Wordplay: Writing Poetry for Children

Workshop Description

Date: May 20–23, 2010
Arrive Thursday, May 20, at 3 P.M. for a tour of HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN® and Boyds Mills Press. Ends Sunday, May 23, after lunch.

Designed For: Published and unpublished poets and writers interested in the art of writing poetry for children

Maximum Capacity: 12 participants

Hone your poetry skills by discussing, writing, revising, and working on the craft of poetry. This workshop offers plenty of interaction, direction, and creative writing time. We'll focus on the essential elements of poetry and the importance of word choice, with plenty of writing exercises followed by group and editor evaluations.

As a group, we'll explore poetry from morning till night. We'll examine the use of poetry in children's books, including collections of poems and picture-book stories written in verse. Our days will include exercises, brainstorming, optional nature walks, journaling, quiet writing, shared writing, read-alouds, and group discussions.

In this workshop you will

focus on both free verse, rhyme, and poetic forms;
experiment with creative writing exercises;
examine the work of contemporary published poets;
participate in group and one-on-one critiques from both group and workshop leaders; and
enjoy poetry challenges and games.

Workshop Fee of $995 includes cozy, individual cabins; all meals (provided by a top-notch chef); airport pickup service, if needed; and an intimate teaching setting in the living room of the Founders of Highlights for Children!

Workshop Leader

Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Rebecca is an accomplished children’s poet who has published numerous children's poetry and
picture books, including Over in the Pink House: New Jump Rope Rhymes; Lemonade Sun: And
Other Summer Poems; Sweet Dreams of the Wild: Poems for Bedtime; Mama Loves;
What Is Round?; and Away We Go! A frequent speaker at IRA and NCTE national and local
conferences, she has been a poetry advisor for Creative Classroom magazine, and a contributing
columnist for Teaching K–8. She has extensive experience speaking about poetry at various
venues, including the Buffalo Writing Conference and the Kentucky Bluegrass Writing Project.
Rebecca's poetry has been featured on Reading Rainbow and has been selected for numerous
anthologies and textbooks. In addition, she was profiled in Ladybug’s “Meet the Poet” pages.

Guest Faculty

Susan Pearson

Susan Pearson
Susan began her career in publishing in the early 1970s and has held positions as editor in chief of Carolrhoda Books; editor in chief of Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books; and as editor at large at Chronicle Books. Currently, she is U.S. editor of NorthSouth Books, a division of NordSud Verlag in Zurich, Switzerland. Over the years she has worked with hundreds of picture-book creators. She is also the author of more than twenty books for children, and the anthologist of The Drowsy Hours: Poems for Bedtime (Harper 2002). Three volumes of her own verse (Squeal and Squawk: Barnyard Talk; Who Swallowed Harold; and Grimericks) were published by Marshall Cavendish.

Alice Shertle

Alice Shertle
Alice is the author of more than fifty books for children, including Little Blue Truck (Harcourt, 2008), Very Hairy Bear (Harcourt, 2007), All You Need for a Beach (Harcourt, 2004), and 1, 2, I Love You (Chronicle, 2004). Her latest collection of poems, Button Up! (Harcourt, 2009), is on the Horn Book Fanfare Best Books list. She is a frequent speaker in schools and at professional conferences. When she’s not writing, or spreading the word about the joys of writing and reading, she likes to tramp around the woods of New England where, she says, “Poems whisper through the trees and flow in the streams.” She is the recipient of the Christopher Award, an IRA Celebrate Literacy Award, and an award from the Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People. Her collections of poetry have been honored as ALA Notables, SLJ Best Books, and NCTE Notables.