Griffins at the Gate

The first thing I noticed when I reached my BookUP site in Queens last week was that there were two griffins guarding a gate on the other side of the street. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about those griffins, and so now I’m working on my second “City Kids” book (my new chapter book series) tentatively titled The Griffins at the Gate. I meet with my students tomorrow and will see how they feel about a time travel story set in their neighborhood. They’re excited about reading Rick Riordan’s hefty Olympus books so I think we’ll try writing about mythological creatures. We’re also going to make some art tomorrow, so I need to brush off my pencil and make sure I’m up for the challenge. Then I need to spend some time wandering around Jackson Heights. It’s an incredibly beautiful neighborhood but I bet there’s all kinds of magic waiting inside those gated courtyards…