Sandra Markle's Blog, page 25

DON'T MISS THIS MYSTERY!

The best memories are the times we share. So I developed these activities for children to enjoy while reading my book, Butterfly Tree (Peachtree Publishers, 2011).





First, the heart of this book is about making a memory—taking time to do something together you can remember sharing forever. Talk about and then write about a special time you remember sharing with someone.

*Where and when did it happen?

*What happened?

*What was the key moment of that shared time?


[image error]

Of course, there are also places we’d like to go and things we’d like to do to make memories. Talk about and then write about something you’d like to share doing together.







Now, explore the special memory Jilly and her mother share in Butterfly Tree.




When Jilly first spots something strange in the sky out over Lake Erie, what does she think it looks like? Read and discover.








Describing what something looks like by comparing it to something else is called a metaphor. Basically, something unfamiliar is described by telling how it’s like something familiar. A metaphor can be a powerful way to use words to paint a picture in someone’s mind. Try it.

Sit quietly for a few minutes either indoors or outside. Look around. Pick out something to focus on. Then think how you could describe what it looks like to someone who’s never seen it by comparing it to something else--something familiar.

Next, share your metaphor. Ask the person to describe the visual image your words painted in their mind. Trade metaphors back and forth to work together building a description.

Here are some places and times you could use metaphors to partner building a description others can enjoy too.
*A sunset
*A stormy day
*An animal in action: a bird taking flight; a squirrel in a tree; a cat playing





When Jilly first sees the orange cloud in the sky, she makes lots of guesses of what it might be. Each of those guesses probably instantly made Jilly think of a different possibility for where the cloud came from and why it’s over Lake Erie. What did Jilly imagine the cloud might be? Read and discover.




Spend some time cloud watching with someone. Look out a window or go outside on a wonderfully cloudy day. Focus on one cloud that looks like an animal, an object, or something totally magical. Tell a short story about that cloud and what you imagined about it.

Then write your cloud story. Be sure to include at least one metaphor to help your reader see what you’re describing.




Jilly’s ready to run away because of the orange cloud she’s spotted, but her Mom suggests they go searching for where the cloud landed.

What orange things do Jilly and her Mom discover in the woods before they find the orange cloud? Read and discover.





What happens to reveal what the orange cloud really is? Don't miss reading to find out!


[image error]

Mom says she remembers seeing the butterflies when she was a girl. Why do you think she didn’t just tell Jilly what the orange cloud was?









Now, discover more about monarch butterflies.


The Circle of Life

Look at these images of the stages of a monarch butterfly’s life cycle.


[image error]

Egg
The female lays her eggs on the leaves of milkweed plants. Caterpillars hatch out in about four days.


Caterpillar
Caterpillars eat their egg case and keep on eating. They eat the milkweed leaves they’re on. They eat nearly twenty-four hours a day for about two weeks.


Pupa
The caterpillar spins a silk pad on the under side of a leaf. It grips this with tiny legs, called prolegs.  It hangs in a J-shape and molts. This way it sheds its exoskeleton, or outer covering.






That hardens to form a chrysalis, a protective case. Inside the chrysalis, digestive juices break down a lot of the caterpillar’s old body. Using energy from stored up fats, a new body grows from the old one bit by bit.


[image error]

Adult
After about two weeks, an adult monarch butterfly emerges from its chrysalis. It takes several hours for its wings to fully inflate and harden. Then it flies off to feed on nectar, the sweet liquid produced by flowers. It lives from two to eight weeks. During this time, the males and females mate. Then the females lay their eggs, starting the cycle over again.


Butterfly Inside
Experience what happens when a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Cut out and color an adult monarch.

Then fold this up small and push it inside a balloon.
Have an adult partner blow up a balloon just enough to partly inflate it. Tie the neck to seal the balloon.

Cover the balloon with paper mache. To do this, first snip newspaper into strips about an inch (2.5 cm) wide and 6 inches (25 cm) long. Cut at least 25 strips. In a bowl, mix one-half cup flour with enough water to make a runny paste. Dip one paper strp into the glue mixture. Hold the strip over the bowl and slide between your thumb and fingers to remove excess paste. Smooth the strip onto the balloon. Repeat until the whole balloon is covered up to the neck. Smooth your fingers over the wet balloon. This will help seal the edges of the paper strips. Set the balloon in a clean, dry bowl. Turn frequently for a few hours to help it dry evenly. Leave overnight.

