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I have so much respect for all the teachers doing  amazing jobs teaching on line. It is gratifying to be a small part of the effort reading and sharing my work, my life as a writer and the travels that has inspired my books. And a joy to be with students, involved, participating, preparing with enthusiasm and hope for the future. Thanks for the opportunity.

Amazing Teachers the world over are coping with teaching from home.  Look what one teacher and her students did in Ontario, Canada. The "class" watched my reading here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZE36anDI7Q&feature=youtu.be They planted for the future. Here's and idea! It was great!  I always like when the author reads their stories but I can not always find them doing so on you tube! As a follow to this activity we had the students plant seeds using toilet paper tubes as their planters, dirt from their yard and seeds from fruits and vegetables they had.  The [...]

At a time when we all need Hope, a number of teachers, librarians and other educators  in Ontario, Canada have requested that I produce a video reading of Circles of Hope.  the title is in the curriculum there for this week.  Reluctantly I obliged.  I am camera shy and technology is not my strong point.  The learning curve was steep.(I know this is a very simple project!) But with the help of my husband, Steven and with admiration for the teaching community, I did a reading.  Now I am sharing it with you. [...]

Looks what is coming soon and it can be preordered on Amazon.  Better yet preorder from your local independent bookstore today.  Keep our bookstores in business during this difficult time and beyond. My most recent book coauthored with Khadra Mohammed ( also Four Feet Two Shoes and My Name is Sangoel) Young Roblay runs through his Somali village practicing for the big race, where only the fastest runners will be declared men. He turns for advice to his grandfather, who tells Roblay of the mighty Shabelle River, which is strong and swift like [...]

The proofs for A Thousand White Butterflies arrived last week.  This is always and exciting time for the author and creators of a book.  The illustrator(in this case Gina Maldonado in Hong Kong) must check the color.  The authors( in this case Jessica Betancourt-Perez and myself) get one last chance to look for minor details/corrections.  No major changes can happen at this point.  Editors and copy editors are looking at the entire project too. Happily we think the proofs are perfect ( better than I imagined when I began this project!) so A [...]

Coming in September! Jessica and I met at a workshop five years ago.  She had a story I could not forget.  We agreed to work together.  Sharing back and forth to get every word right has been gratifying and joyful and now with illustrations by Gina Maldonado it's almost here. As if being new to the United States wasn't hard enough, Isabella's first day of school is canceled due to snow! Isabella has recently arrived from Colombia with her mother to live with Abuela. She misses Papa, who is still in South America. [...]