#TeachersWrite Weekly Check-In #3 2021!

Welcome to our third Weekly Check-In! On Monday, Kate shared a video for us to try some play in our writing. I'm obsessed with play right now so this was perfect! I've been exploring ideas for play and just shared some of my exploration on Instagram. 

I decided I'd take Kate's three-column idea and try it with characters from the YA novel I'm drafting. I may have made it easy on myself and added a panadería for setting and jealousy for a mood because that's exactly the scene I needed to happen next. Actually, I didn't see the story headed this direction but it's perfect!

Here's what my notebook entry looked like for this exercise:

After I had the idea for the scene, I wrote it out in my notebook.

If you did the prompt from Monday, I'd love to hear how it went for you! What stories came up? Please share in the comments!

Teachers Write Weekly Check-In Agreements:

1. We respect each other and the type of writing we each do do.

2. We are positive and encourage each other.

3. We recognize and maintain this as a safe, inclusive environment for all.

4. We have fun!

Ideas for today in the comments section:

What character, setting, and mood/big idea did you play with this week?

What was the pit of your week? (The hardest part, the non-fun part?)

What was the peak of your week? (The best part, the most-fun part?)

My Weekly Check-In: This week I actually worked more on writing I'm doing about teaching and it was really cathartic. I looked over notes and anecdotes I collected throughout the year and saw a big theme emerge. I started to write about that and explored a couple of ways into what I'm writing about. It's neat to see how sometimes I need to write things a certain way to then see a different way to start.

I loved how the playful exercise from Kate helped me move forward in my YA novel. This is why it's so important! I'm very much practicing not taking myself so seriously. This might just mean I'm missing being around tons of kids all day. :)

I can't wait to hear how Teachers Write is going for you! If you have any questions or if I can help with anything, please let me know!

Ada's Violin

Title: Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay
Author: Susan Hood  
Illustrator: Sally Wern Comport 
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2016 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: From award-winning author Susan Hood and illustrator Sally Wern Comport comes the extraordinary true tale of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay, an orchestra made up of children playing instruments built from recycled trash.
Ada Ríos grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the bare essentials, it was never an option...until a music teacher named Favio Chávez arrived. He wanted to give the children of Cateura something special, so he made them instruments out of materials found in the trash. It was a crazy idea, but one that would leave Ada—and her town—forever changed. Now, the Recycled Orchestra plays venues around the world, spreading their message of hope and innovation.
What I Think: I fell in love with Ada's Violin right away and for so many reasons. I absolutely love narrative nonfiction picture books. We get to read a beautifully told story that is actually true. This book called to me because when I was in 4th grade, I signed up to play the violin in the school orchestra. Seeing a book about a violin player was very exciting. Reading about the town of Cateura in Paraguy reminded me of my friend Jennifer and her cartonera project inspired from Cartoneras in Argentina. You can read more about it here and here and watch the video below.

When I think about my own kids, I think about how lucky they are to have their basic needs met and how much they have in their lives. We still have fun being creative and have done our own version of Cain's Arcade and the cardboard challenge before. (You can watch more about this below.) We paint rocks and they turn every box that comes into our house into something. But it's so easy to not make time for things like this. Reading Ada's Violin was a good reminder to pause and be thankful for everything we have available to us and to make time for creativity and especially being creative with how we use and reuse materials in our house. 

As a mentor text, I pulled the very first line from this beautiful picture book because it stood out to me. First of all, there's some alliteration there for writers to notice. But beyond that, it's a first line that orients the reader with just a few words. There isn't much description and we don't have a lot of details but it's still easy to start to visualize the town Ada might live in. I love this is a mentor text because it's short and simple and students could try and write their own version of this opening line for their own stories, whether they are writing nonfiction, personal narrative, or any other kind of narrative. 

Snatch of Text: "Ada Rios grew up in a town made of trash."

A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem: A Dastardly Plot

Title: A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem: A Dastardly Plot 
Author: Christopher Healy
Publisher: Walden Pond Press 
Publication Date: September 25th, 2018 
Genre/Format: Historical Fiction/Middle Grade Novel 
GoodReads Summary: It's 1883—the Age of Invention! A time when great men like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Nicola Tesla, and George Eastman work to turn the country into a land of limitless opportunity.

And it all happens at the world famous Inventor’s Guild headquarters in New York City—a place where a great idea, a lot of hard work, and a little bit of luck can find you rubbing elbows with these gods of industry who will usher humanity into the future.

Unless, of course, you’re a woman.

Molly Pepper, daughter of brilliant but unknown inventor Cassandra Pepper, lives with her mother in New York. By day, they make ends meet running a pickle shop; but by night, they toil and dream of Cassandra taking her place among the most famous inventors in America.

