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*Picture book for preschoolers through third graders, realistic fiction (based on a true story)
*A nice tugboat driver and the garbage barge as main characters
*Rating: Here Comes the Garbage Barge! is a great book to share with students during any recycling lesson–they’ll laugh but get the point!
Short, short summary:
Jonah Winter has written a picture book based on a true story about the Garbage Barge (1987) that traveled up and down the east coast–trying to find a place to land and dump almost 3200 tons of garbage. Basically, Long Island’s landfills were full and polluting the groundwater. So, some businessmen decided that they should ship the garbage to farmers in the south and pay them to bury it on their land. Burning garbage was expensive, so a city called Islip (near New York City) decided to take the businessmen up on their offer and put their trash on the barge to ship south. In the picture book, with wonderful illustrations by Red Nose Studio, a little tugboat named
Break of Dawn driven by Cap’m Duffy St. Pierre, set out to pull the garbage barge from Islip to North Carolina. But when the captain and his smelly barge got to North Carolina, he was turned away–the same thing happened in New Orleans, Mexico, Belize, Florida, Texas, and so on. Finally, with a REALLY smelly barge behind him, Cap’m St. Pierre had to take the garbage back to Long Island. The courts got involved, and finally, the garbage was taken off his hands. But as the author points out, the moral of the story is: “Don’t make so much garbage.” He also tells us that Islip now has a recycling program.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Many teachers and parents will read Here Comes the Garbage Barge! in connection with Earth Day or even at the beginning of the school year to talk about the importance of recycling and being good to the environment. This book can also be used with a science lesson on “green” living. It has a lot of practical applications to today’s science curriculum and could start a great class or home school discussion as well as classroom or home recycling program.
2. This is a great book to discuss problem solving! Poor Cap’m St. Pierre has a huge problem–how to get rid of the garbage. Long Island and Islip have a huge problem, too–too much garbage. Ask students to use their problem solving and brainstorming skills to come up with solutions to the problem BEFORE you read them the end of the story. When looking at students’ solutions, evaluate each one to see if it is a good solution or not through class discussion. Even though this happened in 1987, students today might have a better idea of what SHOULD have happened to all that garbage.
3. You could use this book to help you teach the six plus one traits of writing. It is a great book for organization–the beginning grabs the readers’ attention with all the garbage and then it is organized by the barge’s trip down the river–trying to stop at different states–before the story and the barge circle back to the beginning–to right where they started–garbage in Long Island. The circle format is one form of organization that many authors and essayists use.
I never planned to write Rosa, Sola. And I never would have if I hadn't gone to graduate school.
You see,
Rosa, Sola is based on events from my life that I never expected to share in a published story. I originally enrolled in the Vermont College MFA program to complete a YA novel based on something from
someone else's life--a story my sister, a medical intensive care nurse at the time, had told me. But not long into the program, I realized that I didn’t yet have all the writing skills I needed to make that particular story work.
"Plan B" was a middle grade novel about a 12-year-old boy whose best friend moves away. When my advisor, Marion Dane Bauer, critiqued the opening chapters of that novel, she said it lacked “emotional core.” I was devastated. I knew what my character was feeling, but apparently those feelings weren’t coming across on the page. Marion suggested a writing assignment: she asked me to write a short story about an event from my childhood that still aroused emotion in me. It could be any emotion, so long as it was something I could still feel in my gut. I chose to write about fear—the fear I’d experienced at age ten, after my mother nearly died in childbirth.
Me, in fourth grade
That short story, “Rosa’s Prayer,” was about losing and regaining faith. It focused on only a few weeks in the life of Rosa Bernardi, an Italian-American girl growing up as an only child in 1960s Chicago. (There are many parallels between Rosa's life and mine, but I am not an only child. See the photo of me with my siblings on
my website.) At the beginning of the story, Rosa's mother is in the hospital. Like my own mother, Rosa's mother nearly bled to death due to complications from delivering a stillborn baby. Ten-year-old Rosa had prayed fervently for that baby. As "Rosa's Prayer" opens, Rosa is angry at God for letting her baby brother die, and she refuses to pray. The pivotal scene occurs the day Ma comes home. She is still so weak that she can barely walk. The sight of Ma frightens Rosa--she fears her mother will die. Rosa's only recourse is prayer. The story ends with Rosa on her knees, praying for her mother.