The balloon now represents the chrysalis inside which the caterpillar is changing into an adult butterfly. Use scissors to carefully snip into the balloon just below the neck. That will pop the balloon. It will deflate and separate from the inside of the paper mache. Carefully pull out the balloon. Open it and pull out the folded up adult. Unfold the adult slowly.

In real life, the adult butterfly’s body gives off a special chemical that helps break open the chrysalis. Then the adult crawls out and hangs upside down from its chrysalis. Its abdomen squeezes over and over, pumping fluid into the wings. The big wings slowly unfold. The butterfly flaps these wings while they dry and become strong. Then it’s ready to fly.


Scavenger Hunt

Now, go on an on-line scavenger hunt to track down the answers to these questions.




How can you help monarch butterflies?

[image error]

Why is a viceroy butterfly colored to mimic a monarch butterfly?

Also, don’t miss the fun, interactive jigsaw puzzles on this site.



[image error]

Where do monarch butterflies go to escape cold winters?
Watch the slide show at The Magic of Monarch Butterfly Migration


Also find out what is the longest any monarch butterfly has flown to date during its migration?


Wonder how monarch know where they’re going when they migrate?

Journey North’s Monarch Butterfly Migration Tracking Project reports
“This is a question that scientists are still working to answer. People working at the University of Kansas with Chip Taylor have shown that they use the sun, and also probably the earth’s magnetic field to know which way is south during the fall migration. But we don’t know how they find the specific spots in Mexico. Personally, I’m not sure that we’ll ever be able to answer this one—which I think is kind of nice. I like mysteries!”

Dig Into The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery

Once children read this real-life mystery, they’ll be ready to dig deeper.  These activities will really get them buzzing!
What’s The Story?

Part 1Pretend Dave Hackenberg is your grandfather.  Write a paragraph as if you were visiting him the day he discovered nearly four hundred of his beehives were nearly empty.
Part 2Now pretend you’re a reporter for your local television station. Write a paragraph telling the breaking news story the U.S. is facing because honeybees are vanishing. Be sure to briefly share the following:·      How big a problem is this?·      Where is it happening?·      What are the reasons scientists believe it’s happening?·      What is offering hope for the future?
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.6 Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.
Get The Buzz On Bees

Dig into books and search online to learn more about the lifecycle of a honeybee queen.  Write a short story about one honeybee queen. 
Be sure to include an introduction that explains how a queen is different than the other bees in a hive. Next have a middle where something exciting happens, such as the queen leaves with workers to start a new colony or other bees trying to steal honey attack the hive. Then give your story an ending, including how long the queen lives and how many young she provides the hive every year of her life. Just for fun, draw and color pictures to bring your story to life.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Buzzzz Hunter



Go on an information scavenger hunt using only the book’s photos and captions to answer the following questions.








1.     Why are cornfields not good places for bees?
2.     What requirement does a hive have to meet to be rented for work in the California almond orchards?
3.     Why was a tiny device glued to the back of some honeybees?
4.     Why are varroa mites nicknamed vampire mites?
5.     Is the U.S. President a beekeeper? How do you know?

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.2 Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Be A Bee Friend


What can you do to help honeybees? 
Read “Help Your Local Honeybees” and “Global Rescue Efforts” at the back of the book. 
Next, choose one way to help honeybees. Tell what you chose and why, in your opinion, that will make a difference. 
Make a list, in order, of what you’ll do. And, after checking with an adult to be sure your plan is okay for you to do, go to work. Your local bees need you!     CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak 

What If Columbus Sailed Today?

Open this book and set sail.
The E-book is as close as Amazon


What if Columbus was planning his voyage today?

Would you laugh and say, "How silly!"

Would you stand on the dock and shout, "Good luck?"

Or would you say, "Sign me up! I'm going with you."







Hi Ho It's A Sailor's Life For Me!
Pretend you've heard Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain are funding a voyage of exploration.  


An Italian chap named Christopher Columbus claims he's figured out a sea route to the faraway lands that produce spices and silk. It's an exciting idea because trekking overland to those places is expensive and dangerous. 

Make a list of pros and cons for why you should or shouldn't sign up to join Columbus's crew. Make sure the pros win. 
Then write a letter to your parents--or your best friend--telling you're going and why.
                        CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1b Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
What animals sailed with Columbus?
If you have the book or E-book, read pages 16 and 17. Don't miss the info in the Red Box!

