Happy Poetry Friday! On Sunday, I had a chance to observe Olympian Jordan Burroughs working with high school wrestlers on Maryland’s national team. The team of about 60 teens will be competing in Fargo, North Dakota this weekend. It’s the freestyle wrestling national championships. Although he gave it up after middle school, my son wrestled […]
Poetry Friday
Thursday, 14 July 2016
Thursday, 7 July 2016
I’ve got a treat for history buffs on Laura’s Bookshelf today. Middle grade author Deborah Kalb is here to talk about her new novel, GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THE MAGIC HAT. Here is the blurb from Goodreads: Adventure, history, and the drama of school life intertwine in this engrossing tale of a fifth-grade boy struggling to […]
Thursday, 30 June 2016
Happy Poetry Friday! Today, I’m sharing a concrete poem written by a poet named Jackie Kozell. Let’s take a look at it first, and then I’ll share the story behind this poem. Jackie is a talented artist, which you can see in the shape of the poem. But her artist’s eye also makes her observant […]
Thursday, 16 June 2016
Happy Poetry Friday! The American Library Association is coming up next week. I’m looking forward to checking out fall trends in middle grade and, of course, what’s new in poetry. I’ve had a blast during my debut author year spending time with fellow middle grade novelists. Today, I’d like to introduce Poetry Friday readers to […]
Thursday, 14 April 2016
Happy Poetry Friday, everyone! I’m traveling to Albuquerque next week, where I’ll be visiting two schools — including a real Emerson Elementary. That’s where I’ll be on April 21, which is national Poem in Your Pocket Day. Because I’ll be sharing the day with students, I’ve been thinking about some of my favorite ways to […]
Thursday, 31 March 2016
National Poetry Month is finally here! For the first time in several years, I am not doing an April blog project. I’ll be a little busy with my book launch. However, I am going to enjoy what the other Poetry Friday bloggers have to offer for our 20th anniversary NPM celebration. Jama Rattigan has a […]
Friday, 25 March 2016
Happy Poetry Friday! I spent the past week doing a local book tour with three other debut authors. We had a blast. The other middle grade novelist in the group was Janet Sumner Johnson, author of THE LAST GREAT ADVENTURE OF THE PB&J SOCIETY. Janet is from Oregon, and she stayed with me […]
Thursday, 10 March 2016
Happy Poetry Friday. After spending the month of February writing found object poems, I’m happy to return to the “Laura’s Bookshelf” series. In Bookshelf posts, I pair a middle grade or young adult novel with a poem, to be read and enjoyed side by side. As you know, I am a huge Doctor Who fan, […]
Friday, 4 March 2016
Happy Poetry Friday, everyone. Today, I’m wrapping up the annual daily write-in project. In January, I invited everyone to join me for a month-long project, writing in response to found objects (the original post is here). This is the fourth time I’ve celebrated my February birthday with a daily project that gives back to the writing community. […]
Friday, 26 February 2016
Hello, Found Object Poets and Poetry Friday people. We have family visiting today, so my friend, the poet Michael Ratcliffe, is guest hosting. While you’re visiting Mike’s new blog, be sure to check out his just-published book of poems, SHARDS OF BLUE. FOUND: Sun Sign You will find the Day 26 Found Object Poem Project post […]
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.
