Small Reads for Brighters Days
I have lots of wonderful teacher friends, and at the beginning of the year, many of them focus on building community in their classrooms and libraries. If you’re looking to build community, inclusiveness, and friendship skills, consider sharing two of my books, Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten and We Belong. Clover Kitty is especially relevant […]
January 23-27 is the Great Kindness Challenge, and I hope you’ll read this beautiful article from Bookology about the kind of change this can inspire at your school. You don’t have to go all hard core, of course. Start small if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Maybe a simple bingo card or checklist of things students could […]
December is a rough time of year for anybody who’s feeling sad or left out. That makes it the perfect time to share We Belong, with its message of belonging and inclusivity. You could also print out this lovely mini-poster and display it, using it to jump start a discussion on belonging. [My Classroom Connections […]
In September, I visited Scotland with my husband, sister, and brother-in-law—and our daughter Maddie joined us for a couple of days in Edinburgh. I’m so grateful to have had this trip. Whenever I’m lucky enough to travel, I think about what people all over the world have both in common and in difference—and how to […]
My biggest hopes for We Belong are that it gets used to spark good discussions and to create community. So I’ve created a template for you to use with your students to write a classroom or family poem. I used this template at the book launch and on some recent author visits with K-1 classes. […]
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 reach out with any questions you have! Well, it’s only […]
My next picture book comes out soon, and I can’t wait to start sharing it. It’s called We Belong, and it’s illustrated by Carlos Vélez Aguilera and published by Carolrhoda Books. Here’s a graphic featuring Carlos’ gorgeous art to wet your whistle! Want a downloadable, printable, 18″ x 24″ poster similar to the graphic above? […]
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, wouldn’t even exist without Carolrhoda Associate Publisher Carol […]
