Rebecca Kai Dotlich coming to Poetry from Daily Life

Hi everyone,

My guest this weekend on Poetry from Daily Life will be REBECCA KAI DOTLICH, who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. Rebecca is an excellent example of the power of introducing children to poetry at a young age. When she was a little girl, her dad wrote silly poems for her and with her. As an adult, she has served twice on the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children Committee and is an award-winning author of more than twenty books for children.

Rebecca’s column will appear on Saturday in Springfield News-Leader and at various times in five other newspapers. On Sunday morning, I’ll post a link to the online edition in News-Leader. Thank you, Rebecca!

There are 42 of them, I’ve counted

Hi everyone,

Here’s the reward.

And here’s the price.

This isn’t all of them. Okay, don’t feel sorry then. Humph.

Meet Angela Knight

Hi everyone,

I want you to meet someone. ANGELA KNIGHT is the librarian at David Harrison Elementary School in Springfield, Missouri.

Those of you who live in the area may know Dr. Knight and everyone else has heard me talk about her because it was Angela’s habit of reading a poem each week to the students at Harrison that sparked my idea for the book, 40 Poems for 40 Weeks, Integrating Meaningful Poems and Word Ladders into Grades 3-5 Literacy.

One of the criteria for Angela’s recognition was her role in sparking 40 Poems for 40 Weeks, but beyond that she is an outstanding example of what school librarians do for the students and teachers at their schools. One of the saddest experiences in my life was the year when I spent a week in some New Jersey schools that had no libraries because the state had shut them down. Without a robust library, well staffed and stocked with all sorts of books, no school can function at its best and students are working with a serious disadvantage.

I was delighted that a video was made of the event. This way we have a permanent record of a great school librarian and a reminder of why we need them in every school. Here is the link to the video. It only takes a couple of minutes, but I promise you it will be time well spent. https://youtu.be/_hYccPVlR6s

Website updated

Hi everyone,

Thanks again to KATHY TEMEAN, not only for featuring my autobiography yesterday and giving me a truly special day, but for updating my website, which she created in 2009. Here’s the link. https://www.davidlharrison.com/ For anyone seeking information about me, this is a good place to check.

Kathy replaced the cover page picture, added recent titles to the book list, and added a scrolling text across the top of the site. She also got This Life registered on Goodreads so it can get reviewed. THANK YOU, KATHY!

Kathy Temean features My Life, an Autobiography

Hi everyone,

I am so pleased that KATHY TEMEAN has featured my autobiography today. The journey of my life as a writer came out in 2020 but this is the first time it has been featured with such insight and sensitivity. I’m honored and greatly in debt to Kathy. Here’s the link. She explains how you can qualify for her drawing to receive a free copy of the book. It’s as easy as leaving a comment. If you already have a copy, winning a new one could make a nice gift. https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2025/02/25/book-giveaway-this-is-my-life-by-david-l-harrison/ My appreciation to RANDY BACON (https://www.randybacon.com/ ) for shooting the cover portrait.