Laura Purdie Salas

Poetry + Math + Science = A new way of looking at spring Math meets metaphor in this eye-opening exploration of spring. Each clever equation is a tiny, perfect poem that prompts readers to look at the ordinary and see the miraculous. Can you look at an egg in a nest and see a jewelry box? How are sunlight and heat like an alarm clock? Engaging sidebars reveal the science behind the signs of spring.

There's a big difference between getting paid for your writing and making a living from it. In this book, award-winning children's author Laura Purdie Salas shares insights and habits gained over 20+ years of writing (and related speaking and teaching) for kids. Her successes and failures are laid bare, in detail. You will learn: -What kind of mindset adjustments must I make to build a career? -Besides my book sales, what related writing and speaking can I do to earn money? -What habits do many successful working writers have in common? -How do I keep my writing business organized? -What's the difference between networking and promotion, and do I really have to do either one of them? -What conferences should I go to? -How do I negotiate better contracts? -How do I find some kind of balance between life and work? -Why do I always have to handle the family appointments? -How can I avoid professional humiliation or deal with it when it does happen? And lots more. With honesty, tough love, and humor, Salas spreads out the business side of writing for a living. You'll gain a realistic view of how to approach and achieve a livable income as a writer. (And you'll know whether this field is for you, or whether you want to stick with your day job and write on the side for pure love ) NOTE: About 80% of the information in this book applies to writers for adults and also other creatives. But since Salas is a children's writer, the examples come from the children's publishing world, and some information, like school visits, is particular to children's writers. Laura Purdie Salas is the author of more than 125 books for children, including Meet My Family , If You Were the Moon, the Can Be series, and BookSpeak Recognition for her books includes starred reviews, the Minnesota Book Award, NCTE Notable Books, Bank Street Best Books, Riverby Award for Nature Books, Scholastic Book Club editions, foreign editions, and more. Salas has taught writers through classes, conferences, and online for many years. "Making a Living is a practical guide focused on the Children's Literature business, but it is useful for any self-employed human being trying to make a living through creative work of any kind. Reading it affirmed many things I've learned over the years and gave me new ideas to try. It is a good resource to own and refer to over and over as the political climate, business climate, and one's personal life changes." --Georgia A. Greeley, artist, writer, and teacher "I think most writers would love to sit down with a mentor over a cup of tea. Laura Purdie Salas's personal tone in Making a Living as a Children's Writer makes reading it feel like a conversation with her. It is FULL of information for every children's writer, and it's thorough. Not only does Laura share the details of how she makes a living writing for children, she guides the reader to do the same through personal experiences, tips, and next steps to take. Even as an experienced writer, I found nuggets (and heaps) of wisdom in every section. I appreciate how there is enough information in this book that Laura could have prepared a writing conference on the content...instead she makes this comprehensive book affordable and accessible for all of us." --Annette Whipple, children's writer "If you want to make a living writing for children, or if you already do but want to up your game, don't pass on this book. It's the most thorough and informative book you'll find on this subject." --Avery Elizabeth Hurt, children's author "Reading this book is like having a nice long chat with an experienced author--and learning from her years of experience " --Buffy Silverman, author of nonfiction books and poetry for kids "Salas is an organizational, motivational whiz. Packed with specific, down-to-earth advice that will help both newbie and experienced writers set and reach career goals." --Michelle Schaub, author of Fresh-Picked Poe

What would you do if you were the moon? Do you think you would rest quietly in the night sky? Oh, no. The moon does so much more than you might imagine It spins like a twilight ballerina, plays tug-of-war with the ocean, and lights a pathway for baby sea turtles. Discover the many other roles the moon plays in this whimsical and lyrical picture book.

A collection of original, outer space-themed poetry for children accompanied by striking photos. The book demonstrates a variety of common poetic forms and defines poetic devices.

Inform and engage young writers with this contemporary, creative breakdown of poetry essentials. Clear, concise text introduces and defines key skills while aligning closely to Common Core State Standards. Fun and inspiring writing prompts launch new skills into practice, while author bios and mentor texts provide creative blueprints for budding writers.

