How do Grades Hurt Us?

This re-purposed vending machine is all about external motivation–which piece of art would you like to buy? ©Laurel Decher, 2020. Reading an article about how it hurts kids to focus on “grades” instead of “learning”: “Grades vs Learning: Shifting Attention to What’s Important“ “Drafts, re-dos, and ‘evolving assignments’” may help students to focus on getting […]

Were you ever a Junior Ranger?

I’ve been doing a little more research for the next Seven Kingdoms Fairy Tale. Look what I found! 🙂 Did you know you can get a Junior Ranger badge and book for your kids (ages 5 to 13+) at all of these National and State Parks? If the list of 400+ parks overwhelms you, try […]

Lost in a Campground

Nero has a gift for getting lost . . . Burg Rheinfels (Fortress Rhine Boulder) is the inspiration for the Saffron Kingdom. ©Laurel Decher, 2021. How’s your sense of direction? The second Seven Kingdoms Fairy Tale, LOST WITH LEEKS, is all about getting–you guessed it–lost. Prince Nero has a magically magnetic personality. He’s charming, but […]

What tests do you need to pass to become a. . .?

While working on a book for ages 9 to 12, I explored a few career interests for my characters: This Seven Kingdoms Fairy Tale stars the Saffron twins, Magellan and Saffy, so I’m thinking about what kinds of things they might want to do in the future. No promises and no spoilers. 😉 This video […]