I had the incredible opportunity to interview Fred Waitzkin, author of Deep Water Blues, which I reviewed last week. When I started The Plucky Reader, I never expected it to go anywhere. Never in my wildest imaginings did I believe people would read the words I wrote or send me books to review. And I … Continue reading Interview with Fred Waitzkin
Review – Deep Water Blues by Fred Waitzkin
Does anybody remember that 90s movie, Searching for Bobby Fischer? I remember watching it—I was probably in the fifth grade—and I was struck by a revelation at the end. The credits rolled and an important thought crossed my mind: chess was definitely not a game for me. I didn’t have the patience for it. I … Continue reading Review – Deep Water Blues by Fred Waitzkin
Preface – The Shaman’s Guide to Power Animals by Lori Morrison
Excerpted from The Shaman’s Guide to Power Animals. Published by Four Jaguars Press. Copyright © by Lori Morrison. https://lorimorrison.com It was a rainy day in the Pacific Northwest. I lifted my five-year-old body into my father’s delivery van. Our cargo was buttermilk pancake mix, maple syrup, bacon, potatoes, carrots, and canned goods. We were heading … Continue reading Preface – The Shaman’s Guide to Power Animals by Lori Morrison
New Discoveries
Nothing makes me as excited as discovering a new Broadway musical that I love. Seriously. I cannot describe the feeling of pure joy I get the first time I listen to the cast recording of a musical that resonates with my soul. I can remember the magic of listening to Wicked for the first time. … Continue reading New Discoveries
“Keeping Quiet”
April is National Poetry Month, and though I didn't post about it on here, I observed it as I always do. I love poetry. I truly think poetry is the only voice that many people have in this world. I know my students connect to poetry, and I know when I was their age, I … Continue reading “Keeping Quiet”
My Own Slughorn and Snape
This weekend, I was featured on the Facebook page of a group that recognizes local teachers who go above and beyond for their students. It was a huge honor and a lovely surprise, and I'll admit that I teared up more than once at the kind things my principal, my co-workers, and the parents of … Continue reading My Own Slughorn and Snape
Foul Ball
Last night I sat in the stands at a baseball game. The air smelled of cut grass, dirt, and french fries. The air rang with the tinny tings of baseballs meeting bats, parents cheering for their kids, and children laughing. A chilly breeze blew around us as the sun set and lights buzzed overhead as … Continue reading Foul Ball
Review – Gris
Today I'm stepping a bit out of my comfort zone to talk about one of my favorite forms of art. I don't fancy myself a pro at video games the way that I feel I'm qualified to review books. (Because, I mean, how hard is it to pretend to know everything about books, right?) Cinematic … Continue reading Review – Gris
Review – What Could Go Wrong? by Brett Grayson
Friday night I came home from school, immediately changed into my pajamas, poured a mug of tea (I’ve been trying to consume less coffee these days) and curled up in my bed with a book. I’ve had very few Friday evenings lately that I could just curl up with a book and ignore the world, … Continue reading Review – What Could Go Wrong? by Brett Grayson
Memory 2 – First Days of School
I wasn’t sure what I was going to say to them once I’d gotten past the “Hi, my name is…” portion of the day. I wasn’t sure how I was going to tell them that I was going to be their teacher, that I had been chosen to replace their beloved strings teacher. I didn’t … Continue reading Memory 2 – First Days of School