A rock is a rock, part of cliff, road or sea. But now can you guess what else it can be? A rock can be a...dinosaur bone, stepping-stone, hopscotch marker, fire sparker. Find out about the many roles a rock can play in this poetic exploration of rocks around the world. Laura Purdie Salas's lyrical, rhyming text and Violeta Dabija's glowing illustrations make simple yet profound observations about seemingly ordinary objects and encourage readers to suggest "what else it can be " Using metaphors for a leaf (tree topper / rain stopper), a rock (hopscotch marker / fire sparker), and water (thirst quencher / kid drencher), these insightful picture books creatively highlight a variety of roles and relationships in nature.

Rhyming picture books often become childhood favorites and sometimes bestsellers. But many editors claim they won't even consider a manuscript in rhyme. What's going on? These engaging read-alouds appear deceptively simple. But they are, in fact, extremely difficult to write well. Most of the submissions that editors receive are ineffective and not ready for publication. Enter this guide. Laura Purdie Salas and Lisa Bullard have both had rhyming picture books successfully published. Here, they lead writers through 10 possible ways to make their rhyming picture book more salable. Check out all of our Children's Writer Insider Guides from Mentors for Rent(TM) at www. MentorsForRent.com

"What does this poem mean?" "How should I read it?" "How do we talk about it?" "What do I DO with it?" "What's the best way to assess it?" "How do I meet standards?" "When can I possibly fit it into my already over-packed day?" Have you ever asked these questions about poetry? The 30 Painless Classroom Poems series makes it easy for you, the elementary school teacher, media specialist, or reading specialist, to share poetry with your students. Whether you already love poetry or you fear or even actively dislike it, these books are for you. The poems, Notes from the Poet, extension activities written by experienced classroom teachers, and tips for using poetry in your classroom will have you sharing poems in no time. In A Need to Feed, award-winning poet Laura Purdie Salas (author of BookSpeak , Water Can Be..., and more) shares 30 poems in which predators stalk, pounce, trick, lure, and attack their prey. These rhyming poems, mostly from the predators' point of view, show how animals' bodies and hunting styles are adapted to their ecosystem and their prey. The final word in each poem is the prey animal, so you can also use these as riddle poems, letting students employ close reading and additional research to find clues and figure out the prey animal. Extension activities by Karen Ganon share ideas for springboarding from these poems into deeper learning across many content areas. Sample: Great Horned Owl: Cravings Stink In midnight's black velvet I silently glide My golden moon eyes Expose each place you hide I tear with my beak My claws neatly slice- Well, that's enough detail. (This story's not nice ) Last year, all my friends said My taste in food stunk But the fast food I crave is Still smelly old... SKUNK Note: The Great Horned Owl is the only animal who really loves to eat skunk. They also enjoy fox and porcupine The Great Horned Owl's excellent night vision allows it to hunt at night. Note from the Poet: Owls are so gorgeous and mysterious, and I really wanted to start the poem by focusing on that. I thought it would be a nice contrast to the slicing and dicing that comes later. In lines 1 and 3, I used phrases like "black velvet" and "golden moon" to make you picture a beautiful night. See all of the 30 Painless Classroom Poems at www.30PainlessClassroomPoems.com. Disclaimer: For those of you collecting all my 30 Painless Classroom Poems books, please note that some information, such as Why Poetry Matters and Classroom Poetry Tips, is repeated from book to book. The introduction to the book, the poems, the Notes from the Poet, and the classroom activities are unique to each book.

