Small Reads for Brighters Days
It’s always a good time to be grateful, but it’s likely a topic you’re focusing on right now before Thanksgiving. Here’s a little poem from my (out-of-print) book of fall poetry, Shrinking Days, Frosty Nights (Capstone Press/A+ Books). And here’s a sheet you can use to write your own thankful poems with your students! […]
Thank you so much to those of you who were able to come to my online launch event last week with Red Balloon Bookshop! It was just lovely to see some familiar names in the Chat–really warmed my heart. Since I had gathered info and thoughts in preparation for the event, I thought I’d create […]
Y’all, I’m so excited for the virtual book launch tonight for If You Want to Knit Some Mittens! It’s at 7pm Central Time with Red Balloon Bookshop hosting me and Angela Matteson, and there will be two prizes given out at the end of the event: a pair of adorable Girl/Sheep wooden tiles painted by […]
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, […]
October only: Looking for how-to mentor texts to share with your students? If You Want to Knit Some Mittens takes the reader from a sheep to a pair of sunny gold mittens in 18 easy steps—including some madcap adventures and ending with a close-knit friendship. Plus Angela Matteson and I created this downloadable writing activity […]
October only: I’m so pleased to have a measuring lesson plan (using yarn!) for K-2 available on Patricia Newman’s wonderful blog as part of her LitLinks series celebrating the links between STEM topics and writing/literature. I hope you enjoy it! [My Classroom Connections posts share a way to connect one of my books or poems […]
October only: There’s nothing like getting outside to read a nature book! A couple of weekends ago, I got to share Secrets of the Loon with some families at a Minnesota park through Dakota County Library. It was a gorgeous fall day, and it was fun to talk about how a loon’s anatomy affects its […]
Howdy! I’m over at Lydia Lukidis’ blog today with a Blissfully Bookish post about the writing of If You Want to Knit Some Mittens! I hope you’ll check it out and also comment on Lydia’s site to enter the giveaway of a signed copy! And stick around to get to know Lydia, too :>) Here’s […]
I’ll be sharing lots about my forthcoming picture book, If You Want to Knit Some Mittens, in the coming weeks. But for now, I just want to soak up the joy on the face of a family friend, Ryeli, who I gave one of my author copies to. Teachers, I hope you’re seeing lots of […]
I know lots of teachers I meet up with want to write kids’ books, so I just wanted to share that I’m giving a webinar on work-for-hire writing. These are largely the series nonfiction books that school libraries buy. If you’re interested in learning more about this field and whether you might want to give […]
