Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

Bad intentions or are you just clumsy? Fido knows

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Oops Looks like your dog understands you more than you think. The results of a recent study explains why my pup Cowboy quits the game when I fake a throw one too many times. Researchers used a unwilling-unable paradigm to study 96 dogs of various breeds and ages and discovered that dogs may be able to actually understand humans' intentions. This paradigm measures whether an animal is … [Read more...]

I was allowed to read Mad Magazine. I turned out fine.

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Want to Make a Book Irresistible? Ban It. Suppose your middle schooler wants to read Art Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus? Would exposing them to certain truths harm them, or frighten them? Looking at this list of banned books, I realize I've read nearly every one of them as a kid, and I didn't become a deviant, sex fiend, or whatever awful person some of these … [Read more...]

Honoring our Fallen Veterans

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Teaching the meaning of Memorial Day to children To most kids (and to many adults), Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer. We barbecue hamburgers, take a trip to the park, or plant flowers since there’s no longer the threat of frost. To families who have lost loved ones in the service of our country, however, the meaning runs deeper than a cookout. We want our children to … [Read more...]

I, Myself, or Me? How to know which to use

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Myself? A letter to advice columnist Miss Manners begins: “My husband, myself and another couple went out for dinner last summer…” I read the rest of the question but kept bouncing back to that opening sentence. It was so wrong. Myself? MYSELF? Miss Manners wisely didn't correct the writer; she focused on the question at hand. I, however, couldn't let it go. Myself is a special kind of … [Read more...]

Gordy and the Ghost Crab goes to School

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We hit the road! I took Gordy and the Ghost Crab and my newest creation, my felt ghost crab hat, to Weston Elementary School in Imlay City, MI where we meet with three groups of students: the "begindergarten" and kindergarten students, the first graders, and the second graders -- A total of about 400 students in all! Christina Herr, M.Ed., Reading Interventionist at Weston, asked that I gear … [Read more...]