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I laughed a number of times when I read Sarah Schmelling's McSweeney's piece Mom Takes Children's Songs Literally.  Who among us hasn't thought, "You’re paying far too much attention to that very, very small spider"?

Read the examples in the link, and then add your own in the comments. Here are some of my off-the-cuff responses:

Is "Eeyi-Eeyiyo" the name of the farm or the sound the old farmer MacDonald makes when s/he has to get up in the early morning to feed all of those chickens, ducks, sheep, etc?

Three words for Henry: Stop Making Excuses.  For those who think that Liza is overly demanding, consider that Henry started the whole scenario with his whining.

I know those examples are not as clever as the ones in Schmelling's piece. That's why I'm looking to you.

All content (unless otherwise noted) is copyrighted by Farida Dowler and may not be reproduced in any form except for short passages with proper attribution.

Located in the Point Grey neighbourhood of Vancouver, Christianne’s Lyceum of Literature and Art is a treasure for adults and children! Founded by Dr. Christianne Hayward as part of her dream to contribute to the rich literary and arts community in Vancouver , the Lyceum of Literature and Art “brings together writers, illustrators, educators, and families to share diverse streams of thought through the medium of story – oral, written, and visual”. I asked staff member Genie MacLeod if she could share with me more about the Lyceum. Here is what she wrote:

Class begins on the carpet.

This is always the way at Christianne’s Lyceum of Literature and Art.  Enter the Lyceum and chances are the first thing you will notice is the welcoming carpet space enclosed on three sides by a big comfy couch, a pile of giant stuffed animals and pillows, and a bookshelf laden with stories and picture book exploring every topic imaginable.   And, of course, there are two toy-boxes brimful of games and activities.

If you are a preschooler and attending a Preschool Literature and Art class you might spread out a puzzle on the carpet and ask some friends to help you complete it.  If you are in elementary school and attending a parent-and-child Book Club with your mum or dad, you might cozy up on the couch and discuss plot, character, and themes in anticipation of one of Christianne’s killer book trivia crossword puzzles.  If you are in high school and attending a Writer’s Workshop, you might find the perfect spot on the carpet to spread out your tiles for a heated game of Bananagrams.  If you are an adult and attending a Meet the Author night featuring a local author, you might relax on the couch and chat with a fellow reader about the author’s latest work over a glass of wine.

Christianne’s Lyceum of Literature and Art offers year-round arts and literature-based programs for community members of all ages, from toddlers through to adults.  Our classes, workshops, and events — which include writers’ workshops, book clubs, literature and art-based early childhood education programs, professional development workshops for educators, open mic nights, book launches and more — accommodate all age levels, skill sets, and artistic and literary predilections. A lot of our programming is designed to build social and environmental consciousness, and some of our most popular summer camps for preschoolers and primary students are Something Fishy is Going on in the Ocean, a week-long camp that combines art and literature with a study of ocean sustainability and the role we play in that, and Preserving our Wetlands – similar idea, but focusing on the wetlands.

Our programs focus on nurturing a playfulness with language and art, allowing students to develop a confidence in their abilities and instilling a passion for written, oral, and visual stories.  We find that once these elements are present, students become invested in their own ability to create, passionately discussing principles of great works of art, and actively participating in the creative process.  This method allows us to teach to the needs of the group.

The spirit of community and conviviality that you find on the carpet is a reflection of what we try to do at the Lyceum.  Whet

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Our 5Q Poet Interview series for National Poetry Month continues with this interview with Amy Sklansky about her new book, Out of This World: Poems and Facts About Space. Graduate student Garra Ballinger offers this interview (plus) with Amy.

All About the Author Amy E. Sklansky
Greetings Earthlings! My latest mission took me high into the sky, straight into Outer Space, where I met up with a wonderful children’s book author, Amy E. Sklansky. Amy has always enjoyed reading and books and began her career working as an editor at HarperCollins. She spent many years editing other people’s books and one day decided to take a try at writing some of her own. Her first book in the genre of poetry explored those four legged creatures some call man’s best friend. Written from a dog’s perspective, From the Doghouse: Poems to Chew On was a huge success, so Amy continued writing and has since published a poetry book about Halloween, several fiction books, and a nonfiction book about the life cycle of a chick. Her success has continued with her latest publication, Out of This World: Poems and Facts About Space, which I will be spotlighting for you. For more information about Amy and to check out her books visit her website. Here you can get a sneak peek inside all of her books and also find some great information on ways to use the books in the classroom with her “Teacher Features.”
Amy Sklansky’s website: http://www.amysklansky.com/

Summary of Out of This World: Poems and Facts About Space
If you are ready to blast off with some incredible space themed poetry you need to check out what Amy Sklansky has created for readers in her newest collection, Out of This World: Poems and Facts About Space. This book seems to bring out the astronaut in us all, as readers embark on their own space mission of both poetry and facts all about space. There is so much to explore in this grand book about space; planets, stars, rockets, the moon, satellites, and there is even a poem about a space suit…you can’t get to space without one of these! Sklansky really brings science to life with this collection of poems and coupled with the facts children are sure to be engaged and learning the whole time they are reading. Readers everywhere agree, this book is truly out of this world!

Check out these reviews:
Publisher’s Weekly says, “Sklansky contrasts light verse about the universe with facts about outer space in this gentle collection. An evocative mix of the whimsical and the scientific.”

St. Louis Examiner says, “Color-soaked pages carry twenty simple poems with sidebars of interesting tidbits about the mysteries and science of space.”

School Library Journal

Today is the twenty-third day of the A to Z Challenge. I don’t really have a set theme, but I’ll be blogging about writing, favorite books, bloggers’ books, and music I listen to while I write.  

EXILED by Rashelle Workman