Jean Reidy's Blog, page 15

Skyping with Older Students and “What I Love Most.”

My published picture books are aimed at the youngest readers, so teachers of 2nd-12th graders often wonder what I can do in their classrooms. Why Skype with an author who writes kiddie books?

With older students, we usually talk more about writing and I often share with them my Top Ten Super Secret Writing Tips. We may do a group writing exercise or some project sharing.

So what is this “project sharing”?

Often in my Skype visits students will share artwork or writing or other projects they’ve created based on one of my books.

For example, a fifth grade classroom in Seattle did an full study of LIGHT UP THE NIGHT. And in that study they learned that my inspiration for the book came from my dear friends in Uganda and they asked why. And those same kids studied East Africa and discovered that safety and security and sense of place were the universal truths in the book and they researched why. Then they learned that the blanket, white and red, had great importance to the theme. And from all that, they created their own beautiful wall quilt that covered their entire room and they gave me a tour of it over Skype. AMAZING!

One class wrote free verse poetry using TIME OUT FOR MONSTERS! as a mentor text.

The list goes on and on.

But sometimes, their projects or writings have little nothing to do with any of my books. And that’s fine. Whether it’s art or poetry or stories or journal entries or essays, their work is all their own. And they share it with me. And I’m honored and privileged that they let me peek into their world for those few minutes.

When students share their work like this, I offer each of them my 30-second “What I love most …” critique. This is one of my favorite parts of the visit because it allows me to connect one-on-one with a student and honor their creativity. This isn’t an “every kid gets a trophy” shout out. This is me, letting a brave young author or artist or poet know that someone sees him, hears him, respects his work and applauds his willingness to create and share – in public. That deserves celebration, don’t you think?

 

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In the Hands of a Great Librarian …

FUN = Attending a “Things That Go” story time at the amazing Koelbel Public Library and watching the hilarious and energetic librarian, Lori Noreen, bring ALL THROUGH MY TOWN – and many more wonderful picture books – to life.

Thank you, Lori, for letting me spy on your greatness!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tuesday for Teachers: A View From their Window

In my book TIME OUT FOR MONSTERS, the boy in the story draws a window with a view.

What would students like to see outside their windows?

Let them draw their dream views on square-shaped pieces of paper. When they’re finished, let them add a paper window frame and panes with thin strips of brown paper and stick glue.

Challenge. How many squares are in each window? (Answer: Five! There are four small squares in each pane and one large square for the entire window.) How many rectangles are there? (Four: Two panes make one rectangle; there are two vertical and two horizontal rectangles.) For older students. point out that squares are also rectangles, which will increase the number of rectangles found in the window.

Display students’ windows under a sign that reads:

Our Point of View!

or

Windows into Our Imaginations!

or something similar.

1st and 3rd graders at Verne W. Critz Elementary in New York state did this as a buddy activity in preparation for my Skype visit. During the visit, we read TIME OUT FOR MONSTERS! again and I shared with them some picture book secrets. But the highlight came when they each showed me their “Window” and read me their stories about their windows, based on the book.

It turned out, many windows views had at least one thing in common – CUPCAKES!

Give it a try with your class.

This activity fulfills learning standards in

Math,
Art
Literacy
Students will describe objects in the environment using names of shapes.
Students will correctly name shapes regardless of their orientation and overall size

























For free resources, free Skype visits and curriculum-based activity guides to go with all of my books check out my TIME OUT FOR TEACHERS Page.

 

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Robots and Rust Monsters: Anna Staniszewski on Developing a Picture Book Idea

In the world of picture book writing, much attention is given to idea generation. But so little is said about the actual process of writing the book. Today, friend and fellow author, Anna Staniszewski, shares her journey from a nugget of an idea – a brilliant one at that – and the dreaming, building and layering that became her latest adorable picture book, POWER DOWN LITTLE ROBOT. Thanks for stopping by, Anna!

Developing an Idea into a Story

by Anna Staniszewski

I admit it. I have no problem coming up with ideas. Granted, most of them are the “wouldn’t it be funny if…?” type of ideas that aren’t actually stories. Yes, it would be funny (at least to me), but why should anyone pay the money to have my idea illustrated and put into a book? The idea must have some meat to it, and it needs an emotional component as well. Otherwise, it’s still only an idea.

