, I forced myself to commit a few minutes because the form this week is short–sijo–and I’ve written ...

  • Diamond Willow Wins Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award

    February 17, 2009

    Diamond Willow, by Helen Frost, has won the 2009 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award! This award is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, the University Libraries, and the Pennsylvania School Librarians’ Association. It comes with a boatload of honor and $1,000 from Lee ...

  • Poetry Friday: Jaguar (Francisco X. Alarcon)

    February 6, 2009

      Animal Poems of the Iguazu, a bilingual collection of poems by Francisco X. Alarcon and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez, gives voice to the animals of the Iguazu National Park in South America. Here’s one of my favorites from the collection: Jaguarete some sayI’m now almostextinct in this ...

  • Poetry Friday: Bling (The Killers)

    January 30, 2009

      We went to a Killers concert a couple of weeks ago, and I thought I’d share some lyrics for Poetry Friday. This is the opening of "Bling," (lyrics, I assume, by Brandon Flowers, but I can’t find proper credit on their site). "Bling (Confession Of A King)" ...

  • My First Copy of Stampede!

    January 28, 2009

    Last night, I was working on materials for an online class I’m teaching, and my husband walked in. "I opened a package for you by mistake," he said. He gets tons of packages every day, so when UPS, FedEx, DSL, et al. come calling, the ...

  • Poetry Stretch: Terza Rima

    December 17, 2008

    I’m trying to find the time to participate in the Poetry Stretch each week at The Miss Rumphius Effect. Tricia always has great ideas, and I always want to give them a try, but often the week is gone before I realize it. I’m trying to ...

  • Poetry Friday: Acrostics

    December 12, 2008

     I love to write acrostics–they’re fun and they often come fairly easily. But not always. Stop by Kid Magazine Writers to see my Meter Readers column, Acrostics: Poetry, Top to Bottom. In it, I share my process and also some of my struggles And here’s one ...

  • Poetry Stretch: Climbing Rhyme

    December 4, 2008

    OK, I admit I’m feeling distressed today at all the layoffs, firings, and restructurings in the children’s publishing world. I’m not a big businessperson, and I don’t really know all the implications of yesterday’s bloodbath at HMH, S&S, etc. But I’m waiting to hear whether ...

  • Poetry Friday: Michigan Sahara (by Lisa Westberg Peters)

    November 28, 2008

      My Thanksgiving went MUCH better than expected yesterday, and we all had a really fun day. Yea! I wanted to find a poem that had a surprise in it for today, since yesterday was a lovely surprise, and I wanted it to be a kids’ ...

  • Pick Me! More Un-nominated CYBILS Possibilities

    October 9, 2008

    Today, I’m sharing poetry books from Candlewick Press that haven’t yet been nominated. On the Farm  Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers If you haven’t already nominated a book in the poetry category, please check out some books (these or ...

  • Please Adopt Us for the CYBILS

    October 7, 2008

    As I did last year, I’m going to share some lists of un-nominated books here, in the hopes that someone will nominate them. In my opinion, the more books we have to consider for the CYBILS honors, the better! Today, I’m sharing books from Wordsong that ...

  • Poetry Friday: Renga verse from Birds on a Wire

    October 3, 2008

      Today, I wanted to share a verse from a lovely new picture book of interlinked renga verse by J. Patrick Lewis and Paul B. Janeczko. The book is called Birds on a Wire, and it’s a "portrait of a day in an American village." The ...

  • Poetry Friday: Written in the Stars (original poem)

    September 25, 2008

      I’ve been thinking about a variation on acrostics this week. They’re called phrase acrostics, and I hadn’t really heard of them until an instructor mentioned them in a poetry class I was taking last year at the Loft Literary Center. When she explained that you ...

  • Weaving: an autumn cinquain

    September 22, 2008

    It’s time for Pensieve’s monthly poetry challenge, Poetic License! The challenge this time? An autumn cinquain. I love cinquain, and I love autumn. This is one I actually wrote to a different image, and this is the closest I could find to share. Weaving???? Sunlight threads through stiff ...

  • Poetry Friday: An Interview with a Couple of Pirate Rapscallions

    September 19, 2008

      A few weeks ago on Poetry Friday, I shared a poem from Pirates, a fantastic new poetry collection by David L.  Harrison, illustrated by Dan Burr (Wordsong, 2008). (Just before that, Kelly Fineman at Writing and Ruminating posted an in-depth review of the book here.)  ...

  • Back to School

    September 2, 2008

    Today is the first day of school for my 8th and 11th graders, so regardless of what the calendar says, it’s the first day of fall to me. Fall is my favorite season! And while doing my morning pages, I brainstormed some of the things ...

  • Constantly Risking Absurdity: The Blue Devils and You

    August 20, 2008

    In Drum Corps International this year, the Blue Devils performed a show called “Constantly Risking Absurdity,” based on this poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Constantly Risking Absurdity Constantly risking absurdity and death whenever he performs above the heads of his audience the poet like an acrobat ...

  • My Chapel: Original Poem

    July 3, 2008

    This week’s Poetry Stretch from Miss Rumphius asks us to “write a poem that contains the five words sky, knot, fork, wall, and rose, as well as either trumpet or bullet as the sixth word.” This exercise is based on the book, I Am Writing ...

  • Stop Using Rhyme as a Weapon!

    July 2, 2008

    Back at Wordy Girls last year, I posted a wretched poem McDonald’s was using on their placemats. Talk about giving poetry a bad name! Well, a week or so ago, I was at a Taco John’s. Great tacos, terrible marketing. The tabletop seller advertising their “SOOO ...

  • Double-Jointed Poetry Stretch

    June 19, 2008

    Robin at Pensieve has this photo up for her Friday’s 40 exercise this week. And Miss Rumphius has challenged us to write a rictameter, which sounds like a cinquain on steroids. Syllable count of 2-4-6-8-10-8-6-4-2, and the first and last line are the same word(s). ...

  • Poetry Friday: A Billy Collins Poem

    June 13, 2008

    I wrote a summer poem for this week’s Poetry Stretch, and I decided to also post a summer poem today for Poetry Friday. Fishing on the Susquehanna in July     by Billy Collins   I have never been fishing on the Susquehannaor on any river for that matterto ...

  • Poetry Friday: Rainbow Soup, by Brian P. Cleary

    May 30, 2008

       Brian P. Cleary, the author of a series of bestselling, very clever, rhyming grammar series, Words Are CATegorical (which includes titles like Lazily, Crazily, Just a Bit Nasally: More About Adverbs), also has other poetry/wordplay books, which I didn’t realize. One is Rainbow Soup (Millbrook Press, 2004), which ...

  • Poetry Friday: A Highland Cow poem

    May 16, 2008

      As I’m teaching my Getting to a Poem workshop this week, I am, as always, doing the assignments along with everyone else. One day we wrote poems based on places, so I browsed through my Scotland photos and decided to try to capture the immensity ...

  • Poetry Friday: James Graham (Poem written before execution)

    May 2, 2008

    It’s fun to be participating from another country. Yesterday, we went to St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, where the architecture and stunning windows were awe-inspiring.  We also got to see the burial spot of James Graham, the first Marquis of Montrose.  We had read about him while learning ...

  • Poem In Your Pocket Day

    April 17, 2008

    It’s National Poetry Month, and today is Poem In Your Pocket day! OK, I’m not in New York, but still…I want to carry a poem! I wanted to actually carry a poem from J. Patrick Lewis’ Scien-Trickery book of poem riddles, which I talked about here. ...

  • Poetry Friday: A Crown Sonnet

    April 10, 2008

       I am so proud to be part of the crown sonnet project called Cutting a Swath, which a group of us are publishing on our blogs today! You can read all about the project at Liz in Ink, where Liz Garton Scanlon has the entire crown sonnet ...

  • A New Poem from J. Patrick Lewis

    April 9, 2008

    I was so excited to hear from J. Patrick Lewis a few weeks ago. And then I read Elaine Magliaro’s fantastic interview with him last week at Wild Rose Reader. I’ve been behind in my blog reading due to school visits and general life chaos, ...

  • Poetry Friday: We Old Dudes

    March 28, 2008

      Today is Poetry Friday, and I wish I could spend the day reading or writing poetry. But I’m going to the Mall. Yes, I capitalized Mall because it’s THE Mall, the Mall of America. I do not like malls nor shopping all that much. But today’s ...

  • Poetry Friday: Two Epitaphs from J. Patrick Lewis

    March 21, 2008

    OK, I’ve whined already about my bad week. But at least one good thing happened! On Wednesday, I found in my inbox an email with a sender of jplewis. I have a sister named J.P., and another sister with the last name of Lewis, and without ...

