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Life on the Deckle Edge

To Sing of Spring

A field of fourth-grade poets
This morning I had the privilege of leading two classes of fourth graders outside on a nature walk/poem safari to collect sensory details that they are writing into poems. Though we are focusing on haiku, today I'm sharing a longer classic celebrating the natural world this time of year.

I read that Gerard Manley Hopkins gave up writing poems for Lent while in college (and then for many years). And I thought giving up chocolate was tough! Happy Spring - and apolgies that my blog swallows indentations.

Spring

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Nothing is so beautiful as spring—
When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;
Thrush's eggs look little low heavens, and thrush
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring
The ear, it strikes like lightings to hear him sing;
The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush
The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush
With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.

What is all this juice and all this joy?
A strain of the earth's sweet being in the beginning
In Eden garden.—Have, get, before it cloy,
Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,
Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,
Most, O maid's child, thy choice and worthy the winning.

The Poetry Friday round-up is at RANDOM NOODLING.
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Second Grade Authors Rock!

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS VISIT WEST VIRGINIA
I just received in the mail something worth celebrating. In November, I had the great privilege to (drive through an early snow! and) visit several schools in and near Charleston, West Virginia. The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra brings arts to the schools with more innovative programs than I could possibly list. Betty King, Vice President of Education/Operations, invited me up as part of an initiative culminating in a "Song of the Wolf" performance for the students.

Students participated in all kinds of Three-Little-Piggy-themed projects. Ms. Adkins's second grade class from Flinn Elementary School wrote and illustrated their own original story, THE THREE LITTLE PIGS VISIT WEST VIRGINIA. I was honored to get to read it when I spent some time in their classroom - what a dedicated teacher and creative students!

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Here's to 2011!

Happy New Year!

I'm looking forward to a year of hard work, encouraged and noursihed by time with others who love children's books.

Between regular stretches of writing, and waiting on word from editors about a couple of projects, I look forward to meeting young readers and writers in schools as well as "older" readers and writers at professional gatherings.

I'm particularly looking forward to participaing on an Authors Panel at the Georgia Reading Association conference in Atlanta this month. I love meeting teachers and other reading enthusiasts, and it will be a treat to catch up with Georgia children's authors Donny Bailey Seagraves, Elizabeth Dulemba, and Margo Calendaria on the panel. Read More 
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Country Roads and the Big, Bad (?) Wolf

Betty King, VP for the WV Symphony Education and Operations, brought me to the Charleston area for several days in area schools (Nov. 2010). What great folks!
Gracious thanks to Betty King, the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and so many great folks in the Charleston area for a week of wolfy, writing fun in schools! The Symphony sponsors and ambitious arts in education program, and I got to be part of it this year.

School children from throughout the region will get to experience Grant Cooper's "Song of the Wolf" (a recasting of the Three Little Pigs, with The Wolf as an environmentalist) as part of the Young People's Concert Series later this month. In preparation, arts-in-education goddess Betty King and her staff have been working with local educators, offering ideas for projects limited only by the imagination.  Read More 
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Celebrating Writing

Thanks to Lakeview Academy in Gainesville, Ga., for hosting me to kick off the Lower School's "Writing Celebration" last week. Students of all ages have been learning and polishing their writing skills all year, and this year's celebration theme was "Capturing Ideas" - with the perfect visual of spring butterflies, fluttering all around the writing displays. Read More 
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Springmingle and WinterWanders...

Happy March!

Still feels like winter, but the sun is out and most of the snow has melted away. I drove through a mini-blizzard (OK, Georgia-style) to visit with the great kids at Cleveland Road Elementary School in Bogart, Ga., on Tuesday. First time I've been presenting at a school when it closed early! No, the kids weren't excited or anything....

Our SCBWI Southern Breeze Springmingle was a big success, with the highest attendance ever.  Read More 
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Mingling!

Huge thanks to Cumming Elementary School third graders for being such a lively group of readers and writers last week. The grown-ups were just as enthusiastic! What a wonderful day with you all.

This weekend, I'll be mingling with fellow Southern Breezers at our big SCBWI regional spring conference, Springmingle, in Atlanta! I'm looking forward to being a volunteer in the audience this year. Here's hoping keynote speaker Jane Yolen and our great editors and agent can get through any snow tomorrow.

I look forward to spending a day at Cleveland Road Elementary School next week. We're going to "unleash" our creativity! Awrroooooo.... Read More 
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Love in the Air!

Happy Valentine's Day weekend... I hope you get to spend it with the ones you love. And I hope you spend it with books you love, too - As this year goes on, I'll attempt to highlight some books and authors I love in my blog.


I also LOVE spending time with young readers and writers at schools, and I look forward to meeting everyone at Cumming Elementary and Cleveland Road Elementary here in Georgia very soon! Read More 
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Shout Out to the Paideia Pack!

Hugs and howls to the creative young readers and writers at The Paideia School in Atlanta. I had the privilege of spending time with the elementary school students Friday during presentations and a writing workshop.

We talked about all things wolf - and such great questions! Thanks for your enthusiasm as I got to share one of my greatest passions. Read More 
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Teacher Talk Radio interview link

In case you missed it and wanted to hear Teacher Jen's interview with me, here's the link:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/teachertalkradio/2009/11/05/Teacher-Talk-Radio-Robyn-Hood-Black

I enjoyed being on her show and recommend her program site and her blog for some great tips for the classroom.
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