Check out my article Believe and Dream for Childrens' Literature Network blog on What's Right about Children's Literature.

Magnus is a Colorado Book Award Winner

Receiving the CBA

Winners of the Colorado Book Awards were announced on Friday, June 24, at the 20th Annual Colorado Book Awards Ceremony, as the culminating event for the Aspen Summer Words writing retreat and literary festival in Aspen, Colorado.  Authors, editors, and photographers and their publishers entered 146 titles this year to compete in ten categories.  Magnus Maximus, A Marvelous Measurer published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux,in 2010, and illustrated by S.D. Schindler won in the Children's Literature category.

Jennifer Long (who did so much to make this an outstanding literary event) and me - with backdrop of scenic Aspen

Me - waxing poetic about stories!

CBA Finalists reading

A reading of Magnus Maximus, A Marvelous Measurer

Colorado Humanities and Center for the Book hosted a reading of the Finalists for the Colorado Book Award.

The winners will be announced on Friday afternoon, June 24 at the 20th Annual Colorado Book Awards ceremony, held at the Doerr-Hosier Center in Aspen.

Poetry Day

Seldom do I get the chance to hear children reading aloud their own poems. So, imagine my delight at being invited back to Dry Creek Elementary to hear the 4th Graders reading their poems aloud! What joy to see all of them so animated by the power of poetry. Take a look at these poetry slogans pasted on their classroom walls. No wonder these wonderful teachers have produced a class full of budding poets!

Raj at Denver Jewish Day School

What a joy it was to share Raj with the Kindergarten classes at Denver Jewish Day School. They knew all about poetry and they even knew that Scotland had lochs, not lakes like America! One little girl even told me that Raj was a great example of how we should all try and live The Golden Rule - and this is from a kindergartener! Lots of blossoming bookworms here!

Farewell to Loyola

For the past 16 years I have been reading stories to the children of Loyola Grade school. Alas, Loyola was forced to close this May, and so I had to bid my little friends adieu. It was such a pleasure to be able to share with them my passion for stories. Over the years they too have fallen in love with many of  my favorite stories: The Name of the Tree by Celia Lottridge, Child of Fairie by Jane Yolen, All the Anansi stories, The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Inga Moore, When Jessie came across the Sea by Amy Hest, The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde, and many, many more. Jane Yolen said that "Literature is prismatic. Light shines through the excellent books or dances off, and the rainbow it gives shine on and on in a child's life in a thousand different ways." How I hope that all those stories which touched these dear little children will keep their hearts shining brightly forever!

Loyola Kindergarten

Loyola 2nd Graders

Loyola 3rd Graders with The Giant King- finding the "king in one another!"

Loyola 5th Graders and carving of The Giant King

Author Reads Raj the Bookstore Tiger

Raj on Film!

Have a look at our production for Raj, the Bookstore Tiger!