Learn with me at NCTE 2025

I'm thrilled to head out to Denver next week to attend the annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of English. Ever since they awarded CAVES an Orbis Pictus Recommended Title award for Outstanding Nonfiction, I have come every year.

I am on two wonderful and very different panels this year. The first one is: WHAT IF It's Not Boring: Dreaming Up Innovative Text Structures to Inspire Young Writers. Session Code 2: F.50 “Pick your path” adventures. Counting and rhyming. Virtual field trips. Comic book style. Pondering . . . is it a butt? Or a face? Join this panel of nonfiction authors who dreamed of innovative ways to go beyond boring facts. With actionable student writing activities and bold library-building mentor texts, this panel will wake up a new sense of possibilities in your classroom. I'll be with Melissa Taylor, Beth Anderson, Amy Seto Forrester, Kari Lavelle, and Dana Marie Miroballi. I'm in awe of them!

My second panel immediately afterward is in partnership with the South Nevada Writing Project...and there will be writing activities as part of the program!

Writers Inspiring Writers: How Both Authors and Students Use Mentor Texts to Achieve Their Writing Dreams
Session Code 2: G.50  Dream with NCTE award-winning authors, Southern Nevada Writing Project directors, and teacher-consultants in this presentation inspiring educators to help young writers dream and create. Participants will engage in writing, learn that writing does not happen in isolation—even award-winning authors are inspired by other writers—and discuss how to use mentor texts to foster classroom writing.

​The authors joining me are Jolene Gutiérrez, Laura Purdie Salas, and Michelle Schaub. Dr. Sophie Ladd and others from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will moderate.
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Please note that I will be signing FORESTS ***before*** my panels at 10am in Scholastic booth #200
I look forward to seeing you there!