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Blog postDear Readers, Jack, the goat & Charlie, the horse know how challenging unexpected Big Changes can be, so they want to help you to feel brave & safe today! Here (below) are two simple exercises to help young kids invite feelings of bravery and safety into their bodies—which is something both Charlie the horse, and Jack, the goat need to do in the new book This Way, Charlie by me and Charles Santoso which arrives April 21st. You don’t need the book to do these exercises; if your kids explo
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Blog postHello Christine Freglette!Please describe a pair of your favorite work shoes and tell us what sound they make?I love wearing my Dr. Martens. They are quiet which I like.CL Note: Photo is not of Christine's quiet docs, but rather, kid Caron's ceramic rendering of her first pair;) What’s your occupation?I am an independent book store owner. CL Must Add: Christine is the owner and smooth-operator of The BookMark Shoppe, a most delightfully cozy book nook in Bayridge, Brooklyn. Not only can you get
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Blog postHello Jessica Stockton-Bagnulo!Please describe a pair of your favorite work shoes and tell us what sound they make?I have some suede high-heeled boots that make me feel very professional. My daughter (Marian) describes all my nice shoes as “clonky shoes” so they must sound clonky.What’s your occupation? Bookstore owner! I also do a lot of planning and hosting events, so I have to be on stage sometimes (that’s when I wear the most fancy shoes.)CL Must Add: Jessica is the co-founder/owner (with Re
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Blog postHello Mali Locke!Please describe a pair of your favorite work shoes and tell us what sound they make? While our office requires business attire, I usually wear my Tom's most days since I don't always have client meetings and my feet are under the desk most of the time. They make a sort of scoot scoot sound as I walk on the carpet.What’s your occupation? I'm a philanthropy advisor.What age children do you have? I have one four year old boy.What does your child think you do all day? (please ask th
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Blog postHello Sarah Berger!Please tell us your occupation: Psychology Professor, infant cognitive & motor development researcherWhat age children do you have? 14 and 4-and-3/4What does your child think you do all day?The younger one thinks I “teach babies to walk” and “study babies”(Here's a picture of Sarah and her youngest's zip-zup shoes, that they wear when they go out together) How do you and your family benefit from your being a working mama?I know a lot about babies! This actually helped when
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Blog postHello Corey Ann Haydu, Please describe a pair of your favorite work shoes and tell us what sound they make? My favorite work shoes are floral Toms. I’m a floral devotee and they make me feel a little special and fun even when I’m un-showered and in leggings and a t-shirt with hair piled on top of my head. They are soft and canvas and make a pat-pat-pat sound.What’s your occupation? AuthorAhem, Caron must add that...Corey is the author of so many amazing books for young adult and middle grade rea
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Blog postHi Priscilla Morales!Please describe a favorite pair of work shoes and tell us what sound they make? Surprisingly, any pair of sneakers. I used to be a heels-only kinda person and, in my growing maturity, have come to relish comfort. On Fridays, I have a pretty strict #KicksFridays rule and I so appreciate that I work at a place that embraces that and allows my personal rule to influence others. Wearing sneakers allows me to stay connected to young people AND support me as I walk through all of
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Blog postHello Emily, (ahem, sister Emily to me) please describe favorite pair of work shoes and tell us what sound they make? My boots. They make a small “click click” sound but are incredibly comfortable to run home to play with my kiddos and go straight to the playground. What's your occupation? Educator/ Learning Support CoordinatorWhat age children do you have? 3years and 5 year old What does your child think you do all day? (please ask them and tell us in their own words if you can!) “Meetings. T
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Blog postHello Emily Mitchell, Please describe your favorite pair of work shoes and what sound they make?I work from home, so in the summer I’m usually barefoot (pad-pad-pad), and in the winter I’m wearing slippers (schwoosh-schwoosh-schwoosh).What is your occupation? Literary agentWhat age children do you have? 15 and 12. Plus a three-ish-year-old dog.What does your child think you do all day? (please ask them and tell us in their own words if you can!) Look at Facebook. (*cough* monitoring social medi
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Blog post“Why do you have to go, Aunt C?”My niece frowns, my heart melts, and I want to cancel my adult life so I can stay. But I can’t. “I have to go back to Brooklyn, to work.”“Oh, yeah,” she nods, “to make more books for kids.”“Exactly.”“Okay. But write very fast, Aunt C, so you can come back.”It’s so emotional for young children to transition when a beloved caretaker must “go away” for any reason or amount of time–so it is of course a special and specific challenge when a primary parent returns to th
