For The Love Of Mentor Texts - Bridget Geraghty

Welcome to another guest post in my series For The Love of Mentor Texts here at Teach Mentor Texts. I love to talk about the power of mentor texts to impact our writing but I'm thrilled to have friends share how they use mentor texts for a fresh perspective. Today I'm excited to welcome Bridget Geraghty to share how mentor texts are an inspiration to her. 

Would you like to write a guest post for For The Love of Mentor Texts? Just let me know by filling out this simple form. 

*********************************

Mentor Texts as a Source of Inspiration

By Bridget Geraghty

February 8th, 2017

I am willing to bet that most authors owe their first notion that they should write a book to a mentor text. Had it not been for that awakening they experienced through reading another person’s written work, the call to create something just as awe-inspiring may have passed them by. This is surely the case for me, as I can attribute my pull to write “Molly Bell and the Wishing Well” to mentor texts that stirred a sense of longing to write a story that would leave an indelible mark on others the way those books did for me.

It was during my time as an elementary school teacher that I truly beheld the influence that a remarkable story has on a child’s perspective and understanding. I would like to share a couple of examples of books that not only had an effect on the students in my classroom, but also inspired me to write a story that touched readers in the same way.

One such story is “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. There is an abundance of beautiful lessons for children in this story. But one that stands out for me is the way the author uses a secondary character, Martha, as a means to help the main character, Mary, overcome her selfishness and sulky attitude.  Mary is a forlorn and miserable child who pushes away anyone that tries to engage with her.  But Martha is a jolly, no-nonsense young woman who sees past Mary’s behavior and uses her gentle guidance and steadfast encouragement to help Mary open her eyes to the beauty and wonder of the world around her.

Likewise, in my middle grade novel, “Molly Bell and the Wishing Well”, the main character, Molly, has to overcome the grief she has in her heart over the loss of her mother.  I used a secondary character, Grandma Saige, in a similar “counselor” role with the purpose of showing Molly by example and through her loving advice that there is still joy to be experienced in her life.

Another example of a mentor text that I utilized in the creative process of writing my own book is “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH” by Robert C. O”Brien. One aspect of this story that impressed upon me in particular is how the main character, Mrs. Frisby (a mouse), must fight her fears to reach her goal.  In order to help her sick child and save her family’s home from being destroyed, she must travel through a field and risk being attacked by a villainous cat, fly on the back of a bird although she is afraid of heights, and visit a frightening predatory owl because he is the only one who knows how to heal her child.  All of these things terrified Mrs. Frisby, yet she found the resolve within her to press on.  

In my story, I also wanted to impart the lesson that if you want something badly enough, sometimes you just have to do it afraid.  In “Molly Bell and the Wishing Well”, Molly is overcome with the desire to visit a wishing well she believes is magical so she can wish away the unwanted parts of her life.  She is staying at her grandparents’ farm, and her grandfather does not want her to go to the wishing well (he has his own reasons for forbidding Molly to see it). But Grandma Saige has a soft spot for Molly’s interest in it, so she tells Molly where it is. In the middle of the night when everyone else is asleep, Molly decides that she will sneak out of the house and go on an adventure to find it. But of course, it is an overwhelming and scary experience for Molly that she must find the courage to keep going through because she wants to reach the wishing well so desperately.

So, in both of these examples and in other mentor texts I have used that influence my writing, I look for the essence that is captured within the characters or through the action in the story. What was the lesson that appealed to me so deeply, and how can I in my own way, through my characters and events, leave my readers with that impression I hope will be made in their own minds? My greatest hope is that perhaps one day a child will read “Molly Bell and the Wishing Well” and be drawn to a theme that speaks to his or her heart, and be inclined to tell their own story one day that breathes to life a new way of teaching that lesson.

Bridget is the author of Molly Bell and the Wishing Well. You can visit her Author Website, Author Facebook Page, or Amazon Author Page to learn more about her. 

A big thank you to Bridget for taking the time to share her love of mentor texts!

Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mind Review and Blog Tour

Title: Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine 
Author: Caroline Starr Rose   
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers 
Publication Date: February 7th, 2017
Genre/Format: Historical Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Hoping to strike it rich, two brothers escape an abusive father and set out on a treacherous journey to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush. 