The scene of Ma's return from the hospital is very much like what actually happened to me. However, when I sat down to write the story, I found I couldn't remember many of the details. For example, I couldn't recall what happened either right before my mother's arrival, or right after. So I made up scenes and dialogue to create a story arc. After revising the story several times, I submitted it for critique at the next residency workshop. My workshop group provided terrific feedback for improving the story. They also encouraged me to expand “Rosa’s Prayer” into a novel--they wanted to know what happened to the fictional family I had created. Did they ever recover from their loss? How were their relationships affected by it? Would Rosa always be an only child--<
I tell my school audiences, Kindergarten through high school: our writer’s job is to notice the world. We use our five senses to:
see,
hear,
taste,
touch,
smell.
Raised antennae are the name of the game, to use anywhere, everywhere 24/7.
A (long) while back, at a McDonald’s Restaurant in Skokie, Illinois, I observed my then ten-year old son playing the restaurant chain’s first-ever Monopoly game.
I watched him place his latest earned game piece on our family’s close-to-full Monopoly game sheet.
And I heard him say,
“When we win the $10,000 I think we’ll all go to Hawaii!”
He spoke with such certainty, I could taste and smell the coconuts.
His zeal so buoyed me, I swerved to duck the waves.
A boy and a contest!
And not just any boy. A boy who went from A to Z with no stops in-between.
And that is how Howie Fingerhut came to be.
As for the story itself,
I immediately bought a marbled school composition notebook, the black-and-white kind, to hold my first scribbled thoughts.
I brainstormed for days, then weeks, then months.
I free-associated, webbed, clustered, supposed, wondered, asked “What if?”
The six Questions Words – WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW and WHY - became my very best friends.
WHO might that boy be?
WHAT might be the Contest?
WHERE and WHEN might the story take place?
The HOW – i.e. the plotline? Well, that would come later.
The WHY behind the WHAT?
Hmmm………..
My WHO would need to tell me.
As for the story’s telling,
whoever my WHO was, I knew HE would do the telling, in a marbled composition book, like the one in which I wrote.
I always had my story’s opening line.
“Hi. My name’s Howard J. Fingerhut but everyone calls me Howie. I’m the author of the book you are reading.”
Thirteen years and many revisions later, each one guided by an interested editor or agent, Holiday House bought my middle grade novel,
The Confe$$ions and $ecret$ of Howard J. Fingerhut.At our first meeting, my editor Mary Cash complimented me on Howie’s voice. Then she requested I move the novel’s time period to the 21st century.
She also requested I drop Howie from fifth to fourth grade.
“Next,” I told her, “you’ll be asking for a plotline!”
5 Comments on So, What's the Big Idea?, last added: 1/21/2010
My four-year-old daughter woke up yesterday morning and announced, with terrific enthusiasm, that she wanted to "write a book for Dr. (Martin Luther) King." After much concern about how to make "the outside part of the book" and time spent on selection of workspace, paper, and appropriate markers, she sat down to work, turned to me, and said, "Now what should I write?"
Our next topic is the first of the "Six Traits of Writing." Of course it all begins with the IDEA.
It occurs to me that my daughter's writing process is much like mine -- and many of my students' -- and probably at least some of yours. I get an idea. I get excited. I sit down to write. I discover I have no clue where I'm going. And that, alas, may be the end of that.
In my exit conferences with students at the end of the semester, they tell me almost universally that they feel that topic selection is the most important part of the writing process. When I give assignments, I always tell them that I want to "feel their passion" (in a PG sense, of course). If they don't have so much to begin with -- which is often the case, let's face it, when dealing with an assigned essay -- I think one of my most important jobs is to help them do so.
Often students are able to identify a general idea about which to write ("world hunger"), but when it comes to distilling their paper into a thesis or, as we say in fiction, that one-sentence pitch -- homing in on exactly what they want to say is often the most difficult part. I have frequently been asked where I get my ideas. A better question might be how to decide whether an "idea" is worth writing about.
I have at least five unpublished novels in a drawer, to say nothing of the unfinished ones. Mind Games is (so far) my notable exception. What makes it different is, I'm quite sure, something that happened before I ever put a word to paper. I chose a topic that mattered not only to me but would also, theoretically, be of interest to parents, teachers, kids, and/or editors (not necessarily in that order).
The first series books I read as a kid were
The Bobbsey Twins. Thanks to Bert and Nan (Freddie and Flossie, not so much), I spent most of my childhood wishing I were a twin. Another book that had a big impact was
And This is Laura, by Ellen Conford. I was certain I had a latent case of ESP. After all, there was that time I dreamed a gerbil lost its tail in my hand (eew), and this very same disgusting circumstance happened in real-life the next day. So in eighth grade, when it came time to pick a topic for the science fair, I chose ESP. I read about the
Minnesota Twin Study (fascinating!). I was even able to use identical twins as subjects. I did not conclusively prove anything -- but of course it is impossible to DISPROVE that something like ESP exists.
