Laura Purdie Salas

Writing the World for Kids

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Getting Ready for Winter

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The days are getting brisker, here in Minnesota anyway, and the creatures are all preparing for the cold. If you’re studying topics like hibernation, migration, and adaptation, make sure to add Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready for Winter (Millbrook, illus by Claudine Gevry) to your list of resources. So far this fall, I’ve […]

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Celebrating Fall Leaves!

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Fall is my favorite favorite time of year, and fall color is one of the reasons for that. A couple of weeks ago, Randy and I tried out our inflatable kayak. We were on a small lake in St. Paul, and we got to admire a bit of fall color while a bald eagle hunted […]

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The Best Gift for World Teachers’ Day #ClassroomConnections

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World Teachers’ Day is coming up on October 5, and teachers are working harder this year than ever before! As a former teacher, I can picture the stressed-out mess I would be if I were still teaching today. So I’m going to suggest (even though you might be a stressed-out mess, too), that you thank […]

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Celebrate the Moon with the Chinese Moon Festival #ClassroomConnections

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On October 1st, some people in China celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival. Are you celebrating with your students? Add If You Were the Moon to your party! If you’re partying at least a day early, you can catch the virtual storywalk here. And for loads of moon […]

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Ready for Talk Like a Pirate Day? #ClassroomConnections

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It’s almost Talk Like a Pirate Day! I can’t believe my A Is for Arrr! A Pirate Alphabet, was published 10 years ago! If you don’t have that book, check out this roundup of pirate-themed picture books. And don’t miss Pirates, by David L. Harrison and Dan Burr. It’s one of my very favorite poetry […]

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Collect Rocks Day Is Coming Up! #ClassroomConnections

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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 […]

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A Virtual Storywalk for If You Were the Moon #ClassroomConnections

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Did you see the full moon last night? Sigh…one of my favorite things in the world. Dakota County Library in Minnesota has created a virtual storywalk of my book If You Were the Moon (Millbrook Press, illus by Jaime Kim). It’s set up in a park so it’s as if you’re walking through the park […]

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Writing to an Author #ClassroomConnections

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 Last month, I got an amazing email from a kindergarten teacher in Belgium named Eleonora about my most recent picture book, Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten. She said that a friend recommended the book to her because: “(I’m autistic and very sensitive to sensory stimuli) and a kindergarten teacher. And I really, really loved it, […]

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Get Ready for Literacy Day! #ClassroomConnections

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September 8 is International Literacy Day! This year’s theme is Teaching and Learning in the Covid-19 Crisis and Beyond. It’s a great time to thank all the teachers you know for the extra work they’re doing to reach and teach your kids during challenging times. Thanks, teachers! Here are just a few activities I offer […]

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Back to School Printables #ClassroomConnections

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This year, the phrase “back to school” is raising anxiety levels to a new high. I’m not even a teacher anymore, and my kids are grown, but even I’m feeling the pressure. (On a less dangerous level, it’s a rather nerve-wracking time to be a children’s writer, too, as getting our books to readers is […]

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