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BOOK LOVE: This past week, the school where I teach had a book sale and one of the books on the shelves and my wish list was JULIA GILLIAN (and the Quest for Joy) by Alison McGhee.
You know that wonderful feeling when you find a great book and you can’t wait to share it with someone else you know will love it, too? That’s exactly what I felt this weekend: JULIA GILLIAN book love.
I enjoyed every minute of the reading and I know there will soon be more JULIA GILLIAN fans in my classroom.
There are two more books in the series to keep the book love going : JULIA GILLIAN (and the Art of Knowing) and JULIA GILLIAN (and the Dream of the Dog).
POETRY LOVE: Last spring I was able to take a poetry workshop with amazing poet and teacher, Rebecca Kai Dotlich. I’ve long been a fan of Rebecca’s work, but I just discovered Kathi Appelt‘s recent interview with Rebecca about writing, poetry, picture books, and more. Rebecca shares a great poetry writing tip for teachers and Kathi and she talk a bit about BELLA AND BEAN, a beautiful picture about poetry and friendship.
I wrote a brief entry about BELLA AND BEAN earlier this year on ReaderKidZ. Check it out HERE.
Enjoy Kathi Appelt’s video interview : (Don’t you just *love* the background music, “Adieu False Heart”? I sure do!)
I just bought and read Julia Gillian (and the Quest for Joy) a few weeks ago! It is a great story, rich with details that make the characters memorable (and make it really seem like the author loves them). It inspired me to add more loving detail to my own characters.
Stephanie – I adored the book, too. You’re right about all those character details. There were unique and specific and made each character all the more real. I hadn’t thought about how those details show how much Alison McGhee cares for her characters, but yes, I agree. That love for her characters does come through. And I loved them, too, as a result.
I did make note that this is a book for me to study in depth when I get a chance. It’s not the kind of book I ever imagined myself writing, but it’s the kind I would LOVE to write. The book left me with a big smile on my face. I enjoyed the relationships and how the story lines met at the end.