Birthdays: Hal Borland (1900), George Selden (1929), Maria Irene Fornes (1930), Kathleen Ann Goonan (1952), Robert Greene (1959), Eoin Colfer (1965), Jennifer Niven (1968),

George Selden wrote under the name Terry Andrews and was known for his children’s books like “A Cricket in Times Square”

Eoin (pronounced “Owen”) Colfer is best known for his “Artemis Fowl” books

Quote: “I would tell aspiring writers to observe. They already know it is vital to read and write whenever possible, but often people forget to watch what is going on every day in their surroundings. That is where your ideas come from. Keep one eye on your computer screen and the other on the world around you” – Eoin Colfer

Tip: Less vs. fewer: less is used for singular nouns or amounts (less salt, less water) while “fewer” is used for plurals or comparisons (fewer calories; fewer apples). This chair costs less than that one. He has fewer apples than I do.

Jumpstart: Finish the following: Once, I lost my hat… (use: check, firehouse, burp)