Why am I passionate about this?

As a kid, I loved how words on a page transported me. Later, I was astounded by how the words I wrote myself could help me solve problems, deepen my understanding, and expand my thinking. Over time, that writing offered clarity and built my confidence. And in my most challenging times, writing has saved me over and over again. Learning to observe like a writer or an artist continues to help me be more present in my life. Sharing expressive writing experiences with others, during a 35-year career as a writer and workshop facilitator, allowed me to witness how this creative engagement offers a respite while building resilience and joy in others too.


I wrote

Neon Words: 10 Brilliant Ways to Light Up Your Writing

By Marge Pellegrino, Kay Sather,

Book cover of Neon Words: 10 Brilliant Ways to Light Up Your Writing

What is my book about?

Neon Words is a book that will illuminate the writer in you. By using the tools and activities here, you'll…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

Marge Pellegrino Why did I love this book?

When I first heard about The Artist’s Way, I doubted that this was a book for me. Was I wrong! Over the next year, I met monthly with a visual artist to process each chapter. We discussed prompts, our artist date, or what we wrote from the suggested journaling. The invitations at the end of each chapter led me to work that fed my spirit. Transforming theory into action exercised my creative muscles. The variety of creative engagements encouraged a rich body of work and a new confidence, while the book’s quotes introduced me to other thinkers. Artist’s-Way work not only strengthened my words on the page, but my nonprofit and library work flourished as well. I credit The Artist’s Way for pushing my work into award-winning territory.

By Julia Cameron,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Artist's Way as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Artist's Way provides a twelve-week course that guides you through the process of recovering your creative self. It aims to dispel the 'I'm not talented enough' conditioning that holds many people back and helps you to unleash your own inner artist. Its step-by-step approach enables you to transform your life, overcome any artistic blocks you may suffer from, including limiting beliefs, fear, sabotage, jealousy and guilt, and replace them with self confidence and productivity. It helps demystify the creative process by making it a part of your daily life. Whatever your artistic leanings, this book will give you the…


Book cover of Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words

Marge Pellegrino Why did I love this book?

Susan Wooldridge’s Poemcrazy is a vibrant collage in which she shares her poetry-writing journey in rich detail. From evocative chapter titles, quotes by poets, and poems from a variety of lesser-known voices, each element plays a part in setting up and illustrating an approach or addressing the topic at hand. My favorite part of this book is the “Practice” opportunities Wooldridge crafts for us. Get out your pencil! This book, informed by Wooldridge’s expressive arts practice, is one in which we, the readers, are invited to play. You’ll be surprised and delighted by what Poemcrazy will inspire you to write.

By Susan G. Wooldridge,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Poemcrazy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Following the success of several recent inspirational and practical books for would-be writers, Poemcrazy is a perfect guide for everyone who ever wanted to write a poem but was afraid to try. Writing workshop leader Susan Wooldridge shows how to think, use one's senses, and practice exercises that will make poems more likely to happen.


Book cover of Love That Dog

Marge Pellegrino Why did I love this book?

I dare anyone to read Love That Dog and not write a poem. Newbery-Award-winning author Sharon Creech’s novel-in-verse is the story of a reluctant writer Jack, whose teacher exposes the class to a variety of well-known poems by esteemed writers and assigns the students to emulate each style in turn. We follow along in Jack’s poetry journal as he struggles with the assignments. When he finally gets to his true material and writes a poem about what he cares about, what is heavy on his heart, his reluctance vanishes and he discovers that writing can also transform how he feels. Powerful stuff.

By Sharon Creech,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Love That Dog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

The Newbery Medal-winning author of Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech, brings readers a story with enormous heart. 

Love That Dog shows how one boy named Jack finds his voice with the help of a teacher, a pencil, some yellow paper, and of course, a dog. Written as a series of free-verse poems from Jack's point of view, and with classic poetry included in the back matter, this novel is perfect for kids and teachers, too.

Jack hates poetry. Only girls write it and every time he tries to, his brain feels empty. But his teacher, Miss Stretchberry, won't stop giving…


Book cover of If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit

Marge Pellegrino Why did I love this book?