Look at this picture to see one of Columbus's ship getting ready to sail. List all the animals you see? Which were stowaways, meaning they weren’t wanted?
This cat looks like my cat "Tiger". But he hates to travel. 

Write a short story about getting ready to set sail with Columbus from the ship cat’s point of view.




CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.



Anybody Want A Biscocho? (say biz-KOH-choh)

A common sailor's fare onboard was what the Spanish call Biscocho or biscuits.                    
Sailor's also called it hardtack. Bake up this recipe and you'll know how this biscuit got it's name.


Recipe3 cups all-purpose flour1 tablespoon salt1 cup waterPreheat oven to 375 degrees.*Be sure and check with an adult that's it's okay to whip up this recipe. Have your adult partner take the hot tray out of the oven.
In a bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the water and stir until it's a stiff dough. Then knead (push the dough, turn, and push again). Add more flour if necessary to make a very dry dough.Press the dough out so it is only about 1/2 inch thick. Use a bread knife to cut into squares. Place the biscocho on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Then enjoy! (or at least try)

In Columbus's time, sailors often ate biscotto with sardines or bean soup.







Watch Out For The Sargasso Sea!
If you have the book or E-book, read pages 20 and 21. Don't miss the Sargasso Food Chain.
Columbus's ships sailed into what looked like a gold and green meadow of floating weeds, an area that is now called the Sargasso (sar-GAS-oh) Sea.  Why do you think the sailors thought this meant they were almost to land?  Look at this map to find out where Columbus and his crew really were.
The arrows show sea currents. Why do you think sailors could be trapped in this part of the ocean?

Now, dive in and explore some of the animals living in the Sargasso Sea--the ones in the picture. Next make a mini-book with a little information about any four of these animals: Mahi Mahi, Mako Shark, Dolphins, Baby Eels, Baby Loggerhead Turtles.  You can find information on-line or in books. Add pictures to bring your mini-book to life. And don't forget to give it a title.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W. 4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.


What An Adventure!




Reaching the New World was just the beginning of the adventure.  Read pages 28 and 29 to discover some of the events Columbus and his crew shared.  Next, pretend you were there--part of Columbus's crew. Tell your story about being part of one of those adventures.
CCSS. ELA-Literacy.W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
And, please share. I'd love to pass on ideas you come up with for sharing Animals Columbus Saw with your students. Or photos of your students enjoying these activities.

DON'T MISS THIS--TIPS ON GETTING PUBLISHED!!!!!

Kids and animal stories--works for me!
Of course, if you're serious about writing for children, you want your work to be published. Become a book you can hold, love, and share. Happily--and humbly--I'm pleased to share I've had over 200 different books published. And have had success working with a number of publishers. So I want to share some tips based on my experience.

Here I am cutting the ribbon for a Scholastic Book Fair. I loved seeing my books among all those lovely titles. Hone Your SkillsYou wouldn't expect to walk into a hospital and perform open heart surgery without first preparing. Granted, having a book published isn't on the life-and-death level.  Although, I'll guarantee you'll have put your whole heart and a heck of a lot of effort into writing it. I know I always do.






My point is, while you can write any book you want, you can't expect to get it published unless you first prepare to be able to write at a professional level.







This book is about to come out. The research and writing process
took about 6 months. The publication process took about
another 6 months. That included the design stages of
merging photos and text, working with the editor to
have just the right amount of text per page, the copyediting
stage checking all facts, punctuation, etc for the
umpteenth time, putting in the index and glossary, and
just a lot of little but critical details. Now I'm
actively involved in preparing to promote the book so
children and teachers find it and get the most out of reading it.


Here's what I did to get there:

1. Joined professional organizations. For children's books, being an active member of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) is extremely valuable. 
2. Participated in writing workshops both on-line and in-person. Where else can people share the join of discussing animated tag lines, plot development, and creating characters readers care about. And never forget nonfiction needs to be just as interested to read as fiction. It just has the added bonus of being based on real-world, real-life action.


Boys and my nonfiction books just naturally go together.

3. Participated in critique groups. These are groups of other aspiring and published authors who are willing and able to evaluate how well the writing is doing its job. That means discussing if the work is interesting, if sentence structures are both easy to read and advancing the text, if the punctuation is correct. Even in nonfiction--make that especially in nonfiction--it's important to think about the book's concept and how it's developed to keep reader's interested and involved.