My grandmother used to dream of her old house at 305 Broomall Street in Chester, and the next morning she would tell my mom to play that number in the Pick-3 lottery. And more often than not, she w
Congratulations to our New Year Resolution Contest Winner:
Irene Latham
Irene's 6-word resolution was:
Celebrate. Create. Inspire. Plot. Enjoy. Finish.
From reading
Irene's blog, I see she has much to celebrate this year. Her first children's novel,
Leaving Gee's Bend, has just been released by G.P.Putnam. Hurray for you, Irene!
And a big thank you to everyone who posted a resolution. I hope we
ALL succeed in following through on them.
Our next contest will be especially for Teachers and Homeschoolers. (If you're not a teacher or homeschooler, please spread the word to someone you know who is.) We'd like you to answer the following question:
What is one of the biggest challenges, problems, or questions you have when teaching writing to students in grades 1-12?If we can, we'd like to suggest solutions to some of those problems on this blog later in the year.
The contest will run in conjunction with a new series of posts on the topic of
IDEAS, the first of the
Six Traits of Writing. (If you aren't familiar with the Six-Traits approach, you can read more about it
here.) As part of our discussion of
IDEAS, each
TeachingAuthor will talk about the idea that inspired one of her published books. Our contest winner will then be given his or her choice of one of those six books as a prize.
So here are the contest details:
- To enter, you must be a teacher or homeschooler of students in grades 1-12.
- You must post a comment answering the following question: What is one of the biggest challenges, problems, or questions you have when teaching writing to your students?
- You must specify the grade level of your students and whether you teach in a school or at home.
- You must provide your email address or a link to your own blog so that we can contact you. (U.S. residents only, please.)
- Entries must be posted by 11 p.m. Friday, January 29, 2010 (Central Standard Time).
- The winner will be announced on Monday, February 1, 2010.
A detailed explanation of our general giveaway guidelines are posted
here.
If you have any questions about the contest, you can post them as a comment. Good luck!
Carmela
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One of my favorite lessons plans for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day I found when I was a writing specialist at Fairmount Elementary School. This lesson teaches children about Martin Luther King, Jr. AND teaches them about that elusive 6 plus one writing trait: voice. Plus, it’s super easy!
You need two books about Martin Luther King, Jr. One should be My Brother Martin, and the other one can be any fact book that you have for kids about Martin Luther King, Jr. Here’s the example:
First read the fact book to your students or your children. Ask them to remember one or two facts they can tell you when you finish reading. Discuss the book. Ask children to rate the book on a scale of 1 to 10. Next read My Brother Martin for this lesson plan for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and ask students to remember one or two facts that they learn in the book. Discuss the book and ask them to rate it.
Next ask students if they want to rate the first book again, and they will want to rate it lower. THEY SHOULD love the book My Brother Martin for the voice and personal glimpse of his life you get from his sister. (Although you’ll always have one or two children that don’t like it better because it’s too long! 
) Talk to children about how the voice makes a huge difference in the enjoyment of the book. Whose voice is narrating, My Brother Martin? His sister’s! Whose voice is narrating the nonfiction fact book? An author who did research.
See where I’m going here. . .
You can also use this lesson as an introduction to personal narratives. I love lessons that (1) share books (2) cover more than one topic at a time (3) get kids thinking!
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*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*Young (and tiny) boy as the main character
*Rating: You might be more familiar with Laurie Halse Anderson’s novels, but this picture book is funny with a terrific voice! A modern-day take on the old-David-and-Goliath theme.
Short, short summary: The Antonellis of Third Street are BIG. Their friends are BIG too. Well, everyone except Little Benny, the tiny Antonelli. The big Antonelli kids like to play WITH Benny, which means they stuff him into snowballs, tape him to toy airplanes, and let the dogs walk him. As you can imagine, Little Benny is very unhappy and tired of being tiny. The way he finds some peace and quiet is to climb up high on top of street signs, fire escapes, and telephone poles. He can climb fast and high. So, the day of the annual Third Street block party, one of the activities is to climb a greased pole and grab a big hunk of cheese. All the big Antonellis and their big “friends” try it. But who do you think can do it?
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Who hasn’t felt like little Benny sometime in their life? Some of the students in your class may be the youngest sibling. Others may be tired of being told, “You can do it when you’re older.” This book is perfect for talking with students about self-esteem and their self-image. Point out that maybe Little Benny is small, but he is the best climber. Give your students some drawing paper and ask them to illustrate a picture of themselves and one activity they are really good at. Older students can write some sentences to go with their illustrations.
