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Feeling It: Creating emotional depth in your novel
with Karen Krossing & Laura Shovan
Laura's Blog
Wednesday, 24 January 2024
Monday, 29 January 2024
I can’t wait for everyone to meet Hannah — a put-upon eldest sister and cousin — who doesn’t want to give up her starring role in the family seder. She has a story to tell. A story with fighting and snakes, floods and escapes, music and matzo. “Music and Matzo” is my contribution to the […]
Thursday, 27 April 2023
One of my favorite poetry collections about the fantastic is Imaginary Menagerie: A Book of Curious Creatures, by Julie Larios with paintings by Julie Paschkis.
Friday, 21 April 2023
I’m counting down to Welcome to Monsterville’s launch next Tuesday, April 25, and WOW do I have a poetry story to share with all of you.
Thursday, 30 March 2023
Use the space of a poem to describe your vision of a Future House.
Thursday, 23 March 2023
I’m putting together a list of read-alikes for teachers. These are books and poems that pair well with the emotional content (or the creature content!) of Welcome to Monsterville.
Today, I am sharing two wonderful SEL poems from Things We Feel, edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong.
Thursday, 16 March 2023
Authors Take Action is organizing a community poetry project for kids.
I invite children’s poets and authors (YOU!) to create writing prompts on the theme of CLIMATE.
Friday, 10 March 2023
Today, I’m sharing my interview with debut verse novelist Meg Eden. Her middle grade novel, GOOD DIFFERENT, is out from Scholastic in April. The interview is up at the Diverse Verse blog.
Friday, 3 March 2023
Tuesday was the final day of the 2023 February Poetry Project. This year’s theme was STORY. There were so many incredible prompts, dreamed up by the group’s participants. I’ve been thinking a lot about poems and how we use them to tell stories. I’m gearing up to teach my virtual class once again: “Poetry Techniques […]
Thursday, 9 February 2023
My friend Aliza Werner sent me the most wonderful book: What Feelings Do When No One’s Looking by Tina Oziewicz, illustrated by Aleksandra Zajac. This sweet book about emotions was translated from Polish to English by Jennifer Croft.
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.
