Posts I Like
The Fire Horse Girl – Coming January 2013
My first book, The Fire Horse Girl, is about a teenage girl living in China in 1923 and determined to immigrate to America to escape her curse and find freedom. Jacket Copy: Jade Moon is a Fire Horse — the worst sign in the Chinese zodiac for girls, said to make them stubborn, reckless, and … Read more
Angel Island Poetry
For National Poetry Month, I am posting poems from the walls of the barracks on Angel Island. For today… There are tens of thousands of poems composed on these walls. They are all cries of complaint and sadness. The day I am rid of this prison and attain success, I must remember that this chapter … Read more
Dear Poet Project
I love this idea from the Academy of American Poets! Students read and respond to the poetry of poets who serve on the Academy’s Board of Chancellors. What a great opportunity to connect students with writers. There are specific instructions here for any other teachers or librarians who are interested. Select letters with receive a … Read more
Poetry of Angel Island
Happy National Poetry Month. I thought I would celebrate by sharing some of my favorite poems from the Angel Island Immigration Station. Angel Island was the point of entry for almost 300,000 immigrants coming to America from 1910-1940. The majority of those immigrants (around 175,000) were from China. The process of immigrating and landing on … Read more
Chinese New Year – Kitchen God
“That is what I always thought love would be. A kind of understanding.” “You are very romantic for a Fire Horse,” Spring Blossom said. “Maybe. I also like the story of the kitchen god who throws himself into the fire.” This is a story that I tried to work into THE FIRE HORSE GIRL several time. None … Read more
Chinese New Year – Animal Race
”It is a horrible match,” I said. “A snake and a horse. We will do nothing but fight.” I have always loved the story of how the years got their animal names in the Chinese zodiac. There are many versions of this story, and several beautiful children’s books that tell the tale if you want … Read more
Chinese New Year – Food
Nushi bustled in and out of the kitchen carrying plate after plate of food. I helped until I tipped a pile of tangerines into a bowl of rice. As the Chinese New Year celebrations continue, I thought it would be fun to look at some of the traditional foods of the holiday. Food is an … Read more
Chinese New Year Preparations
THE FIRE HORSE GIRL begins on the day before the new year. It is a time of preparation and looking forward – a perfect starting place for a journey. I loved researching the preparations that Nushi and Jade Moon would be busy with on this day for the first chapter. Since tomorrow is the first … Read more
The Fire Horse Girl’s Inspiration
I wrote a blog post this week for Scholastic’s On Our Minds Blog about what inspired me to write The Fire Horse Girl. Click the link above to read. I hope you enjoy!
Year of the Snake
In a few weeks (on February 10) the Chinese New Year celebrations begin and we enter the year of the Snake. Just like the Fire Horse, the Snake has certain characteristics. In The Fire Horse Girl, Sterling Promise was born in the Year of the Snake. Snakes are clever and calculating, which makes … Read more
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