2. If you are teaching the 6 plus 1 traits of writing, this is an excellent book to use for voice. The Big Cheese of Third Street has a unique voice. Read the book out loud to students a few times. Talk about Laurie Halse Anderson’s word choice, and the way she sometimes speaks to the reader. You can use this book with older grades as an example of good voice, too.
3. Can students use their prediction skills and predict what’s going to happen when they see the big greased pole in the first scene of the block party? The author tells the reader that everything changed on Third Street after the block party. What do they think is going to happen and why? What evidence is there in the book to support their opinions?
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Journal writing prompts are sometimes hard to come up with. So when I saw this contest sponsored by Target and Twitttermoms, I thought this could also be a journal writing prompt for just about any age student or child (or even adult!).
The contest goes like this. I must answer the question: “What Was the Most Surprising Gift I Ever Received?” and then do a couple other things like link to Twittermoms and Target and tweet about it and so on! I thought it sounded fun, and I immediately thought of this story about the most surprising gift I ever received!
When I first started dating my husband, who I met on Match.com, we went to see the movie Love Actually. That was our first “real” date, just the two of us, and I was very excited that he would take me to see this awesome chic flick. Right around Christmas time, our relationship was sailing along, and we were in the mall shopping. In a music store, I said, “Oh look, here’s the sound track for Love Actually. Remember when we went to see that?”
He pretended he didn’t. As a matter of fact, he acted like he had no idea what I was talking about and finally admitted, “Oh that movie. Yeah, it was all right.” I wanted to strangle him. When we got back to his apartment, he told me to shut my eyes, and he would be right back. So, I did, still fuming a little about his lack or memory.
When he came back, he put a wrapped gift in my hand, and I opened it. What was it? Well, to my surprise, it was the soundtrack CD to Love Actually with the ticket stub from when we went to see it tucked inside the case. I guess he did remember after all! And I remember that was the first time I told him that I loved him. Sappy, huh?
Okay, so if you use this journal writing prompt this holiday season, you probably and hopefully won’t get such a sappy response, but you might get some heartfelt journal entries from your students or your children. Sure, you’ll get the answer that their Wii was the best gift and biggest surprise from a few, but some answers might just surprise you. If you answer this question for yourself, you might just surprise yourself at your memories; and maybe the holiday rush will slow down for a few minutes as we reflect on some of the wonderful ways people in our lives have shown their love around the holiday season.
Other Journal Writing Prompts for the holidays:
1. What is your favorite tradition around the holidays? Who do you do this with?
2. Giving gifts is better than receiving gifts because. . .
3. If I could give a gift to anyone in the world it would be. . . because. . .
4. What are your plans and goals for the New Year?
5. When Joshua woke up Monday morning, he looked out his window, and it had snowed. WOW! It had really snowed, so he decided. . .
Here’s a book all ages can enjoy that can help you think of gift giving in a less consumerism-way:
Have fun!
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It seems on Wacky Wednesdays that I am on a bit of a poetry kick. Last week, I discussed acrostic poems and how they can be useful tools in the classroom for creative writing skills and assessing subject matter knowledge. This week, I have found this wonderful book at my public library, and I just have to share it and some lesson ideas for poetry with you. Teaching poetry to kids is not always easy. When we find tools, we must share them!
Falling Down the Page is a new book of list poems, edited by Georgia Heard. In her introduction, Ms. Heard shares with the reader that she has compiled a book of list poems, and “the list or catalog poem is one of the oldest and most accessible of poetic forms.” She mentions a famous list poem most of us adults know–”Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman. She also discusses how these poems connect to one another and how list poems can take on many forms; so when teaching poetry to kids, these are important concepts to point out. Georgia Heard also suggests some lesson plans for poems: “After you read a few of these poems, I bet you’ll feel inspired to write one of your own. Think about your day. Jot down what you notice. And let your (list of) words fall down the page.”
Students will love these list poems that you read while teaching poetry to kids. Take for example the very first poem in the book, “Good-byes” by Eileen Spinelli. In her poem, she is discussing how hard it is to say good-bye to summer, and her list in her poem includes, “castles rising from the sand,” “Annie’s caramel popcorn stand,” and “matinees and indoor games.” OR How about Rebecca Kai Dotlich’s list poem, “On the Menu For School Today”?
-an excerpt
“Label planets
in our sky.
Learn how numbers
multiply.
Count coins.
String beads.
Shake bells.