4. WRITE, WRITE, WRITE--and WRITE SOME MORE!!!  I started writing every day when it meant working early in the morning before I made breakfast for the kids and late at night after everyone was finally in bed. My son told me he thought our house was haunted when he was a little boy. That's because those were the days of manual typewriters and he would wake up and hear me typing.  I still write nearly every day. It's just part of me. Thank heaven someone wants to read what I write, but I'd do it anyway. 
WAITING FOR ICE (Charlesbridge, 2013) has happily received
the following awards: 2013 National Science Teachers Association
and Children's Book Council Outstanding Science Trade Books
K-12 List, 2013 Bank Street College Best Children's Books of
the Year List (Star for Merit), and 2013
American Association for the Advancement of Science Summer
Books List


And it keeps my brain tuned into my writing voice--they way I tell my stories--both the fictional ones and those that are real. As you write, you'll discover your voice too. I can only describe it this way. When I'm writing something and I get it just right--in my writer's voice--I get a feeling inside that's just as good as biting into something delicious. 







Study The Market Visiting school keeps me in tune with my readers. Plus I love kids.Again, this part is back to you can write any book you want but if you want to be published you need to know what your readers are interested in and what publishers are interested in publishing. Those two go very much hand-in-hand. Reader interest motivates publishers (think Harry Potter or 50 Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth). And publishers jumping on the bandwagon stimulates readers (think Twilight and The Magic School Bus).


Here's what I do:
1. Read PW Children's Bookshelf.  Be sure and sign up for their FREE newsletter.
2. Read the catalogs of major publishers, such as Scholastic, Lerner, Charlesbridge, Boyds-Mills, and others
3. Browse Good Reads for what readers are reviewing--and what they have to say.
4. Visit bookstores looking at what's available (also a good chance to think about what's missing and might be of interest)
5. Keep a list of editors/publishers who PW Children's Bookshelf lists as buying a book in the genre you're writing: Picture Book, Paranormal, Nonfiction-Biography, etc. Then follow-up by searching on-line for interviews with that editor and note what they're looking for currently and in the future.


Send Out Your BestSo by now you won't be surprised when I tell you send out any book you write but if you want to be published take the time and effort to send your best. Here's what I do:

This is a spread from SLIPPERY, SLIMY BABY FROGS (Walker)

1. I lay my book out so I can show exactly what's going on each page and how each spread (left hand and right hand page) goes together.


If you'd like to read it aloud yourself,
this is the opening spread from RACE THE WILD WIND (Walker).
2. I read my book out loud as many times as needed to make sure the flow is right and the text is "readable".
3. I check reading level to be sure it's right for my target audience. And I triple check spelling and punctuation.

4. If my work is nonfiction, I seek primary source (people doing the research) information through interviews before I write. I have experts on the subject check my work when it's complete and before I offer it to an editor. 5. I prepare my presentation. Whether my submission is via email or printed out and mailed, my book is accompanied by a cover letter that shares: the book's concept, target audience, any experts that were involved, why this book will be welcomed by readers, and why it will stand out among any competition.

If that sounds like a lot of work, IT IS!  Human babies are born after 9 months of development. Elephant babies take 2 years. My books are elephant babies. They don't all take 2 years to produce but they take an elephant's worth of creative effort.
But it's worth it. Holding your published book in your hands is a thrill. Two hundred plus books on in my career and my books are still my babies. I'm proud to share them with the world. And there is nothing like hearing from children that they love one of my books.



So dig in. Do the hard yards. And stick with it. You can bring your ideas from conception to publication!

Writing Nonfiction for Children

There's never been a more exciting time to be writing nonfiction books for children. That's because nonfiction books need to be just as good at grab kid's and making them want to keep turning the pages. I always add that I want my nonfiction books to be ones kids want to read more than once just the way they would a favorite fiction book.  That's why I like to make my nonfiction books discovery experiences on more than one level: the fact-based story is key (and I usually make it have the appeal of an adventure); next there are the photos and captions that can be explored separately as well as with the story; and pack some more opportunities to explore and discover in the Back Matter.


There are three main types of nonfiction books for children. I'll share some of my books as examples of each of these so you can dig into them at your leisure and get a better feel for each type.
Survey Books--These provide an overview of a topic. 




Bats: Biggest! Littlest! (Boyds Mills Press, 2013) introduces children to different kinds of bats using the hook that being big or little or having big or little parts is an adaptation for survival.







