A Literary Advent Calendar
This year, I decided to do a special advent calendar for them. Each day of advent there was a Christmasy quote from literature, heavy on our Christmas picture books. And chocolates.
quotations
A Good Word
As teachers and writers, we all love words. Wouldn’t we love to be able to infuse that same love into each and every one of our students! Teaching English to middle schoolers and high schoolers for years gave me plenty of opportunities to try out different ways of attempting to kindle enthusiasm in my students for becoming avid lexophiles.… more
Unearthing the Good Stuff
Five Steps to a Successful Nonfiction Interview
I love flowers but no one would ever call my thumb green. Each spring however, I drag the pots to the front step, fill them with soil, plant red geraniums surrounded by marigolds, and water when nature forgets. And when the school buses rumble down the street, I am delighted to empty the pots for another season.… more
Looking inside
by Vicki Palmquist
For several years, I have been dipping into a book that I keep beside my desk. It’s called Today I Will: a Year of Quotes, Notes, and Promises to Myself (Knopf, 2009). Two acknowledged masters of children’s literature, Eileen Spinelli and Jerry Spinelli, wrote it. They are parents and grandparents and one can feel their love and concern for future generations in this book.… more