When I first came up with the concept for Power Down, Little Robot, (while I was going to sleep one night and announced to my husband, in a robot voice, that I was “initiating sleep mode”) I immediately thought of several possibilities for where the story could go. That meant I was on the right track. Not only was this a fun idea, but it was one that might actually go somewhere.

I still needed a plot, though. Unlike the other picture books I had worked on until that point (one of which had sold to a publisher several months earlier) this one seemed like it wasn’t going to have a traditional story arc. Instead, it was going to be more of a concept book about avoiding bedtime. I also vaguely knew that I wanted it to be about the relationship between a mother and son.

Okay, I had the concept and the format, but I still needed to flesh out my idea. It was time to do some research. I called on my trusty parent friends to help me come up with a list of ways that kids try to get out of going to bed. Then I spent hours figuring out how to translate those child behaviors into robot ones. (What would a robot have nightmares about? Rust monsters, of course!) I also had to figure out other robot details, like where a robot sleeps. A closet? A garage? I finally settled on a sleep module.

Once I had the robot elements worked out, there was still the matter of the emotional heart of the story. This emotional component is what gives your fun idea depth and makes it resonate with readers. If your idea doesn’t imply an emotional experience then it will be difficult to turn it into a satisfying story.

As I mentioned above, I wanted the relationship between robo-mom and robo-son to be an important part of the story. With that in mind, I went through each spread and strengthened their relationship so that it helped to move the story forward. Of course Mom Unit is frustrated with Little Robot for not wanting to go to sleep, but she also cares about him. Of course Little Robot wants to stay up late, but he also feels safe and cozy with his mother.

Finally, after several revisions with critique partners and then with my agent, it felt like the story had rising action, humor, and, most importantly, heart. Only then did I feel like my idea had become more than simply an idea. It had turned into a story.

Born in Poland and raised in the United States, Anna Staniszewski grew up loving stories in both Polish and English. When she’s not writing, Anna spends her time teaching, reading, and eating far too much chocolate. She is the author of the My Very UnFairy Tale Life series, the Dirt Diary series, and the forthcoming Switched at First Kiss series, all published by Sourcebooks, as well as the picture book Power Down, Little Robot, coming from Henry Holt in March. Visit her at www.annastan.com.

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2015 ALSC Book & Media Award Winners

Wondering what to read next? I’d start here! Congratulations to all the wonderful winners!


John Newbery Medal

The Crossover written by Kwame Alexander and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Newbery Honor Books

El Deafo by Cece Bell, illustrated by Cece Bell and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS.

Brown Girl Dreaming written by Jacqueline Woodson and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.


Randolph Caldecott Medal

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend illustrated by Dan Santat, written by Dan Santat and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Caldecott Honor Books

Nana in the City illustrated by Lauren Castillo, written by Lauren Castillo and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art illustrated by Mary GrandPré, written by Barb Rosenstock and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

Sam & Dave Dig a Hole illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett and published by Candlewick Press.

Viva Frida illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Yuyi Morales and published by Roaring Brook Press, a Neal Porter Book.
 
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant, and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

This One Summer illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, written by Mariko Tamaki and published by First Second.


2016 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award

Pat Mora


Mildred L. Batchelder Award

Mikis and the Donkey published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., written by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson

Batchelder Honor Books

Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust published by First Second an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership, written by Loic Dauvillier, illustrated by Marc Lizano, color by Greg Salsedo, translated by Alexis Siegel.

Nine Open Arms published by Enchanted Lion Books, written by Benny Lindelauf, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova, translated by John Nieuwenhuizen.



Pura Belpre (Author) Award

I Lived on Butterfly Hill written by Marjorie Agosín, illustrated by Lee White and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

Belpre (Author) Honor Book

Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes written by Juan Felipe Herrera, illustrated by Raúl Colón and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

Pura Belpre (Illustrator) Award

Viva Frida illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Yuyi Morales and published by Roaring Brook Press, a Neal Porter Book

Belpre (Illustrator) Honor Books

Little Roja Riding Hood illustrated by Susan Guevara, written by Susan Middleton Elya, and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

Green Is a Chile Pepper illustrated by John Parra, written by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, and published by Chronicle Books LLC.

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh, and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.



Andrew Carnegie Medal 


Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard, Weston Woods Studios, Inc., producers of “Me…Jane”





Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

You Are (Not) Small written by Anna Kang, illustrated by Christopher Weyant and published by Two Lions, New York.

