Explorer Academy: The Falcon’s Feather
Reading Ahead
Explorer Academy: The Falcon’s Feather Trudi Truett illustrated by Scott Plumbe (with a blend of photos) National Geographic Partners, 2019 ISBN 978−1−4263−3304−0 I’ve written a prior Reading Ahead essay about my love for The Nebula Secret, the first book in the Explorer Academy series. Now book two, The Falcon’s Feather, continues the story and I […]
Fresh Air: Taking Storytime Outdoors
The Lamppost
“We could never have loved the earth so well if we had no childhood in it.” —George Eliot In the state of Iowa, where I live, the change from winter to spring is like an on and off switch. Yet, at the end of another vortex, Spring has finally come to Iowa. Spring is a […]
Friends, Friends
Two for the Show
Jackie: We two friends have been doing this blog since 2015. Yet, we’ve never done a column on books about friends. We know there are many, and many classics, such as the always-satisfying Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel, or William Steig’s Amos and Boris, or James Marshall’s George and Martha. But today we […]
Waiting for My Editor, part 4
Page Break
I’m not just being WHINY here (well, maybe a little). But I have a FIRM DEADLINE for the finished book.
Pairing Verse with Nonfiction
Nonfictionary
Why write nonfiction in verse? If you do, is it still nonfiction? Good questions in a time when genres are expanding. I’ve used verse in two nonfiction stories: a picture book, Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph, and a book for ages ten and up, Siege: How Washington Kicked the British out of […]
Libraries and Librarians
Quirky Book Lists
We’re posting this when it’s National Library Week, but we believe every week should be Library Week. If you love public, school, and special libraries as much as we do, add these books to your reading list and share them with your favorite readers. As always, if you have a book you believe should be […]
On the Way to East Dene
Big Green Pocketbook
One day during this dreary Virginia winter, I came across a talk by Susan Cooper, given at Simmons College in 1980. The talk was titled, “Nahum Tarune’s Book.” To explain the title, she begins by quoting an astonishing passage from the introduction of Come Hither by Walter de la Mare, an anthology of poetry first […]
Headlights
Writing Road Trip
Recently, I’ve been thinking back on a time when my focus was riveted on helping to care for a family member who was dealing with serious medical issues. It’s been stressful to have this large “life moment” disrupt my normal routine, but it also brings with it a certain kind of clarity. It’s kind of […]
The Lost Forest
Interviews
How many books can you name that are about surveying … and a mystery? I know. Right? And yet we see surveyors every day in fields, on busy street corners, and in our neighborhoods. What are they doing? Would it surprise you to know that nearly every acre of your state has been surveyed? That […]
Waiting for My Editor, part 3
Page Break
Waiting for my editor: hours turn into days, days into weeks, weeks into months …
Kids & Books…Books & Kids
Red Reading Boots
Last week I was a teacher-presenter at a young authors and artists conference for a couple of days. Tremendous fun—the kids who come to these things want to be there and want to learn. They’re readers, writers, artists! They are an engaged, engaging, and exuberant lot, which I enjoy immensely. I taught six sessions on bringing conflict […]
Penny Candy Books
Small Press Medley
Imagine walking into an old-time dry-goods store. Hear the wooden floor squeak. Peer through the glass case at the wondrous display of penny candy. Close your eyes and taste your favorite … root beer barrels, red-wax lips, ropes of red licorice. Instead of sugary sweets, Penny Candy Books offers a selection of books that delight, […]
Five Things I Learned
Writing My First Picture Book Biography
Nonfictionary
You would think that being friends with Tanya Lee Stone would mean I wrote lots of nonfiction. But the truth is, until I decided to try and write a biography of Rube Goldberg, I stayed far away from this genre. As a reader, I loved it. As a friend, I learned so much reading Tanya’s […]
Teaching Is an Art
Teach It Forward
I recently received a message from my friend, Amir: “Maurna, I wanted to get your feedback on this article. I taught English for 8+ years and my final M.Ed. project was on reading, so this is a passion of mine. When I used to prepare NYC public school teachers for their licensing exams, they would […]
The Animals in The Stuff of Stars
Quirky Book Lists
When I first read The Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer and Ekua Holmes, I was captivated by the beauty of the book and its lyrical thoughts about the earth and our environment. Ms. Holmes’ illustrations invite us to look closer, to discern the creatures she’s so artfully included. Ms. Bauer’s text includes a […]
Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
Cookology
Just Like Rube Goldberg author Sarah Aronson shares her recipe for a yummy, sugary treat, one that she believes Rube Goldberg would have loved because he was a fan of Cool Whip.
Bookstorm™: Just Like Rube Goldberg
Bookstorms
Educators across the country have been inspired by Rube Goldberg’s intricate, clever, engineering-based, but unlikely-to-be-made-in-real-life cartoons. Students are gathering to create their own Rube Goldberg machines, using everyday objects in fun and innovative ways to accomplish simple tasks with fun results. Just Like Rube Goldberg inspires all its readers with the details about Rube’s childhood […]
Make This!
Reading Ahead
Make This! Building, Thinking, and Tinkering Projects for the Amazing Maker in You Ella Schwartz, photographs by Matthew Rakola National Geographic Kids, 2019 When presented with this book, wheels start turning, ideas begin popping, and your temperature rises! This is going to be fun. And a carefully thought-through learning experience … but who needs to […]