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I received a packet of charming thank you letters from Mrs. Parham's second graders at Conway School.
Each letter came with a colorful illustration, so I thought I'd share a few of the pictures with you.

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I had two wonderful school visits in April.

 First, I met Mrs. Parham's 2nd grade class at Conway Elementary School where I shared DOGGIE DAY CAMP with the students. They enjoyed playing "Bubba Says" with me and discovering some verb and adverb adventures of their own.

 Next, I spent the whole day with the incredible students at Christ Community Lutheran School. I was amazed at all the creative projects the students and their teachers had made for me in preparation for my visit. They highlighted each of my books with poems and stories and inventive dioramas--Kitty Kerplunking Visits Doggie Day Camp! Why didn't I think of that? There was a video as well!

 First Grade teacher, Ann Schmidt who helped organize my visit, had this to say: Just to let you know about your influence on my classroom. There are 4 of them that have started creating their own books. They've shared their stories and now the rest of the class is all fired up about writing their own too. This is something that first graders should be doing, but this class has just realized how fun it can be, thanks to you. 

For me, it's great to write for children, but even better to help inspire them to do their own writing. Like I always say, Ready, Set, WRITE!!!

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There is a lot to celebrate in April--Poetry Month and School Library Month and next week (April 8-14) is NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK.
Libraries have so much to offer for people of all ages. If you're not sure what's happening in a library near you, visit the @ Your Library website to find out.

Be sure to click on the link there for great family ideas at the library. For sure the price is right--you can't beat FREE! And the opportunities are endless.

Enjoy!

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I received wonderful news a while back that my short story, "Sky High Stitches," had been selected as a Judges Pick for the upcoming anthology, WELL VERSED 2012. The Columbia, Missouri Writers' Guild publishes this collection of writings--fiction, nonfiction, and poetry--annually. Here is their description of the anthology:


The Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild annually publishes the anthology Well Versed. It has grown from what poets would call "chapbook" size to a two-hundred page volume. Every year submissions come from a greater area, giving the judges a wider choice of works to consider. The judges are professionals in the writing field, which puts the contest for publication high on a writer's list to enter.
Well Versed - Literary Works 2010 was named anthology of the year at the Missouri Writers' Guild Conference, an honor of which the chapter is very proud.

I'll keep you posted when the publication is in print and available for purchase. Three of my poems will be included as as well.

Such a nice writerly start for this year!

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We just celebrated Black History Month, but I didn't want you to miss the opportunity to listen to this interview with one of my favorite authors--Chirstopher Paul Curtis. His historical fiction novels, BUD NOT BUDDY, and THE WATSON GO TO BIRMINGHAM are very special reads.

Walter Dean Myers, another celebrated children's author and five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, emphasizes the importance of helping every child become a reader. On January 10th, he became The National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. The Library of Congress awarded him this honorary position, and you can listen to his acceptance speech at the link above.

Finally, an upcoming opportunity to encourage reading in your home, school, neighborhood, and community is coming on March 7. Join in WORLD READ ALOUD DAY and help foster the love of reading. Who will you read to or read with or listen to on March 7? Or better yet--start the reading today!

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Just three days away--TAKE YOUR CHILD TO THE LIBRARY DAY!

Of course, any day is a good day to take your child to the library, but on February 4 many libraries will have extra events and activities planned. Even if you can't make it this Saturday, plan a family library excursion as soon as you can. You'll all benefit. The more and better kids read, the better they'll do in school.

No matter their interest or reading level, there should be something appealing for them at the library. And if you all have trouble finding it, ask a librarian for help.

Happy reading!

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I know it seems like we've just celebrated Christmas, but January is going by very quickly. Soon it will be Valentine's Day. I found out about a couple great ways to celebrate the upcoming holiday.

Sponsor a Milk and Bookies party. Milk and Bookies is a nonprofit organization that helps kids become part of the process for enhancing the lives of underprivileged children. At a Milk and Bookies party, kids bring books to donate for kids who don't have books of their own. To find out more, visit the link above.

Send special valentine cards from Save the Children. Proceeds from these cute cards go toward Save the Children education programs, which help inspire kids to love reading. Save the Children helps kids around the world with programs in education, nutrition, and health. They are a "link between poverty and literacy."

By grade four, a student needs to be able "to read to learn." If a child is not on par for reading at his/her grade level by third grade, he/she will start falling behind dramatically. Underprivileged children are at the biggest risk for this literacy shortfall. Help make a difference in their lives--one book and one child at a time.

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The American Library Association has redesigned its site, GREAT WEBSITES FOR KIDS. The site is more inviting and easy to navigate. Plus, it offers weekly and monthly specials like "Site of the Week" and "Site of the Month."

