Explore Poetry with SINCE THE BABY CAME by Kathleen Long Bostrom

  We are excited to have guest post by Kathleen Long Bostrom, author of Since the Baby Came: A Sibling’s Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems , talking about the process of writing the book and sharing some ideas for discussing and poetry writing! Read : Since the Baby Came: A Sibling’s Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems by Kathleen Long Bostrom, illustrated by Janet Samuel I love poetry and rhyme, and always have. I grew up with a mother who often recited poetry and I learned to read with Dr. Seuss books. It’s no wonder I turned to poetry when I began writing picture books for children.  At a children’s book conference one day about 12 years ago, I asked my friend, an editor for an educational publishing house, “What are the areas in early education where more good books are needed?”  Without hesitation, she replied, “Poetry.”  Many of my published books were written in poetry, but what could I write that was unique? Aha! I thought. What if I wrote a story using a variety of styles of

Adventure Awaits: The Read, Discuss, Do! Summer Challenge!

Summer is fast approaching, and that means it's almost time for the 3rd annual Read, Discuss, Do! Summer Challenge! The Summer Challenge is a summer reading program--but not your typical summer reading program. This challenge isn't about counting pages or books read. It's not about logging how much time your child reads every day. It's about pairing books with fun summer activities!

Heading to the pool this summer? Check out JABARI JUMPS by Gaia Cornwall. Taking a camping trip? How about RAJ AND THE BEST VACATION EVER! by Sebastien Braun? Even if you're planning a quiet summer spent at home, adventure can be found in books. And when you pair the books you're reading with fun activities and conversations, you'll be connecting with your kids, making fond summer memories, and helping prevent the dreaded "summer slide." 

The Summer Challenge kicks off on June 2 and ends on August 11. That's ten weeks of pairing books with summer fun. If that sounds daunting to you, don't worry! We have the summer all planned out with weekly themes, book recommendations, and activity ideas. Plus, there will be giveaways!

Want to know more? Check out some of our past Summer Challenge posts:

You can find more by searching this site or searching #RDDSummerChallenge on social media.

Want to join in the fun? Come back on Friday, May 19 to find out more details, sign up to participate, and enter our kick-off giveaway. In the meantime, feel free to download the free Summer Challenge bookmarks. There are two designs to color and one blank one so kiddos can design their own! Click the image below to download the file:



Comments

Mindy Baker said…
So exciting! Love the bookmarks!
Marci said…
I love this kind of summer fun!