Desperate to get away from their drunkard of a father, eleven-year-old Jasper and his older brother Melvin often talk of running away, of heading north to Alaska to chase riches beyond their wildest dreams. The Klondike Gold Rush is calling, and Melvin has finally decided the time to go is now--even if that means leaving Jasper behind. But Jasper has other plans, and follows his brother aboard a steamer as a stowaway. 

Onboard the ship, Jasper overhears a rumor about One-Eyed Riley, an old coot who's long since gone, but is said to have left clues to the location of his stake, which still has plenty of gold left. The first person to unravel the clues and find the mine can stake the claim and become filthy rich. Jasper is quick to catch gold fever and knows he and Melvin can find the mine--all they have to do is survive the rough Alaskan terrain, along with the steep competition from the unscrupulous and dangerous people they encounter along the way. 

In an endearing, funny, pitch-perfect middle grade voice, Caroline Starr Rose tells another stellar historical adventure young readers will long remember.  
What I Think: Fans of Kate Messner's Ranger in Time, The Magic Tree House series, Jennifer Holm's My Only May Amelia, and Kirby Larson's Hattie Big Sky will enjoy this middle grade novel from Caroline Starr Rose. It's historical fiction that's full of adventure. I loved the characters and was rooting for them right from the first chapter. Jasper especially has heart and grit and I'm sure readers are going to want to follow him along on his journey as much as I did. 
     As a mentor text, boy does this book have lots of voice. Every character has so much essence. That might be a strange way to explain it but it's as thought their essence is so evident in how they act but definitely in their dialogue. Reading  Jasper and The Riddle of Riley's Mine is an opportunity to think about how dialogue tells us so much about a character. If you read, you'll see that Caroline mentions how important setting and character are to her stories and it is so clear that she has a very solid idea of who her characters are and that makes a huge impact on the story as it unfolds. 

I'm so excited to have Caroline Starr Rose herself here

to share her creative writing process with us!

Caroline Starr Rose on Her Creative Writing Process

Authors love to classify their approach to writing in one of two ways. They’re either Plotters — people who plan the structure and plot of a story through outlines, or Pantsters — writers who figure things out as they go, flying by the seats of their pants.

I’m a little of both. (When I mentioned this during a school visit a few years back, a student promptly dubbed me a Plotster, which suits me fine). As I begin with a new idea, I need a strong sense of my setting (which, because I write historical fiction, is grounded in a lot of research), and a good grasp on my main character. From there, it’s an experiment. I like to imagine tossing my character into the setting and watching what happens. Conflict of some sort is certain to emerge.

In Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine, placing my eleven-year-old main character in a harrowing 2,000-mile journey to Canada’s Yukon Territory meant plenty of opportunities for conflict. I knew Jasper would face physical challenges, such as hunger, sore muscles from miles of walking, and the constant threat of the fast-approaching winter. These physical challenges would influence his emotional state. Maybe some days he’d be excited and other days he’d wonder why he’d jumped into such an impossible feat. This led me to wonder how the largely-adult crowd heading to the Klondike would treat Jasper and how he would respond.

From there, I feel around for turning points in the at-this-point hazy plot. Going into Jasper, I knew he’d followed his older brother, Melvin, on the journey to the Klondike. At some point he would have to be found out. I also knew I wanted this book to have a sense of mystery, one that involved an abandoned mine worth millions that was free to the first person who could find it. Though I had no specifics when I started, I knew figuring out these two things would be key.

Armed with a journal full of research notes, a couple of simple character sketches, and lists of questions, I jumped in. Writing is not efficient, and my process with this book was possibly the least efficient of anything I’ve ever written. It was a twisting trail of wrong turns and dead ends. While drafting, I would shape and re-shape what I thought would happen next, lightly outlining on the fly. Twice I wrote to the end, only to toss two-thirds of the story. While working on Jasper edits a few summers back I posted this on my blog:

What I’m beginning to learn about writing books is that if I show up enough times, I start to run out of mistakes to make. But of course not all at once. That would be too easy.

Discovery and exploration, mistakes and wrong turns. The desire to keep moving forward. That sums up my writing process. Rather than fight against it, I’m learning to respect the mystery.

