Hey, y'all!

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Exciting news! I've joined LEAD Homeschool to teach for their Spring 2021 term! All classes are online and begin in mid-Jan. I'm super excited to offer an abbreviated section from the year-long Literature & Composition course I started in the fall. It will include a comprehensive study of To Kill a Mockingbird & I Am the Darker Brother: An Anthology of Modern Poems by African Americans. More information about this session is below. 

Also, over the summer, I invited Kids Write students to submit pandemic-themed writings to a book anthology focusing on young people's stories, and now that book is officially published. It includes contributions from three of our regulars! You can find more info on both of these in the newsletter below. Check it out and support our student writers!

I hope everyone has a great holiday & I'll hopefully see you next year!

American Literature & Poetry Study 

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In this comprehensive 15-week course, we will do an intensive study of our primary texts, To Kill a Mockingbird and I Am the Darker Brother: An Anthology of Modern Poems by African Americans. Additionally, we will cover non-fiction & short stories that tie into the themes of our primary texts. Students will read, analyze, and respond to literature independently, in group discussions, and in writing. 

All aspects of language arts - listening, speaking, reading, and writing will be covered. Students will learn annotation, logical thinking, and various modes of composition, all while enjoying works from a diverse selection of authors, including Alice Walker, Sandra Cisneros, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Robert Hayden, Juan Felipe Herrera, Walt Whitman, and more. 

This course will consist of weekly 90-minute Zoom classes and additional at-home work to be completed each week between classes. This course is appropriate for students 8th grade and up (ages 13+) who are ready for the workload, can handle mature themes in literature, and are comfortable writing. Homework will be assigned via Google Classroom, and all student work will be submitted by designated due dates. Homework assignments include weekly reading, associated vocabulary, writing, annotations, and more.

The cost for this class is $285 for the entire session. 

A note of texts: Parents will need to purchase the primary texts for this class - To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee & I Am the Darker Brother: An Anthology of Modern Poems by African Americans, by Arnold Adoff. All short stories and other additional selections will be accessible via the internet for free.

A note on Google Classroom: All students will need their own Gmail account to use the classroom. 

A Note on LEAD: This offering is through LEAD Homeschool. You have to sign up to be a member of LEAD before you can register for classes. All information can be found on the website linked below. 

Young People of the Pandemic

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"Young People of the Pandemic" is an intimate glimpse into the psyche of American youth living through the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. A diverse group of young writers from across the country illustrates what it is to be a member of Gen Z in a divided country attempting to conquer the greatest crises of our time. An anthology for readers aged 10 to 110, the book presents a selection of voices from the generation that will inherit a wounded nation. With resilience, bravery, wisdom, honesty, and humor, these young writers tell their stories. The writing is not only used as a form of emotional expression, but also as an exploration into the journeys of young people as they navigate an uncertain and turbulent time. The collection of 120 young writers is heartbreaking yet heartwarming, presented in an extremely readable format. Throughout these stories, poems, and anecdotes, there is hope on every page, with each written piece serving as an example of creative courage. A book for today and tomorrow, "Young People of the Pandemic," captures voices that will be remembered throughout history."

The Clothed Mole Rat Magazine
Spring 2021 Session

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Also, don't forget!! If you have a kid creative in your life interested in writing or creating artwork for publishing, I have space for new Contributors starting in January!

Magazine content ideas include:

- short stories
- comics
- visual arts
- photography
- recipes
- editorials
- how-tos
- satire
- poetry
- flash fiction
- and more!

If you missed my last email with all the details, please get with me, and I'll send it over to you!