Blog

Permissions to share my books in the Covid era

Since school closures began due to the Covid pandemic, I’ve received scores of emails from teachers asking permission to share my books with their home bound students. (Music teacher Jen Meyer of Iowa was the first to contact me with this timely idea, but thank you, EVERYONE,

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How to create an original call and response chant

 ZLOH…ZLEE…ZLOH-ZLEE-ZLOO! Create an original call and response chant to instantly focus children’s attention–in the classroom, library, over the intercom, or at home! Greetings teachers (that includes principals, librarians, parents and grandparents), With the start of school, it’s time to put an extra bounce in our step. Before we

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10 Jazz Books to Connect Kids to Music and the Wider World

(This thematic round-up first appeared as a guest post on www.pragmaticmom.com)  Hop. Boom. Skiddily-bop. Bing!  Let’s start the new school year in rhythm, shall we, with 10 books that connect kids to this music we call jazz. The jazz picture book genre has evolved! By now, music loving

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Modeling Thoughtful Citizenship (Even When Politicians Don’t)

Greetings Teachers, Librarians and Administrators, As schools gear up for another fall semester, there are still some days left to walk around in sandals, enjoy chilled watermelon, and daydream about how to make this year a great one for students. (As an author/speaker, I think about that

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On Beyond Dr. Seuss for Read Across America Day

Children's Poetry

Much as I love Dr. Seuss, elementary schools would do better on Read Across America Day to focus on poetry with more wide ranging vocabulary like Falling Up (Shel Silverstein) and It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles (Jack Prelutsky). I just re-read both, and they’re terrific! The problem

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Family Reading Nights: the High Wire Act of Literacy Events

Happy New Year, MLK Day and Year of the Monkey early! Around this time, many schools plan literacy events to remind families of the myriad benefits of reading books together. Family nights, compared to teacher workshops and daytime assemblies for students, are the high wire act of

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In Praise of School Volunteers!

  St. Patrick’s School Reading Week Committee from left: Parent Volunteer Jackie Johnson, Sister Maureen (Principal), Parent Volunteers Donna Cahill and Martha Pierce This post is in praise of school volunteers, the dedicated parents—and sometimes just caring neighbors—who take on responsibilities to help schools offer more. Their

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Gobble, Quack, Moon a hit in the Middle East

Letters from readers are especially sweet when they come from far away. From Kuwait in the case of this note from American teacher Alex Hogan and the students at her bilingual school: “This week at our school is ‘I Love To Read Week!’ I was the mystery

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Considering a Career in the Creative Arts

Welcome, everybody, to 2015! May your new year brim with joy and creativity. Recently, a long-time reader, and friend, emailed this note. I’ll include my response below. Feel free to pass it on to young adults in your life considering a career in the creative arts! “Having

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