A few years ago I wrote a Nerdy Book Club post that was widely shared and (mostly) well received. It was titled “Windows, Mirrors, and Portals to Magic”. I made a mistake in that piece, though. I neglected to cite Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, the scholar who came up with the concept of windows, mirrors, […]
Tag Archives: Kirsten LeClerc
January
22
The Bookmark of a Reader by Kirsten LeClerc
posted by CBethM
In my four and a half years as a teacher-librarian, I have discovered a number of items crammed into returned books. Regular bookmarks, of course. The adorable and witty kind that can be purchased at a Scholastic book fair. But those aren’t what interest me the most. I love finding all the things accidentally left […]
September
18
A Toast to Kate DiCamillo by Kirsten LeClerc
posted by CBethM
“I’m only eating toast today. Toast with a great deal of butter on it,” declared my daughter. She was six years old at the time and a Mercy Watson superfan. I humored her at breakfast, and she snacked on buttered toast for the next couple of days. Need I tell you how that turned out? […]
February
13
Characters Behaving Badly by Kirsten LeClerc
posted by CBethM
“Nitwit!” I hear my daughter yell, and instinctively I look up. We are on the beach in sunny San Diego, and she is screaming at a little boy who looks about 5 or 6 years old. I rush over to ask what the problem is, and my daughter angrily shouts and points at this kid, […]
September
05
Windows, Mirrors, and Portals to Magic by Kirsten LeClerc
posted by CBethM
I am arranging new books on a display shelf when a volunteer breezes by. She stops for a moment and says, “More new books? I took a look at that one earlier–maybe you should tuck it away somewhere before the wrong kid takes it home and you have a challenge on your hands.” She points […]
September
21
Ann M. Martin’s Great Ideas by Kirsten LeClerc
posted by CBethM
Darn it, Ann M. Martin, you got me again. It’s 5 a.m. and I just ugly cried through the whole second half of Rain Reign. I’m thankful that my husband and daughter are still sleeping, so no one else is around to bear witness to my display of emotions. I reflect on the story of […]
March
30
The Long Commute by Kirsten LeClerc
posted by CBethM
My first teaching job was a ten minute drive from my house. I didn’t appreciate the convenience of a short commute at the time. I didn’t realize that long commutes make people miserable until I took a job that required an hour (each way) in driving time. It was a job I loved, my first […]
Thank You, Katherine Paterson.by Kirsten LeClerc
posted by CBethM
Like so many other Nerdy Book Club members, some of my fondest memories of growing up were those spent with books. I enjoyed spending countless hours reading the works of Judy Blume, Ann M. Martin, Francine Pascal, Cynthia Voigt, and Lois Lowry. My favorite author from that time in my life, though, is Katherine Paterson. […]
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