I’ve got a great read-along this week: a work of historical verse to pair with a wonderful new middle grade novel, coming out in February. First up: The verse. A few months ago, Linda Mitchell of the blog A Word Edgewise recommended a fabulous book: Countdown, 2878 Days to the Moon, by Suzanne Slade. I […]
November 2018
Thursday, 29 November 2018
Thursday, 22 November 2018
When I heard poet and sculptor Jay Hall Carpenter perform this poetic monologue a few weeks ago, I knew it was the perfect thing to share on Black Friday. I met Jay, a fellow Maryland poet, at the DiVerse Poetry readings series in Gaithersburg, MD this spring. (Those of you who go to that city’s […]
Friday, 16 November 2018
NCTE attendees, this is where you’ll find me at this weekend’s conference. Stop by and say hello! Coming to “Becoming the Leaders: The Power of Female Protagonists to Empower All Student Voices”? — You’ll find a recommended reading list at the bottom of this post. Have a great conference! Becoming the Leaders: The Power […]
Thursday, 15 November 2018
Hey, friends! I’m heading to the National Council of Teachers of English in Houston today. Will you be there too? My schedule is at the bottom of this post. I thought it would be a fun week for a throwback poem. This one is from the 2013 March Madness Poetry competition, run by Ed DeCaria […]
Thursday, 15 November 2018
A week ago today, we woke up to news of another mass shooting — this time at a California bar where it had been college night. It had only been eleven days since eleven people were shot and killed at a Pittsburgh synagogue. In a rush of emotion, I wrote about my experience seeing a […]
Monday, 12 November 2018
This thoughtful review of my middle grade novel Takedown comes from former Howard County, MD librarian Barb Langridge. Barb is the founder of the website A Book and a Hug, which I wrote about in a post for All the Wonders a few years ago: “Discover Your Reading Personality: A Book and a Hug.” *** Two […]
Thursday, 1 November 2018
Welcome, readers and fans of Takedown. I have something special to share with you — an extra scene from the book! This road trip mini-chapter takes place at the end of Chapter 30, when Lev is taking a week off from wrestling. Go to the end of page 212 (in hardcover editions), and you’ll find […]
Laura Shovan is the author of the award-winning middle grade novel, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary. Her second book, Takedown, is a Junior Library Guild and PJ Our Way selection. Look for A Place at the Table, co-written with Saadia Faruqi, in 2020. Laura is a poet-in-the-schools Maryland.
