smaychel.bsky.social
Poet and children's author. My books include The Big Day, Wain and Once I Carried Three Crows.
Also a creative writing teacher, story teller, knitter, mum of two and a carer for my disabled son.
Proud to be represented by Children's Books North Agency.
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God, I feel this so hard.
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If you're in the UK you can get The Big Day already! Find it in most book shops, or order it online from @littletigeruk.bsky.social here:
littletiger.co.uk/product/the-...
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This is such a beautiful, wholesome thing.
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After he'd smashed the ice to absolute smithereens he stood, dropped the hammer in the middle of all the shards, said "that's how it is" and walked off 😅
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I've got lots of smash based activities lined up for the next few days. Cross your fingers that it helps!
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Just thought this was something we maybe needed right now.
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I also enjoyed this response to Burns's poem To A Mouse, by 8 year old Toby:
"To Bobbie Burns. My house has a warranty. Start building at 2pm tomorrow."
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Though I did have to insist that no one was allowed to compare ANYTHING to a summer's day under my watch 😂
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We looked at experimental sonnets, including those with no words at all like Moon Shot Sonnet by Mary Ellen Solt. Writers were reminded that poets have been putting their own spin on poetic forms for as long as poetry has existed, and there are no Sonnet Police to arrest you for breaking the rules.
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What the fuuuuuu
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I don't know if any of this corresponds to a certain theory or not. It's more instinctive for me - I want to keep the conversation going and I don't want to position myself as an authority who is always right. I'm wrong about loads of stuff. I want kids to learn skills to find answers themselves.
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I also like to answer questions with "some people would say x for y reasons. What do you think?" or "some say x, some say y. How could we find out which is right?" etc
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Good question! I try to always answer home ed questions with questions back, for just about this very reason. Also in my groups, if someone gives as answer to a question I don't say it's right or wrong. I might comment on what I think is interesting about it, then I throw it to the group again.