I’m reading on POETRY PALS today

Hi everyone,

I hope you are listening when KSMU Radio broadcasts POETRY PALS each Wednesday morning at 9:45 Central Standard Time in the United States. The segments are five minutes long so you have to be ready or risk missing them. Here again is information about how you can listen in.

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POETRY PALS is a collaboration of KSMU, Springfield-Greene County Library District, and me. Please consider providing support by sending your positive comments about what they are doing to News Director Jennifer Moore (jennifermoore@missouristate.edu )

Today, June 24, it’s my turn to read again and I’ve selected poems from CRAWLY SCHOOL FOR BUGS, which is illustrated by Julie Bayless and published by Wordsong, an imprint of Boyds Mills & Kane. This is all great fun and I hope to see the listening audience continue to grow each week. Tell everyone you know!

A good Monday

Hi everyone,

Yesterday I received excellent help from Brett Piper at KOLR10-TV and my son Jeff Harrison. Brett took the two videos I made and placed them into the station’s Tell Me A Story program. You can now see five of my books read by station on-air Talent plus my two videos, and more book readings are to come. To see them, go to KOLR10-TV at https://www.ozarksfirst.com/community-2/, along the top of the page find “Living Ozarks,” click on it, scroll down to “Tell Me A Story,” click on that, and you’ll find the whole menu.

Thanks to Jeff, the videos are now available (until June 30) on YouTube by request from teachers and librarians. If anyone else is interested in having them the publishers ask that they go through a teacher or librarian. To get one of both videos, get in touch with me at DavidlHarrison1@att.net and provide your email address so I can share them with you.

In other news, Tim Rasinski tweeted the hand-washing ditty I wrote at his request and included the charming video made by Joan Arth reciting it with her great-nephew. Right away Mary Jo Fresch retweeted it. I did too and others have started. I hope you’ll join the fun. Tim’s tweet is at https://twitter.com/TimRasinski1/status/1244695652375896064?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet Some of you know Joanie Arth from all her years in assisting at the Children’s Literature Festival in Warrensburg, Missouri. when my 2018 book, CRAWLY SCHOOL FOR BUGS, was chosen to represent Missouri at the National Book Fair in Washington, DC, Joanie and her hubby Doug went to Washington to run the Missouri booth.

Yesterday my issue of “Literacy Today” arrived from ILA and I was delighted to see the Guilford Press full page ad, which includes two books, BEST PRACTICES OF LITERACY LEADERS 2ND EDITION and CHILDREN’S LITERATURE IN THE READING PROGRAM 5th edition. I wrote the poetry chapter in the second title, which was edited by Deborah A. Wooten and Lauren Almonette Liang.

All in all it was a great start on the new week. Today I’ll work on the second poem in a new collaboration, so bring it on.

Show time

Hi everyone,

Thank you for helping me decide which poem or poems from CRAWLY SCHOOL FOR BUGS I’ll read during my presentation. Using a scale where 1st choice = 3 points, 2nd = 2, and 3rd = 1, “Termites” totaled 15 points, “Horsefly” got 13, and “Camouflage” came in with 7 points. I’ll also partner/read a couple of poems from PARTNER POEMS (co-authored with Tim Rasinski) and speak from four PowerPoint slides, so I’ll need to move right along to get it all done in 15-20 minutes.

My schedule filled to the brim as opportunities came along to meet with friends and editors, attend social events, and present. Here’s what it looks like. I’ve removed names.

