There’s always reason to celebrate when a new book by U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate and author Margarita Engle is released. We are doubly fortunate this week because two new books have become available! Forest World (Atheneum Books for Young Readers) is her latest middle grade verse novel which follows the journey Cuban-born but U.S. raised Edver […]
Field Trips
Total Eclipse Field Trip – where will you be?
I think most people in the continental United States will be taking a field trip on Monday, August 21st. Of course, everyone will be looking up (with protective eye gear) at the solar eclipse. (poster made by Rainbow Symphony) Yes, I’ll be one of the multitude heading to the total eclipse band in Central Oregon […]
Twelve ways to make summer last
According to my calendar (and Google), summer began on June 20th and will end on September 22nd. This means, by my calculations, that today should be considered midsummer. When I was a child, school always began after Labor Day. Around here, many schools will be starting this week with temperatures in the 100’s! It just […]
N is for Nicaragua and the library we built #atozblogchallenge
Welcome to today’s A to Z Blog Challenge Post. This year I am writing about Library Love and today I’d like to share a library near and dear to my heart. When you step away from your normal routine, amazing things can happen. Last year a friend invited me to go on a woman’s retreat […]
E is for Egypt #atozchallenge
Welcome to Day 5 of the #AtoZchallenge where I am exploring the library world in alphabetical order. E is for Egypt One of the mysteries of the ancient world centers around the Royal Library in the port city of Alexandria, Egypt. It is believed that scholar Demetrious of Phalerum, convinced Ptolemy I Soter (a […]
Field Trip Friday – book review and a visit to the jail
I normally read and review kid lit but at least once a month I enjoy reading and sharing an adult book with my book club. Carmen, my November co-hostess, and I decided to include a field trip with our selection: Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2015) Based on a […]
Field Trip – Feeling Fallish
It doesn’t seem possible that October is over. I have been traveling most of the month and I am happy to announce that I experienced my first real fall. Fall in Southern California is marked by high temperatures and hot winds known as the Santa Anas. This increases the risk of fire so we pray […]
Field Trip Notes: Staycation Edition
Looking back over my calendar I realized that I didn’t travel at all during the month of June. I am always going somewhere so this seemed really odd. I guess you could call it a stay-cation. First of all, the Kings River water was released from the dam. Since we have been in a drought […]
Y is for Yawk Yawk and You!
Welcome to Day Y of the A to Z Blog Challenge. The Yawk Yawk of the Australian Indigenous Aboriginal culture are among the most interesting of the world’s mermaids. Aboriginal art prints by Leslie Nawirridj in the traditional style of the Kunwinjku Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory of Australia. Yawk Yawk is an […]
V i for Virginia
V is for Virginia and the Merfolk in Norfolk Stories about mermaids are told around the world. I have also discovered that there are many people who like to celebrate all things mermaid. Norfolk, Virginia is a city that certainly knows how to pay tribute to mermaids. What began as an idea to raise […]
D is for Disney
It is D day as the A to Z Blog Challenge continues through the alphabet. My theme this year is “Living in a Mermaid World.” Many people’s notions about mermaids come from Disney so that’s where we’re headed today. When I was a child, there were mermaids who sat on rocks and swam around […]
Field Trip Report – March 2016 edition
There was no sitting around this month – here’s some notes about things seen in March I found these awesome Field Notes memo books: We are so thankful for the rain we’ve had and now we are enjoying the spring blooms. There’s a wonderful photography exhibit of Frida Kahlo at the Fresno […]
Field Notes
Hello Field Trip Friends! I hope you’ve had a chance lately to travel a bit or read some books set in interesting locations. I thought I’d share a few things that I made note of this past month. I was inspired by my trip to Nicaragua. I will be returning in mid-March and need […]
A quote and some field notes…
Whew! January has been a wild month filled with family, friends, and field trips! I’m taking a little break from packing. I need to be at the airport before 5 a.m. for my trip to Nicaragua. I will be helping to set up a school with Students International. My children have all traveled and worked […]
Counting Counts for the Christmas Bird Count
Today is National Bird Day which is the perfect day to share my latest field trip which was definitely for the birds. I have tried to participate in the Christmas Bird Count for many years but, because of teaching and family obligations, I was never able to find a day that worked. Fortunately, I […]