Plant seeds.”
Once you share this book with students during your lesson plans for poems, then allow them to write some of their own list poems as Georgia Heard suggests. They could start with an actual list or a word web to brainstorm ideas, and then put these ideas into poetry form. One thing you will want to do when teaching poetry to kids is point out how these list poems are not simply a list, such as a grocery list, but the poets have chosen their words carefully and put their ideas in a poetic form–there is a reason for each word being where it is. Of course, students will not perfect this in a day or two, but it will be fun trying!
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*Picture book for preschoolers through third graders, contemporary
*Young boy as main character
*Rating: Looking Like Me is a rhythmic self-esteem-builder journey for young children by father/son duo Walter Dean and Christopher Myers.
Short, short summary: Looking Like Me is basically a list of all the things that a boy/girl can be. For example, in the beginning of the book, Jeremy says: “I looked in the mirror and what did I see? A real handsome dude looking just like me. He put out his fist. I gave it a bam!” Then along comes, Jeremy’s sister and tells him he is a little brother. She puts out her fist and he says, “I gave it a bam! Jeremy and brother, That’s who I am.” Thus the book continues as Jeremy takes the reader through every title that makes up who he is from son to writer to runner. And of course, each time, he gives the person a BAM! Looking Like Me by Walter Dean Myers is a book to read aloud to children over and over again.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. This is one of those books that would be a great activity for the beginning of the school year. Students could write at the top of a piece of paper, “I AM. . .” Then they could make a list of all the “titles” or “people” they are from family relationships to interests to everyday titles such as student or neighbor. You could also cut some letters out of magazines and build the words underneath the I AM with magazine letters instead of written letters to make the list more in the style of Christopher Myers’s illustrations.
2. Speaking of illustrations, the pictures in Looking Like Me are something to study. Each page has a photograph (at least one) under a multi-colored boy. Once you have read the book out loud to children, go back and study the pictures with them. Maybe even make a list of the photos and the words to see if there is any pattern. For example, on the page about being a runner, there’s a picture of an upside-down ketchup bottle and then a drawn illustration of a boy running. Students can even make their own illustrations in Christopher Myers’s style to go with their I AM lists.
3. Looking Like Me is an example of good word choice (one of the 6 traits of writing.) Discuss the specific words that jump out at students and why those are the perfect words to use in this story. Ask students if they think Walter Dean Myers just sat down and got these exact perfect words onto paper the first time he wrote the story. Did he have to play around with the word choice? Why does it make a better book?
Anybody who wants to share an I AM list here. . .feel free!
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*Picture book for preschoolers through third graders, contemporary fiction
*Elementary-school-aged boy as main character
*You will want to be-bop with Doo-Wop Pop over and over again!
Short, short summary: Doo-Wop Pop by Roni Schotter tells the story of Elijah Earl, who is a shy kid who keeps to himself. He knows there are a few other shy kids in the school like Alishah and Jacob. He likes the janitor, Doo-Wop Pop, who used to sing a cappella be-pop music on stage when he was younger. Doo-Wop Pop notices Elijah and the four other quiet students at the school. One day, he gathers them all after school and teaches them some be-bop moves and talks to them about finding their song. They begin to notice the beats and rhythms around them; and before long, these five friends are performing! A rhythmic tale about self-esteem, friendship, music, and art illustrated beautifully by Caldecott Honor-winning Bryan Collier.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Read it aloud, read it aloud, read it aloud! This picture book was written for the spoken word. Your students or your children will love to be-pop with you while this book sings to them. This book is a perfect choice when wanting to show children a good example of word choice and finding the perfect words to convey a book’s message and tone!
2. Shy students unite! That’s one of the themes of this book, but it’s also about having confidence in yourself and making friends. Ask students to choose a character in the book that they most relate to. Do they ever feel like Elijah? What about Doo-Wop Pop? Students who can write should journal about the character they are most like. Students who are still at the drawing stage can draw an illustration about themselves being like one of the characters.
3. Doo-Wop Pop is the perfect picture book to use in a music class or to introduce your students to this type of music. You can also talk to students about singing a cappella since that is also mentioned in the story.
Have you read Doo-Wop Pop by Roni Schotter?
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First, I’d like to announce the winner of the book: Coolhead Luke and Other Stories. It is Kim W.! Congratulations, Kim, I hope you enjoy the book and all the silly poems/illustrations with your children. Now to today’s post. . .
On Friday the 13th, it’s only natural to write about a book that contains a monster-eating frog, goblin, troll, and ogre.
