In celebration of the launch of How To Coach Girls book, we are partnering with Berkshire Soccer Academy, a sleep away soccer camp for girls, with a five-part series.
How To Coach Girls available here.
Boston College Women’s Soccer Team has been working with Team Impact for a number of years. Team Impact is a national nonprofit that matches kids facing serious and chronic illnesses with local college athletic teams. Read more…
In celebration of the launch of How To Coach Girls book, we are partnering with Berkshire Soccer Academy, a sleep away soccer camp for girls, with a five-part series.
How To Coach Girls available for pre-order here.
March: The effect of Team Impact on the Boston College Women’s Soccer Team. Team Impact is a national nonprofit that matches kids facing serious and chronic illnesses with local college athletic teams. The bonds that formed can be life-long and life-changing. We will be learning about Lily and Alison Foley’s women’s varsity soccer team and what they have been up to thus far this year. Holly Confalone, a midfielder on the team, will be filling us in.
Happy Birthday to Lily…the newest member of the #BCWSoccer team as she signed her NLI with her teammates by her side yesterday.
Gaby Carriero kicking it around with #teamimpact teammate Lily before the game.
Read more…
Elys Dolan is the illustrator for International Book Giving Day 2018’s official poster!
Elys Dolan’s poster features an array of fun, book loving characters. Eagle eyed readers will spot some familiar, much loved characters from her illustrated novel, Knighthood for Beginners. Read more…
Taking the initiative to go green is a great way to show how much you care about the planet and do your part to create a better world for our future. However, because taking a green initiative can mean a variety of different things, it’s sometimes difficult to figure out exactly where to start. Thankfully, going green doesn’t mean you need to change every aspect of your life right away. Instead, there are small ways you can start to make a difference. Check out these four simple steps to start your green journey today and make a positive impact.
If you drive everywhere, you can be adding to the pollution that reigns through cities across the globe. Although it’s sometimes necessary, opting for a different mode of transportation can help you start your green journey. For instance, is it possible for you to walk or ride your bike to certain places you visit with your car? If so, do this, as eliminating a drive eliminates those pollutants from the air. Read more…
Young People’s Poet Laureate Margarita Engle and Amy Ludwig VanDerwater are championing the United Nations International Day of Peace which is today, September 21.
They are hoping that our educator and author and illustrator friends will flood the internet with images, poems, books, and ideas of peace on this day (9/21) along with the UN hashtag #peaceday.
Dylan Metrano (illustrator of Every Day Birds) made this image to share and use as a profile picture.
I happened up on this public art display at Weston Reservoir where we take our dog every day. There’s a wooded mile and half path that winds around the reservoir. Metaphorically and literally, the gratitude flags take you from the beaten path up to a little ridge where there is a winding display tied to a few trees.
Once you are there, you might notice the plastic bin of cut up sail cloth, Sharpie pens, and clothespins. You are invited to write on a flag about what you are grateful for, and add it to the display. Periodically, I noticed, someone comes to add more lines. Steadily, the flags have grown.
Here are some of my favorite:
The prep of the upcoming Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017 (1/27/17) is humming right along! In case you’ve missed all the details, Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom are teaming up for the fourth year to raise awareness on the ongoing need to include kid’s books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators.
I was in a pretty good habit of doing a daily Random Act of Kindness when I turned 48 that carried on for a year or so, but I’ve fallen off the wagon. It’s just so easy to speed through errands in a possessed way, and not notice or take the time for a small act of kindness. I need a reminder!
I’m using my DIY Acts of Kindness Gratitude Advent Calendar as a kickstart. It feels like doing an act of kindness during the busy month of December is impossible, but I am finding that it’s really not. It’s just a mindset and a looking for an opportunity. Just keeping it top of mind helps immensely.
So, here are mine. Most are small, but all, as I note, are truly appreciated!
Dec 1
Ran out to hold the door for a mom with a singing toddler in a stroller at the post office. She told her child how nice I was to hold the door.
Dec 2
Ran ad in Craig’s List and Newton FreeCycle to donate my son’s old bike to someone who needs a gift for their child this holiday season.
Did you know that the holiday season alone, Hasbro donated more than a half million toys and games (valued at $6 million) to children and families in need? Their goal is to put a toy or game in the hands of parents, so they can have a present for their kids on their holiday.
They also believe in a philanthropic mission to empower childhood by bringing hope, play and service into the lives of children. And they put their money where their mouth is:
In 2015, Hasbro contributed more than $14 million in total philanthropic support, impacting 3 million children. In RI, more than 20,000 toys and games donated, one for every child in need to Toys for Tots. Hasbro is also a long-time partner supporting Toys for Tots; 19 years with approximately $3 million worth of toys and games donated annually.
I'm a co-chair of KidLitCon. It's March 22-23, 2019 (next year) in Providence, Rhode Island. Click on image for more info.