Which you can gently remind me of tomorrow or the next day.

A big round of applause to Caroline for sharing

her thoughts on writing with us1 

I especially love these two sentences about what the writing process is

and I'll be holding onto them as I write:

"Discovery and exploration, mistakes and wrong turns.

The desire to keep moving forward."

Be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour!

Wednesday, February 8^th – Teach Mentor Texts

Thursday, February 9^th – Mr. Schu Reads

Friday, February 10^th – Mrs. Knott’s Book Nook

Saturday, February 11^th – Late Bloomer’s Book Blog

Sunday, February 12^th – Children’s Book Review

Monday, February 13^th – LibLaura5

Tuesday, February 14^th – All the Wonders

CiCi Reno: #MiddleSchoolMatchmatker Author Guest Post

Today I'm overjoyed to have Kristina Springer here to talk about how she used mentor texts when writing Cici Reno: #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker. I hope you enjoy learning more about her process!

Using Mentor Texts for Cici Reno #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker

A Guest Post From Kristina Springer

Middle school is a test, but Cici Reno has all the answers. She's the go-to girl for advice. She's cool, she's funny, and she's enlightened (thanks to yoga classes at her mom's studio). So when her pretty BFF, Aggie, is too shy to speak to the boy she's crushing on, Cici goes online and does the talking for her. The only problem is, Cici starts to fall for the guy herself! For the first time in her life. she doesn't have a clue.

When I pitched this book to my agent (and then later editor) I told them it was based on a loose retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac and that it was a humorous tale of a 7th grade girl who thinks she has the answers to everything, but finds when it comes to love, she really knows nothing at all

On the cover of Cici Reno #MiddleSchooMatchmaker it says across the top, “She’s Cyrano de Bergerac in yoga pants.” So you probably can guess that a major mentor text I used for writing this book was the famous Cyrano de Bergerac play. Before I did any real writing I began by doing some research. I went online and found a copy of the original play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand. I then searched for various adaptions of the play from over the years and there has been many. I even came across a Snagglepuss cartoon that adapted the Cyrano story. One particular version I looked at was the 1987 Steve Martin movie adaption Roxanne because I remembered watching it as a child and thinking it was funny. I knew with my book that I not only wanted it set in middle school but I wanted there to be a gender reversal in the characters: I wanted Cici Reno to be the Cyrano character, Aggie be the Christian character, and Drew to be the Roseanne character. So I also looked at 1997 adaption, The Truth about Cats and Dogs because in that film the smooth-talking Cyrano character was a female.

Another text I re-read while prepping for writing this book was Lauran Myracle’s TTYL series. The series is told entirely in text and instant messages and since I knew I wanted to include direct messaging between Cici and Drew in my book, I re-read Lauren’s book to see how she handled that sort of thing. I adore Lauren Myracle and she has been one of my favorite authors from her first book. I’m such a Lauren Myracle fan girl that I even went to one of her book signings on my due date when I was pregnant with my last child! Here’s a pic of me at the signing (from left to right: Sarah Mlynowski, me, Lauren Myracle, and E. Lockhart).

Check out Cici Reno #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker and let me know how you like my version of the Cyrano story.

You can find Cici Reno: #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker at

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Indiebound

And you can find Kristina on

Twitter , Facebook, or Instagram

and at www.kristinaspringer.com

Little Elliot, Big City Blog Tour and Giveaway!

I'm thrilled to be part of the Little Elliot, Big City blog tour today! We love this sweet book at my house but I learned so much from Mike Curato's guest post (below) about the importance of research even in fiction writing. It made me think differently about how this book might be used as a mentor text. I hope you enjoy Mike's guest post as much as I did and that you'll visit the other stops on the blog tour and enter my giveaway!

