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Highlights Fiction Contest: Mystery Writing Tips
Highlights for Children Magazine runs a yearly fiction contest. This year the theme is a mystery and the deadline is January 31, 2015. If you are interested in some links on how to write a mystery AND a printable for planning your mystery, head on over to the GROG…
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Making Time to Write in 2015
I’m over at the GROG today talking about ways you can make time to write in 2015. Click here for the full article.
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Mentor Texts for Teachers 2015: Guest Posts
When I did my list of most popular blog posts in 2014, I noticed that six of the ten posts were mentor texts posts. I want to bring more mentor texts posts to you in 2015. I’m inviting other teachers and librarians to post about how they use mentor…
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Best of 2014: Most Popular Posts
Looking back over 2014, I wanted to take note of my most popular posts on my blog. It helps me see what posts are most helpful to my readers. The shocking thing for me was that all of the most frequently read pages of 2014 were actually posts I…
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Looking Ahead: Mapping Out 2015
I know we are smack in the middle of two holidays. I’m in the middle of a break from work. But this is the time of the year when I start to get antsy about what’s going to happen in the next year. I start to make my goals…
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Looking Back at 2014
For the last two years (2012 and 2013), I’ve done a post at the end of the year to celebrate what I’ve actually accomplished. I think I always get weary in December and wonder: “Did I get anything done?” While I knew the answer was “Yes.” I did have…
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Historical Fiction and Nonfiction Mentor Texts
Mentor Texts Whenever I’m reading someone else’s work for critique or whenever I’m struggling in a particular area of my writing, I always turn to mentor texts. They are like “guiding lights.” I’ve been involved in some discussions online that are asking for great suggestions for picture book biographies…
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PiBoIdMo Prep 2014: Mining for Ideas
Come November, I’m usually physically and emotionally spent. I’m exhausted from the first few months of school and anticipating the exhaustion of the holidays. But a challenge comes along every November that I just can’t pass up. PiBoIdMo. Picture Book Idea Month, started by the amazing Tara Lazar. I’ve…
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New Teacher Resources
Mentor Texts for Word Choice Downloadable My most popular post on my blog is my “Top 10 Mentor Texts for Word Choice.” I took the bones of that post, expanded it, and turned it into a downloadable PDF. You can get it for FREE if you sign up…
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Learning Never Stops
My brother teases me that I’m a perpetual student. I never seem to quit going to school. It’s true. I have a MFA, MA, and soon an endorsement in Library Media to prove that this statement is true. But I think the more I learn the more I realize…
