Nurturing Young Minds with Poetry

Poetry, often seen as a niche form of literature, holds immense value for children. It’s more than just rhyming words; it’s a gateway to imagination, emotional expression, and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

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Poetry Pop Blog Hop: Love, Laughter, and Life

I hopped over to Angie Quantrell’s blog, Love, Laughter, and Life, this week to talk about what you can do with haiku other than write, read, and share it. You might be surprised by the fun you can have with haiku! Come on over and get crafty with us! Plus, enter the giveaway (ends Aug 21, 2024)

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Poetry Pop Blog Hop: How to Teach Leveled Haiku and Explore Creative Applications

A huge thank you to Patricia Newman for the opportunity to hop over as a guest blogger to her amazing STEM & Language Arts Blog, LitLinks. In the post, we explore how to teach leveled haiku to different age groups based on my book “How Do You Haiku?: A Step-by-Step Guide with Templates. Once students get the hang of writing haiku, they can explore creative templates like writing haiku comics, creating kuhi (poem stones), and more!

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Poetry in Picture Books

If you are familiar with children’s literature, you know that many of these books are bursting with rhymes and poems. While some are stories written in rhyme (one big poem), others are dedicated solely to children’s poetry, aiming to spark a love for verse in little hearts.

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Zen Pop: Mindful Moments in Nature

Periodically on Poetry Pop, you will see a Zen Pop blog post. These posts are my way of sharing on a personal level and giving you a bit of poetic encouragement while traversing this beautiful (and often challenging) thing we call life.

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A Publication Celebration and Interview

I’m happy to have my newest book, “How Do You Haiku?” featured on Matt Esenwine’s blog this Poetry Friday! Head over to Radio, Rhythm, & Rhyme for my interview with Matt on the making of the book and to celebrate with us!

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Author Interview: Haiku Makes Me Happy

I am pleased to share my interview with Literary Titan about my new how-to haiku handbook and why I wrote it. Click the bolded title below for the scoop!

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Cover reveal: YA Novel-In-Verse

When Aspen’s best friend gives her a DNA test kit, a half teaspoon of spit is all it takes to discover her entire life has been a lie.

I am proud to share the cover of my debut young adult novel-in-verse, releasing May 30, 2022! This is the book of my heart. This is the book based on my true story. This is the book that helped me through a very real, very difficult time in my life. Four years ago, I took a DNA test and discovered the man who raised me and whom I loved dearly was not my biological father.

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Welcoming spring with a poem & new book!

In the United States, spring began March 21st but depending on where you live, the bulbs may still be sleeping beneath the ground. For me, spring begins the moment I see my neighbor’s apricot tree blooming white popcorn blossoms.

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