Growing Up Wild: Bears (Atheneum, 2000) introduces children to different kinds of bears while also sharing the general life cycle of bears.

Tough, Toothy Baby Sharks (Walker, 2007) provides children with a look at different kinds of sharks focusing on juveniles and how they have special adaptations for survival.

Concept Books--These share an animal's life cycle or a special concept. How Many Baby Pandas (Walker, 2011) shares the Giant Panda's life cycle and presents the concept of why this animal is endangered. It also introduces efforts to protect and expand the population of Giant Pandas.


Animals Marco Polo Saw (Chronicle, 2009) introduces children to this historic explorer's life and achievements. It takes the special approach of sharing how the explorer was helped along the by different animals and how he discovered never-before-seen species.

Specialized Nonfiction Books--These dig deep into scientists at work and key science advancements, research, and issues needing further research.


The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs: A Scientific Mystery (Millbrook/Lerner, 2011) shares the work of teams of scientists and volunteers around the world in the effort to find out what's been killing amphibians, including the Panamanian Golden Frog.









Waiting For Ice (Charlesbridge, 2012) shares the plight of polar bears as a result of global warming.
This book is for young children and it's 32 pages long.
Once you decide what kind of nonfiction book you'll write, you need to know what to include.  For young children (ages 4-8 years), you should plan on your book being 32 or 40 pages long.  For older elementary-aged children (ages 8-12 or 14 years), plan on your book being 48 or 64 pages long.


These first graders are showing their enthusiasm for my book What If You Had Animal Teeth?
Your book will include the main story or information. Start with an introduction that grabs attention. Have the story or information unfold page-by-page or in short chapter. Then wrap up with a conclusion that summarizes the key points and leave the reader feeling satisfied.


You may also want to include these features:

Glossary--New vocabulary words introduced in the text.More Information Section--Books and websites children can use to learn more about your topic.Author's Note--What inspired you to write this book or some personal connection you have to the story.Index--This is usually only in longer books for older students to help them quickly locate information.
This is a two-page spread from How Many Baby Pandas?
Before you start writing, think about the layout of your book.  After I research my book, I always think about how the book will look. By that I mean how each spread--the lefthand and righthand page--will look together. And I consider what children will see and discover by reading that spread. That helps the book flow well and give the book a feeling of completeness. That's really something a nonfiction book shares with a fiction one. The child reading it wants to settle into the book (the introduction) and feel at home in the world it shares. Then the reader wants an adventure or to discover something. Finally, the reader wants to feel there's an ending. The big difference between fiction and nonfiction is that many times readers are challenged to use what they read. They might help save an animal, improve the world, or realize they've discovered the career they want for their lives.

I love to get fan photos! She loves Butterfly Tree (Peachtree Publishers, 2011)

So just like a fiction book, today's nonfiction books for children can inspire and change lives. You could do that!!

CONGRATULATIONS BEV WAKELEY!

Wow!  Way To Go!  Wahoo!
Bev Wakeley, you're the winner of an autographed copy of my award-winning book, The Long Long Journey (Millbrook/Lerner, 2013).

Email me at markle.sandra@gmail.com to let me know where to mail your prize.
AND
Keep following my blog, Readers. There are more prizes COMING SOON!!

WRITING TO GET PUBLISHED--PART 1 What Will You Write? & Writing Fiction

While it's summer, I thought I'd take time to change the pace a little and respond to those of you who've asked for some tips on writing for children. And how to get published. So here's the first of this three-part series.

What Will You Write?
First, and most important is to know the market and your strengths.  Spend time reading Publishers Weekly, especially PW Children's Bookshelf.  You wouldn't start cooking without learning how to use a stove. It's just as smart to know the marketplace you're trying to write for before you commit the huge amount of time and effort needed to write a marketable book.


Second, decide what age group you want to write for. In other word--who is your target audience. A book for a preschooler is clearly VERY different from a book for an 8 to 12 year old.




Once you choose your target audience, spend some time with children that age. Volunteer to read to children at the library or a local school.  Listen to their vocabulary and sentence structure. Notice their attention span. And pay attention to what they choose to read. Think about what captures their interest.

As an example of the difference in writing vocabulary and style for different age groups, check out my book How Many Baby Pandas? (Walker, 2011)






In each two-page spread, the lefthand side is for preschoolers.


















