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A recovering hater of information writing, this post is my first step towards bringing information writing to life for my third graders! It is a vision and collection of possibliities for infusing information writing across the curriculum through the day.

How do you help your students establish their identity as writers?

Some students want to write more than what is required of them in writing workshop. Enter independent writing projects! But how do you go from being another set of eyes on some additional writing a student does to helping him/her go public with their work?

It’s been hard for me to watch the news reports of the devastation Hurricane Sandy caused for the New York Metropolitan Area.  My hometown and the state I grew up in were ravaged… Read More →

DonorsChoose has created a page on their website where citizen philanthropists, like YOU, can go to fund a project for a teacher whose school was impacted by Hurricane Sandy.  As you may know,… Read More →

Longtime readers of this site know that I’m a big proponent of DonorsChoose.  During my years as a classroom teacher I had over 65 proposals funded on DonorsChoose thanks to the generosity of citizen philanthropists and corporations who chose to fund my proposals I wrote for classroom supplies, books, writer’s notebooks, field trips, and special [...]

I knew that there was a reason I couldn't start my blog post today. I was waiting for this announcement to come through my email:

In 2000, a teacher in the Bronx started DonorsChoose with the help of his students. This month marks our 10th anniversary, and we just received a gift that made our decade...

Townsend Press has donated one million (!) dollars to fund all book requests down to just $98 or less - on the condition that folks like you take them across the finish line. As a previous supporter of literacy projects, we thought you'd find this as exciting as we do.

Our birthday wish is that you'll help bring a local book request to life.

Let's celebrate 10 years by hooking tens of thousands of students on reading!

Thank you,
The DonorsChoose.org Team

I’ve talked to quite a few public school teachers here in Pennsylvania in the past few weeks who’ve never heard of DonorsChoose.  I’m always shocked when I hear about teachers who don’t know about this incredible organization since DonorsChoose enabled me to create the type of classroom I wanted when I was teaching full-time.  In [...]

Today’s the last day to vote for in the AmEx Members Project. If you haven’t cast your vote yet, then I hope you’ll support DonorsChoose today! Posted in donorschoose      

Get out the vote! I hope you’ll join me in supporting DonorsChoose by voting for them in the Members Project Competition, which is sponsored by American Express.

I know it's early, but I want to let everyone know about the Burlington Book Festival coming up next month.  Burlington, VT hosts an incredible book festival each fall, just as the leaves are changing color in New England.  If you live in the Northeast (or even if you don't but you really, really like autumn leaves and books), it's worth the trip.  Most of the events are being held at Waterfront Theater on the shores of Lake Champlain.



I'll be presenting  on Sunday, September 16th at the Children's Literature Festival.  Here's my blurb from the festival website:

11:00 AM-12:00 PM

KATE MESSNER

Join Kate Messner for a trip back in time to the American Revolution on Lake Champlain. Kate will read from her middle grade historical novel Spitfire, set during the Battle of Valcour Island in 1776, sign books and present an interactive multimedia slide show about the real 12-year-old who fought in the battle. Kids will be invited to taste the food and try on the clothes of an 18th century sailor, handle artifact replicas and design their own powder horns to take home.

Waterfront Theatre Black Box, 3rd Floor

Right after my presentation, Linda Urban (lurban) will read from A CROOKED KIND OF PERFECT and talk about the journey of writing and publishing a children's book.  (Even though Linda says it will make her nervous, my kids and I are definitely going to be in the audience!)

Also on tap for the Sunday kids' day... Tracey Campbell Pearson, James Kochalka, Anna Dewdney, Harry Bliss, Jim Arnosky, Barbara Seuling, Marie-Louise Gay, Barbara Lehman, and Warren Kimble.

And the rest of the Book Festival is nothing to scoff at either, with writers like Chris Bohjalian, Howard Frank Mosher, Russell Banks, and Joyce Carol Oates speaking on Saturday, September 15th.  The full schedule is posted at the festival website now. If you're in the area that weekend, please stop by the Children's Literature Festival and say hello!