Title: Little Elliot, Big City
Author: Mike Curato
Illustrator: Mike Curato
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: August 26, 2014
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book
GoodReads Summary: Amid the hustle and bustle of the big city, the big crowds and bigger buildings, Little Elliot leads a quiet life. In spite of the challenges he faces, Elliot finds many wonderful things to enjoy—like cupcakes! And when his problems seem insurmountable, Elliot discovers something even sweeter—a friend.
What I Think: It's hard not to love a sweet little elephant with polka-dots, especially when he loves cupcakes. Right? I love imagining an elephant feeling small on the streets of New York...let alone in his apartment. Despite challenges that Elliot faces, he also recognizes great things in his life. This sentiment is such a great message for kids. Life isn't perfect. Some things make life hard and some things make life amazing. Friends make the hard things more tolerable and the amazing things even better.
     After reading Mike's guest post about the research he did for the book, it made me really think about how much research goes into a fiction book. Just because his characters are fiction, he still spent a lot of time getting the setting right. It seems like his initial Google Image search led to more research, different resources, places to visit. This is such a great example of passion driven research that should be shared with students. I wish more teachers would ignite students' passion for research by showing them what true passion driven research looks like in real life and  encouraging them to learn more about what seems exciting to them. 
     I would venture to say that anyone can draw a building and anyone can draw a car but being true to the time period and making sure to get subtle details right shows an attention to the essence of the book. What a wonderful message to share the care that goes into bringing a book to life. As a mentor text, I believe reading Mike's guest post would be a nice way to start a discussion about what research and/or resources students might do or access in preparation for or as they write. This would be great to share with students who have trouble getting started with their writing. Maybe building their background knowledge and immersing themselves into reading about their topic, setting, time period would help them feel more confident in their writing.
Read Together: Grades K - 2
Read Alone: Grades K - 3
Read With: The Story of Fish and Snail by Deborah Freedman, The Adventures of Beekle by Dan Santat, Love Monster by Rachel Bright, Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, You Will Be My Friend! by Peter Brown, The Lion and The Mouse by Jerry Pinkney, Cupcake by Charise Mericle Harper, Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Snatch of Text: 

"Little Elliot loved living in a big city,

but sometimes it was hard being so

small in such a huge place."

Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when having a friend with you helped you to believe in yourself.
Topics Covered: Friendship, Courage, Adversity, Determination

I *heart* It:

 

Little Elliot, Big City Blog Tour

Tuesday, August 26 Librarian in Cute Shoes @utalaniz

Wednesday, August 27 Teach Mentor Texts @mentortexts

Thursday, August 28 Read. Write. Reflect. @katsok 

Friday, August 29 Kit Lit Frenzy @alybee930

Saturday, August 30 Daddy Mojo @daddymojo

Sunday, August 31 Sharp Reads @colbysharp 

Watch. Connect. Read. @mrschureads

Nerdy Book Club @nerdybookclub

Monday, September 1 Miss Print @miss_print

A warm welcome to Mike Curato, author and illustrator of Little Elliot, Big City, who shares insight into the research he did for Little Elliot, Big City!

In my new book, Little Elliot, Big City, a small polka-dotted elephant navigates a bustling New York City set in the late 1930s/early 1940s. I chose this period because I love the aesthetic of the day, and because I have a nostalgia for a time before cell phones and apps and internet. There’s a romance around the idea that people wrote each other hand-written letters and had milk delivered to their home.

In order to create an accurate depiction of the period, thorough research was essential, especially since I was not alive back then to witness everything first hand. There were many questions to answer. What did New York City look like then? What would Elliot’s apartment likely contain? What kind of refrigerator would he store his treats in? Throughout the book, I try to tuck in some visual clues to take us back in time.

I used several different resources in my research. Google Images was my first stop. There are some obvious limitations to this. Sometimes one isn’t even sure what keywords to search for. Other times, there just isn’t anything available specific to the period. There are some websites that specialize in history and ephemera that I used as well. One of my favorite sites is Forgotten New York, which specializes in cataloguing different areas and aspects of New York that are gone or are quickly changing, as well as sharing a bit of history. The New York Public Library also boasts a huge digital collection of photographs from various time periods throughout the city’s lifetime.

Though the internet can seem endless, sometimes you just can’t find what you’re looking for. That’s usually when I move on to books. I made a trip to the New York City Library, which naturally houses many books about New York. For the second book, Little Elliot, Big Family, I actually spent several hours in there just trying to find out what the fence along the water’s edge of Battery Park used to look like.

Even then, more in depth research is needed. I took another trip to the MTA Museum and Archives, where I was able to photograph older models of subway cars in person. In the archives, I was able to search through tons of vintage photographs that showed how each subway stop used to look. There were also photo essays that offered a glimpse into the time period. It was by far my favorite research moment!

