Posts in Dispatches from the Field


World Ocean Day: Resources for Educators

Happy World Ocean Day! For the educators in the room, here are some resources that will help make it a great one: The official World Ocean Day website is a great place to start. Make sure to check out ... Read More  

Rochelle Strauss: Why Hope Matters

As we celebrate Earth Day this year, amidst much turmoil and uncertainty, there is one word that that I want you to hold on to – hope. Yes, you heard me right. HOPE! Read More  

Some of L. E. Carmichael's favourite books from childhood

Why I Write for Children

“So when are you going to write a real book?” Any children’s writers reading this are groaning right now, because this is a question we’ve all been asked at least once. Most of us respond with comically-exaggerated confusion and, “As ... Read More  

Moose are an iconic species of the boreal forest. This list of resources will support learning in the classroom and at home.

The Great Big Boreal Forest Resource List

Now available - a FREE activity guide for use with your copy of The Boreal Forest! It includes suggestions for science, social studies, and language arts, and will help support a variety of elementary school curriculum outcomes. Not to ... Read More  

Thanks for the Polar Love!

Two quick news nuggets to share: Thank you to Helen Kubiw at CanLit for LittleCanadians, who interviewed me and Byron Eggenschwiler after our book, Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth, won the Lane Anderson Award for best ... Read More  

Tahrana Lovlin

Tahrana Lovlin, Snow Specialist

Today, my guest is Tahrana Lovlin, brilliant woman and accomplished engineer... with an unusual specialty. Take it away, Tahrana! So I’m writing this because Lindsey asked me to and I’ve known her for almost 30 years (wow, crazy). And I’m ... Read More  

Books Matter. Art Matters. What You Do Matters, Too.

When I was a little girl, bedtime stories were the best part of my day. I'd snuggle up with Mom or Dad in the big green-upholstered armchair for another round of The Digging-est Dog or Stop That Ball (parts ... Read More  

That Time I Accidentally Gave Kate McKinnon a Copy of My Book

I'm back from a whirlwind trip to Boston, where Tech Support and I took in the sights, and where I - with author-friend Rochelle Strauss and teacher-friend Chris Carlton - presented at the National Council of Teachers of English ... Read More