• Poetry Friday: On a Flake-Flying Day

    This week’s Poetry Friday host is Jama at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. https://jamarattigan.com/   On a Flake-Flying Day       On a Flake-Flying Day: Watching Nature’s Wonders by Buffy Silverman Millbrook Press, 2023   On a Flake-Flying Day is another book in Buffy Silverman’s season series. You can see…

  • Poetry Friday September 30, 2022 + Ice Cycle

      Tabatha is posting the roundup this week.   Haiku of the Week   bee sashays up the thin petal— balancing act   Photo & Haiku © 2022 Marcie Flinchum Atkins  Haiku Moments Playlist Poetry Printables Page Sign up for poetry postcards   What I’m Reading Ice Cycle: Poems…

  • Poetry Mentor Texts: Some Bugs by Andrea DiTerlizzi

    Some Bugs By Andrea DiTerlizzi Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel Beach Lane, 2014 Some Bugs is one of those books that completely absorbs the reader in it’s fun but spare language. It’s a brilliant 94 words! Like Raindrops Roll, it’s one I typed up because I wanted to study the…

  • Poetry as Mentor Texts: Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre

    April is poetry month. Every Friday in April, I will feature a poetic picture book that can be used as a mentor text for writing. For past Poetry Month resources, check out these resources. Raindrops Roll By April Pulley Sayre Beach Lane, 2015 I can’t say enough good things…

  • SHE SANG PROMISE by Jan Godown Annino, Mentor Text Lesson Plan

    SHE SANG PROMISE: THE STORY OF BETTY MAE JUMPER by Jan Godown Annino Illustrated by Lisa Desimini A few weeks ago, I featured SHE SANG PROMISE as a mentor text on the Grog site. This week, I’m debuting the full length lesson plan. SHE SANG PROMISE MENTOR TEXT LESSON…

  • Poetry Mentor Texts: When Thunder Comes by J. Patrick Lewis

    WHEN THUNDER COMES: POEMS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS by J. Patrick Lewis Illustrated by Jim Burke, R. Gregory Christie, Tonya Engel, John Parra, and Meilo So Chronicle Books, 2013 J. Patrick Lewis has captured fifteen international civil rights leaders’ struggles in this poetry collection. This would be an amazing…

  • Hi, Koo! by Jon J. Muth, Poetry Mentor Text

    Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons Written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth Scholastic Press, 2014 I’m a huge fan of haiku books, and I have a huge collection of haiku picture books. For an annotated haiku book list, click here.  This particular book follows Koo, a panda, through…

  • Writing Wednesday: Using MOONSHOT as a Mentor Text for Writing

    Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 By Brian Floca Atheneum, 2009   This narrative nonfiction text tells the story of the Apollo 11 mission from Earth to the moon and back again. It is a very poetic but very informative text of this landmark event in history. It’s not…