Laura Purdie Salas

Writing the World for Kids

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Leatherback [15 Words or Less]

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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 our trip to DC, but this skeleton of a leatherback […]

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Floor Lamp Waits [Poetry Friday]

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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 how we schedule things in the future, picturing them […]

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Metal Tree [15 Words or Less]

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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 the mall in Washington, DC. That’s me standing beside it, […]

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Moose Topiary, Sort Of [15 Words or Less]

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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:

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Olmec Head [15 Words or Less]

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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! But I hope you still participate. This is such a […]

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10 Nonfiction Picture Books with Interesting Structures or Formats #nf10for10

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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 employ unusual formats or elements or structures! These are […]

Write an Equation Poem? [Poetry Friday]

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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: Spring Equations (illus by Micha Archer, Charlesbridge). I’m […]

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Bird on a Branch [15 Words or Less]

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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 think of several things:

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Lunch in a Refugee Reception Centre [Poetry Friday]

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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 Marilyn’s stunning poem. All finished? So, although I’ve tried […]

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Eyeborg [15 Words or Less]

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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:

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