"What does this poem mean?" "How should I read it?" "How do we talk about it?" "What do I DO with it?" "What's the best way to assess it?" "How do I meet standards?" "When can I possibly fit it into my already over-packed day?" Have you ever asked these questions about poetry? The 30 Painless Classroom Poems series makes it easy for you, the elementary school teacher, media specialist, or reading specialist, to share poetry with your students. Whether you already love poetry or you fear or even actively dislike it, these books are for you. The poems, Notes from the Poet, extension activities written by experienced classroom teachers, and tips for using poetry in your classroom will have you sharing poems in no time. In Fairy Tale Garage Sale, award-winning poet Laura Purdie Salas (author of BookSpeak , Water Can Be..., and more) shares 30 poems from the citizens of Fairy Tale Land, who are having a neighborhood garage sale. Finally, they can get rid of clutter from their earlier adventures These 30 poems focus on seven fairy tales: Cinderella; Goldilocks and the Three Bears; Snow White and the Seven Dwarves; Rapunzel; Jack and the Beanstalk; The Emperor's New Clothes; and Thumbelina. For each fairy tale, an introductory poem summarizes the key events of the tale for those students not familiar with it. Then three poems from three characters' points-of-view offer up items for sale. What does the Evil Queen need with a mirror that tells the truth, after all? And why doesn't Rapunzel need barrettes anymore? These humorous poems offer behind-the-scenes looks and sometimes different opinions about why things happened as they did. Great for comparing versions of the same event when paired with prose or multimedia versions of the fairy tales. Mostly rhyming poems, but some other forms, too (cinquain, diamante, acrostic...) Extension activities by Colby Sharp share ideas for springboarding from these poems into deeper learning across many content areas. Sample: From Rapunzel: Item for sale: Castle For sale by: The Witch Charming Tower - Perfect for One One room One window Not one single door No rugs No curtains No tacky d cor I'm old Can't climb up These walls made of stone So make me An offer And make this your home Note from the Poet: Repetition (and I know I've already talked about this in another Note, so I'm repeating myself a little bit ) is really key to lots of poetry. I repeat two words in this poem: "one" and "no." The idea for this horrible castle where Rapunzel was kept prisoner is that it's lonely. It's lacking in anything that would show comfort or luxury. I'm hoping that repeating those words helps get that idea across. See all of the 30 Painless Classroom Poems at www.30PainlessClassroomPoems.com. Disclaimer: For those of you collecting all my 30 Painless Classroom Poems books, please note that some information, such as Why Poetry Matters and Classroom Poetry Tips, is repeated from book to book. The introduction to the book, the poems, the Notes from the Poet, and the classroom activities are unique to each book.

Teach Haiku, Close Reading, and Cross-Curricular Learning with Riddle-ku Riddle-ku: Haiku for Very Close Reading makes teaching haiku to children easy with 30 American-style (5-7-5) haiku by award-winning poet Laura Purdie Salas (author of BookSpeak , Water Can Be..., and more). Each haiku speaks from the voice of a common object recognizable to kids from kindergarten age up. These riddle poems make excellent close reading passages, as students study images and text and make inferences to answer them. A Note from the Poet with each poem shares Laura's writing process. Vivid language and rich nonfiction content-along with a sense of wonder and a dash of humor-make these poems engaging and accessible. Extension materials by Marcie Flinchum Atkins, including close reading activities, share ideas for springboarding from these riddle poems/haiku into deeper learning across many content areas. Sample: This merry-go-round spins upside down: I'm singing the room full of breeze Answer: ceiling fan A Note from the Poet: Most haiku don't have a sing-song rhythm (da-DUM, da-DUM, etc.). But since a ceiling fan has a steady beat, I had fun trying to make this haiku have a beat, a rhythm. The 30 PAINLESS CLASSROOM POEMS series Are you uncomfortable with teaching poetry? Do you wonder what poems mean, how to meet Common Core poetry standards, and how to fit poems into your day? These are some of the issues educators face with teaching poems to elementary students. Let 30 Painless Classroom Poems make it easy Each book features 30 or more short poems for the classroom, Notes from the Poet, activities/lesson plans for teaching poems-written by an experienced classroom teacher, and tips for weaving poetry into your classroom. Terrific for National Poetry Month or everyday use See all of the 30 Painless Classroom Poems at 30PainlessClassroomPoems.com. NOTE: In the 30 Painless Classroom Poems books, some sections, such as Why Poetry Is Important and Classroom Poetry Tips, repeat from book to book. But the poems, Notes from the Poet, and activities and poetry lesson plans are unique in each book.

