Happy National Teacher Appreciation Week!
As we’re winding down and heading into the weekend, I wanted to share not only a little appreciation for teachers across the country (see above), but also my appreciation for folks like teacher/librarian Jone MacCulloch, who inspire students everyday to read and write poetry.
Each spring, Jone offers to send a postcard from one of her students to any of us in the Poetry Friday community who would like one…and a few days ago, I discovered this in my mailbox:
There’s something about the name, “Journiful John Horse” I just want to keep saying over and over. I’m so intrigued by this legendary tale, a true classic piece of Americana – that little Avery just created!
For all of today’s Poetry Friday links, please head on over to Jama’s Alphabet Soup – for bluebirds, blueberry muffins, and the complete poetry roundup. And if you have not had a chance to check out my recap of the recent NESCBWI Spring Conference, I hope you will!
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“DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR” is now available everywhere!
I’m looking forward to heading to Concord, NH tomorrow for a signing at Gibson’s Bookstore, one of the nation’s top indie bookstores!
- Sat., May 12, 11am: Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
- Tue., May 15, 12pm (National Dinosaur Day – for real!!): Concord Hospital Gift Shop, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People signing
- Wed., May 16, 3pm: Water Street Books, Exeter, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur signing
- Sat., May 19, 11:30am-3pm: Barnes & Noble, Salem, NH, National Storytime at 11am, followed by Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
- Sat., June 2, 1-3pm: Books-A-Million, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
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The Dinosaur Tour blog tour continues through the end of the month! My thanks to all these bloggers for their support:
April 6: Michelle H. Barnes (Interview w/month-long writing prompt & giveaway)
April 8: Kate Narita (Book trailer & activity sheet spotlight)
April 11: Deborah Kalb (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
April 13: Yours Truly! (Interview w/illustrator Louie Chin)
April 16: KidLit Exchange (Blog post re: process of illustration)
April 17: Momma’s Bacon (DAAD review)
April 17: Yours Truly! (DAAD book birthday news & giveaway)
April 18: Bonnie Ferrante (DAAD review)
April 19: KidLit Exchange (DAAD review)
April 19: Brenda Davis Harsham (DAAD micro review)
April 25: Bonnie Ferrante (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
May 2: Unleashing Readers (DAAD review)
May 30: Bookseedstudio (DAAD review/interview)
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Purchasing personalized signed copies ONLINE? Yes, it’s true!
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new way to purchase personalized signed copies of not only Flashlight Night, but ANY of my books or anthologies I’ve been part of!
I’ve teamed up with the good folks MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH to present an option for people who would love to have a signed copy of one of my books but don’t live anywhere near me. MainStreet BookEnds has ALL but one of my books available for ordering…and the best part is, you can get them personalized!
Just log onto my website and click the cover of whichever book you want, and they will get it to me to sign and send it off to you. Try doing that with those big online booksellers! (Plus, you’ll be helping to support local book-selling – and wouldn’t that make you feel good?)
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Thank you so much to all the librarians, bloggers, and parents who are still discovering “Flashlight Night!”
- NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
- KIRKUS Starred review!
- Amazon “Best Books of the Month,” Sept. 2017!
- “Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers
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Did you like this post? Find something interesting elsewhere in this blog? I really won’t mind at all if you feel compelled to share it with your friends and followers!
Love Journiful John Horse. I also love that these students get to create these poems and mail them to other poets. It’s a wonderful idea.
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Jone has been doing it seemingly forever…it’s something many of us look forward to!
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It is wonderful to find those poems in our mailboxes, and “Journiful John Horse” is a gem of a line, I agree, Matt. So is your poem for teachers, the ending “and heart”. I remember my special teachers after so many years, am thankful for them.
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I, too, am grateful for many, especially Mrs. Jencks, my high school English teacher who introduced me to Shakespeare, Shelley, Chaucer, and Poe!
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I enjoy the poetry postcards from Jone’s students every year too. Thanks for sharing Avery’s poem and your own tribute to teachers. 🙂
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Thank you, Jama!
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It is such a delight to find a postcard from one of Jone’s students. I’m also glad I get to see more than just one as people share them through Poetry Friday. I’m learning so much!
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It really is nice to see the diversity of voices from Jone’s school!
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“Journiful”–you have to love that! Thanks for sharing, Matt!
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It’s such a perfect word, because there’s no other word like it – “well-traveled” just doesn’t have the same connotation to it!
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Fun circularity in his poem between Journey, John, Brave, and Horse, it would be fun to talk with the budding poet about it, thanks for sharing his postcard Matt!
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He’s got a great character there, waiting for a story!
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Wonderful, appreciative post! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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Thanks, Ruth!
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A great postcard. I have to share the one I received, too. Soon!
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Looking forward to seeing it!
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Thanks for the lovely tribute to teachers!
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You’re welcome – and thank you for everything you do!
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I enjoyed this beautiful little tribute to teachers and students, Matt! Thank you.
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Thank YOU, Michelle…I’m glad you stopped by.
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I looked up John Horse and the man I found was an American worthy of a poem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Horse. Thanks to Avery W. (and you) for the introduction.
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Wow, a real guy?? I’ll have to check that out – thanks!
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Just read the article – very cool! That’s definitely a story I need to work on!
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