*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*A very-hungry, special frog and his owner Mrs. Collywobbles as main characters
*Rating: I absolutely love fun and silly picture books with a twist. So, believe me, Beware of Frog by William Bee will not disappoint!
Short, short summary: Mrs. Collywobbles lives near a big, dark, scary wood. Thank goodness she has her pet frog to protect her from a goblin, troll, and ogre. Although, do these scary monsters pay any attention to the “Beware of Frog” sign on Mrs. Collywobbles’ gate? Of course not! Should they pay attention to the sign? YES! Once the monsters are taken care of, Mrs. Collywobbles and her pet frog sit down to some tea, and then the real fun begins!
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Adjectives are everywhere in this book; so if you are talking about adjectives with your children or teaching them to your students, this is a great book to use. You could also use this book with a word choice lesson if you are teaching the six traits of writing.
2. This is a FUN, FUN, FUN read-aloud book for teachers to their classes or parents to their children. Have fun with the different monsters’ voices and rhymes. Children can do the “gobbles” with the frog!
3. Do children know the story of The Frog Prince? Compare and contrast what happens at the end of Beware of the Frog with The Frog Prince or The Princess and the Frog. Comparing and contrasting with a Venn Diagram is always an easy shared writing activity.
Have you read Beware of the Frog? Share your feelings and experiences here!
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Yesterday, I shared with you a really cool book called On the Edge with Coolhead Luke. I also shared with you two of the silly poems and illustrations in the book and compared it to Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky’s work. To see this post and read about the book by the mother/son duo, you can click here.
Don’t forget to leave a comment or question on today’s post or yesterday’s for a chance to win this book. Comments need to be left by Friday, November 13 at 4:00 p.m. CST to be considered in the drawing. Now, on with the interview. . .
Margo: Welcome to Read These Books and Use Them. I’ve head a lot of positive comments about your poems and your artwork from yesterday’s post. Everyone loves the snake poem! So, where did you first get the idea to publish a poetry book with text by Jen and illustrations by Colin?
Jen: Ever since Colin was a toddler, he’s drawn faces. When he was ten, I took a look at one of his piles of drawings and picked up a particular image. It was a city bus filled with eccentric passengers. As I looked at it, I wondered what he was thinking as he drew it. At that moment, a couple of rhyming lines popped into my head…and then a verse. It suddenly occurred to me that I could choose a group of Colin’s best drawings and write poems to accompany them, and that maybe we could publish the collection as a book!
Colin: She kept it a secret at first, then she showed the poems to me and my sister, Devon. We really laughed.
Jen: That’s when I knew I had something.
Margo: So, true, if you can get your own children to laugh at your poetry, then others definitely will! How long did it take you to write, illustrate, and publish your first book, Coolhead Luke and Other Stories?
Colin: My mom used illustrations that I drew when I was 8-10 years old for the first book.
Jen: Yes, I used illustrations he’d already done. It took about 2 months of focused work for me to write the accompanying poems, and then another month for tweaks and edits. After we finished our manuscript, the publishing process took over a year.
Margo: First of all, Colin, let me say what a talented artist you were between the ages of 8 and 10. You are even more talented now. And, Jen, how cool to write the poems to go with the illustrations instead of the other way around. That’s an amazing process! How is the second book, On The Edge with Coolhead Luke, similar to and different than the first book?
Jen: Colin is a few years older now, and his images have developed to represent the themes that are common in middle school.
Colin: Also, for the second book, my mom wrote some of the poems first, and I had to draw the illustrations to go along with them.
Jen: Both books are similar in that they present funny poems and drawings for kids aged 8-12. Both also have a glossary of poetic terminology and a teacher’s guide in the back pages.
Margo: I love that you are writing funny poems and that you are including teaching material in the back of the book. That is my cup of tea! Your book reminds me a bit of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. What children’s poets do you like? What artists/illustrators do you like?
Jen: Thank you; that is an enormous compliment. As a child, I was a big fan of Dr. Seuss. I feel his influence in many of my verses.
Colin: I love surrealists like Salvador Dali and MC Escher. I also like the work of Matt Groening.
Margo: For those of you who don’t know, Matt Groening is the creator of The Simpsons. I can see a little of his work in yours, Colin, but you are also very original. Jen–who doesn’t like Dr. Seuss? How can parents and teachers use your experience with your son, Jen, in their own homes or classrooms—even if they don’t want to illustrate a book?
Jen: The grading structure in our education system rewards excellence across the board, but most kids are not equally good at all skills and subject areas. Every child has uniquely different aptitudes and abilities, and it’s important to celebrate their individual strengths. Whatever you see to be a passion in your child–that is what you can help him develop. Working in collaboration with Colin has been a wonderful parenting experience for me and a great esteem builder for my son.
