Category: News

After many, many years with the same look, a look that was beginning to get a little long in the tooth, I have completely redesigned the look of Poetry4kids.com. It was a big project that took most of the summer, and it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for years.

In addition to a more modern look and easier-to-navigate menus, the new Poetry4kids is also mobile-friendly, adapting to any display size, from desktop to tablet to mobile phone. And, to make sure your visit to Poetry4kids is always secure, I have added an SSL certificate to the website, and updated our Privacy Policy and cookies notifications to be in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation.

Of course, as with all big projects, there’s still some cleanup to do. Over the coming weeks I will be going through the site’s many hundreds of pages to ensure that everything is working just as it should.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear your feedback. Like what you see? Can’t find something you’re looking for? Come across something that isn’t working? Please drop me a line and let me know.

I’m very excited to announce the publication of my newest book, My Cat Knows Karate. This collection includes seventy new poems about goofy gadgets, kooky characters, funny families, absurd situations. Beautifully illustrated by Rafael Domingos, My Cat Knows Karate is chock-full of the ridiculous rhymes, wacky wordplay, preposterous punchlines, and guaranteed giggles that kids love to read.

My Cat Knows Karate is available now from Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle formats. The book should be available from other booksellers, including Barnes & Noble and your local independent bookseller in about a week.

“Your presentation was the best we have ever had.”

“You by far surpassed our expectations.”

“Our students are still buzzing about it! The enthusiasm you generated is phenomonal!”

These are just a few comments from schools who have had me visit with their students. If you are considering having an author visit your school, I would love the opportunity to get your students excited about reading and writing.

My school visit calendar is filling up for the spring, but I still have dates available for an author visit to your school, whether in-person or online.

I will be visiting the following cities this spring and still have open days:

• January 9-13 – Spokane, WA
• February 13-17 – West Texas
• February 20-24 – Portland, OR
• March 13-17 – Baltimore, MD & Washington, DC
• March 27-31 – San Antonio, TX
• April 3-7 – Central California
• April 17-21 – Connecticut
• April 24-27 – Eastern Oregon
• May 8-12 – Cedar Rapids, Iowa City & Davenport, IA

If your school is interested in booking an author visit during one of these trips, or any other week this school year, please contact me by filling out the information request form on this page.

You will find my calendar online here. Any dates not otherwise marked are probably available.

I look forward to hearing from you.

I’m thrilled to announce the release of my newest book, One Minute Till Bedtime. This is the first anthology that I have put together, and it has already received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal, plus it has been selected by Publishers Weekly as a Best Book of 2016.

One Minute Till Bedtime contains over 140 brand-new poems from more than 130 poets from around the world, including such luminaries as Jack Prelutsky, Jane Yolen, Jon Scieszka, Joyce Sidman, Judith Viorst, Lemony Snicket, Marilyn Singer, Nikki Grimes, and many, many others. Each of the poems in this collection–all perfect for bedtime–can be read in about a minute. With seven sections, each with roughly twenty poems, One Minute Till Bedtime holds a full week of 20-minute sleepytime readings.

The beautiful hardcover book is whimsically illustrated by the incomparable Christoph Niemann, whose witty, minimalist drawings compliment and enhance the poems, giving readers even more to ponder as they get ready to dream.

One Minute Till Bedtime is now available in the US wherever books are sold, including:

• Amazon.com
• BarnesandNoble.com
• Indiebound.com

It is also available for purchase now in Australia:

• Booktopia
• QBD

In the UK, it will be available on December 8, 2016:

• Amazon.co.uk
• Waterstones
• W.H. Smith

I hope you had a wonderful summer and are settling into the new school year nicely. With the 2016-17 school year underway, I’m now booking school author visits, both in-person and online.

If your school is looking for a way to inspire your kids to want to read and write, my high-energy poetry writing programs are just the ticket. You don’t need to take my word for it, though. Click here to see what other schools have said about my visits.

Upcoming Visits

You don’t need to wait for me to be in your area to book a visit. I cap my travel expenses, regardless of what it costs me to get there, so it won’t cost you extra if you are the first school in your area to book a visit.

However, here are some of the places I’m already scheduled to be this school year. I still have dates available each of these weeks.

• WA, Bellingham – September 26-30, 2016
• ID, Bonner’s Ferry – October 10-14, 2016
• OR, Portland – October 24-26, 2016
• TX, Odessa/Andrews – February 13-17, 2017
• TX, San Antonio – March 27-31, 2017
• CA, Porterville – April 3-7, 2017

You can view my full event calendar here. Any dates not otherwise marked are probably available for a visit to your school.

More Information

For more information about my programs and fees, simply fill out this form and I will contact you with further details. I look forward to hearing from you!

Next Wednesday, September 21, 2016, I will be performing live at the Barnes & Noble in the Northtown Mall in Spokane, Washington at 6:30pm. This event is free and open to the public. If you are in the area, please join me, along with musician Carlton Oakes and poet Merideth Jeffries for a fun evening of poetry and music.

I will be reading from several of my books, including The Biggest Burp Ever, Revenge of the Lunch Ladies, and my forthcoming anthology, One Minute Till Bedtime. Books will be available for purchase, and I will be signing them after the performances.

This program is produced by Stephen Pitters, host of the Spokane Open Poetry Program on KYRS 92.3 FM, Thin Air Commuity Radio.