MY BLOG
Filter by topic
- Classroom experiences 9
- Cultural reflections 9
- Multicultural literature 8
- Behind-the-book stories 6
- Book recommendations 6
- Discussion guide 4
- English learner resources 4
- Literacy reflections 4
- Either the Beginning or the End of the World 3
- Joseph's Big Ride 2
- Literary process 2
- Author interviews 1
- Collaboration essays 1
- Go Home 1
- Reflections on storytelling 1
- The Cat Who Liked Potato Soup 1
- The Good Braider 1
Why novels? A high school story
Why do we read novels? For Terry Farish, the answer lies in the connections stories create. In this reflection from a high school visit, Terry shares a conversation with students about the power of fiction to build empathy, expand our understanding of others, and help us see the world through different perspectives.
Seeing Haiti through a young girl’s eyes
During a school visit, Terry Farish invited students to explore Haiti through the eyes of a young girl’s story. In this reflection, Terry shares how literature can open doors to new perspectives, spark meaningful conversations and help young readers build empathy for experiences beyond their own.
Immigrants, kids and flan
Here’s a Behind the Book essay about my picture book “Luis Paints the World.” The book is timely again. It’s a story about a big brother’s deployment to war through the eyes of his little brother who finds a way to mark the days.
Reading with dads in prison
A sign at the Concord State Prison’s Family Connections Center reads , “Be a dad. Be there.” This is a story about books as a link between kids and their parent who’s incarcerated.
Discussion guide for ‘Go Home’
This discussion guide for “Go Home” invites readers to explore themes of home, identity, belonging, family and displacement. Through thoughtful questions and activities, it encourages young readers to consider the experiences of refugees and immigrants, the meaning of home, and the ways stories can help us better understand lives and perspectives different from our own.
Kate DiCamillo talks with one boy
At New Hampshire’s first Book Festival, 1,300 children filled the Capital Center to hear Kate DiCamillo talk about stories. Then a little boy in the balcony asked, “Do you like all your books?” When he quietly added, “I just want to know,” the enormous room seemed to disappear. For Terry, the moment captured the “gravity and wonder of writing for children.”
How visiting authors can be part of welcoming diverse kids
How can visiting authors help create welcoming spaces for all students? In this reflection, Terry Farish explores the role authors and librarians can play in celebrating diverse voices, supporting English learners, and helping children feel seen through the power of stories.
Discussion guide for ‘The Good Braider’
This discussion guide for “The Good Braider” invites readers to explore themes of war, displacement, immigration, identity, family and resilience. Through thoughtful questions and activities, it encourages young readers to consider the experiences of refugees, the challenges of leaving home, and the courage it takes to build a new life while holding on to the people, places, and traditions that shape who we are.
Discussion guide for ‘Either the Beginning or the End of the World’
This discussion guide for “Either the Beginning or the End of the World” invites readers to explore themes of family, grief, identity, friendship and belonging. Through thoughtful questions and activities, it encourages young readers to consider the ways we navigate loss and change, the complexities of family relationships, and the search for connection and understanding during times of uncertainty.
Discussion guide for ‘The Cat Who Liked Potato Soup’
This discussion guide for “The Cat Who Liked Potato Soup” invites young readers to explore themes of friendship, family, food, community and belonging. Through engaging questions and activities, it encourages children to think about the connections we make with others, the comfort of familiar traditions, and the ways sharing stories and experiences can bring people together.
6 picture books about food and friends across cultures
Food has a way of bringing people together, creating opportunities for friendship, conversation, and connection across cultures. In this reflection, Terry Farish shares a collection of picture books that celebrate food, family, and the joy of discovering the many traditions and experiences that shape our communities.
5 outstanding international books
Stories have the power to take us beyond our own experiences and help us see the world through new perspectives. In this reflection, Terry Farish shares a selection of outstanding international books that celebrate diverse voices, cultures, and experiences while reminding us of the connections that unite readers everywhere.
Writing a picture book
What makes a picture book story come alive? In this reflection on the craft of writing for children, Terry Farish explores the power of language, images, and emotion in creating meaningful stories for young readers. Drawing from examples across the picture book world, she shares insights into the elements that help a story connect and inspire.
How I became a children’s book writer
I had the great privilege of studying with the British Carnegie Medal winner, Jan Mark. Here’s an appreciation of the craft, and large-heartedness of this extraordinary children’s novelist. Every day I wish I could talk with her again.
Ways to find a home: 10 stories of migration
Julie Flett’s picture book “Birdsong” runs away with my blue ribbon for picture books about moving. All of these books are about migration of some kind, and in Katherena's case, in “Birdsong,” her migration is to a new home, away from the sea.
Immensity: A reading with immigrant writers
“Writing united us. But could we actually pull off a reading?” In Portsmouth, a group of New Hampshire poets and immigrant writers came together to write poems, share stories and inspire one another. They wrote about memory, immigration, home, family and imagination. As Leidiane put it, “We fit together like water, each in its own way.” And eventually, they stepped onto the stage to share their voices with the community.
Art lesson for ‘Joseph’s Big Ride’
Joseph’s wish finally comes true: he gets to ride a bike. At a school in Westbrook, Maine, students and art teachers brought that ride to life. They began by drawing their hands; connected together, the hands became the spokes of a bicycle wheel. The project became part of the Welcoming Library, helping new Americans and U.S.-born families meet each other through story.
‘I hope I will learn to dance a different dance I’ve never danced before’
The students at Broken Ground School learned Nepali, Bollywood, and hip-hop dances with Bhutanese dancer Pujan Wagley—and turned movement into poetry. As they danced, they wrote about feeling “happy,” “excited,” “silly,” “joyful,” and “floating.” Together, poetry and dance became a way to build friendships, imagine new possibilities and “learn to dance a different dance.”
A story from the house of extravagant colors
A chorus of thirty-five international students welcomes poet Juan Felipe Herrera to their classroom: “Welcome to our house of extravagant colors / in our classroom on Lake Street / which is for all of us a place of pause / on the road of our lives.” They sing, share stories and write poetry together as Herrera tells them, “Your voice is the natural and beautiful voice that everyone has.”
Juan takes his turn: JabberWalking with Juan Felipe Herrera
Juan Felipe Herrera calls a poem a “burble” and urges writers to hurry, hurry, hurry—to write down whatever they see, hear, taste, and love. Reading “JabberWalking,” Terry finds herself falling into poems of her own imagination. Herrera invites readers to write in any language, loosen up, and follow their words wherever they lead. “Writing saves lives. It could save yours.”