by T. A. Barron | Dec 7, 2022 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes
Heroes All Around Us As all of my readers can attest, young heroes play an important role in my stories – fiction and nonfiction alike. I am often asked why this is — what is my fascination with young heroes — and the answer is quite simple: young heroes play an...
by T. A. Barron | Aug 25, 2022 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes
Dream Chasers: 5 Things Done By People Who Achieve Their Dreams I’ve always loved a good story. Growing up in Colorado, I always dreamed of becoming a writer. To live in a mountain cabin, writing books. I dreamed up stories and poems, sometimes to avoid doing...
by T. A. Barron | Aug 17, 2022 | For Educators, For Young Heroes
Equality in Education: How to Empower Young People I have always been a firm believer in the idea that young people are capable of great things. Since 2000, when I launched the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, I have had the unique honor of seeing firsthand the...
by T. A. Barron | Apr 27, 2021 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes, On Nature & the Environment
Volunteering with Children: 10 Ways to Encourage Kids to Give Back The ability of young people to help change the world for the better has been a source of joy and hope for me for many years. If you’ve ever been a reader of my blog or a follower of my work, you know...
by T. A. Barron | Dec 18, 2020 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes
Making a Difference in the World I believe passionately in the power that young people have to change the narrative of the future, and the most powerful step adults can make towards a better tomorrow is to foster that hope and drive in our young people. Making sure...
by T. A. Barron | Sep 22, 2020 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes, Personal Writing
How Do You Spread Kindness? I believe that kindness is an altogether different entity from being nice. The sad truth is that you can be nice out of politeness while still thinking mean thoughts. However, to truly be kind, you must care about your fellow man (or...
by T. A. Barron | Sep 14, 2020 | Blog, For Educators, For Nature Lovers, For Young Heroes, On Nature & the Environment
Congratulations to 2020’s Barron Prize Winners! Each year, the Barron Prize awards outstanding young people whose personal stories and service work act as an inspiration example of the power we all have to make the world better. 2020 marks the 20th anniversary...
by T. A. Barron | Sep 9, 2020 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes, On Nature & the Environment
What is Your Labor of Love? 8 Simple Ideas To Make the World Better What does it mean to be kind? Is it simply about minding your manners and going through the motions? About doing what’s expected of us, and nothing else? Is kindness merely the absence of...
by T. A. Barron | Jul 27, 2020 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes
Celebrating Everyday Heroes The heroic people around us may not have super powers — at least, not the kind that allows them to read minds or leap tall buildings — but the qualities they possess and the powers they have to do good are very real. Heroes are people who...
by T. A. Barron | Jul 6, 2020 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes, Sweepstakes
Heroes Every Day Looking for Something? Search for: CategoriesCategories Select Category Adventures of Kate (1) Adventures of Kate Excerpts (3) Articles (9) Blog (147) Book Excerpt (22) Books (48)...
by T. A. Barron | May 4, 2020 | Blog, For Educators
Celebrating Educators… Now, More than Ever! Each May during Teacher Appreciation Week, educators across the nation are thanked by students and parents for all the things they do to provide support and guidance within their schools and individual classrooms. And...
by T. A. Barron | May 21, 2019 | Blog, Books, For Educators, Personal Writing
Merlin’s Seven Magical Words: Wonder Wonder, one of Merlin’s Seven Magical Words, is more than just something that we stumble upon from time to time. There is intentionality in Wonder, though it is not something you seek. It calls you to question, to...
by T. A. Barron | Sep 17, 2018 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes, News
Congratulations to the 2018 Barron Prize Winners Since 2001, The Barron Prize has been awarded to more than 100 young people whose projects make a positive difference in the world. This national award is meant to highlight the idea that every single one of us —...
by T. A. Barron | Jul 30, 2018 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes, Free Downloads
Celebrating Summer Sparks! When you think “summer” you likely think of long lazy days… maybe it puts you in mind of holiday beaches, or fun family camping, or perhaps it simply signals it’s time to shed your winter layers and savor the warm...
by T. A. Barron | Apr 15, 2018 | Blog, Books, For Educators, On Reading, Videos
Celebrating American Sign Language Day On April 15th, 1817 students gathered in Hartford, Connecticut for the opening of the very first school for the Deaf in the U.S. It was here, and at other subsequent Deaf schools across our nation, that students intermingled...
by T. A. Barron | Feb 2, 2018 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes
Let’s Double Down on Goodness These are dark times. In our country and our world, we’re surrounded by divisiveness, greed, mean-spiritedness, hatred, cynicism, fear, and rage. So much so, the darkness sometimes threatens to cover us all in shadows. That’s why we...
by T. A. Barron | Sep 28, 2016 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes, News
Inspiring Change Makers Seasons are a revolving gift—continually different from what has gone before and what will come after. They are the ultimate change makers, with varied weather, foods, holidays, flora, fauna, and activities for us all. Plus a special seasonal...
by T. A. Barron | Jun 21, 2016 | Blog, Encouraging Writers, Events, For Educators, News
Kids Find the Magic at Merlin Camp! A very special event for kids aged 9-12 was held in Boulder earlier this month… the inaugural week of Merlin Camp, brand new for 2016! Eleven young wizards joined the camp counselors from Boulder Bookstore and Boulder Public...
by T. A. Barron | Sep 23, 2015 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes
What Does it Mean to be a Hero? Prior to this week’s announcement of the 2015 winners of the Barron Prize, I asked my Facebook fans to share with me their ideas around heroes and heroism. Many of today’s popular movies and television shows focus on...
by T. A. Barron | Feb 6, 2015 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes
How Do I Apply for the Barron Prize? Every day, kids all over the country participate and take the lead in extraordinary service activities to benefit other people or the planet we share. Are you someone between 8-18 who has spearheaded a service effort in your area?...
by T. A. Barron | Sep 15, 2014 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes
Inspiring Youth To Make A Difference:Announcing The 2014 Barron Prize Winners Every person, no matter how young, can contribute to making the world a better place. The mass media gives our kids all sorts of negative, demeaning messages — telling them their...
by T. A. Barron | Sep 11, 2014 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes
Encouraging Kids to Become Heroes: Ideas for Parents and Teachers One of the things that you may already know about me is that I believe that all kids can be heroes; we can do a lot as adults to foster that ethic in young people. For my readers who are parents, I’d...
by T. A. Barron | Jan 27, 2014 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes
We Need Heroes at Any Age We all need heroes. I truly believe this. That’s why I’ve always placed a young hero, a boy or a girl, at the heart of each of my books. Readers can relate to these characters because often, they’re solving similar mysteries in their...
by T. A. Barron | Dec 17, 2013 | Blog, Books, For Educators, For Young Heroes, Videos
More of Merlin’s Most Magical Words: Courage and Knowledge Last week I shared with you the video Merlin’s Guide to a Meaningful Life: The Seven Most Magical Words — and promised that I’d follow up with two of those words. Well, here are the next two videos in...
by T. A. Barron | Sep 27, 2013 | Blog, For Educators, For Young Heroes, News
Announcing Barron Prize Winners for 2013 Nothing is more uplifting than stories about heroic people who have truly made a difference to the world. So I’m thrilled to announce this year’s winners of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes! The prize honors...