What a great way to start 2012--a super resource for all your school assignments or just for exploring the wide, wide world of knowledge. I just discovered that an octopus can change color. Who knew?

Spend a little time at some of the sites you'll find at GREAT WEBSITES FOR KIDS and see what you can discover.

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I hope you've taken some time and created a Christmas poem or two of your own. If you haven't yet, you still have time.

I'll include a third and final Christmas poem here today and wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!


CHRISTMAS PEACE

Christmas bliss
Christmas joy
Christmas dreams fill each girl and boy.

Christmas babe
Christmas sights
Christmas stars light up the night.

Christmas hugs
Christmas smiles
Christmas love spreads across the miles.

Christmas hope
Christmas day
Christmas peace brightens our way.

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Did you write a Christmas poem yet? Not sure where to start...

Here is a quick and easy poem to get you started--an Acrostic Poem.
An Acrostic Poem is simply spelling out a word, vertically--one letter on top of the other.
Then you need to think of a word for each letter that helps describe the word itself.

Let me show you:

S parkling
T winkling
A way up high
R adiant sky

Can you think of an acrostic poem for Santa or Elf or Toy???

Or pick any word you'd like.
Give it a try.
An Acrostic Poem doesn't need to rhyme--just spell the word, letter by letter with other descriptive words.

Ready! Set! Write!

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Poem are generally short and packed with lots of colorful images which create instant sensory connections. For me, the Christmas season has always been a special time for writing poetry.

I can remember in 6th grade we spent one afternoon fashioning Christmas cards with an accompanying poem. Of course, I loved combining my two favorite pass times-- writing and art. I made one Christmas card after another. Once I had an image in mind--like the Christmas star or holly or even a candy cane--I would write the poem to go with the picture.

Why don't you give it a try? Your poem doesn't need to rhyme, but it can. That will make it a bit tougher--more of a challenge--but a fun one. Think of capturing feelings, pictures of a time and place with your words.

And poetry is a great place to play with words--not only rhymes, but alliteration (when words in a row start with the same letter--Sam said silly stuff.)

And don't forget about similes--comparing one thing to another using "like" or "as." The stars glistened as bright as 4th of July fireworks. Metaphors use similar comparisons but leave out the "as" or "like." Even the cat's candy cane curled tail reminded me of Christmas sweets.

Here is a link to one of my Christmas poems. How about a Christmas challenge--one new Christmas poem each day now until the 25th!

Ready, set, write!

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The anthology sponsored by Missouri Writers Guild to raise funds for libraries impacted by the Joplin tornado is now available for purchase. Visit the STORM COUNTRY website for specifics on how to order.

My short story, "The Blizzard and the Baby," is included in the collection of stories and poems, highlighting stormy Midwest weather. This story is a fictionalized account of an adventure in my father's life as a young man living in Northwest Kansas. It was my joy to help him share this experience with others.

What stories can you learn from your parents and grandparents? Why not try writing them down to help preserve a bit of family history? Or use a real-life event as a starting place for a fiction story of your own.

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In keeping with the season, visit the GOLDEN BOOKS website and their FUN FACTORY where you can create your own monster online. You can even print a picture of your creature. And while you're at it, why not write a story to go along with the picture.

Or try CAT AT BAT, as a tribute to the World Series which starts today in St. Louis. Go Cards!

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A call is out from APPLESEEDS magazine for ghost stories written by kids. Below are the details for submitting your own spooky story. One of my first published short stories was a ghost story written for a local newspaper contest. What fun it was to see my words in the newspaper for everyone to read.

So here is your chance. Scare the socks off some eager readers with your spook-tacular story!

BOO! AppleSeeds is looking for ghost stories from its readers! The October issue is all about ghosts and other spooky things, and readers probably have some great ideas for a story of their own. Have your child send us their ghost story (along with illustrations to go with it) by Nov. 15, 2011. Handwritten stories are okay, but make sure that we can read them. The winner will receive a copy of Robert San Souci's Dare to Be Scared. Send them to AppleSeeds Ghost Stories Contest, 30 Grove St., Peterborough, NH 03458.

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Check out LITERATURE FOR KIDS this month where you'll find my Halloween story, "Spider In Disguise."

After you've read the story, why not make a spider of your very own. The easy instructions can be found on my website in the GAMES & CRAFTS section. Then try to create a Halloween mask for your spider, like the one spider had in the story. Or you may want to design your very own mask for spider's trick-or-treat adventures.

Happy Halloween!

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September has flown by and the leaves are beginning to change already to wonderful golds and oranges and reds. The fall wind wooshes past, blowing in a new season.

