It's been an amazing week here in Round Rock, Texas.  I love visiting the elementary schools here.  I've been coming to Round Rock for several years now, and I really feel like I'm part of the community.  At some of the schools, I do large group author visits, and now, at many of the schools, I also do Writing Camps.  I work with 3rd and 4th ( Read more... )

How do you know a school visit's going to be a great one?  Well, for starters, when you turn onto the school's street, you're greeted by this sign.


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Without a doubt, this is going to be my busiest autumn ever.  By the time Christmas rolls around, I will have visited over 50 schools in Texas, Idaho, Ohio, New York, Illinois and New Jersey.  On top of that, things are taking off with The NOLA Tree, the non-profit teen service organization I run.  So of course, let me add a little more to my plate ( Read more... )

Lately, during some of my school visits, I've been leading "Writing Camps."  Lindsay Jones, a librarian at Cactus Ranch Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas, came up with the idea, and they've really taken off.

During the "Writing Camps," I connect my writing and what I do to the language of the standardized tests, since that's what so much of ( Read more... )