"What does this poem mean?" "How should I read it?" "How do we talk about it?" "What do I DO with it?" "What's the best way to assess it?" "How do I meet standards?" "When can I possibly fit it into my already over-packed day?" Have you ever asked these questions about poetry? The 30 Painless Classroom Poems series makes it easy for you, the elementary school teacher, media specialist, or reading specialist, to share poetry with your students. Whether you already love poetry or you fear or even actively dislike it, these books are for you. The poems, Notes from the Poet, extension activities written by experienced classroom teachers, and tips for using poetry in your classroom will have you sharing poems in no time. In What's Inside? Poems to Explore the Park, award-winning poet Laura Purdie Salas (author of BookSpeak , Water Can Be..., and more) offers up fifteen couplets asking students "what's inside" some common objects at the park. Fifteen answering quatrains reveal the details of each item's interior or potential. Vivid language and rich nonfiction content-along with a sense of wonder and a dash of humor-make these poems engaging and accessible. Extension activities by teacher Ed Spicer share ideas for spring-boarding from these poems into deeper learning across many content areas. Sample: Ninth-Inning Win (answering poem to the what's inside a baseball couplet) A bull's-eye of cork helps you punish fast pitches- and rubber and yarn add some bounce from within all tucked below zippers of tight ruby stitches This ball holds a breathtaking ninth-inning win A Note from the Poet: Did you know that every Major League Baseball has 108 stitches? I love those little lines of red. They remind me of zippers, so I called them that, even though you can't unzip them. And I used ruby instead of red for two reasons: 1) the line sounded better with two syllables there instead of one; and 2) since a ruby is a jewel, it makes me think of something valuable and important, not just everyday stuff like red. See all of the 30 Painless Classroom Poems at www.30PainlessClassroomPoems.com. Disclaimer: For those of you collecting all my 30 Painless Classroom Poems books, please note that some information, such as Why Poetry Matters and Classroom Poetry Tips, is repeated from book to book. The introduction to the book, the poems, the Notes from the Poet, and the classroom activities are unique to each book.

Updated in 2017 The educational market offers writers a great opportunity to break in to nonfiction/informational writing and also to maintain a somewhat steady work flow once you're established. This complete guide will lead you step by step through learning about this market, approaching publishers for assignments, and completing your work in a professional manner.

Picture books are especially close to to the hearts of Lisa Bullard and Laura Purdie Salas. They've been fortunate enough to work with fantastic editors on the way to having their own published. And over the years, they've coached hundreds of other picture book writers, offering them feedback about how they can make their manuscripts stronger and more marketable in today's competitive publishing environment. There are 10 key concerns that they end up addressing over and over again when they do picture book critiques. Many manuscripts have 2 or 3 of these problems in place-and almost every manuscript they critique has at least 1 of them So they have focused on those 10 issues in this series of short essays. Each essay highlights one of the 10 key questions you will want to ask yourself about your manuscript. And if you find that your answer is "Yes-that is a problem for me," they offer easy-to-apply writing tips to help you address that concern in your revisions. Check out all of our Children's Writer Insider Guides from Mentors for Rent(TM) at www. MentorsForRent.com

Water is water, puddle, pond, sea. But now can you guess what else it can be? Water can be a . . .thirst quencher, kid drencher, cloud fluffer, fire snuffer. Find out about the many roles water plays in this poetic exploration of water throughout the year. Laura Purdie Salas's lyrical, rhyming text and Violeta Dabija's glowing illustrations make simple yet profound observations about seemingly ordinary objects and encourage readers to suggest "what else it can be " Using metaphors for a leaf (tree topper / rain stopper), a rock (hopscotch marker / fire sparker), and water (thirst quencher / kid drencher), these insightful picture books creatively highlight a variety of roles and relationships in nature.

A leaf is a leaf, a bit of a tree. But just try to guess what else it can be A leaf can be a...shade spiller, mouth filler, tree topper, rain stopper. Find out about the many roles leaves play in this poetic exploration of leaves throughout the year. Laura Purdie Salas's lyrical, rhyming text and Violeta Dabija's glowing illustrations make simple yet profound observations about seemingly ordinary objects and encourage readers to suggest "what else it can be " Using metaphors for a leaf (tree topper / rain stopper), a rock (hopscotch marker / fire sparker), and water (thirst quencher / kid drencher), these insightful picture books creatively highlight a variety of roles and relationships in nature.

You know the song "Pop Goes the Weasel." Sing along with new words that explain how our planet's water cycle works.

You know the song "I've Been Working on the Railroad." Sing along with new words that explain how our five senses help us explore the world.