This is the perfect time for fun writing adventures. Try an simple alphabetic poem. Print the alphabet on your paper, one letter on each line. Now think of something "fallish" for each letter.

A is for acorns.
B is for birds flying north.
C is for colors--red, gold, and orange.
D is for daylight becoming less and less.

So you get the idea. If you can't make it through all the alphabet, that's okay. Do as many letters as you can. Or if you're working in a group, assign different letters to different people--or work as teams.

Next week is October already. This month is Children's Magazine Month. Magazines are jam-packed with stories and activities and cool art work. Go see what magazines your school or public library have. Usually you can check out old issues. Or find online children's magazines like Guardian Angel Kids, Highlights Kids, or Literature For Kids, where I'll have a new story--SPIDER IN DISGUISE--in the October issue.

Why not try to write your own story with a fall setting? Perhaps you can write a mystery, or a silly story, or an adventure. Take a piece of paper and start brainstorming ideas. Put your main character in the middle of the paper. Now draw 3 circles above and write 3 possible problems for your main character. Down below write 3 different settings. On each side, write in possible minor characters. Then pick out your favorite problem, setting, and characters. Mix them up and see what happens!

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So glad you asked that question. Click on this link and find out 100 Things Kids Will Miss If They Don't Have a School Librarian.

As a former school librarian, I know how important school libraries are--and the people who run them. Studies continue to show that students score better on achievement tests in schools with professionally staffed librarians. Across the curriculum, librarians aid students at their individual levels and needs.

Don't shortchange your students. At a time of budget cuts in many school districts, fight to keep the libraries well-stocked and well-staffed. Every school needs a great library and a great librarian!

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I'm excited to announce that GIFTS FROM GOD is now available as a Kindle book.

While Mary Sue Roberts' glorious photos are not in color on the Kindle, the uplifting message provided by both the illustrations and text still shines through. Plus, the Kindle edition provides easy access for mobile reading with the kids.

Check out more GUARDIAN ANGEL PUBLISHING books now available on Kindle.

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I hope you've planned a special day for your special dad this weekend.
Perhaps you're making him a super-duper breakfast. I'm taking my dad to a baseball game--the Cardinals and the Royals. Trouble is we'll be rooting for opposite teams, but I know we'll still both have a fun time.

Here is a puzzle you and your dad could work on together. The HIGHLIGHTS Hidden Picture Puzzle for June.

Or perhaps you're going to read him a book, like ME AND MY DAD by Alison Ritchie.

One of my favorites is DANCE ME, DADDY by Cindy Morgan.

I still remember dancing with my daddy. Thanks, Dad, for waltzing me on the dance floor and through my life as well.

Happy Father's Day!

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We had a new tree planted in our backyard, and a pair of industrious robins quickly built a nest in it. Since the tree is small and has lost a number of its leaves with the transplanting, I've been able to keep an eye on the robins' nest. I walked outside last week and there was the mother robin feeding her baby! I didn't even know she'd laid an egg. The robin flew off when I approached, but the hungry chick peeked over the side. Well, actually his eyes weren't even open yet. I'm sure he was hoping for more food. My husband managed to take a picture of him in his nest. At this point, I think the chick was less than a week old. I noticed today that his eyes are open now. I think he should only stay in his nest for another week or so. He is really growing up quickly!

If you want to read some books about baby robins, look for these at your library or bookstore:

FROM EGG TO ROBIN by Susan Cannzares

THE ROBINS IN YOUR BACKYARD by Nancy Carol Willis

ROBINS by Heather Hudak

ROBINS AND THEIR CHICKS by Linda Tagliaferro

What surprises have you encountered this summer???

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What an exciting time!
Starting a new school year.
Meeting your new teacher.
Hanging out with old friends and meeting new ones.
New books, new desks, new classrooms...

I hope your summer was as much fun as mine, but I also hope your new school year is an adventure as well.

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I had great news yesterday from the Joplin Writers Guild. My short story, "The Blizzard and the Baby," was accepted for publication in the upcoming anthology, STORM COUNTRY. The anthology showcases midwest storm stories and poems. The proceeds will go toward the damaged school libraries in Joplin, Missouri--those impacted by the tornado there earlier this year. The book is scheduled for publication next month in October. I'll keep you posted when I find out more information on purchasing the anthology, but in the meantime you can check out the authors and titles to be included in this fund-raising endeavor.

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JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH by Roahl Dahl is celebrating its 50th birthday with a fun, interactive site. You can send a "Virtual Peach" to someone special or a "Peach-Gram." Peachy greetings are circulating the globe, almost 800,000 miles worth when I peeked in at the site.

Everyday is the right day to celebrate a great story!

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