One of the fantastic sessions I attended at NCTE was called "Beyond Classroom Walls: Honoring Voices of Young Readers." It was led by Julie Johnson of Raising Readers and Writers, Katie Keier of Catching Readers, and Cathy Mere of Reflect and Refine. Let me start by saying that all three of these women are the… Continue reading Beyond Classroom Walls
And a Copy of The Blood Lie Goes to…
Many thanks to Cinco Puntos Press for sponsoring a giveaway of Shirley Reva Vernick's new novel, The Blood Lie. If you missed the original post about this book, then click here to read it now.
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Every-Day Dress-Up + A Giveaway
Last year I wrote a blog post entitled "Rethinking and Rewriting Princess Stories" which included some of my thoughts about princess culture. I was pregnant with my daughter when I wrote it. Nearly one year has passed since I wrote that blog post and I've done lots of thinking about princesses and what it means… Continue reading Every-Day Dress-Up + A Giveaway
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Happy Thanksgiving to Our TWT Readers!
Digital greeting card made with Smilebox
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Happy Thanksgiving
I love Thanksgiving, mostly because it rolls into the Christmas season. My life as a writer changes during these weeks of the year. I shift my focus to documenting the season and my family's response to it. I decrease my word count. I breathe more and rush less. I still have goals, but I tend… Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving
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Engagement Starts at Home
I made a beeline for Alan Sitomer, Jon Scieszka, and Gordon Korman's session, "AUTHOR STRAND: THREE YA AUTHORS TALK COMEDY, FUN, AND SMILES (A.K.A. THE POWER OF GETTING READERS TO PEE THEIR PANTS!)", on Saturday afternoon at NCTE. I managed to get a seat for myself, Ruth, and two other colleagues in the second row… Continue reading Engagement Starts at Home
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SOLSC & Building Community
I had the pleasure of meeting several Slicers, not just the ones I blogged about last Friday, when I was in Chicago for NCTE. I had breakfast with Bonnie (and Tuvia) and Sarah who slices with us every March. I ran into Elisa at a session. I also saw folks who Slice with us at… Continue reading SOLSC & Building Community
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Right Back At It…
I figured by now I would have time to write a post reflecting on NCTE. However, I apparently forgot (once again) that there are a limited number of hours in a day. The post will have to wait. Instead, here is a brief list of highlights. Laurie Halse Anderson, Katherine Patterson, and David Levithan hosted… Continue reading Right Back At It…
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750 Words Update from NCTE
It's day 20 and I'm still writing my 750 words daily! One of my fears, with taking on the 750 Words November Challenge, was that I would be unable to write while I was at NCTE. For $39 (gulp) one can get unlimited internet access in their hotel room at the Hilton Chicago. Talk about… Continue reading 750 Words Update from NCTE
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Stories are essential to our lives.
Yesterday afternoon I attended the Elementary Section Get-Together at the Chicago Hilton. The get-togethers are always fun to attend since they provide me with the opportunity to catch up with people like Karen Caine, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, and Franki Sibberson who I only get to see in-person at NCTE. In addition, attending the get-together gives… Continue reading Stories are essential to our lives.
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NCTE is under way!
We're excited to be in Chicago for NCTE! Last night we had dinner with Patrick Allen, Mary Helen Gensch, and Troy Rushmore. This morning we're meeting up with some of the Slicers for breakfast. Tomorrow afternoon we'll be presenting with Patrick and Troy. After our presentation we'll head over to the Stenhouse Booth (#303) in… Continue reading NCTE is under way!
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Verbal Cues — Pilates & Writing Series: Part 5 of 5
When I started working with Lauren, my Pilates instructor here in Pennsylvania almost two and a half years ago, she gave me a lot of verbal cues. The ones I heard the most were "keep your shoulders down" and "relax your neck and shoulders." It didn't matter if I was working on an upper or… Continue reading Verbal Cues — Pilates & Writing Series: Part 5 of 5
