Maps! And trees! I’m a fan of both! Here’s an activity to use with MY GRANDPA, MY TREE, AND ME by Roxanne Troup—ready to go for busy educators! Roxanne is offering a GIVEAWAY—a free 30-minute virtual visit! For a teacher, it can be a virtual author visit for a classroom. Or for a writer, a … More Especially for Educators: “Using Back Matter to Inspire Lesson Plans” by Roxanne Troup
In today’s post, Donna McKinney hits one of my favorite topics—structure. I’m fascinated by the way playing with structure can open up your thinking and writing. Her book LIGHTS ON! started with a list of fascinating undersea creatures, but then she needed to find a way to shape the information to be engaging for kids. “What’s the … More Behind the Scenes: “What’s the Big Idea?” by Donna McKinney
While every historical rabbit hole offers interesting tidbits and discoveries, there’s always the challenge of accuracy. It takes time and perseverance to sort it all out, but somehow, for me, it’s nerd-ily fascinating. In this post, Cathy Ogren shares how she searched out the facts for PEW! THE STINKY AND LEGEN-DAIRY GIFT FROM COLONEL THOMAS S. … More Behind the Scenes: “Separating the Curds from the Whey in Search of Accurate Information” by Cathy Ogren
Think back to when you were a child and dared to hold a wiggly worm or lifted rocks in search of fishing bait. Worms fascinate despite the EW factor. Marie Boyd’s JUST A WORM can be the beginning of an exploration for kids. Here she shared a nature walk to use with the book. Be … More Especially for Educators: “A Nature Walk Activity Inspired by ‘Just a Worm'” by Marie Boyd
How do you make a story about math and electricity comprehensible and relatable for kids? Author Jan Lower knew she needed to “show don’t tell,” but how? Finding connections for elementary aged children in the main character’s actions and processes, she crafted each sentence to build a child-friendly and engaging text. Here’s how Jan did … More Behind the Scenes: “Making the Moment of a Calculator’s Invention Relatable for Kids” by Jan Lower
Voice—mysterious, essential, unique—that quality that every editor wants, the “flavor” bestowed by the author that makes a story come alive. Here Caitlin DeLems shares her struggle to find voice in her nonfiction book PITCH PERFECT AND PERSISTENT! THE MUSICAL DEBUT OF AMY CHENEY BEACH. And you’ll see that even Caitlin’s blog article has voice! GIVEAWAY! … More Behind the Scenes: “Discover the Victorious “V” in Voice!” by Caitlin DeLems
Thank goodness for dishwashers! Did you ever wonder who created this time-saving invention? Here’s how author Kate Hannigan found a story of more than the invention. And we have a GIVEAWAY! Just leave a comment below to get in the drawing for a copy of JOSEPHINE AND HER DISHWASHING MACHINE. Dishwashing Machine Inventor Josephine Cochrane, … More Mining for Heart: “Dishwashing Machine Inventor Josephine Cochrane, Original Boss Lady” by Kate Hannigan
This blog is my effort to share children’s books, insights and processes of authors and illustrators, ideas for educators and parents, and a range of writing related topics. Today I offer a PSA for a learning opportunity for aspiring, beginning, and “on their way” authors—a free seminar which answers many of the big questions about … More The Writing Journey: Opportunity!
As an educator, I always appreciated opportunities to connect learning objectives with real world action. And when those also connect to literature and an inspiring piece of history, even better! That’s why I was excited to hear that there’s a Forever Stamp campaign underway to honor Deborah Sampson. (And…we’re heading into Women’s History Month!) SPECIAL EDUCATOR … More Especially for Educators: “Write to Persuade the USPS—Deborah Sampson Deserves a Stamp!”
Once in a great while a title jumps onto the page. But mostly, titles are tough! Seldom is the title you start with the final one. It evolves with the writing and story. Here’s a post from Gretchen Woelfle about her quest for just the right title and how it became A TAKE-CHARGE GIRL BLAZES … More Behind the Scenes: “Searching for Just the Right Title” by Gretchen Woelfle
Beth Anderson, Children's Writer 