Margo: Jen, I agree with you one hundred percent and often say the same type of things on this blog. That’s one of the many reasons I wanted to invite you and Colin on here! This is a wonderful Wacky Wednesday idea for classrooms, home schoolers, and parents. We can all learn to work on any projects that celebrate the passions of our children or students. Colin, if kids are interested in illustrating, what are a few tips you can give them for improving their skills?
Colin: I went to a lot of art camps and workshops. Just keep drawing and trying new things!
Margo: Yep, art is just like anything–writing, basketball, or playing the piano. You have to practice! How can people buy your books?
Jen: Both titles are available at Amazon.com:
Margo: Great, thanks. If anyone is interested in purchasing either of these books, you will have to buy them through Amazon, or you can contact Jennifer through her website to get an autographed copy. How can people get in touch with you/let you know they like your books?
Colin: We have a website at http://www.coolheadluke.com . There are some fun things to do there for kids.
Jen: Or email us! jenwhite (at) charter.net
Margo: Thank you, Jen and Colin, for answering our questions and sharing your creative process with us. I wish you the best success and look forward to a book 3! In the meantime, readers, don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Coolhead Luke poetry book!
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photo by mandj98 www.flickr.com
*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*Rating: Red Sings from Treetops is a beautiful picture book that explores the seasons and the colors in them.
Short, short summary: If you are looking for a new book to teach colors or seasons, then Red Sings from Treetops might be just what you are looking for. Joyce Sidman, an award-winning poet, starts with spring and the color red in spring–from the buds and cardinals to the red worms after rain. She goes onto summer where “white clinks in drinks” and “yellow melts everything it touches.” Fall comes next, of course, and this time, “yellow grows wheels” because the bus is taking the children to school. And finally, the picture book ends in winter and with red and the cardinals again. It is a circle story.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. You can ask students to focus only on the colors when you read this book if that is the objective that you are teaching. You can even assign a certain color to certain children, and ask them to be able to tell you objects from the book that are that color when you are finished reading. The fun thing about this book is that sometimes Joyce Sidman does not just come out and tell you what objects she is talking about. For example, the first page of summer says, “White clinks in drinks.” She is talking about ice, but students would have to use the illustrations and their listening skills to figure that out. You can do a shared writing when you are finished reading. Students can tell you things in the book that are red or blue or so on, and then you can add items from your room to the color lists also.
2. Children who are learning the seasons will also benefit from this book. You can ask students to draw pictures of their favorite season and write a sentence about it. They can base their illustrations on the illustrations by Pamela Zagarenski, which are lovely and full of color!
3. One of the 6 traits of writing is word choice. This book is an excellent study in word choice. Joyce Sidman is a master at language and the text sings to the readers. Ask students to pick out some of their favorite phrases and sentences, and discuss why they like these word choices.
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Thank you for stopping by “Read These Books and Use Them” today. Author Ann Whitford Paul is with us today on her blog tour, and we have a real treat for you!
**LEAVE A COMMENT below by Tuesday, June 30, 8:00 p.m. CST, for a chance to win either Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication or Word Builder, a picture book about words. Two winners will be drawn randomly. Winner number one will get the first pick of the book he or she wants.
An interview with Ann Whitford Paul, author of Writing Picture Books and Word Builder:
Margo: Hi Ann, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by my blog today and share your knowledge with us. What made you want to write Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication?
Ann: I was fortunate enough to be advised, tutored, and taught by two fantastic teachers who encouraged and prodded me to keep working. Without Myra Cohn Livingston and Sue Alexander, I might still be unpublished. When I finally had a few books published, I knew I wanted to pay back those talented and giving women by doing what they did–mentoring and teaching others. So I started teaching at UCLA Extension. One of my students, Molli Nickell, first brought up the idea of writing a book [about writing picture books], but I was terrified. My manuscripts were only 350 words long. Could I really write a book for adults that in the end turned out to be 350 manuscript pages? I put it off and put it off for several years until finally I willed myself to begin. Breaking the project into chapters made it much easier. I thought of each chapter as a picture book, and then I was able to proceed. Also I discovered that much of the material for my book already lived in my computer. Handouts and class lectures were adapted and revised to fit into the book. Isn’t it amazing how a project that seems so overwhelming can turn out not to be so once we begin?