The righthand side is for older children. Notice that even the size of the text is different. The amount and kind of information shared is very different.



Next, it's time to decide what you're going to write. Before you choose a particular topic, you need to decide whether you'll write fiction, nonfiction, or faction. Faction is that wonderful blend--a fictional story based on fact. An example is my recent book Snow School (Charlesbridgem 2013).  






Everything about snow leopards is true and based on a lot of research, including working with an expert who has spent more than two decades studying these animals in their remote, natural habitat. However, the particular snow leopard family I describe and what happens to them is my creative imagination at work, sharing that information in a docudrama-style story.

Writing FictionLet's take a closer look at writing fiction for children. Your story clearly needs an interesting plot and characters kids can care about. In today's world, writing a story--whether for children or adults--isn't that much different than writing a movie screenplay. The plot structure is basically the same--the three Act structure.  Here's a quick graphic view of that illustrates the structure.



Also check out this three part series by Brad Johnson on the sequence of action--how what happens in the story needs to unfold for it to be successful.

To carry the action, you need characters you, the writer, as well as your readers can care about. You  need to know them well, including their motivation. You especially need to know how your main character will change/grow/transform as a result of living through the three acts of your story.


 In my book Soaring Like Eagles, that's certainly true for 12-year old Kate. She goes from being an orphan unsure of herself or her future to being confident of her ability to survive against all odds and the love of her grandfather.

Which brings me to the last point for Part 1. When writing fiction for today's audience--and today's publishers--you need to be able to squeeze the essence of your story and its main character(s) out in one sentence. What's called the logline. 

When-----IDENTIFY YOUR MAIN CHARACTER AND ANY KEY IDENTIFYING TRAIT--does--TELL WHAT ACTION/EVENT THAT MAIN CHARACTER WILL FACE--then--TELL WHAT CHANGE WILL HAPPEN TO THE CHARACTER OR THE THEIR WORLD.

When a 12-year old orphan girl discovers a grandfather she didn't know she had, she also finds a new, earth-oriented way of life and the courage--even against great odds--to defend it.

This logline becomes the driving force for plotting and character development. It also becomes a key tool for introducing your finished book to an agent or editor.

Part 2: Writing Nonfiction--NEXT
Part 3: Lots of Getting Published Tips--COMING SOON 

SUMMER READING Makes SUMMER FUN!

Hooray!  Summer is just around the corner. It's the perfect time for reading to launch kids into action investigating, exploring, and having FUN!!!!







So, one by one, I'm going to share summertime activities inspired by my three 2013 Junior Library Guild books: THE LONG, LONG JOURNEY (Millbrook/Lerner, 2013), SNOW SCHOOL (Charlesbridge, 2013), BATS: BIGGEST! LITTLEST! (Boyds Mills, 2013). And be sure you sign up to be a Google Friend of my blog. That way at the end of June you'll be in to win an autographed copy of THE LONG, LONG JOURNEY.


And it's the book being featured this time.  Share reading it with children, indoors or outside. In an eggshell, this is what it's about.


Crackle! Crackle! Crunch! What's hatching from that egg? It's a young bar-tailed godwit. She will spend the summer in Alaska learning to fly, find her own food, and escape from scary predators. Her long, long journey begins in October when she flies to New Zealand. This 7,000-mile flight is the longest nonstop bird migration ever recorded. Follow along on her amazing voyage!








And after reading the story, take a few minutes to dig a little deeper into this nonfiction book. There are three main kinds of nonfiction books: surveys that share an overview of something like different kind of frogs; concept books that focus on ideas and strands of information, such as life cycles; and specialized books that dig deep into a topic such as solving a problem or a person's research. THE LONG, LONG JOURNEY is a concept book. And it's told in a narration or story-telling style.




Like all of my nonfiction books, THE LONG, LONG JOURNEY also includes special features in the back of the book.  In this book, those features are: 

Extra facts: Godwits Are Amazing!Sources of more information: Find Out MoreAnd a personal note from me about what inspired me to write this story and what special things I found out while researching the book: Author's Note

One more thing to check out is found in the front of the book, right before the title page. It's the Acknowledgment. That shares information about the experts or scientists who shared information about their research--information that was key to my writing the book. Those people also always read the book first to double-check that all of the facts shared are absolutely correct.

Okay, enough digging deeper. It's time for kids to have fun.  So help them explore your local birds with these fun activities. 




