Today my mom is having cataract surgery. “A simple procedure, out-patient, and takes only an hour or so. Afterwards a few days of patching, frequent drops, no lifting heavy objects. Done. She will be able to see nearly normal again.” But it is not a simple procedure, to see again. When our family was on…

Driving Mom home at sunset, we stopped the car by the beach. Near the water’s edge sat an old couple. As the red ball of sun began to slip behind the sea, the husband helped his wife stand up, then put an arm around her. And then the sun was gone. Thursday, June 7, 2012…

But, you may argue, I am writing a nonfiction nature book…or a fantasy…or picture-book biography. It doesn’t matter. If you want your reader to keep turning the pages and at the end, thumb back through the book, your manuscript must have heart. Emotion. Emotion means connection between information, meaning and the reader. In other words,…

Read a book with your child this summer – every day, enjoy book-time! Think about chosing a few picture-book biographies to look at together, no matter how old your child is. Try biographies about people you haven’t heard of or people you know almost nothing about, especially people from other countries, ethnicities or eras than…

Originally published at readerkidz.com. Maurice Bernard Sendak (June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) Readerkidz Deb Gonzales says: “Years ago, I directed a large summer arts camp for kids ages 3 to 10, the theme of which was “Let the Rumpus Begin!” For the program finale we performed a play based on Where the Wild…

Writing is fulfilling and soul-feeding – but it’s also just plain hard.  Each time I sit down to write, I feel I am leaping off a cliff only to land in a murky current of self-doubt:  Why do I think I can do this? And why does it take so LONG?! It’s daunting!  The sheer amount of…

Who Are These People?  Who Are These Online Students? “I am leaving the country today and I will not have access to Internet until Wednesday or Thursday of next week.  If I can I will definitely chime in on discussion threads.” I had not heard from this student for over ten days.  His work had…