Tag Archive for Bill Prosser

A Few Links, etc.

Been away on a school visit to Bailey Elementary in Dublin, Ohio, with Karen and Bill of Literate Lives. Since they’ve already threatened to blog about it, I’ll refrain from much comment. Especially as I’m a little fuzzy in the Brain Department this glorious morn. The students were great, happy and well-prepared, and the overall team effort — from principal to PTO parent — made it all feel like a cohesive, coordinated success. Beyond the whole “content delivering” aspect, we all enjoyed some laughs along the way and made new friendships. A happy time; I’m grateful for the experience.

And I ate like a king (thanks, Amy and Keyburn).

* My brother from another mother, Matthew Cordell, blogs about the beginnings of our new picture book, Mighty Casey. Very interesting to get an illustrator’s perspective on the process, including early (rejected) sketches.

* The Reading Zone recently reviewed Along Came Spider, and even (insanely!) used the M-word. That’s overstating it for sure, but I appreciate the enthusiasm. The money quote:

This is a great book and one I can’t wait to share with my students.  I think it will resonate with boys and girls alike.  James Preller has crafted yet another masterpiece for middle grade readers!

* Bill Prosser did his first-ever interview over at Literate Lives, sitting down with author N.D. Wilson. A very nice job, especially for someone who went twenty minutes before realizing he forgot to turn on the tape recorder! Check it out and encourage Bill to do more.

* Lastly, I recently directed a teacher friend to visit The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks, which is on my fabulous blogroll on the right sidebar, under Random Pleasures. For anyone who enjoys language, and grammar, and unintended humor, this is a fun, quick site and worth seeing.  I can’t imagine a language arts teacher/person not enjoying it. I love when a blog gets very specific like this, mining that one vein.

* Lastly, Fan Mail Wednesday has been moved to Friday!

Snow Day Superstitions

Growing up on Long Island, I failed to realize the degree of control I had over the weather. For example, was everyone else aware that if you slept in your pajamas inside out, that you increased the likelihood of a Snow Day by 83%? Others insist that the odds get even better if the pajamas are inside out and backwards!

Then there’s this business about the spoon.

My kids say you have to sleep with a frozen spoon under your pillow. Others contend that a room-temperature spoon is equally effective. Still others claim that a wooden spoon works well, but I find that unlikely.

So, people, which is it?

I’ve heard folks argue that you should flush ice cubes down the toilet. Again, I’m dubious — how could THAT effect the weather?! If students are high school age, it’s been recommended that they sleep with their heads at the foot of their beds and put their planner books in the freezer, which makes intuitive sense.

I’ve heard of some tribes — the Fishmans down the block — performing a Snow Day Dance. But come on, that’s ridiculous. Some people are just looking for any old excuse to cut the rug.

Do you know any other tricks?

As you might have guessed, we’ve got a full house. Unfortunately, it’s an Ice Day and miserable outside. No snow forts or sledding today. But we are having hot oatmeal!

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In other news, I’m excited about my upcoming interview with Karen Terlecky and Bill Prosser, the good folks behind the Literate Lives blog. It should be up in time for Monday morning coffee. No, they didn’t interview me; it was the other way around. And much better that way. As Bill confessed to me:

I’ll be honest, I couldn’t figure out why you wanted to interview us. When I told my awesome aid about it, her immediate response was, “Why!?” It’s nice when your friends keep you grounded and humble.

As far as the “why” of it: Bill is a librarian, Karen is a 5th grade teacher. They blog about books. Both are passionate, insightful lovers of children’s literature. They are readers; they are connectors. And as such, they are a vital part of this community we share, bound together by books, and in many respects more important than editors or authors. It all begins with readers. Where would we be without them?

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend.