POETS AND BLOGGERS UNITE: NCTE PANEL

You can probably guess I have a soft spot in my heart for English teachers. What could be better than heading down to Orlando for the NCTE Annual Convention to talk about writing and books with a whole city full of dedicated educators? Well, I'll tell you. I've been invited to participate in a panel called POETS AND BLOGGERS UNITE: USING TECHNOLOGY TO CONNECT KIDS, TEACHERS, AND POETRY, organized by Sylvia Vardell.

This is a before-during-and-after project, so even if you aren't an English teacher or you are but you're not going to NCTE, you can play along at home. Panel participants/poets will be featured by bloggers (see list below) the week before: reader comments and questions would be most welcome! Then follow-up posts will keep the discussion going the week after the convention. So, please take a look and get in the mix.

Tricia Stohr Hunt; The Miss Rumphius Effect
Featuring Marilyn Singer

This Week’s NCTE Poetry Posts at The Miss Rumphius Effect
Meet Marilyn Singer
More on Marilyn Singer
Marilyn Singer and Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse
Marilyn Singer and First Food Fight This Fall


Elaine Magliaro; Wild Rose Reader
Featuring Lee Bennett Hopkins

This Week’s NCTE Poetry Posts at Wild Rose Reader
Lee Bennett Hopkins: WHY POETRY?
PASS THE POETRY, PLEASE!: A Wild Rose Reader Interview with Lee Bennett Hopkins
A Question for Lee Bennett Hopkins
Lee Bennett Hopkins: A Silent Mentor


Sylvia Vardell; Poetry for Children
Featuring Pat Mora and Jame Richards
Pat Mora and NCTE
More on Mora

Hey, Teen Writers of Rockland County, Win a Personal Critique

I'm posting about this author event even though it's still a ways off because the deadline to enter the contest part is rapidly approaching.

So, if you are a teen writer from the Nanuet area, polish up that fiction and send it off.

Who can enter: Grades 7-12
What to enter: Short story or excerpt of novel, up to 10 typed pages
Any genre, from contemporary, historical, fantasy, realistic, steampunk, horror or paranormal, is acceptable.
When: submit by November 11
The critique will take place before the teen author event at Barnes & Noble on Route 59 in Nanuet at 3 p.m. December 11.
Where: shari.maurer@alumni.duke.edu
Why: so you can win a face-to-face critique with one of the authors mentioned below,
and a signed copy of their book

The authors are Shannon Delany, author of 13 to Life; Margie Gelbwasser, author of Inconvenient; Shari Maurer, author of Change of Heart; Jen Nadol, author of The Mark; and Jame Richards, author of Three Rivers Rising. They will read from their novels, talk about writing and publishing a book, and sign copies of their books.

Good luck writers!