Keep in mind that the first edition of If You Want to Write was published in 1938 by a woman. What a trailblazer! In her long life, Ueland spent time as a journalist, editor, writer, and writing teacher. But don’t be fooled, If You Want to Write can serve as an inspiration for anyone who wants to tap into any creative medium. The attitude that I took from the book and try to follow in my writing practice can be summed up by this Ueland quote, “I learned that you should feel when writing, not like Lord Byron on a mountain top, but like a child stringing beads in kindergarten – happy, absorbed and quietly putting one bead on after another.”

By Brenda Ueland,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked If You Want to Write as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Brenda Ueland was a journalist, editor, freelance writer, and teacher of writing. In If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit she shares her philosophies on writing and life in general. Ueland firmly believed that anyone can write, that everyone is talented, original, and has something important to say. In this book she explains how find that spark that will make you a great writer. Carl Sandburg called this book the best book ever written about how to write. Join the millions of others who've found inspiration and unlocked their own talent.


Book cover of Writing What You Know: How to Turn Personal Experiences Into Publishable Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry

Marge Pellegrino Why did I love this book?

We’ve all got one of those life stories that we end up telling over and over again. Research has confirmed that those stories hold power. Meg Files in Writing What You Know offers us a path to transform those stories from the telling onto the page, and just maybe into the larger world. I credit Files’ workshops for helping me refine work that was later published. While you might notice that she draws on her teaching, conference creating, and publishing experience, she also writes with the voice of a supportive, nurturing friend. She reminds us not to be too self-critical, gives us the questions to get started, and challenges us with many opportunities to be “Jumping into the Abyss.”

By Meg Files,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Writing What You Know as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It's easy for people to write about their feelings in a journal. It's more difficult, however, to convert personal experiences into stories worthy of publication fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. Filled with engaging exercises, Write from Life guides writers in identifying story-worthy material and transforming their raw material into finished pieces, through conquering fears associated with personal exposure, determining a story's focus, shaping the material into a cohesive whole, and editing and revising as needed. Writers working in any form will find this book invaluable for supplying them with the inspiration and practical instruction they need to get their experiences and…


Explore my book 😀

Neon Words: 10 Brilliant Ways to Light Up Your Writing

By Marge Pellegrino, Kay Sather,

Book cover of Neon Words: 10 Brilliant Ways to Light Up Your Writing

What is my book about?

Neon Words is a book that will illuminate the writer in you. By using the tools and activities here, you'll connect the word-organizing part of your brain with your free-ranging imagination—and you'll love what you've captured on the page! It's an exciting, confidence-boosting, and deeply satisfying experience.

Whether you want to be a writer, or just want to explore what it's like to create with language, you'll discover that playing with words can help you be more present in your life. Best of all, it's lots of fun. Who knew writing could be so enlightening?

Book cover of The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
Book cover of Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words
Book cover of Love That Dog

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The Curiosity Cycle: Preparing Your Child for the Ongoing Technological Explosion

By Jonathan Mugan,

Book cover of The Curiosity Cycle: Preparing Your Child for the Ongoing Technological Explosion

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Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Jonathan's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

The Curiosity Cycle is a book for parents and educators who want to teach their children to be active explorers of the world. Learning through curiosity leads to adaptive thinking because your child is continually trying to improve his or her understanding of the world, and new facts and ideas become embedded in the knowledge that your child already has. Curiosity will also enrich your child's life because curiosity-based learning is internally directed and intrinsically motivated.

Our world is rapidly changing, and our children must be able to filter the cacophony of voices in cyberspace to stay true to their…

The Curiosity Cycle: Preparing Your Child for the Ongoing Technological Explosion

By Jonathan Mugan,

What is this book about?

Through curiosity, children carve out concepts from the environment that they assemble into models to describe the world. Children then test those models to see how well they predict what they observe, and they use the results from those experiments to form new concepts and models---leading to the next round of the curiosity cycle. However, our children are more than passive observers. They are an embodied part of the world and have brains that are predisposed to see the environment in particular ways. To get the most from their curiosity, children must build models about the intentions of those around…


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