A chart from Macmillan Education lists 10 English idioms that use the word ‘book’.
One of the first cited uses of tetchy occurs in William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet (1596). Etymologists are not certain how the word came about, but some have suggested that it derives from tetch,
Writers Write is a comprehensive writing resource. In this post, we write all about prefixes.
How to teach children to be more critical readers
It has been a long time since I have blogged about cooperative learning strategies. They tend to become second nature to me, and I forget that this isn't
Who Has Seen the Wind, a Singable Poem
In his book, The 5 Levels of Leadership, John C. Maxwell unfolds leadership as a step-by-step process with discernable and definable stages. He noted from the beginning that this concept of leaders…
Started by Bābur, a descendant of Genghis Khan, the Muslim Mogul dynasty ruled much of India from the early 16th century to the mid-18th century. The Moguls (whose name is also spelled Moghul or
Puzzle-solving genius kids form a pint-size crime-fighting Mod Squad in this month's Backseat Book Club pick. Trenton Lee Stewart, author of The Mysterious Benedict Society, takes questions from young readers about the book's twists, turns and creative conundrums.
I just finished “Mindset” by Carol Dweck, an awesome book about motivation and perspective. One central concept from Mindset is that “the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you…
The roots of tergiversation are about an unwillingness to pick a course and stay on it. The Latin verb tergiversari means 'to show reluctance,' and it comes from the combining of tergum, meaning 'back
So today I want to talk about dealing with a massive cast of character. I am talking about main and secondary characters (not the odd village baker passing through a random scene never to be heard…
Beauty, Sex, & Terror by Malik Touré is an anthology of six short stories. The book opens with Malik relating his tragic childhood after his father's shocking murder, leading him and his mother into a life filled with harrowing trials and tribulations. In another story, Malik roams the streets of Kansas City and finds himself deeply affected by the struggles of homeless people, and a chance encounter with a stranger that leads him to contemplate further. Enraptured by the charms of a young woman at a posh clothing store, Malik strikes up a conversation that leads to an unforgettable erotic experience involving two beautiful women. After spending a cold, dreary night in a restroom stall, Malik ponders the meaning of human existence, eventually finding a ray of hope in the form of a kindly old man in the morning. Beauty, Sex, and Terror is a captivating collection of stories that explore the human condition through the ups and downs of a man's life. Inspired by his own experiences, Malik Touré has written a moving collection with six short stories that highlight the juxtaposition and duality of life, entrenched in pain, suffering, and hopelessness, as well as love, joy, and hope. Narratively rich and emotionally evocative, these stories explore themes of despair, homelessness, spirituality, fantasy, hope, and the resilient nature of the human spirit. Touré layers his stories with poignant commentary about society and the human condition, which adds depth and makes them even more thought-provoking for the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection, and if you love short stories too, I highly recommend it.
Started by Bābur, a descendant of Genghis Khan, the Muslim Mogul dynasty ruled much of India from the early 16th century to the mid-18th century. The Moguls (whose name is also spelled Moghul or
Started by Bābur, a descendant of Genghis Khan, the Muslim Mogul dynasty ruled much of India from the early 16th century to the mid-18th century. The Moguls (whose name is also spelled Moghul or
I have a longstanding obsession with J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” starting with the great 1977 animated film that captured my young imagination. Hobbits are content to be inten…
Unbeknownst is an irregular variant of the older unbeknown, which derives from beknown, an obsolete synonym of known. But for a word with a straightforward history, unbeknownst and the now less common
In 1959, a scientist formed the word circadian from the Latin words circa ('about') and dies ('day'), and it caught on quickly. Most often, it's seen and heard in the term circadian rhythm, which
You might complain or grumble about some wrong you see, or, for a stronger effect, you can inveigh against it. Inveigh comes from the Latin verb invehere, which joins the prefix in- with the verb
From the Front Porch – This week has been a bittersweet one as we grieve the loss of two of our blogging friends and celebrate the anniversary of our sweet rescue, Piper...
Picaresque derives from Spanish picaresco, which means 'of or relating to a picaro,' the picaro being the rogue or bohemian usually at the center of picaresque fiction. The typical picaro is a
Started by Bābur, a descendant of Genghis Khan, the Muslim Mogul dynasty ruled much of India from the early 16th century to the mid-18th century. The Moguls (whose name is also spelled Moghul or
Started by Bābur, a descendant of Genghis Khan, the Muslim Mogul dynasty ruled much of India from the early 16th century to the mid-18th century. The Moguls (whose name is also spelled Moghul or
