Small Reads for Brighters Days
Did you know Geologists Day is April 2? Me, neither. But I’m so grateful to geologists. Some of the most fascinating things I know about the earth were revealed/discovered/figured out by these rock scientists. It’s the perfect time to pull out A Rock Can Be… to share with your students. I’ve got all sorts of […]
Yesterday was the book birthday for my newest book, If You Want to Knit Some Mittens (Boyds Mills). Whee! On November 3, at 7pm Central Time, illustrator Angela Matteson and I will be joining Red Balloon Books for a launch party, and you’re invited! Those 2 charming painted mini-tiles you see, painted by Angela Matteson, […]
Did you know September 16 is Collect Rocks Day? Me, neither! (And really, isn’t every day a good day to collect rocks?) Agates are my favorite—what’s yours? To celebrate, check out my readaloud of A Rock Can Be at https://youtu.be/xBuJ1Fys-9M And on my page for the book, I have a teaching guide plus links to […]
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 more comfortable with WATER CAN BE… […]
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 about literacy for birth through grade 3, and I’d […]
It’s almost Earth Day! It’s a great time to pull out my Can Be… books, which all celebrate our planet. And if you want some book-related activities, go here to find links to teaching guides, activity sheets and more! The focus this year is on plastic pollution, so you might also look for Loree Griffin […]
I’m heading to NCTE later this week and can’t wait to catch up with many writer and educator friends. I’m part of two sessions–one with many wonderful nonfiction writers, where Irene Latham and I will share a table discussing nonfiction poetry and another focusing on digital literacy and sharing student voice using digital tools and […]
A couple of weeks ago, I came home to a box on my doorstep from Lerner. I thought it might be my author copies of my next picture book, even though that’s still 5 months from publication. I ran into the kitchen and tore open the box. Nope. Not If You Were the Moon. Instead, […]
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 even at Christmastime, he finds ways to cheer on my […]
Of course you do! I’m visiting Kirby’s blog today with a few pictures and stories of my favorite rocks from my recent trip to Scotland and Ireland. Kirby writes wonderful historical fiction novels (I LOVE her Hattie Brooks books!) and nonfiction picture books and is just the kindest person ever. She’s just a lovely, real […]