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Blog postOn a recent Monday afternoon, between revising my new favorite picture book idea and a phone meeting with an editor I was hoping to woo with the idea, I dashed out to move the car I had borrowed for a few days from its No Parking Tuesdays 11—1:30 spot to a No Parking Monday 11—1:30 spot, where it could hang out all week long. (Non-city dwellers, be grateful for your driveways.) I strolled up the block feeling pretty pleased with my perfectly timed plan—until I arrived at the corner just in time
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Blog postThere is a noble, ancient battle being fought in bedrooms every night, all over the world. Surely there must be some kid, somewhere, who can keep the blankets at bay!This nightlight of an idea switched on as I watched a child struggling against sleep in a stroller on the bustling NYC subway. Clearly it was naptime; the child’s parents had a stuffed animal, a cozy blanket, and soothing sing-song voices to aid their efforts. Lips sealed, face wiggled, eyes widened but the yawns were coming in wave
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Blog postDuring school-visit interactive readings of May I Have a Word? I ask students to act out the character of the letter K, who is jealous and frustrated with the letter C for taking all the “good words.” I feed them their lines and encourage them to muster up as much melodrama as possible. “I don’t want to talk about it,” they quote and then let out a collective and wonderfully pitiful sigh. “In fact, I— don’t—want—to—talk—at—all!”I narrate the next line, “K fell silent.”The students take the cue;
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Blog postDuring the first school visits with May I Have A Word? I've gotten to explore the joys and challenges of spelling and sharing with elementary students. We've also identified the basic elements of a story structure by creating collaborative stories. We start by asking the same question the letter-magnets in May I Have A Word? do, "WHOM, should our story be about?" You can do this fast and fun activity with groups of kids and/or use it as an individual storytelling activity. During my vi
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Blog postIn kindergarten, I spelled words into ribbons.That is, I practiced each spelling word written on my stack of index cards until I had mastered it and my teacher put the card into a small box; when all the word-cards from my list were in the box, she smiled and invited me to open the container where she kept her magical collection of ribbons. I got to select the three colors she would wrap around my box, tie tightly into a double knotted bow, and turn into a bouquet of curly-Q ribbons I’d only eve
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Blog postWhen it feels as though the sky is falling, and I know my two hands are not enough to catch, lift, hold the whole thing up, I am tempted to throw my hands up in the air—so sometimes I read this poem and ask myself, well, what little bird can I lift today?If I can stop one heart from breaking,I shall not live in vain;If I can ease one life the aching,Or cool one pain,Or help one fainting robinUnto his nest again,I shall not live in vain. -Emily DickinsonAnd one day, a few years ago, when I was fe
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Blog post“Whether or not you find your own way, you're bound to find some way. If you happen to find my way, please return it, as it was lost years ago. I imagine by now it's quite rusty.” ― Norton Juster, The Phantom TollboothWhen MFA students visit my advisor office hours at The New School, it’s often to ask for advice on a decision such as whether or not they should take this or that publishing internship, quit the full time job that has nothing to do with writing but pays the bills, take the terribl
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Blog postI along with many others have been thinking about educators and parents who may be grappling with and navigating very big, confusing, tough feelings, and questions from children about the election. (Regardless of where your own vote or community's politics are.) I would like to use this small blog space to gather & share communication tips and advice from and with parents and educators. I've begun below and will continue to add resources and anecdotes. I would love to hear and share more fro
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Blog postGot to get back on the horse...Said that to myself last week when I went on a writing-reboot retreat and again as I contemplated creating this blog after a long hiatus. I'd heard that phrase long before I ever got on a horse and I when I first fell of an actual horse (kindly named Mr. Rogers) I remember thinking, oh, I get that thing people say now! But a couple summers ago, I got a much better idea about what it really means.I had the incredible fortune of getting to spend a month at the Jentel
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Blog postI don't want to write a picture book about gun violence.People have asked me, if I might. But there should be zero need for that story.Yesterday, at a storytime, I spoke with parents about their fears, concerns, and sadness about the future day when they will have to talk to their young child about the death of her aging dog. They needed tissues as they thought about it. It is naturally sad for us to think about talking to children about the universal death that occurs at the end of a long life.