  • Miss Rumphius’ poetry stretch

    March 13, 2008

    Miss Rumphius has a photo-based Poetry Stretch this week, and the image is arresting. I tend not to choose images with people, because I usually prefer a more neutral scene that I can interpret any way I want. So writing a poem to an image that ...

  • Poetry Friday: Honeybee

    March 7, 2008

      I recently read Naomi Shihab Nye’s Honeybee, and I really enjoyed it. I admit that parts of it felt too preachy for me, and other parts a bit inaccessible. But so many poems from it really struck my heart. Here are just a few favorites ...

  • Poetry Friday: Two Diamantes

    February 28, 2008

      My older daughter, like any self-respecting 15-year-old, does not want to spend tons of time with me. Unless her friends are all busy and she’s bored. One thing we do enjoy doing together is going to Caribou Coffee and writing poems together. We’ve only done ...

  • Apostrophe Poem: To My Backup Disk

    February 28, 2008

    Driving home from a meeting today, I decided to jump into Miss Rumphius’ Poetry Stretch for the week. I decided to write my poem to a necessity of life: the backup disk. To My Backup Disk Small silver circle You are the storage shedin the back yard of ...

  • Poetry Friday: A Billy Collins Poem

    February 15, 2008

      For Valentine’s Day, my husband gave me a CD of Billy Collins Live, a performance from 2005. He did this even though we don’t make a big deal over Valentine’s Day (our anniversary is the week before it) and we had agreed to do nothing ...

  • This Is Just to Say, the Cybils Have Been Announced!

    February 14, 2008

    The Cybils have been announced, and This Is Just to Say, by Joyce Sidman, won for poetry. Yea! This is one of my top two favorite poetry books of 2007 (and now both have won major awards, hint, hint). It was fun being on the nominating ...

  • Miss Rumphius’ poetry stretch

    February 7, 2008

    Shoot! I just realized I haven’t done this week’s Poetry Stretch from the Miss Rumphius Effect yet! It’s a photopoetry challenge this week–I love that! When I first glanced at the picture, I thought those were pigs on the ground. I’m relieved to see that they’re really ...

  • Poetry Friday: A roundel

    February 1, 2008

      The challenge from Tricia this week at The Miss Rumphius Effect was to write a roundel. I didn’t have time to do this, but I also didn’t do last week’s macaronic verse challenge. So Wednesday night, while I was at a ski trip meeting with ...

  • My Two Centos’ Worth

    January 16, 2008

    OK, it’s only one cento, but it feels long! Miss Rumphius challenged us to a modified cento this week, using titles of favorite books. I chose mostly some of my favorite poetry books, from this year and years past. There are a couple I only chose for ...

  • Poetry Friday: A William Carlos Williams Poem

    January 11, 2008

    Yesterday, I went cross-country skiing for the first time. Although I mainly concentrated on set, push, glide, I did get to admire the gorgeous winter scenery. We’re having a snowy winter in Minnesota this year (although we need a fresh snowfall, please), and I love looking at bare ...

  • Ack–A Sonnet?

    November 28, 2007

    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 ...

  • Poetry Friday: Chrysalis

    November 16, 2007

    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 ...

  • Robert’s Snow: Mike Wohnoutka

    November 12, 2007

    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 ...

  • Double Dactyl: What’s All the Fuss About?

    October 14, 2007

    So, I read about the double dactyl form of poetry on Kelly Fineman’s blog on Poetry Friday and decided to try one this weekend. I had never even heard of it! Yesterday, as my kids were were shopping for inappropriate Halloween costumes (who knew the devil wore ...

  • Poetry Friday: My Biggest Fear

    September 28, 2007

    After posting Mary Oliver’s Alligator Poem last week, I decided to try my hand at writing a poem about my biggest fear. Alligators are a phobia of mine, but not something I really worry about here in Minnesota!  I knew my greatest fear was bad news ...

  • Poetry Friday: A Mary Oliver Poem

    September 21, 2007

    I grew up in Florida near a lake and I have many memories involving alligators. Not good memories. They terrify me. And before I was old enough to be terrified, I was in rather close proximity a few times. Never attacked or chased, but close ...

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JANUARY NEWS

I loved the holidays! And I'm so glad they're over. A quiet, snowy January is just what I need. This month, I'm working on two board book manuscripts, and I'm making materials to go with my 3 spring 2023 books.

I'm also busy prepping for upcoming author visits and setting my goals and priorities for 2023. Wishing you a lovely start to your own new year!

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