Tag: STEM

Mining for Heart: “Lyrical Nonfiction: The Heartbeat of My Writing Life” by Randi Sonenshine

April 28, 2024

That sneaky octopus has been hiding for a day or two, but fear not…author Randi Sonenshine is here with a post on how she lured that fascinating and elusive creature out with lyrical nonfiction!  Randi’s offering a GIVEAWAY! Just leave a comment below to be entered to win a copy of THE DEN THAT OCTOPUS … More Mining for Heart: “Lyrical Nonfiction: The Heartbeat of My Writing Life” by Randi Sonenshine

Mining for Heart: “Without Gravity, We Wouldn’t Be Here” by Henry Herz

April 12, 2024

Henry Herz tackles some difficult topics, like smoke and gravity. Here he explains his three-pronged approach to I AM GRAVITY, his new release. And I have to say, not only was the text lyrical and engaging, and the illustrations downright gorgeous, it’s pretty mind blowing to consider the vast impact of gravity— so much more … More Mining for Heart: “Without Gravity, We Wouldn’t Be Here” by Henry Herz

Especially for Educators: “Investigating the Structure and Function of Rule-Breaking Plants” by Jessica Fries-Gaither

December 1, 2023

Educators! Here’s a terrific science activity using carnivorous plants and a new book from author and science educator Jessica Fries-Gaither! AND Jessica is offering a GIVEAWAY! A copy of NATURE’S RULE BREAKERS: CREATURES THAT DON’T FIT IN! Just leave a comment after the post to be entered in the drawing.  Congratulations to ejdthomasville winner of … More Especially for Educators: “Investigating the Structure and Function of Rule-Breaking Plants” by Jessica Fries-Gaither

Mining for Heart: “Separation and Connection” by Jilanne Hoffmann

October 27, 2023

Oh, so many challenges with the writing of A RIVER OF DUST: THE LIVE-GIVING LINK BETWEEN NORTH AFRICA AND THE AMAZON. I’d never heard of the “river of dust” and was fascinated to learn about this amazing process of nature. In this post, author Jilanne Hoffmann takes us through the process of finding the heart … More Mining for Heart: “Separation and Connection” by Jilanne Hoffmann

Especially for Educators: “Five Fantastic Geology Activities for Young Children” by Leslie Barnard Booth

October 6, 2023

This week we’re featuring another gorgeous picture book about geology! Author Leslie Barnard Booth shares some fantastic classroom activities for educators based on her new book A STONE IS A STORY.  Leslie is also offering a giveaway of a 30-minute virtual classroom visit! Just leave a comment after the post to get in the drawing! … More Especially for Educators: “Five Fantastic Geology Activities for Young Children” by Leslie Barnard Booth

Behind the Scenes: “What’s the Big Idea?” by Donna McKinney

April 28, 2023

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

Especially for Educators: “A Nature Walk Activity Inspired by ‘Just a Worm'” by Marie Boyd

April 7, 2023

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

Behind the Scenes: “Making the Moment of a Calculator’s Invention Relatable for Kids” by Jan Lower

March 31, 2023

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

Especially for Educators: “Using Picture Books to Create a Classroom Museum” by Laura Perdew

November 4, 2022

As a teacher, I always loved classroom projects like this! Thank you, Laura Perdew for sharing this terrific activity for educators and your brand new Biome Explorers series! AND thank you for offering a GIVEAWAY of a complete set of the BIOME EXPLORERS series! Just leave a comment below for a chance to win! (And … More Especially for Educators: “Using Picture Books to Create a Classroom Museum” by Laura Perdew

Behind the Scenes: “Find the Spark that Ignites Your Story” by Kristen Nordstrom

October 14, 2022

Though we often hear the phrase, “write what you know,” a good many of us are drawn to topics and ideas that we don’t know about, by a natural urge to know more. And kids are, too! I can totally identify with author Kristen Nordstrom’s experience. In this post, Kristen shares how she turned a … More Behind the Scenes: “Find the Spark that Ignites Your Story” by Kristen Nordstrom