So many of us have had to adapt our jobs to new conditions because of COVID19, but you wouldn’t think writers would be much affected. But for award-winning author Jason Reynolds, some important things have changed. Reynolds is the 2020-21 National Ambassador for Children’s Literature for the Library of Congress. Normally, this would have meant … Continue reading
What a time we are living through. All around me, educators are wrapping up a crazy online school year mid-pandemic, with still very little knowledge of what is coming in the fall. And across the world, there is increasing awareness of long-term inequalities that gives rise to frustration, anger and calls for new ways of … Continue reading
In 1995, Carl Sagan published an essay titled “Wonder and Skepticism,” in which he described the push/pull of wonder and skepticism as the bedrocks of science. Science involves a seemingly self‐contradictory mix of attitudes: On the one hand it requires an almost complete openness to all ideas, no matter how bizarre and weird they sound, … Continue reading
The year 2020 will be known for many things, but one of them certainly will be innovation. All of us have had to flex in ways we never expected. Individuals, businesses, and organizations of all sorts have had to find new ways of operating. It should not be surprising that The Henry Ford Museum, home … Continue reading
It’s July, and at least in the U.S., that means thoughts turn to summer vacation, beaches and flip flops. While for many of us—and certainly in Michigan—flip flops are typically worn only in the warmest times of the years, in many parts of the world they may be the only shoes available to impoverished people. … Continue reading
It’s a new year and a new time for thinking creatively about our world. And just in time to get us started, the Imagination Foundation has teamed with AT&T Aspire to sponsor the 2017 Inventor’s Challenge. This is not a long term project, but a good way to get the new year off to a … Continue reading
I love stories. I love hearing good stories and I love telling stories. I can still remember my unbounded delight when my elementary classmates enjoyed hearing installments of my magical sagas. And these days I love the moments I steal from work to write stories of fantastic islands for my favorite young people. Stories take … Continue reading
Recently I had the chance to make spring sugar cookies with a group of young friends. We had all the cookie cutters you might expect–flowers, butterflies, hearts, rabbits, and eggs. The children had a grand time rolling out dough, cutting cookies, and later frosting them. Some of the cookies looked typical, but the ones we … Continue reading
Even in Michigan, there are hints of spring. While we can’t guarantee we’re snow-free yet, the dirty snow heaps are gone and I can begin to see buds on the trees. For many of you, spring break may be right around the corner. Here’s an idea for some family fun or art-lesson magic for your … Continue reading
I wasn’t allowed to have Barbie dolls as a child. My mother—ahead of her time, for sure—objected to doll’s the unnatural proportions. She did not want anything in our house giving the message that her daughters needed to look like something other than a normal human female. One night, hearing a banging, I found her … Continue reading
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