How was your literate life this week? As always, I’m here in your Inbox to celebrate our literate lives with a sneak peek into my own. Here’s what I’ve been reading, writing, learning and exploring this week:

What I’m Reading:

This week, I was in need of some whimsy. So, what better place to find it than in the land of fairy godmother training complete with magical sparkles? Survival of the Sparkliest, part of The Wish List series, by Sarah Aronson was exactly what I needed, a book full of sparkly happily-ever-after. But what I wasn’t expecting was a much deeper lesson in friendship and family along the way, reminding me to never judge a book by its cover. If you want to be transported back to the dreams of childhood magic, then this book is for you. However, I’d suggest starting in order. This was the 4th book in the series and I definitely had some catching up to do. So, you know what’s next on my TBR stack!

What I’m Writing:
A chance conversation at the start of the week sent me down a rabbit hole…but a very good one. A family member shared that last Saturday was National Pasta Day and we had a fun conversation about how these kinds of holidays even get started. So, I decided to research exactly how someone can go about creating a national holiday and was shocked at incredibly unique and interesting national holidays I had no idea existed! Did you know about International Sloth Day? National Root Beer Float Day? Or Gingerbread House Day? I spent some time celebrating a few of these unique days in my journal, a fun way to find new topics to write about…and then celebrate with family.  If you are reading this email the day I sent it, then be sure to find time to celebrate National Boston Cream Pie Day…today!

What I’m Learning:

This month, the International Literacy Association is offering ILA Next, a virtual version of their annual literacy conference. I’ve been soaking in the live and on-demand sessions to boost my own learning as a literacy educator. The sessions are top-notch and I’m walking away with pages of notes to ignite my own reading, writing and learning.

What I’m Exploring:

My neighborhood has a wonderful tradition of BOOing each other throughout the month of October and even though my children are now teenagers, they still love the experience. I do, too. And I think this year, we could all use the connection, community and fun it provides, especially in an age of social distancing. But this year, in addition to the candy treats and plastic spiders, I’ll be BOOing my neighbors with books…and think you should too! Head to Harper Collins website for a ‘We’ve Been Boo’d’ printable with loveable book characters to start a new book-BOOing tradition!

There you have it! I hope this inspires you to make space for more reading and writing in your own life. What are the highlights from your literate life this week?