Margo: That is so true; and we all know it when we are busy procrastinating instead of writing, but we do it anyway. (laughs) Your book offers chapters on all sorts of topics for picture book writers from early story decisions to the structure of your story to what to do when your story is finally done! Out of all of the advice and tips in the book, what are the two things writers can start doing today to improve their picture book manuscripts?
Ann: Yipes! Just two? I think my first suggestion would be to pay close attention to the language of your story. Picture books are meant to be read out loud. Therefore the words have to be able to flow off the tongue of the adult reader. They have to be written in such a manner that even an untrained actor can read them with expression. In addition, they must echo the action in the story. In my book, I spend several chapters talking about the sounds and rhythms of words and sentences. Quiet scenes need quieter words and leisurely sentences. High action scenes need hard words and short tight sentences. Work hard on the language of your story, and you’ll be one step ahead of most picture book writers.
The second suggestion would be to fill your story with action. Action can be illustrated. Think of your picture book as a slide show with each page or spread giving the illustrator an opportunity for a new picture. Following up on this, I encourage every picture book writer to make a dummy of her book . . . a dummy is 32 pages (the usual length of a picture book) with your words pasted on each page where you think they would fall. This dummy is not to send to the publisher, but [it] is yours to make sure that you have good picture variety, strong page turns, and both tight openings and endings. I wouldn’t submit a manuscript without making a dummy.
But my most important advice (I guess this is cheating because it’s number three) to any writer, whether picture books or adult novels, is not to try to imitate other writers. Dr. Seuss and J. K. Rowling are unique. Their books succeed because they were the first. Follow the stories that grab you, and have faith that your experiences and outlook will make your books unique and therefore maybe even best sellers.
Margo: I’m glad you cheated and included three tips because all three are equally important. Let’s switch now and talk about your picture book that you have out called Word Builder. How can teachers use Word Builder in their classrooms? Would it be appropriate for all elementary grades?
Ann: My friend Sandy Sandy Schuckett, a retired librarian, made up a worksheet for teachers to use in the classroom. I’m attaching it here [see the file link below for the worksheet], and it will be available when I update my website, www.annwhitfordpaul.com, soon.
Many schools have units where students write books, and I would imagine that WORD BUILDER might take some of the fear of writing away from girls and boys. After all, writing is simply building words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs. It’s as natural as piling blocks into a tower or walking forward along a line. One block and one step at a time. That’s how you get a story down. And once the story is down, then comes my favorite part—revision. I agree with Katherine Patterson when she said, “I love revisions. Where else in life can spilled milk be transformed into ice cream?” The hardest part of writing is the first draft, then comes the fun part—making a story the best it can be.
Margo: Ann, such words of wisdom from you and Katherine Patterson. Teachers, make sure you download this two page resource for use with the book, Word Builder. It is excellent! worksheetwordbuilder.doc
**Don’t forget to leave a comment or question for Ann for a chance to win one of her fantastic books!
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Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, [email protected]
photo by Sarah Kennon www.flickr.com
*Picture book for prekindergartners through third graders, fantasy
*Two creatures–the Once-ler and the Lorax–as main characters
*Rating: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss is a wonderful book to teach students about the effects of pollution and industrialization.
Short, short summary: A young boy visits the Once-ler and hears the story of the Lorax and the Truffula trees straight from the creature who destroyed their home. The Once-ler cut down Truffula trees to manufacture his thneeds, which he sold for $3.98. He got a little greedy and built a factory to produce more and more thneeds. During this time, all sorts of lovely Dr. Seuss creatures left the area due to pollution and lack of food. The Lorax warned the Once-ler over and over again about what he was doing to the environment, but he wouldn’t listen. Finally, the last Truffula tree was cut down. What did the Once-ler and the Lorax do then?
So, what do I do with this book?
1. For a fun activity about creating ads for thneeds, see my Bright Hub article: “Creating Ads for Thneeds from The Lorax.”
2. For a 6 + 1 Traits of Writing activity, see my Bright Hub article: “Lesson Plan: Teaching Word Choice with The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.”
3. For an elementary art lesson, see my Bright Hub article: “Using Recyclable Materials for an Elementary Art Lesson.”
Beautiful post, Marti!
I am very interested in reading this book for various personal reasons of my own. Thank you for sharing your emotional, but touching story with us.
Carmela,
This is a very moving post. I am looking forward to reading your book.
Dee:-)
Thanks for sharing this story about your story. It comforts and validates the intensity of what we can go through as we try to get our stories out of our heads and onto paper, and the ability we must have or learn to be honest with ourselves.
Thank you, ladies, for your comments. :-) Millymarie and Dee, do let me know if you read the book. I'd like to know what you think.