There is something about being in a house full of creative people. People who totally get that stories are important and that characters are real. And whether the house is full of raucous conversation or the quiet of fingers on keyboards, there is something magical about the energy that buzzes around. I’m on retreat with [...]
Monthly Archives: June 2009
Rainbow Dangling from a Cloud
It’s been beautiful and sunny here the past two days, so I didn’t expect to see this when I looked out at Lake Champlain tonight.The showers that moved into Vermont this afternoon left us dry but with a stunning view.*This post made with sincere apologies to in rainy Maine…
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More Thoughts on Summer Reading
Earlier this week, I posted a blog entry called In Defense of Summer Reading, and I love the conversation it’s sparked. Some more thoughts:Author shares her thoughts on this topic in a post today, The Guiltless Pleasure of Summer Reading.My friend , a future librarian finishing up her graduate work right now, writes:Kids [...]
In Defense of Summer Reading Freedom
I am a huge fan of reading. And a huge fan of summer.But I am not a fan of Summer Reading Requirements for kids.That’s not to say I don’t think kids should read in the summer time. I do. At my house, you’ll find us all settling in with our books & sweaty glasses of iced [...]
Twitter, Teaching, & Totalitarianism
I’ve always been a fan of technology and its potential to help people learn and collaborate. I’ve been thinking for a while about social networking and education, and how it’s probably not such a great idea for schools to simply block sites like Facebook & Twitter and pretend they don’t exist, rather than teaching kids [...]
Champlain Quadricentennial Book Club at LCMM
I had a fantastic experience at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum this weekend. Museum Educator Sarah Lyman emailed me a few months ago with an invitation. Would I like to participate in a book club for Champlain and the Silent One hosted at the museum? Kids would read the book along with their parents, then come [...]
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Tagged book clubs, champlain & the silent one, lake champlain quadricentennial
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Five Things on a Friday
1. I’m Skyping with a before-school book club in Vermont this morning! Five avid fifth grade readers are meeting me on the computer in a little while to talk about THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. They read the ARC to help me with a special project, and I’m looking forward to our chat. 2. [...]
This is why I write.
This colorful collection of homemade cards arrived in the mail today, from some kids whose school I visited a few weeks ago. The artwork they created in response to my two Lake Champlain historical novels is gorgeous, and their letters made me smile over and over again.If you’re a writer, you know that certain parts [...]
There’s something about a science fair…
I love the elementary school science fair. I have plans to sneak back in, even when my kids are grown, just for the pleasure of watching the baking-soda-and-vinegar volcanoes erupt. There’s something magical about science fair night…when everyone is herded outside for the messiest of the demonstrations, and the grownups are required to just stand [...]
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THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z – ARC Contest Winner
Announced in a video blog so it’s just like watching the lottery numbers drawn on live TV. Sort of. Thanks again to all who entered – I loved reading your comments!
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