Tidbit Tuesday: School Happenings

The library is buzzing with activity these days.  The book fair, “Read to the Dog Program”, Anastasia Suen, our author, visit and grandparent’s day. This week a photo essay:

“Liz the Lizard” from teh Magic School Bus stopped by our school.

Going to the Book Safair.

Mrs. L., our principal and Liz

Book purchases support our visiting author program.

Chance and his owner, Lisa visit every week to listen to students read.

Anastasia Suen lingered beyond the blogging conference to vist my school as well as another school.

Both students and grandparents listen to Anastasia as she talked about the writing process.  Busy week here.  More in depth posts about Lisa and Chance, Anastasia’s visit and the blogging conference soon.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Poetry Friday: Emily Dickinson

I needed something quick. Something to pop up as I am as Fiona aptly put “vibrating with conference details”.

So I looked in the book, Poems That Touch the Heart, compiled by A.L. Alexander.

Bingo:

They might not need me; but they might,
I’ll let my head be just in sight;
A smile as small as mine might be
Precisely their necessity.

–Emily Dickinson

Perfect!  Thinking about my students this week, some of their lives are unbelievable!  A family member deported, parents without jobs, and parents taking second jobs to make ends meet, and some who bring backpacks loaded with food home each week, donated from the local food agency. So a smile goes a long way at times. 

Busy conference weekend.  Can it be, really?

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Tidbit Tuesday: Conference Crunch Time

Conference Information

Weekend Weather:
Expected to be partly cloudy with highs in the 70’s and lows in the 50’s.
Can check here: http://www.wunderground.com/

Friday Night Information:

Powell’s Books
1005 W Burnside
Portland, OR

Deschutes Brewery (walking distance from Powells)
210 NW 11th Street
Portland, OR

Public Transit Information:

http://trimet.org/go/cgi-bin/plantrip.cgi?lang=

Use the Max Red line from the airport.
Get off at Galleria/SW 10th Ave MAX Station
Walk between 0.2-0.4 to your destination
Fares: Adult All Zone ($2.30), Youth/Student ($1.50) or Honored Citizen ($0.95)

Saturday Information:

Dress is casual, casual, casual.

Conference starts bright and early at 8 AM. If you are staying at the hotel, breakfast is included. We will have coffe available and there is a Starbuck in the hotel.

Lunch is on own. Decent restaurant at the hotel, can shuttle over to airport, decent restaurants there.

“Meet the Authors”: 4:00-5:00 PM
Feel free to sit at a table with books, postcards, information for events and school visits.
You may choose to sell your books if you wish. Authors will handle their own sales.

Dinner is 6:30 PM. Buffet style with vegetarian choices.

We are collecting books for donation to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in honor of Nina Morrison (http://www.ninasbooksoflove.blogspot.com/).

Raffle tickets for sale. Many great prizes. Proceeds will go to the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital for books.
Email me off list: macrush53 at yahoo dot com for any questions you might have.

See many of you in a few days.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Poetry Friday: From What Have You Lost?

I am revisiting the Naomi Shihab Nye books in preparation for her upcoming visit here in Portland, OR (which I THOUGHT I got to introduce her but I am doing the intro to the student who will intro her, communication glitch)

Found the book What Have You Lost? collected by Naomi Shihab Nye

here yet be dragons

so many languages have fallen
off the edge of the world
into the dragon’s mouth. some

where there be monsters whose teeth
are sharp and sparkle with lost

people. lost poems. who
among us can imagine ourselves
unimagined? who

among us can speak so fragile
tongue and remain proud?

–Lucille Clifton

Poetry Friday is hosted by Author Amok. Please visit for more poems.

Happy Reading.  Next week the conference. Woohoo!!

MsMac

Conference Schedule

 Here it is! Please note that this is tenative and there could be last minute changes.

Will you join us on Friday evening? Will you want to be part of the “Meet the Author” at 4:00p.m.?

 ALL are invited.
Second Annual Kidlit Blogging Conference
Friday, September, 26
6:30 ish Meet in lobby. Go to Powell’s City of Books and then to dinner in the area. This is ourely social.

Saturday, September 27
7:45-8:00 Check In Stuff
8:00-8:10 Greetings/ Welcome

8:10-9:00 Bridging Books and Blogs: A panel discussion about Kidlitosphere. (Mark Blevis, Alice Pope, Dia Calhoun, Lori Ann Grover, Betsy Bird

9:10-10:00 Making the Most of the Community: Blog Tour Events: Colleen Mondor/Jackie Parker

10:10-11:00 Two Offerings:
Six Questions for Every Blogger (target: beginning Bloggers): Anastasia Suen
Kick Your Blog Up a Notch (target: Int/advanced): Pam Coughlan

11:10- 12:00 Two Offerings:
CYBILS Forum: Jen Robinson/ Sarah Stevenson
There’s a Podcast at the End of this Book: using audio and video to communicate online: Mark Blevis

12:00-1:10 LUNCH (with friends but on own)

1:10-3:00 The Bridge Between Authors and Book Reviewers: A Conversation: Laini Taylor/Jen Robinson

2:10-3:00 Promoting Your Book and Yourself On Facebook/My Space and Other Social Networking Tools: Sometimes a blog presence is not enough: you have a new book (or a new award or newsletter or… or… or…) to promote and you want to reach a bigger audience. Can the kidlitosphere grow outside of blogdom (and does it need to?)? Hear what’s worked for others on social networks and around the web… and feel free to add your own ideas and success stories. Greg Pincus

3:10-4:00 Two Offerings:
Managing a Group Blog/ Creating an Internet Community: Class of 2K8/2K9

For Authors: Balancing the Personal and Professional on Your Author Blogs: Sara Zarr

4:15-5:00 Meet the Authors,( Illustrators, Agents): A time to have a table with your books, promotional etc.