One limitation of working from someone else’s photographs is that sometimes it’s not taken at the precise angle or perspective that I need for my composition. So, I also trekked all over Manhattan and Brooklyn, taking reference of various buildings and street details.

Once I have all of my reference gathered, I can start working on the finished drawings. Sometimes, when a spread is particularly complex, I’ll create a mockup of my references, almost like a patchwork quilt, to help me map out the piece. Here’s an example of before and after:

All of that combined to help me create Elliot’s world! Though the story has themes about friendship and perspective, the moral behind my research is: always do your homework!

Thank you for sharing this part of your process, Mike! 

Guest Post - Children with Special Needs

Maria Hughes from Children's Book Store is here to talk about using books to teach students about kids with special needs. Maria is an active children's literature enthusiast, a mom, and an online publisher for Children's Book Store. She enjoys blogging and reading about kids' books at childrensbookstore.com.  

Teaching your special needs child about who they are through books

     Years ago, when my children were younger, there was a very delightful little girl who had autism in my son’s kindergarten class.  Meredith had giant, round blue eyes, made even larger than I thought possible with her thick glasses and a mop of unruly curls who would seek me out every day to ask me about my other children.  Unbelievably, she knew the names of every family member of every family that attended the school.  Years later, I watched as she performed in the school talent show in front of friends and family and couldn’t help but reflect upon her amazing transformation, from socially awkward to one of radiating confidence upon the stage.  Her mother, her teachers and a team of therapists, no doubt played an instrumental part for helping Meredith find the grace and courage to be the person she was ultimately meant to be, but of course, the crux lay upon Meredith herself.

     If you too, are fortunate enough to know a very special person like Meredith, or perhaps have personal knowledge because one of your own children or a family member may have received a diagnosis like Autism or Asperger’s then you might relate. At first, it can seem initially overwhelming and can throw your normal world and routine into a tailspin.  Once you’ve completed all your research and educated yourself and family members on what to expect, it may be time to sit down with your child and explain how special they are to you. Chances are your child may still be very young as the average age of diagnosis, according to the Centers of Disease Control, is four years old, but they may already have a feeling that they look at the world in their own way.   Whether they are aware of their ‘differentness’ or not, it is never too early to start talking about who they are.

Below are some books that might appeal to your child 

as you respectfully explain what Autism or Asperger’s means:

·       Russell is Extra Special: A Book About Autism for Children – Charles A. Amenta, III.  This book was written by the father of a child with autism, who also shares his medical expertise as a practicing physician.  Ages 4-8.

·       What It Is to Be Me!: An Asperger Kid Book – Angela Wine.  Another parent/author Ms. Wine talks about her son Danny who has Asperger’s.  Ages 4 and up.

·       To Oz and Back: A Bones and the Duchess Mystery – Alexandra Eden.  This quirky mystery, who-dun-nit is a humorously entertaining book, that introduces the reader to Verity Buscador, a 12-year-old, pseudo-detective who also has Asperger’s.  Ages 5^th- 8^th grade.

·        A is for Autism F is for Friend: A Kid’s Book for Making Friends with a Child Who has Autism – Joanna L. Keating-Velasco.  Inside this book the reader meets Chelsea, a young girl with autism and shows how Chelsea struggles to fit in and play with other children.  Young children with Autism or Asperger’s may relate to a lot of what Chelsea feels, too.  For children of all ages.

·       All about my Brother – Sarah Peralta.  Written and illustrated by an eight year old, little Sarah Peralta presents to the world an honest account of life with her brother who has autism.  From his quirky habits to his unique ways of communication, this book is a must for siblings who are dealing with an autistic brother or sister.   

Yes, children with special needs have unique perspectives to the world and anyone who has been blessed to have one touch their own lives, then you too, can begin to understand what living in their world is like. Instead of constantly reinforcing special needs children to conform to our standards, it’s nice every now and then to take a deeper look into how their world works, too.

*          *          *

Thank you to Maria for sharing her insight into using books to help students navigate their unique needs or to support kids as they learn about others who have special needs. Please feel free to share other books that you believe would be great to add to Maria's list in the comments!