Geisel Honor Books 

Mr. Putter & Tabby Turn the Page written by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard, and published by Houghton ifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Waiting Is Not Easy! written by Mo Willems, illustrated by Mo Willems, and published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group.


Odyssey Award

H. O. R. S. E. A Game of Basketball and Imagination produced by Live Oak Media, written by Christopher Myers and narrated by Dion Graham and Christopher Myers

Odyssey Honor Audiobooks

Five, Six, Seven, Nate! produced by AUDIOWORKS (Children’s) an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc., written by Tim Federle, and narrated by Tim Federle

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Julie Berry, and narrated by Jayne Entwistle

A Snicker of Magic produced by Scholastic Audiobooks, written by Natalie Lloyd, and narrated by Cassandra Morris


Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus written by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Sibert Honor Books

Brown Girl Dreaming written by Jacqueline Woodson, and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, & the Fall of Imperial Russia written by Candace Fleming, and published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.

Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker written by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson and published by Chronicle Books LLC.

Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands written and illustrated by Katherine Roy, and published by David Macaulay Studio, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press.

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.



Laura Ingalls Wilder Award

Donald Crews

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Tuesdays for Teachers: “TOO” Cool Copycat Writing

Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but it’s also a darn good writing tool. I call it “copycat” writing. Educators call it using a “mentor text.”

Light Up the Night can be used as a mentor text for word choice and fluency.

If you’ve read my book LIGHT UP THE NIGHT, you realize that it was patterned after the classic THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT. The structure of the cumulative verse made sense with my story of a child gathering security and a sense of place as he gets ready for bed. Each verse layers around the main character, like his cozy blanket white and red. LIGHT UP THE NIGHT, in turn, becomes a mentor text for fluency, cumulative verse and word choice. And the copycat writing continues into another generation of readers and writers.

The teachers and librarians at Hayden Valley Elementary understand the importance of mentor texts. They used my recent school visit to challenge students to write their own “copycat” book based on one of my books. I got to read a stack of them during my visit, and let me tell you, they were brilliant – some hilarious, some tender, some scientific, all wonderful. Thankfully, I didn’t have to judge the book contest. It would have been impossible to pick a winner.

But …

I did get to have my picture taken with the winner. Waylon Lott’s origami picture book titled TOO MANY BUILDINGS is a creative tribute to calmer, country living … away from the busy city. I suspect he took his inspiration from his beautiful community there in Hayden.

Waylon used TOO PURPLEY! as his mentor text for voice, fluency and organization. But his detailed and thoughtful illustrations were all his own. And they were fantastic.

TOO PURPLEY! can be used as a mentor text.

Have you tried “copycat” writing with your class? I’d love to hear about it. Better yet, let’s set up a Skype visit so that your students can read me their stories or poems. It’s easy! Check out my My Time Out for Teachers page for all the details.

This activity meets academic standards in:

Reading
Writing
Art

For more ideas on how to use my books in the classroom, as well as other resources for teachers and librarians, please visit my Teachers page.

Happy Tuesday!

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Board Book Giveaway – ALL THROUGH MY TOWN!

ALL THROUGH MY TOWN is making its board book appearance on February 17th. But why wait? I’m giving away 5 copies on Goodreads. So stop on over and enter. It’s SO easy! Here’s the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/123966-all-through-my-town

 

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When Writers Write Together – Guest Post by Claudia Mills

How inspiring it was to host the prolific and talented Claudia Mills in my home for a writers’ write-in. Claudia is one focused author – let me tell you! – and able to tune-out the cackling coffee drinkers in my kitchen, a.k.a. me. But then she graced us with stories, humor and wisdom during her much-deserved breaks.  I was thrilled when she agreed to guest post on the wonderful energy that arises when writers write in the company of others. I hope you enjoy this gorgeous and generous reflection as much as I did. Thank you, Claudia.

The writing life can seem a solitary one, shared chiefly with the imaginary creatures inside our head who become the imaginary people living on the page. Sad but true, no one is going to put my words on my page except for me. Despite support and critique from a writing group and partnership with wonderful agents and editors, there is some fundamental sense in which we have to write alone.

Claudia writing Chapter One of her next book.

Or do we?

Enter the idea of an author write-in, which might be the best aid to authors since the invention of the quill pen.

