Ninjas In the Stacks!
My awesome publicist, Kirsten Cappy of Curious City, has created a thrilling ninja activity for bookstores and libraries! Readers will become book ninjas as they use their wits and dexterity and perhaps a card catalog to uncover clues and solve puzzles and perform challenges. Great, fun, and active–fabulous for grades 5-10. Check it out!
McArthur School
Last Friday I did a round of poetry workshops with some of the classes at a McArthur Elementary. I snapped a picture of this fabulous quilt hanging up in the main office.
I loved the energy and excitement of the kids as they listened to poems and tried writing their own. Especially the Asian girl who earnestly asked for the right English adjective to describe quick, happy, upbeat music (she was pleased with my suggestion of “lively”) and then proudly read her poem aloud in her tentative English; the Hispanic girl who wrinkled her nose a bit at my Spanish accent but still smiled at me to make sure she wouldn’t hurt my feelings; the Caucasian boy who squirmed throughout my presentation until I thought he was bored out of his skull and then blew me away with one of the best poems I’ve heard; the Middle Eastern girl who hugged me and said she could now check “hugging an author” off her bucket list.
It was lovely to see all these bright, eager, American face light up with joy to be talking about artwork and writing poems.
Read MoreCurious George, the Refugee
Those who fled war and political persecution have enriched our society in so many ways–including with words and images. Curious George is only one of the characters created by authors and illustrators from all over the world who made the United States a refuge and a home.
For more books created by refugees, click here.
Read MoreA Glimpse Inside a Writer’s Closet
If you peeked into my closet today, you’d see:
- a stuffed cobra that can be posed with its head and neck pulled into striking position
- a facsimile of a gravestone from 1893
- a pirate hat
- and of course unruly piles of books.
All of these are legitimate work-related objects. #writingisweird
Read MoreSarah L. Thomson
A children’s book author publishing award-winning nonfiction, poetry, picture books and novels including…
“Thomson focuses on newfound connection, magic, and suspense to conjure a fast-paced, heartwarming mystery. Thomson’s world is populated by resourceful protagonists, fanciful creatures, and quirky supporting characters.”
—Publishers Weekly