Go Bird WatchingGo for a walk. Or sit quietly outdoors, look and listen.  If you have binoculars, take those along too. A book showing pictures of local birds is great to have handy. So is a notebook and pencil for taking notes and sketching.









What are your local birds doing?In what ways are the birds you see different?  Do you see a lot of one kind?  Only a few of another? List the names of any you know or can identify.What activity do you see birds doing most often.Pick a favorite. Sketch it. Pretend you can understand birds. Write what you think two birds are saying to each other.Think of someone you want to tell about your birdwatching adventure. Plan what you'll say. Then find that person and share.
Check out Mama's Homestead and Bird Watching.com for more bird watching fun. 
Male Red-winged blackbirds puff and sing to make females notice them.
Listen To The BirdsOutdoors, listen to all the different bird voices. Try mimicking them and listen for them to call back to you.  Once you're back indoors, visit Audubon's website to play the "Guess Who's Squawkin'!" game. It's a great way to discover the sounds some familiar North American birds make.

Try Eating Like A BirdThen visit this PBS website to have fun, "Eating Like A Bird." You'll explore what it's like to have different kinds of bird beaks when it's time to eat.

Do you know a fun activity for exploring birds? Post it here for everyone to share. Or share a link to your favorite bird website.

Teachers For Teachers

This photo is from the Clutter Free Classroom blog. Who reports: "It is currently the most popular book in our class library." SMILE!!!I appreciate the creative effort and time teachers spend outside the classroom preparing to make learning meaningful and memorable.  So I want to thank all of you for that work.

I especially want to thank those of you who are developing activities based on my books.  I value the ways you're finding to make my books special discovery experiences for children.


So I want to share a few of the blogs I know are sharing one of my books--WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL TEETH? (Scholastic, 2013).  I hope those of you who are also sharing this book or know of blogs with activities based WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL TEETH? will Comment. I'd love the sites I'm sharing here to grow, and grow, and grow. SMILE!

Definitely check out Science For Kids: Adventures of An Elementary School Science Teacher by Sue Cahalane.

Sue has created activities based on my book WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL TEETH?  She shares patterns for four kinds of teeth (narwhale, elephant, camel, tiger) kids can use while imaging themselves with different kinds of animal teeth.  She also shares worksheets for an animal classification activity based on this book.



At Oceans of First Grade Fun by Yolanda Arnold. You'll find patterns for the other kinds of animal teeth in this book. Like her students, your children can try their hand at a little opinion writing answering these questions:
If you could have teeth like any one of the animals in this book, which would you choose?Why would you like to have that kind of animal teeth?


Of course, like the book, also challenge children to think about what's great about having human teeth.

At First Grade W.O.W. (Windows On Wonder) Nancy Vandenberge shared her entire class with their animal teeth.  These kids also examined some cool REAL teeth Nancy brought in to share.

"I love collecting fun things for our science center.  I have a bull skull which includes many of his teeth, a small deer jawbone, and a good friend just gave me an elk skull with teeth.  We had an amazing time examining each one. " Nancy Vandenberge

And what a great chance for children to think about how each animal's teeth are just right for what that animal eats.

Definitely don't miss Homeschool Share. Scroll down to Science Activity 7 and Animal Teeth
You can download a  worksheet with wonderful photos your children can use to match animal teeth to just the right animal.Or go to Science Kids: Fun Science & Technology For Kids.  There your students can play an interactive game. They're challenged to drag teeth to the right animal, including a human, and click on EAT.  Making a mistake is as much fun (and interesting) as getting it right.



Then check out one more activity called One Big Bite. It has lots of action-packed, mind-building fun for your students to chew on. And if you have a special way you're sharing WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL TEETH? with kids please click on Comment and share. That'll let us all share the SMILES!!

SAVE THE POLAR BEARS

Have you discovered the new game MELT DOWN! 
If not, check it out here.

In this game developed by the German science magazine for children GEOlino, kids first create their own ice floes. The game board is a blue sponge with a mold they fill with water and freeze. Once frozen, the mold is removed and they're left with chunks of ice (ice floes) floating on a sponge sea. The sponge board soaks up the melting ice water as kids roll the dice and race to save the polar bears before all of the ice melts.

It's a fun challenge with a chilling lesson.

And before kids play, share my book WAITING FOR ICE (Charlesbridge, 2012) based on the true story of polar bears, especially one orphaned cub, effected by global warming.