Janet Wong
Last night I was lucky enough to be able to assist well-known children’s poet and author Janet Wong in her presentation Here We Go: Teaching and Learning in a Time of Social Change that she delivered to the Seattle Reading Council. It was a powerful presentation, full of great ideas. Have you ever considered teaching the building blocks of poetry (alliteration, rhyme, rhythm, personification, etc.) using the phrases found on protest and other types of posters? It works!
Her new book on the “hows” of writing poetry, Here We Go: a poetry Friday power book that she co-wrote with Sylvia Vardell tells a story of social activism by four students while also modeling and encouraging the writing of poetry. One of the activity the students do is plan a school garden!
Check out her book at pomelobooks.com!
Rick Swann 
Thank you, Rick! Loved sharing the stage with you at our Seattle Reading Council event–and I think the audience appreciated my “general inspiration” and your “call to action.” I predict that there will be even more school gardens in the Seattle area this spring!!!