Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, dates back to June 19, 1865, when the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that slaves were free due to the war having ended. Remarkably, this was two and a half years after the official January 1, 1863 […]
I’d like to share a few events that may be of interest to adult readers and writers. Time is of essence in that one “Hello Literacy” event (The Invisible Boy) will be held this Thursday, May 21. While this event was shared with me by a fellow colleague, I not only saw this event through […]
All 2020 marketing plans for authors and writers, have changed as a result of COVID-19. Author events; cancelled. Writing conferences; cancelled. Marketing letters to meet with perspective buyers; cancelled. Launch parties; cancelled. All plans cancelled or postponed. We’re now looking for creative ways to market and grow interest in our books. And, I must say, […]
We are now moving into the last half of our celebration of Black History Month. How have you been celebrating, thus far? This month, I’ve applauded African American authors and musicians. What do you know about your favorite African American author(s) or musician(s)? What was their life like as a child? What experiences led them […]
There’s still time to celebrate Black History Month. This week, let’s applaud African-American authors, in which I am one! In 1990, the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English created the National African American Read-In. Their purpose for creating this event was to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month. It […]
It’s mid-November and not in the least too late to celebrate. What are we celebrating? I’m glad you asked. Take your pick or celebrate them all! Picture Book Month: An international literacy initiative that celebrates the print picture book founded by author and storyteller, Dianne de Las Casas. Simply stated on the Picture Book Month […]
A story exists in each of us. I encourage children and adults to find inspiration to write. Ideas can come from a variety of sources: Pictures Newspaper or magazine articles Sunday school lessons or sermons Events in one’s own life Events in other people’s lives Shared conversations (with permission and without revealing sensitive info that could personally […]
Every year in April, we celebrate National Poetry Month. Launched in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month has become the largest literary celebration in the world. Each year worldwide, schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets commemorate poetry’s vital place in our nation. Use poetry to encourage readers, especially struggling readers. Poetry […]
As parents, teachers, and librarians, it takes a little creativity to encourage and motivate children to read. I would like to provide a few tips to inspire your young readers. Visit the National Day Calendar (http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com) for interesting themes to celebrate. You can locate themes by the day, week, and/or month. For example, yesterday, January […]
I often tell my students “good readers write and good writers read.” In my opinion, writing and reading are inseparable. The connection between reading and writing is essential to a child’s literacy development. Teachers and parents can nurture a child’s imagination through writing. An article in The Science of Learning affirms the importance of writing […]