CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Natalie Kinsey-Warnock of Glover, VT. Many of Natalie’s book borrow from her life in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. She describes herself: “I am an athlete, naturalist, artist and writer…I am an outdoorswoman, enjoying hiking astronomy, bird watching, and creating watercolor and pastel paintings of wildflowers, birds, and landscapes. I love animals and have rescued most of my pets…I love history, especially of the Civil War. I am learning to play the bagpipes and fiddle.”

Watch a clip of Natalie’s presentation from CLiF’s Virtual Author’s Series here.

Things to think about:

• Natalie believes that every family has stories too good to be forgotten. How many of your books are true? Do you embellish the stories?
• You write chapter and picture books. How do you decide which format to use for each story?
• What is your favorite historic time period?
• What interests you about historic artifacts?

Here are a few ways to get to know Natalie’s work better:

• Read about Natalie’s work through CLiF in Boscawen, NH
• Find teaching resources for eight of her books: Nora’s Ark, The Fiddler of the Northern Lights, Lumber Camp Library, A Doctor Like Papa, Gifts from the Sea, The Night the Bells Rang, The Canada Goose Quilt, and True Colors
• Learn more about both her picture books and chapter books
• Listen to Natalie’s ideas for staying connected during the pandemic
• VPR interviewed Natalie and students at Lowell and compiled some resources for studying family stories
• Read along – When Spring Comes

CLiF has created literacy activities for students of all ages here. Here are some that would go nicely with Natalie’s work:

For younger kids:

• Alphabet Museum – tell stories while learning letters
• Show and Tell – talk about the story behind an important object

For older kids:

• Change the Story – make an old headline new, or a new headline old
• Letters to Book Characters – describe your life to one of Natalie’s characters, consider the time and location of their story

For families:

• Alphabetical Autobiography – tell your own story in a new way
• Rock and Read – find an old (or comfy) chair and designate it the reading spot; how much time can you spend there?