Editors' Expressions
Dear Friends, Readers, and Supporters of The Missouri Reader,
We were completely star-struck at IRA in New Orleans this year! A little magnet we picked up from Sourcebooks' booth stated it best: "Authors are my rock stars!" We couldn't agree more! Imagine how popular these two moms were with our kids when we returned from our trip with autographs and pictures with Jeff Kinney and Dav Pilkey, amazing authors and speakers who shared their hearts and talents with us at general sessions. Our college students allowed us to gush about meeting Ruta Sepetys, Mary Pope Osborne, Roland Smith, Steven Layne, Michael Shoulders, Jerry Pallotta, Jon Scieszka, Judy Schaechner, Mary Casanova, and a host of others. They laughed at us as we squealed in delight about our conversations and spontaneous poetry writing with Bruce Lansky, Steve Swinburne, Brod Bagert, and Kenn Nesbitt! We were honored and thrilled to get to visit with fellow Missourians, authors David L. Harrison, Judy Young, and J.B. Cheaney. Yes, we were surrounded by children's book authors we love, but we also were honored to meet some of the rock stars of textbook writing as well. Of course, readers, you have to allow two college profs to give a shout-out to the textbook and teacher resource book authors we admire, including Ruth Culham, Jerry Johns, Smokey Daniels, Doug Fisher, Nancy Frey, Diane Lapp, Irene Fountas, Gay Su Pinnell, Frank Serafini, Lori Oczkus, The Two Sisters, Debbie Diller, Tim Rasinski, Maureen McLaughlin, and the list could go on and on. It truly is an honor to hear, first-hand, useful and completely applicable literacy strategies from the expert researchers and practicing teachers in our field. Honestly, the annual IRA Conference is an incredible event that we look forward to with anticipation each year. We wouldn't think of missing it for even one year! What about you? Do you dream of meeting the rock-star authors your students admire? And what about your students? What would their reactions be if they saw a picture of you with a favorite author---and were then able to read an autographed copy of his or her latest book?
IRA Memories to Cherish
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