Tag: classroom connections

The Trip That Inspired the Book

The photos and videos I took on a 2019 voyage were absolutely the bedrock of the text and later the illustrations for Oskar’s Voyage. Here’s a montage of images from that amazing journey! And find more resources on my Oskar’s Voyage page! Oh, and if you’re in the Twin Cities,

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Oskar Is Loose in the World!

Whee! Oskar’s Voyage, my first book of 2024, published yesterday, so little Oskar is not only exploring a giant boat, but he’s also making his way around the world (hopefully). I am sososososo excited! The fantastic illustrator, Kayla Harren, and I are doing a FREE ZOOM for classrooms (or individual

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Helping Student Writers Deal with Feedback

Hi, teachers! We all know that to grow as a writer, you need feedback on your writing. But feedback’s a hard part of the writing process for many people–of all ages. Here’s how I think about feedback and rejection. If I’m writing to express myself creatively, and I get negative

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Good News for Finding Family, and Why It Matters

[Teachers, click here for info about a free Zoom about Oskar’s Voyage with me and illustrator Kayla Harren in March!] I’ve been thinking a lot about why I write and where I find affirmation for my writing. While I’d like to say that internal satisfaction is all I require, that’s

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Single-Session Author Visits for Poetry

[Teachers, click here for info about a free Zoom about Oskar’s Voyage with me and illustrator Kayla Harren in March!] Happy Valentine’s Day! Teachers, I’ve been somewhat stuck in the “contact with all students over multiple sessions” structure for my virtual visits, because that’s the structure of most of my

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Write an Equation Poem for Valentine’s Day

[Teachers, click here for info about a free Zoom about Oskar’s Voyage with me and illustrator Kayla Harren in March!] Teachers, here’s a fun writing activity you can do with your students, and it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day! These snappy poems are short enough to fit on a handmade card!

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A Whirlwind of Good News and Invitations for You

Oh my gosh. After a rough year last year, I’ve had such a lovely whirlwind of good news recently. I think I already shared that Finding Family is a Charlotte Zolotow Honor book(!) and and Eureka Gold Medal book(!). Zowie! Now I’ve learned the it’s also a CCBC Choices book

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Eureka Award for Nonfiction!

Howdy, teachers! A couple of months ago I shared that Finding Family was a Eureka Gold Medal winner for Excellence in Nonfiction! Whee! Thanks you so much to the California Reading Association and to the Eureka Committee. At that point, the full list of winners wasn’t available, but now it

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How Far Away Is the Moon?

The next full moon is on January 25. Invite students to view the full moon that night and think about how far away it might be. Then gather a basketball, a tennis ball, and a tape

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The Cover of My Next Picture Book

Happy 2024! I’m SO excited to show you the cover of my first 2024 picture book. It’s called Oskar’s Voyage, and it’s a rhyming adventure story about a small chipmunk who accidentally stows away on an enormous Great Lakes freighter. I’ll be sharing more about it soon, but it’s coming

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