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Blog postAs school semesters and a season comes to a close, deadlines of all kinds loom for many folks I know right now. I've had MFA students, MSW students, and author friends anxiously confess that they have been procrastinating for hours on end, and the worry levels rise with every Netflix episode watched (I, uh, recommend Happy Valley.) In the last few years, I've been getting to know my proCARONation better, both its origins, what feeds it, and how to tempt it out of the house for periods of time. O
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Blog postSome emotions make us wiggly. Some emotions make us giggly—when we don't think they should. Some feelings make us itchy, and hot, and not want to look anybody in the eye, or sit still. Some emotions can't sit still.And that's okay. That's totally okay. It's okay to wiggle, or even stand up, or doodle or draw, or eat your snack. While we read this story that might lead you to feel some big emotions.That's what I told kids before I read Ida, Always at Greenlight Bookstore a couple weeks ago and it
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Blog postLast night Charles Santoso and I were speaking (thank you internet.) There was a fresh layer of frost on the ground here in Brooklyn and my apartment was playing hostess to the wind-chill factor. As beautiful as it had been to watch the snowflakes swirl down all day, I admit I was a touch jealous when Charles said it was quite sunny there in Sidney, Australia.We talked for a long time, and Charles kindly asked me at some point if I needed to get to bed (we are 16 hours apart, so he'd just had co
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Blog postI was thrilled when my editor Emma asked if I wanted to write an activity guide to go along with Ida, Always. I spent a long time considering what kinds of activities, discussion prompts, tips, and information to offer readers that would help in exploring the themes of friendship, love, bereavement and loss. (Maybe a little tooo long, thank you Editor Emma for being so patient.)It took me a long time, because I had so many ideas. Over the years I've picked up tons of creative arts, grounding, an
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Blog postThe only thing better than when something you've long hoped for happens, is when something that you never would have dreamed to hope for happens.I'll just blurt it, because it's on the back of Ida, Always. In print. (so, it's real, right?)Judith Viorst, read Ida, Always. Judith—Alexander, Barney, If I Were In Charge of the World, And Two Boys Booed, and oh-so much more—Viorst. Yup. And she wrote are you-pranking-me words about Ida, Always. When I found this out, I fell out of my chair and was te
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Blog postA tennis court filling up with snow. A playground catching flakes on its silver-slide tongue. Trees standing stubbornly without coats, gleefully spreading gloveless fingers into the wind. These are some of the snapshots I took in with my window-camera as I sat curled under a blanket on my gray coach, during the blizzard last weekend. I was grateful to be snowbound. I had writing to do, a class to prepare for, and piles of other assorted get-to-do's. But there was a snowflake marathon on window-T
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Blog post"We collected only the leaves with holes in them." When I was writing Stuck with the Blooz, this line came out. Whereas the other enjoyable-blooz activities that are in the book such as staring, drawing, making a fort, splashing, were things I have actually done, I had never actually "collected only the leaves with holes in them." Until after Blooz was published.I was at the Saltonstall artist residency in late fall, a little bit stuck with writing and a little bit lonely in
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Blog postOn Veterans day this year, I walked around feeling oddly anxious, thinking to myself that I Should know how to observe this day better than I have in the past. But I didn't. Should I cut class and go to the parade? Should I donate blood? Should I send a note to some folks I know? In the end, I went to class, shared this article, Please Don't Thank Me For My Service, with folks and wrote a post—which I didn't post because it was flawed. Then on Thanksgiving I watched a kid at the table thank &quo
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Blog postRecently, I had the opportunity to listen to and speak withJane Paley, PsyD about her ideas for parents whose children may be struggling in school, so I thought I’d share some of the tips and thoughts she offered. I hope it may be useful to you or another parent you may know! (Please note that these take-aways come from my conversation with Jane, but are filtered and at times re-worded through Caron, here.)Use W's to Gather Information:“I have yet to meet a 'lazy' kid…the truth is most kids want
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Blog post"Did somebody forget your birthday Blooz?"NOPE! How could I forget the birthday of my very first picture book?October 2nd, 2012 was the day Harcourt Houghton Mifflin published, Stuck with the Blooz, the book that was so beautifully illustrated by Jon Davis, and so wonderfully edited and taken care of by Adah Megged Nuchi. The idea, however, for Stuck with the Blooz, was conceived almost a decade before the book was even born!When I go to schools and tell kids how long I had to wait to
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Blog postI enjoyed this recent article from School Library Journalabout teachers using picture books with middle and high-school students to support English language learners, as companions to the classics, and to create a community of readers. I've always thought (biased as I may be!) that picture books are also a great way to support social emotional skill building for older students. Older students can be asked to read and consider the emotional themes of a picture book and share why they think the th
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Blog postThe Blog scares me. Having one I mean. A Blog always has to have Something Special & Smart To Say. A Blog devours time. A Blog needs to be taken Out. There. Often. A Blog might typo in public. A Blog is supposed to Represent. A Blog might get into trouble and have technical difficulties. A Blog has claimed squatters rights on my To-Do list. It's big and scary and I imagine it is dripping in dough like the scene from Max & Moritz that used to freak me out as a kid.So, this isn't a blog, t
Titles By Caron Levis
