Judy Lindquist

“You are not serious?!” Shrieked one of my students. The students were eating lunch in the classroom. They were chatting about a specific book when one of them had said that they had heard that the book had been banned. My 4 th Graders and I had just finished a literature study of the book HOOT by Carl Hiaasen. I had selected this specific book because earlier in the year we had done a deep dive into owls. We had researched the different types of owls in North America,

There are so many incredible, charitable foundations out there, each as worthy as the next. For most of us however, since our time, energy, and financial resources are limited, we must pick and choose those that are most meaningful to us. For many of us, we make those choices based on the causes most relevant and applicable to those we care about. For me, that is Breakthrough T1D, (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). Their mission is to imp

This week we had our first Face to Face Competition of this year’s Battle of the Books Team. In Battle of the Books, teams of students compete against each other to see who can answer the most questions correctly on the pre-selected books. The books that are used are the fifteen Sunshine State Books that our state Library Association selects each year. Our club is open to 3 rd through 5 th graders who want to read and talk about the books. We start meeting at the begi

Backstories are a powerful thing. As writers, creating detailed backstories for our characters allows us to give them a depth that can truly bring them to life. Their backstory helps to drive their actions and choices, which moves our plot along in authentic ways. Also called world-building, this is often the foundation on which our story is built. Having a rich and detailed backstory is also a challenge. We often want our readers to be aware of every little d

I am once again sharing one of my favorite Easter Photos from my youth. Growing up in the Northeast in the 1960s, Easter was a big deal! It was an indication that the bitter and brutal winter was over. It was a celebration of growth and renewed life. And of course, it meant new Easter clothes. My mom was an exceptionally talented seamstress, so she often made my sisters and me matching dresses. But there would also be hats to purchase, new shoes, jackets, and eve

While many parts of the country are still dealing with their winter climate, here in Florida, we are already into our growing season. We did have an exceptionally cold winter, with more days than usual below freezing, so much of our landscape took a big hit. These last weeks, gardening time has been spent pulling up dead plants, aggressively pruning others, and hopefully looking for signs of life in other plants. In many ways, gardening is very much like writing. - As

Ideas are seeds. A tiny speck or hint of something. Kids are filled with ideas. That is one of the most wonderful things about working with children. They have not yet developed those gate-keeping impulses that we adults have, so their ideas just come pouring out. But they have also not yet learned how to take a promising idea and help it grow. That is where they need the support, guidance, and coaching of a good mentor. This month I had the

While my 23 and Me data says I am only 54.9% Irish, this week, it seems we all are 100% Irish as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. To all those who celebrate, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! “May your troubles be less and your blessings more, And nothing but happiness come through your door.” Irish Proverb

Instant gratification is defined as the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay. Our culture has made instant gratification an art form. We are encouraged to demand things without waiting. Instant forms of food staples, like rice and oatmeal, are more common than the traditional versions. Shopping on-line has become same-day-delivery. I am seeing this need for immediacy taking hold in many young writers. And I think it is damaging. Damaging t

As a teacher, assessing work and giving feedback is a great part of what I do. With both my elementary students and my college students, there is an enormous amount of time spend on formative assessments and coaching them through performance-based projects. With my student Writer’s Club, I am also constantly reading and critiquing their work. So, to an outsider, it may seem a small step to go from that, to judging something. As any teacher will tell you, formative a

She looked at me with horror. I was sitting next to a student in my writing club and we had been brainstorming story ideas. She was, in her words, empty, with nothing left to write. She had spent the last several months churning out short fantasy stories. She was creative and they had potential. While I thought that this was a perfect time for her to go back to some of these stories and begin the revision process, she was determined to start a new story TO

To say that we are living in a time of crisis is an understatement. The reality is that we are living under layers of crisis. A health crisis, an economic crisis, a political crisis, a moral crisis, a crisis of humanity. It is extremely easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of events and to become stressed and/or depressed. We know that our world is changing in profound ways, and that even when we find our way through, the world will be permanently changed. The fac

It is happening again. As the new legislative session opens, in many states, legislation is being introduced that will severely limit access to books. Banning books is not a new thing. The practice of limiting people’s access to printed material can trace its roots back to the Counter-Reformation when both Catholics and Protestants tried to curtail individuals from reading things that conflicted with their belief system. In the United States, we can trace the practice back

“Oh man,” one of my student writers groans. I had just told them that our Writing Club meeting the following week was going to be cancelled. “But this is the best place to write for me.” For the last 4 years, I have run an after-school Writing Club at my Elementary School. Open to 4 th and 5 th grade students, we meet once a week for 90 minutes and write. I typically start our meeting with some sort of Invitation to Write, and maybe a brief mini lesson on something. B

This week is Literacy Week. A week that “takes place annually to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights, and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society.” That is a mouthful. I like to just think of it as a week to celebrate books! The books we love. The books that have helped to define us. The books that stay with us long after we read them. As a reader, I love to talk about books with o

To Bibliophiles, (someone with a great love of books) they are more than pages, text, and covers. They are ideas. They are possibilities. They are new worlds to explore. Information to discover, and new friends to meet. Our collections can vary from haphazard, to highly curated and organized. And for most of us, they become near and dear to our hearts. Like loved ones in our lives. As a result, some bibliophiles protect their collections by either not letting ot

I am an introvert. Yes, I love people, love social gatherings, and we entertain frequently. But being an introvert means that in order to recharge my energy, I seek out solitude and quiet; unlike extroverts, who recharge their energy reserves by being surrounded by people and activity. I am also a lone-wolf sort. I would rather work alone than with a group. I was that kid in school who hated group projects. I preferred do it all myself, so I could be in control of every asp

The pen is mightier than the sword. I would hypothesize that it is mightier than the keyboard as well! With the surge in our reliance on technology for everything from our jobs to our connections to others, keyboards have made our time actually holding a pen or pencil almost non-existent. And while there are definite benefits to these types of tools and technologies, there is a growing body of research that supports the importance of hand writing. Picking up that

It is that time of year! Everyone is heading toward the New Year with renewed energy and optimism. It does seem to be the perfect time to reassess and set some new goals, decide on how we are going to reach those goals, and “make resolutions”. The problem is that some of us get those terms and concepts mixed up, and that impacts our ability to actually accomplish anything. A goal is the end product. Exactly what we want to accomplish. A goal must also be measurable and h

This week I dropped off a bag of gifts for a child I do not know and will never meet. Through the Angel Tree Project, families who are experiencing economic difficulty, can seek assistance in getting Christmas Gifts for their children. Shopping for someone you do not know and will never meet certainly has its challenges. Even when you want to fulfill their wishes, it can be difficult. Her list said she wanted a doll. A baby doll? A Barbie doll? A princess or a su