Recent Visits

Cole Arts and Science Academy - Denver Public Schools

What exactly is inspiration?  Where does it come from?  How can we get more of it?  How long does it take to write a book?  How can stories change us and make us better people?  These were just some of the questions I explored with the 3rd and 4th graders of Cole Arts and Science Academy on my recent visit in my presentation on Inspiration

My favorite question from one of the students was, "How do you feel when you have finished a story?"  Ahh...the JOY of creating - what can be better than that?  Nothing!

Recent Visits

Children's Literature Class for student teachers at Regis University

It is always a pleasure to have the opportunity to share my passion for literature with student teachers.  And I have been a regular speaker at Anne Henderson's class at Regis University for the past several years.  Anne has heard my talk on Nurturing a Passion for Stories for so long, that she could probably do this presentation without me!  Not only do I talk about my own books that I have written, but I share stories from all my sixteen years at Loyola school, where I have been reading fairy tales and folk tales from around the world to the children from Kindergarten to 7th Grade.  And it is there that I see the truth of Jane Yolen's words - "Adult books maintain lives.  Children's books change lives."  And that is why, with the plethora of books out there, that all of us teachers, parents, grandparents, authors, need to choose which books we decide to read to our little ones.  They had better be the very best of the best, for indeed we are feeding little hearts and souls.

Recent Visits

Franklin Elementary School

A great visit with all the students at Franklin Elementary school!  We talked about the truth behind all of my stories - People will act, oftentimes, the way you expect them to act The Giant King 
 Love inspires us. Inventor McGregor
Not all things in life can or should be measured. Magnus Maximus a Marvelous Measurer
 And...great stories and books and poems make us all "burn bright!" Raj the Bookstore Tiger
We also talked about Vincent Van Gogh's beautiful painting Starry Night, because there are some "starry nights" in both my books, Magnus and Raj.  One of the students even knew told me that today (30th March) was Vincent Van Gogh's birthday - he knew because he shared the same birthday. 

Bank Street Best Books 2011

I am delighted to announce that Magnus Maximus, A Marvelous Measurer, illustrated by S.D. Schindler (FSG) has been selected as a Bank Street Best Book in the 5-9 age group.

What a wonderful list.  I am pleased to share the list with so many fine writers!  Educators who love this Bank Street list as much as I, can explore Magnus Maximus, A Marvelous Measurer further by downloading an Educator's Guide here.

Review of Magnus Maximus a Marvelous Measurer

Many thanks to Debbie Wright of Wrighty Reads for her insightful review of Magnus Maximus a Marvelous Measurer.

"From the first page, this book reminded me of some of my favorite childhood reads. The classic illustrations took me back to trips to the library, sitting in the little wooden chairs pulling picture books from the shelf.

Magnus Maximus takes his job measuring very seriously. This timeless tale tells of his obsession with his work until he breaks his glasses. His lesson learned is to enjoy life and it's a good example for our workaholic society today. The charming pictures filled with soft colors and delicate details enhance the story. I will enjoy this delightful book with little people for a long time to come!"

Feline Review of Raj the Bookstore Tiger

Many, many thanks to Vince and his owner, Pat Zietlow Miller for her charming review of  Raj the Bookstore Tiger on her blog.

Here is what the clever feline (aka Puma), Vince had to say:

"Some cats have all the luck.  They not only have a nice home and people who give them tuna on demand, they’re also mistaken for jungle cats. I’ve always fancied I resemble a puma. Unfortunately, no one else seems to see it.

This book is about a cat named Raj. And, get this. Everyone at the bookstore he hangs out at thinks he’s a tiger.

So, as you can imagine, he pretty much has the run of the place. He can bask in the front window. He can sit in whoever’s lap he wants at storytime. And, when he stalks through the store, people squeal, “Look at the tiger!”

Then, another cat arrives and spoils Raj’s fun. He’s white, so no one has ever thought he’s a tiger.

Plus, his name is Snowball. Any cat worth his kibble knows Snowball is at the top of the list of mortifying cat names right under “Fluffy” and “Snookums.”

Anyway, Snowball doesn’t think Raj is king of the jungle. He tells him he’s just a regular old kitty with delusions of grandeur. Then, he takes over all of Raj’s favorite bookstore spots.

This sends Raj into hiding. But, fortunately, while he’s under a chair, he hears a famous poem about a tiger. I’ve never met the William Blake guy who wrote it, but it’s obvious he knew something about the respect and reverence cats deserve.

After hearing the poem, Raj gets his cat-titude back and is the center of attention when a visiting author shows a video featuring tigers in the wild. Poor Snowball is scared of the video until Raj shows him a book with pictures of a rare white tiger.

Then, together, they stalk off to rule the bookstore.

After reading this book, I might have to pay more attention to the other books scattered around this place. Maybe I’ll find a photo of a puma that looks like me."