In the meantime, I’m still writing, teaching, and traveling.

While away on spring break, I read HEART OF A SHEPHERD by Roseanne Parry. It’s the kind of book I knew, based on the title, that I would be intrigued by and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s an amazing debut, a book I’ll long remember because the story *is* full of heart. The setting – a ranch in Oregon – is one I was only vaguely familiar with, having driven through a part of Oregon I imagine was similar to the land Brother and his family ranched. And the people, so interesting! Four sons, a father in the military, a mother who’s off living her life as an artist, yet who still manages to feel loosely connected and forgiven for her departure; and a set of grandparents, each with his/her own intriguing background and story.

This was a book that as I read, the writer-me wanted to know exactly how the author did it. What did Parry bring to the story from her own personal background? How did she infuse such depth into a story that, in looking over her comments about the book on her website, doesn’t seem at all related to her personal experience? How did she write about life on a ranch without being a rancher herself? How did she bring to life the cultural details of a rural setting that most certainly isn’t very similar to her own suburban lifestyle? And what about the grandfather who’s Quaker, and the grandmother who’s Catholic? Again, another interesting layer.

It’s a book I enjoyed very much. A book I will return to.

Here’s the link.

Caro Jesù Bambino composed by Piero Soffici, lyrics by Pier Quinto Carriaggi

Caro Jesù Bambino

Tu che sei tanto buono

Fammi questo piacer

Lascia una volta il cielo

E vieni a giocar

A giocare con me … more

You know that wonderful feeling when you find a great book and you can’t wait to share it with someone else you know will love it, too? That’s exactly what I felt this weekend: JULIA GILLIAN book love.

I enjoyed every minute of the reading and I know there will soon be more JULIA GILLIAN fans in my classroom.

There are two more books in the series to keep the book love going : JULIA GILLIAN (and the Art of Knowing) and JULIA GILLIAN (and the Dream of the Dog).

POETRY LOVE: Last spring I was able to take a poetry workshop with amazing poet and teacher, Rebecca Kai Dotlich. I’ve long been a fan of Rebecca’s work, but I just discovered Kathi Appelt‘s recent interview with Rebecca about writing, poetry, picture books, and more. Rebecca shares a great poetry writing tip for teachers and Kathi and she talk a bit about BELLA AND BEAN, a beautiful picture about poetry and friendship.

I wrote a brief entry about BELLA AND BEAN earlier this year on ReaderKidZ. Check it out HERE.

Enjoy Kathi Appelt’s video interview : (Don’t you just *love* the background music, “Adieu False Heart”? I sure do!)

But the holidays are approaching and, with them, the promise of time off to do some of the things I’ve put on hold; I’m looking forward to catching up on a bit of extra reading.

One book I hope to dive into (it’s been sitting on my bedside table for over a month now) is A FAMILY OF READERS: The Book Lover’s Guide to Children’s and Adult Literature, by Roger Sutton and Martha V. Parravano (editors of The Horn Book Magazine.)

If you love kid’s books, this is certainly a resource you won’t want to miss.

The book is divided into four sections – “Reading to Them,” “Reading With Them,” “Reading On Their Own,” and “Leaving Them Alone,” – each part broken down further into chapters such as, “Books for Babies,” “Girl Books and Boy Books,” “Nonfiction,” and so on.

With essays such as “What Makes a Good Mother Goose?” by Joanna Rudge Long, “Grow Up with Us, You’ll Be Fine” by Mitali Perkins and “Up the Bookcase to Poetry” by Alice Schertle, there’s sure to be plenty of good words, advice, recommendations, and just plain terrific information for each and every book-loving family.

photo credit: TheeErin

Deborah’s the author of the beautiful, award-winning novel, CHARLES AND EMMA and it just so happens that I met (and ate lunch with) her and her cousin, a former colleague at my school, while attending the SCBWI National Conference in LA last weekend.

Deborah has made a video of her reading COOL DOG, SCHOOL DOG, to Zachary Bear, the yellow lab that accompanies her editor to work each day.

Enjoy!

We’re official.  ReaderKidZ , a brand-new kidlit website designed for teachers, librarians, and parents has launched!

On our website you’ll find: Author-in-Residence, (one or more featured authors each month,) Beyond Borders (a look at books about children from around the world), Book Room (a library of selected titles and reviews), and the Tool Box (classroom activities, Teacher’s Guides, links to interesting articles, and more!).

Just in time to welcome the back-to-school crowd, our theme for August is “New Beginnings.”

Drop by and check ReaderKidZ out!

Believe it or not, summer vacation is almost over. But not to worry.  I’ve had a grand time with my favorite writing buddies in Taos, New Mexico.

We stayed at the Laughing Horse Inn (a story in itself), former digs of some well-known celebs/artists who made Taos their get-away spot. Folks like Georgia O’Keefe, whose ghost is purported to visit the Laughing Horse from time to time (and sit on her bed!).

We had no such sightings, but we did have a marvelous time.  Laughing (it *is* the Laughing Horse Inn, after all), catching up, critiquing, eating, and yes, occasionally, actually writing.  Amazing!

Since my return, I’ve been working with several writing friends on a fabulous new website that we plan to unveil August 1st. We’re gearing our site towards the K-5 crowd, and we hope it’ll be a welcome addition to kidlitosphere.  Details soon.

In addition I’ve been taking a photo class with the goal of *finally* learning how to use my DSLR camera.  I’ve picked up many helpful tips, including a short course on all things Photo Shop Elements.  I couldn’t be more pleased.

Tomorrow, I’m off for one last getaway before school begins.  The good news?  I’ve been inspired by my friends’ amazing critique skills and this interview with the Plot Whisperer, re: Uma Krishnaswami‘s writing process and her latest picture book, OUT OF THE WAY! OUT OF THE WAY! I’ll be carrying along my laptop and plan to finish (fingers crossed) a picture book revision that’s been haunting me for months and months.

HAPPY 4TH!
photo credit: seantoyer

Thanks, Kathi!

** Don’t forget to check out Kathi’s blog, too!!