Friday, November 22
11:39 a.m.: Arrive on Delta at Baltimore airport
12:00 – 1:30: Lunch with poets at Cosi’s Restaurant
1:30 – 2:00: Librarian, at Cosi’s Restaurant
4:00 – :Holiday Inn Inner Harbor – Downtown Baltimore
5:45 – 7:00: Publisher’s party at 135 East Baltimore Street
6:30 – 8:30: Publisher’s dinner at Chiapparelli’s

Saturday, November 23
8:30 – 9:30: Breakfast with editors
10:00 – 10:45: Coffee with editor
11:00 – 12:15: Inquiry through Poetry: The 2019 Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels, Room 345,
My talk: Poetry Warm-Ups with David L. Harrison (15-20’)
12:30-2:30: Children’s Book Awards Luncheon
2:30 – 3:00: Sign at BMP/BMK, #831
3:00 – 3:30: Editor at NCTE book store
3:30 – 4:00: Friend
4:00 – 4:30: Holiday House booth, #844
4:30 – 5:15: Group of poets at Hilton bar
6:45 – 7:10: Publisher dinner reception
7:15 – 9:00: Publisher dinner

Sunday, November 24
9:00: Delta flight departure

Away we go!

Choosing which poems to read

Hi everyone,

At the Notable Poetry Books panel presentation on Saturday I’ll have time to talk about ways teachers can put poetry to work in the classroom and then read one or two poems from CRAWLY SCHOOL FOR BUGS. I’ve been trying to decide on which poems to choose. I’m looking at these three. Help me rank them.

Camouflage Class

Today in class
our teacher said
to change colors,
blend,
play dead,
stay so still
we disappear.

One kid went
too far
we fear.

He’s gone
without
a trace
behind him.

We’ve called
and looked,
but we can’t
find him.

(c) 2018 David L. Harrison, all rights reserved

Horsefly Grade Card:
Doesn’t Play Well with Others

In my heart
I know, of course,
it isn’t nice
to bite a horse.

They’ve tried to teach me
gentleness,
but after school,
as you can guess,

Even thought
I feel remorse,
I must go out
and bite a horse.

(c) 2018 David L. Harrison, all rights reserved

What’s Left of Termite Class

Today at school
we ate some snacks —
pointers, posters,
pictures, plaques,
pansy petals,
ballpoint pens,
puppet piggies,
play-dough hens,
purple plastic
pansy pots,
pencils, paste,
and paper dots —

We ate the walls
and foundation,
hungry for more
alliteration.

(c) 2018 David L. Harrison, all rights reserved

I hope you can come sit with me

Hi everyone,

(Photo by Nathan Papes at Springfield News-Leader)

Yesterday I received good news about NCTE next month in Baltimore. I’m now a sponsored author for a table at the Children’s Book Awards Luncheon from 12:30-2:30 on Saturday the 23rd. Thank you, Boyds Mills Kane! My qualification is that CRAWLY SCHOOL FOR BUGS in on the NCTE Notable Books List for next year. When I was invited a few weeks ago I had to pass because of a conflict in scheduling. I’m on the panel that will present this years Notable Books and will give a 15-20 minute presentation called “Poetry Warm-Ups” and the event was scheduled during the Book Awards luncheon.

Yesterday I heard from the chair of the panel. When she realized the problem, she managed to get the time of our panel changed to an earlier slot. I was suddenly free to go to the luncheon, and they accepted me even though it was three weeks after the deadline for submitting name of sponsored authors. I had chosen the panel over the luncheon because I have a speaking part during the panel presentation and CRAWLY SCHOOL FOR BUGS is on the new list of Notable Books of Poetry. I couldn’t be happier!

As of now my schedule looks like this. I’ll be fleshing it out as we get closer to the date.
Friday, November 22
6:45: Scholastic party
Saturday, November 23
8:30: Breakfast with Laura Robb and Tori Bachman (our editor at Corwin)
11:00 – 12:15: “Inquiry through Poetry: The 2019 Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels”
Chair: Dr. Trish Bandre
Room 345
My talk: Poetry Warm-Ups with David L. Harrison (15-20’)
12:30-2:30: Children’s Book Awards Luncheon
2:30 – 3:00: Sign at Boyds Mills Kane

I’m working to set up other meetings from after 3:00 on Saturday. Sunday morning I leave.
It should be a good conference. I’m looking forward to being part of it again.
Anyone going to NCTE this year? I hope you can come sit at my table at the luncheon and attend our panel session.