Here’s how it goes. Pick a day. Invite a bunch of writers to your house. It’s better if the list includes close friends as well as strangers who are soon to become friends. Commit to keeping the coffee brewing and preparing something simple and delicious as the food anchor for lunch. Ask your guests to bring other food offerings. (Expect huge quantities of extravagantly decadent sweets, writers being what they are. Do not be surprised if a few bottles of wine appear.) And what do all of you do all day long? You write.

Ingrid Law and Emily France hard at work in my kitchen.

This is how I spent a beautiful, magical day toward the end of January. I wasn’t the host. (My house, a 1500-square foot condo occupied by four adult humans, one distractingly adorable baby, one needy dog, and one aloof cat, wouldn’t be a suitable venue, though now I am thinking of alternatives that might suit.) Our host was the enormously welcoming and amazing author Jean Reidy, of Too Purpley!, Too Pickley!, and Too Princessy! Fame. It helped that her house had a cozy family room with overstuffed couches and blazing fire on the grate for writers like me who write by hand, as well as a long kitchen table and dining room table with plenty of outlets handy for those who write on their laptops. A vat of delicious vegetable soup bubbled on the stove. The array of donated sweets was extravagant.

Judith Snyder as cozy as can be working on her chapter book.

I got there early in the morning and started writing. I wrote for hours. We broke for a leisurely lunch of wonderful writerly conversation. And then I wrote some more. The day was especially significant and satisfying for me as I was starting a brand new book, the fifth Franklin School Friends book, and the terror of facing that first blank page was abated by facing it in the company of writer friends. By the end of my time at Jean’s, I had made extensive notes for the whole book, finally figuring out Cody’s character arc and various complications of the plot. I wrote all of Chapter One. I wrote much of Chapter Two. I was giddy with self-congratulation.

Kellye Crocker taking a break for a laugh.

Why am I able to be so much more productive at a write-in than I am at home? Why do I, who can usually write only an hour a day (and who prefers to pace myself that way), write on without ceasing? The only reason can be that I’m surrounded by other writers who are pushing themselves beyond their usual limits, too. Creativity is in the air. There is also something about consciously dedicating an entire day in this way, deliberately marking it out as special.

Sarah Azibo hard at work in front of the fire.

Stimulating as a write-in is, I don’t think I could do it every day. One a week maybe, but not more. But oh, the bliss of writing so much, so quickly, with such zest. Plus making new writer friends. Plus eating all those desserts. During the write-in at the home of the creator of Too Purpley!, nothing was “too” anything. It was all completely, wonderfully right.

Claudia Mills is the author of over 50 books for young readers, including picture books (Ziggy’s Blue-Ribbon Day), easy readers (the ten books of the Gus and Grandpa series), chapter books (Fractions = Trouble!, Being Teddy Roosevelt, How Oliver Olson Changed the World, and the Franklin School friends series), and middle-grade novels (Zero Tolerance). Her books have been named Notable Books of the year by the American Library Asssociation, nominated for dozens of state readers’ choice awards, and translated into half a dozen languages. Claudia, who holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University, recently left her full-time position as a professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder where she published many scholarly articles on ethical and philosophical themes in children’s literature. She has written all her books between 5 and 7 in the morning while drinking Swiss Miss hot chocolate.

You can learn more about Claudia and her books at http://www.claudiamillsauthor.com/

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Appearances 2015

1/30/15             Seminole Trails Elementary, West Palm Beach, FL, Skype school visit

2/05/15             Colorado Council International Reading Association Conference, SCBWI Booth, 4-6 P.M.

2/10/15              Institute for Early Learning, Alexandria, VA, Skype conference presentation

4/13/15              Reach Out and Read Colorado Statewide Conference, Children’s Hospital Colorado

5/22-5/24/15   Big Sur in the Rockies, Boulder, CO. Faculty critique mentor.

9/19-9/20/15   Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI Fall Conference.

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Tuesdays for Teachers: The Author Q & A Video

In late 2014, a school contacted me about a week long literacy event it was hosting this month. Originally, organizers hoped to schedule virtual author visits throughout the week to go along with the program. But when scheduling became a nightmare, they came up with another idea.

The Video Q&A!

Classrooms brainstormed questions about books they love. Then those questions were e-mailed to the respective authors. Each author, then, created a personalized video for the students addressing their questions. The videos were then showed throughout the week at times that made sense and were convenient for kids, parents and other viewers.

What a great idea! And it can take the place of a traditional in-person school visit or virtual visit. So find your favorite author and pop the question. You never know who might say “yes.”

 

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