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1964 Newbery: It’s Like This, Cat
I was a little worried when I chose another Newbery with “cat” in the title that cats dying would be the main theme. After all, there are a lot of dead pets in Newberyland. But thankfully, the worst thing that happens to Cat is that he gets “altered” in a scene full of unintentional […]
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1931 Newbery: The Cat Who Went to Heaven
I like books about cats, and I also like short books. So I was (somewhat) eager to read Elizabeth Coatsworth’s 1931 Newbery, The Cat Who Went to Heaven. The book is about a Japanese painter and his housekeeper and the little cat they adopt. The housekeeper goes to the market with the last of their […]
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Newbery Challenge, 1922-2012
I didn’t intend to make a resolution or join a challenge, but after I reread the delightful 2010 Newbery winner, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, I found myself thinking it would be neat to read all the Newbery winners. The prize was started in 1922, and really, how much work could it possibly […]
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NaNoWriMo: What Now?
On Friday, my 6th NaNoWriMo came to a close. I wrote 50,126 words in November. Over the past 6 Novembers, I have written over 300,000 words spread across 4 different projects. This year, I decided to return to the (partially finished) draft of a YA novel that I started during NaNo#2. I have worked at […]
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Why School?
I’m a little late to the party on Will Richardson’s “Why School?: How Education Must Change When Learning and Information Are Everywhere,” which is available as a Kindle single for just $2.99, but I finally read it and I’m so glad I did. I like how clearly and succinctly Richardson lays out his argument—basically, in […]
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Gone Digital
Shortly before leaving for the NCTE conference, I found out that I need to develop a course on reading and must include digital literacy. I am so glad I discovered this BEFORE the convention, because I was able to attend many sessions on digital literacy and come away with an entirely different view of what […]
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Writers First
I have been thinking a lot about the questions Anthony Sedun asked in his presentation at NCTE12. What kinds of stories are teachers allowed to tell? Are certain narratives privileged over others? Do we have the freedom to say the same things about education that Sir Ken Robinson said in his opening keynote speech? If […]
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Lessons for NCTE 2013
This was my first attendance at NCTE, and I am hooked. Already planning to go next year. Plus, it’s in Boston! Culture! Bookstores! Art museums! Bookstores! Coffee shops! Bookstores! Write a reflection every day. I thought I would be able to remember everything and reflect later. Ha! Four days later, I can’t even make sense […]
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NCTE12 Reflections in the Form of 17-Word Reviews
At the first session I went to, Kelly Gallagher shared a few assignments he uses with his students. He had us try out one of them, the 17-word review. I wrote my review on Firefly: Only the best space western ever made. Too bad it was canceled after 11 episodes. Boo Fox. I decided to use the 17-word […]
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Vegas Haiku
Inspired by The Paper Graders’ NCTE Day2 Haikus, I have written my own series of haikus (not strict) about the experience of being in Las Vegas. I’ll do another post later on about the NCTE conference, which has been wonderful. I should probably also learn how to use spam filters since I am about to use […]
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