Visiting Today's Little Ditty

                 With a challenge at Michelle Barnes' Today's Little Ditty, I wanted to try something, so go visit her wonderful poetry site to see my attempt at a slide/movie. I now know a few things, and wish I'd added some text. Next time! Thanks to Michelle, you can enjoy many of the tree photos I've taken through these past years, with a poem accompanying!
               I've been out of town the past few Sundays and missed the Digitech meme at Margaret Simon's Reflections on The Teche. It's worth visiting, too!

Non-Fiction Inspiration

    Thanks to Alyson Beecher at KidLitFrenzy who hosts this community. It's exciting to discover so many good non-fiction picture books!

         I managed to read two n-f books, two I'm sure that one of you, or more, have shared and that's why I ordered them from the library. I'm very happy I did! Both are worth more than a look!

Barbed Wire Baseball - written by Marissa Moss and illustrated by Yuko Shimizu

            It's a wonderful thing to discover so many kinds of heroes in the recent numerous picture book biographies. We've learned about sports heroes, adventurers, visual and musical artists, women who defied the usual stereotypes, and stories about writers, much in these past few years. 

All-Write - Around and Around

Time for Tuesday's Slice of Life Sharing at Two Writing Teachers
       Thanks to Stacey, Tara, Dana, Betsy, Anna and Beth and to the bloggers who share. It's a pleasure to read your writing. 
        I really celebrated last Saturday about my trip to All-Write last week, but only shared the verbs, not the incredible experience every.single.minute. Even the hotel room provided a respite before going out again with friends to talk about education. What an inspiration to be there at the start of summer when we read and talk and tweet and plan--for next year! Remember that these are my words, my takeaways. Others may bring differing ideas, the speakers may have intended different messages. This is Day One!

Pictures and Why They're Here:

Ruth Ayres gave an amazing keynote address, starting, as is her mantra, with a story. She spoke of her children and the challenges they, with the family, face. Yet, Ruth, through much thought and advice, finally figured out that there was hope in Celebration With GRIT!  My Takeaway: Instead of working in our lives for ourselves, for our students, seeing what is NOT right, look for the nugget that is right, and CELEBRATE! It may be dusted with grit, but it is worthy. She referenced the beautiful "Man In The Arena" quote from a speech by Teddy Roosevelt, which you can find here. And shared "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them" by Maya Angelou. I believe I do this in my own life, but perhaps forget when I'm teaching some students that I also can look through that grit & find the celebration!

It's Monday Reading!

                 Thanks to Jen at Teach.Mentor.Texts and Ricki and Kellee at Unleashing Readers for this terrific Reading community. Come share or at least visit!
          Tweet at #IMWAYR

      Happy One Year Anniversary to Kellee and Ricki! Celebrate with them this week!

           I’ve read some great picture books that I know have been suggested by others. Thanks to all who keep adding to my list. What fun it is to read these books!

Breakfast Served Anytime – written by Sarah Combs

             I am late reading this from NetGalley. It is a debut novel published in April, and I finally found the time to read it.  I thoroughly loved this young Gloria, off to Geek Camp, a month without tech (wow) before her senior year in high school.  Within the group of four students, and the teacher, all begin to feel comfortable being their true selves, especially when they accept who the others “are”. Gloria faces additional challenges with her perky roommate Jessica, also not exactly what she first seems. It becomes a summer of learning for Gloria as well as the others in the story. Sarah Combs writes beautifully as she peels off the layers of each character, using the classes led by the teacher and the experiences of the group. Told with Gloria’s strong voice, it is a poignant read of that time just before a child leaps into adulthood.  It’s definitely for teens, no younger.

Celebrating Travel

            Thanks To Ruth Ayres, we have Celebration Saturday! Tweet at #CelebrateLu  and today at #AllWrite14
         Link up here!  

 At All-Write-literary conference in Warsaw, Indiana. What a marvelous time filled with verbs! Yes, VERBS (most important part of speech): talking, learning, laughing, yearning, thinking, listening, sharing, sitting, smiling, introducing, greeting, eating, writing, applauding, photographing, story-telling, hugging, commiserating, questioning, watching, walking, driving, discovering, snacking, reading, and, of course, CELEBRATING!

        Thanks to Ruth Ayres and Mary Helen for their warm, hosting welcome!  More next week when home with the laptop.