5:00-6:00 Happy Hour/Time Before Dinner
6:30 Dinner

Tidbit Tuesday: Ten Days to the Eve of the Conference But Who’s Counting?

Well, I can hardly believe this day has come: Ten days away: Friday, September 26, I will be at the Sheraton Airport, meeting and greeting people who have driven, flown in, or found some other means of transportation to get to the Second Annual Kidlit Blogging Conference.

Today Laini and I will meet up with the caterer and event manager to put the final details on the food and the event.  We will check out costs to see that we won’t be stuck with some exorbitant bill at the end.   We will decide what food to order that can feed about 70 people and still have a Northwest flair to it.  We will plan the Friday gathering.  We will finalize the schedule so that it can be published.

I am both excited and terrified at the same time. Can you believe that we have almost 60 people coming? Will the sessions spark the interest for all attending?  Will the rooms not be too cold or too hot (I sat in a too cold room on Saturday for an all day meeting. Not fun!) Will everyone be feel that they got value for the money they spend on the conference? Will they want to visit Powell’s and eat out on Friday or sit in a hotel room to watch the first presidential debate?

I am an ideal gal. I have the ideas,  I love the planning and being involved but I am not always good with standing up in front of big groups of people.  I am worry that it has to be perfect.  I do possess my mother’s shy gene.

Put the word out. Visit Portland for the conference. 

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Poetry Friday: Naomi Shihab Nye

I rely on the work of Naomi Shihab Nye. Thrilled that she wil be in Portland for the Washington and Oregon Library Media Confernce next month.

This is from the book, Come With Me: Poems for a Journey.

Secrets

One suitcase

only for secrets-

tucked in the pouch pocket,

pressed in the corners,

One light and liquid suitcase,

one glittering suitcase

filled with tiny

unspoken tales.

And I will carry it

to the other side of the ocean.

I will carry it

so no one knows

what I hold.

Because its cargo

is more precious than socks

or pajamas.

Because a secret is a ticket

and without it

the trip would be

too lonely.

I want that glittering suitcase filled with tiny unspokened tales. 

Last day to reserve a room at the Portland Sheraton at conference rates. Rate includes breakfast and gratuity.

Biblio File is hosting Poetry Friday.  Head over to see what other poems are offered.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Tuesday Tidbits: Kidlit Blogging Conference News

FIRST:  We have reached 50 registered attendees. WooHoo!!

SECOND:  Mark Blevis, Just One More Book, has confirmed that he will be here to talk about podcasting again. WooHoo!

Request:

I am a global kind of gal. I can miss details.  I want to make sure I do not do that. Like should your name be on the list and you are not on the list?  Please let me know!!

Eighteen Days Until Conference…But who is counting?

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Poetry Friday: “An Anniversary”

 I was flipping through my “Courage To Teach” notebook for inspiration today and found this great Wendell Berry poem, ” An Anniversary”.
It was used for a “Walk and Talk” exercise that first meeting with the CTT group, we met right after 9/11.  As you can see many lines, underlined and the opening: “What we have been becomes the country where we are…” after nine years since 9/11 it still grabs at my heart (as stated in my notes). 
For the last two weeks, I have obsessed over the political goings on of our country and I read this poem again, and find new meaning for today’s country.

Will we see  the light emerge from the darkness? What are the lessons we have learned from that awful day nine years ago? I found another poem by Wendell Berry here.

Must go to the library and check out his books  to re-read again.

Elaine at Wild Rose Reader is graciously hosting Poetry Friday today.

Happy Reading,

MsMac

Nonfiction Monday: Ballots for Belva

Did you know?  Hillary Clinton was not the first woman trying to break the glass ceiling.  In 1884, Belva Lockwood ran for president. 

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen’s new book, Ballots for Belva, the True Story of a Woman’s Race for the Presidency, tells the story of an independent, never-give-up woman.  Belva’s determination was evident in her childhood belief that she could move mountains.  In a way, she did.  After becoming a wife, becoming a mother, and becoming a widow, she went to law school and became a lawyer.

She decided to run for president after her frustration that he own political party  (the Republican Party) refused to make women’s suffrage a part of their official platform.  “I cannot vote, but I can be voted for.”

And votes she got.  From nine states that agreed to count the ballots with her name on them.  Pennsylvania threw away the ballots of those who voted for Belva, out of disbelief that anyone would vote for her.

This book provides a glimpse into a little known event in United States history.   Bardhan-Quallen pulls you in on the first page, a little girl determined to move mountains.  Courtney A. Martin’s illustrations depict the era in a manner of rich full page portraits.

This will be a fabulous book to share with all ages during this election year.

I was sent this book as a review copy and am so glad it arrived in my mailbox.

Book details:
Ballots for Belva, the True Story of a Woman’s Race for the Presidency,

Author: Sudipta Bardham-Quallen
Illustrator: Courtney A. Martin

Includes author’s note, glossary, timeline for Women’s Suffrage, and bibliography.

ISBN: 978-0-8109-7110-3

Hop over to Nonfiction Monday to see other great nonfiction books.

Have a great Labor Day.

Happy Reading,

MsMac