Want to turn a regular Saturday into something special? A good chance is coming up on September 19, which is also known as International Talk like a Pirate Day. It may sound a bit silly, but it is just this type of silliness that often inspires the best family fun and fires a child’s imagination. […]
One of the best things about being the editor of Cobblestone is the opportunity for my knowledge of a subject to deepen when I work on an issue. Take the September issue where we focus on the Louisiana Purchase, for example. It is easy to think of the Louisiana Purchase as simply the sale of […]
My day went from “ho-hum” to “wow” in the space of about 15 seconds this morning when I heard this story on NPR about how archaeologists have discovered the bones of an early human-like species buried deep in a cave in South Africa. Making the story even more interesting was that the cave can only be reached […]
As editor of Cricket, I look to publish a balance of stories in each issue—contemporary fiction and fantasy, history and true adventure, longer and shorter stories—that provide variety and also complement each other. In planning Cricket’s September issue, my thoughts naturally turned to school stories. This month, Cricket begins a two-part story about a […]
♪ It’s the most wonderful time of the year…♪ Do you remember that ingenious commercial that used the well-known Christmas song to illustrate how parents feel when the first day of school finally comes around? Even today, thinking about the image of those parents gliding happily along on their back-to-school shopping carts while their children trail […]
This summer, while my daughter was busy shell collecting and stargazing, she was also outgrowing every stitch of clothing she owned. Clearly, it’s time to move up a size or two. And, at the same time, it’s also an opportunity to make sure her “outsides” keep up with the growth that’s happening on the inside. […]
Do you have a back to school tradition in your family? Back when I was a kid, going school shopping especially for new “school” shoes, was a big event in my family. We also did the big school supply shopping trip where my brother and sisters and I would spend an inordinate amount of time […]
It is no wonder we call them grand children and they call us grand parents. From the moment they arrive, they transform us into the grandest we have ever been. They give us new names, and we are never the same. They fill our hearts with love and laughter and other wondrous gifts of grandeur. […]
One of the worst things I’ve ever done in my life was to laugh at my husband when he told me about an idea he had. He had imagined a door mat that had some sort of automatic trigger in it, so that when it felt weight, it would ring a doorbell. This would be […]
As the editor of Dig, I’m charged with choosing themes for the coming year. It is definitely an exciting process. The possibilities are endless, but getting the right mix can be challenging. We like a mix that includes not only ancient and more recent centuries, but also a wide geographical reach. So, imagine my delight […]