For Students

Hi! You can click on the covers below to learn more about the books I've written and what inspired me. 

	NEW!

Doing a report for school? Check out "Biography." 

There's a lot to discover on this page! Here are some quick links to things you can do:

 

Explore:

Learn more about SWIMMING UPSTREAM: MIDDLE SCHOOL POEMS. Read what students across the country are saying about middle school at Middle School Musings.

What would you do with only one mitten? Put on your "thinking cap" (a mitten?) and see what students across the country in grades K to 3 came up with in "The One Mitten Imagination Challenge." There are many wildly creative thinkers there are out there!

  Explore 

Tips for Poets

Take a virtual visit of Lauren Stringer's studio and learn more about how Lauren created the art for FOLD ME A POEM.

Peek into Maggie Smith's studio as she works on ONE MITTEN.

See a fun origami project with paper cranes.
 

Read some of the poems from my books:

 

	"Pond" and "Recycled" from FOLD ME A POEM
	"Nest Construction" from HUMMINGBIRD NEST: A JOURNAL OF POEMS.
	"Big News" from LITTLE DOG AND DUNCAN
	"Birthday" from LITTLE DOG POEMS (Bonus: A recipe for dog cookies)
	"Coming Home" from LITTLE DOG POEMS
	"Old Elm Speaks" from OLD ELM SPEAKS: TREE POEMS
	Love dogs? Check out Little Dog Welcomes Bo to the White House and read students' Bo Poems.
	"Sleeping Outside" from TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS: CAMPING POEMS
	"Polliwogs" from THE GREAT FROG RACE (Bonus: Learn about "tadpole ranching")

Just stuff!
I really enjoy where I live; it is never boring. How can I not be inspired to write when I have great neighbors like this?

		Photo by Dustin T., age 11
Juliet is a goat who likes to munch roses. Thorns? No problem.	Wolfie! King of the Hill	Boris is our neighborhood's very own "Billy Goat Gruff." He's actually a very mellow fellow.

Driving home in the late afternoon, I spotted a coyote. I pulled over, rolled the window down, and took a quick picture as he loped off.

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