In an attempt to find a way to exhibit Cass’s work at the World’s Fair, they break into the Inventor's Guild, where they discover a mysterious plot to destroy New York.The evidence points to the involvement of one of the world’s most famous inventors, and now it’s up to Molly, Cassandra, and a shop hand named Emmett Lee to uncover the truth—even if no one will ever know it was they who did it. 
What I Think: I already loved Christopher Healy's Hero's Guide series and how he portrayed the female characters in that series but now there is more girl power to love from him! A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem is such a fun blend of historical fiction and girl power and adventure.
     As a mentor text, there is really rich description throughout the entire book. You could easily find many examples of how word choice makes an impact on what message the writer makes. Chris describes using very specific words and he also shows readers what is happening using the five senses. As I was listening to the audiobook sample, I realized how great he described the pickle shop and how he also was able to tell us about Molly by showing us that she lives there as well. I pulled the snatch of text below that you'll also hear in the audiobook clip. I would ask writers to close their eyes and listen to the sample. Ask them to visualize as they listen. Then I would show them the snatch of text below and ask them to think about how describing the setting helps a reader and how it can even help a reader understand the character. You could even ask writers to think about their own character and draw their room or closet. This is an opportunity to think about how the room is organized (or not!) and what is found there. Then they could write a paragraph or two describing the room or setting and show readers about their character using this technique. All of this tells us about the character and is a neat way to explore a character. 
Snatch of Text: "For the most part, Pepper's Pickles looked like any of the other specialty food establishments along the bustling thoroughfare that was Thompson Street. Upon entering, customers would see barrels of fermenting cucumbers and a wooden counter stacked with murky jars of dill spears. They would smell a tang in the air from the canisters of salt and flasks of vinegar crammed onto shelves. But few took note of the tall folding screen that protected the rear half of the store from prying eyes.
     If a customer were to peek behind that screen, however - which none did without feeling the sting of a shot from Molly's Thimble Cannon - they would see a long worktable littered with springs, screws, bolts, gears, and tools of every time. And the'd see two thin beds, a stove-top, and a clothesline drooping with damp bloomers. Because the Peppers also lived in their pickle shop." (p. 5)
Audiobook Clip: Listen here.

 Here are the tour stops:

September 24th - Novel Novice

September 25th - A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust

September 26th - Unleashing Readers

September 27th - Teach Mentor Texts

September 28th - Novel Novice

September 29th - Maria’s Melange

October 1st - The Flashlight Reader

October 2nd - Nerdy Book Club

October 3rd - Book Monsters

October 3rd - Novel Novice

October 4th - Blustocking Thinking

October 5th - Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

And don't forget the giveaway! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Walden Pond Press

for sending me a copy of this book to review 

and for partnering with me for this giveaway.

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street

Title: The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street 
Author: Lindsay Currie 
Publisher: Aladdin 
Publication Date: October 10th, 2017 
Genre/Format: Mystery/Fiction/Middle Grade Novel 
GoodReads Summary: A girl unravels a centuries-old mystery after moving into a haunted house in this deliciously suspenseful mystery.

Tessa Woodward isn’t exactly thrilled to move to rainy, cold Chicago from her home in sunny Florida. But homesickness turns to icy fear when unexplainable things start happening in her new house. Things like flickering lights, mysterious drawings appearing out of nowhere, and a crackling noise she can feel in her bones.

When her little brother’s doll starts crying real tears, Tessa realizes that someone—or something—is trying to communicate with her. A secret that’s been shrouded in mystery for more than one hundred years.With the help of three new friends, Tessa begins unraveling the mystery of what happened in the house on Shady Street—and more importantly, what it has to do with her! 
What I Think: I would have loved The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street when I was in middle school! I read Mary Downing Hahn and Lois Duncan and Agatha Christie and I would have loved to have had this book to read too. 
     I love a good, spooky, ghost story but I love even more a strong main character and Tessa is exactly that. She has to move to a new place and make new friends and her house is haunted but she is super brave. Even when she's scared, she's still super strong. Tessa is the perfect example of a main character who takes matters into her own hands. She doesn't wait for things to happen, she makes them happen and I love that - as a reader and a writer.
     Character agency is a tricky thing. Writers need to make sure the story is weighing down on a character but that the character takes charge and impacts the plot at the same time. It took me a long time to figure this out. Two things helped me to zone in on this. One is to pay attention to instances when a character can easily talk things out with another character and issues can easily be resolved. If that's the case, then the character should talk it out. And the second thing, is to look for opportunities where a character can take matters into his or her hands. Instead of wallowing or worrying, have him or her take the initiative. Those are the characters readers want to follow in a story. 
     Besides having Tessa and an awesome cast of supporting characters, Peculiar Incident has a really intriguing setting. I might be a little biased seeing as I grew up north of Chicago, but I love that it's set in such a well known city and brings us to a maybe not so well known place. The setting has a certain character all of its own and it adds to the mood, making The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street a particularly creepy read!   
Snatch of Text: 
     "I shut that door when I left. I know this because I remember thinking it might stop Jonah from getting into my art supplies. Now it's open. And the air whoosing out is icy...not much warmer than the temperature inside our freezer.
     Creeping slowly, I press on the door until it's standing fully open. And that' swhen I see them. My pastels. The blue and the magenta are sitting at the base of my bed again. Only this time, so is the sketchpad I put away this morning.
     And it's open..." 
Writing Prompt: Write about a time in your life when you were scared but you figured out how to be brave and face a situation. 

Thank you to Simon and Schuster

for sending me a copy of this book to review!

The Evaporation of Sofi Snow

Title: The Evaporation of Sofi Snow 
Author: Mary Weber 
Publisher: Thomas Nelson 
Publication Date: June 6th, 2017 
Genre/Format: Sci-Fi/Novel
GoodReads Summary: Ever since the Delonese ice-planet arrived eleven years ago, Sofi's dreams have been vivid. Alien. In a system where Earth's corporations rule in place of governments and the humanoid race orbiting the moon are allies, her only constant has been her younger brother, Shilo. As an online gamer, Sofi battles behind the scenes of Earth's Fantasy Fighting arena where Shilo is forced to compete in a mix of real and virtual blood sport. But when a bomb takes out a quarter of the arena, Sofi's the only one who believes Shilo survived. She has dreams of him. And she's convinced he's been taken to the ice-planet.
     Except no one but ambassadors are allowed there.
     For Miguel, Earth's charming young playboy, the games are of a different sort. As Ambassador to the Delonese, his career has been built on trading secrets and seduction. Until the Fantasy Fight's bomb goes off. Now the tables have turned and he's a target for blackmail. The game is simple: Help the blackmailers, or lose more than anyone can fathom, or Earth can afford.
What I Think: The gamer in me really loved this book! But I especially loved that it was a book gamers and reality tv show lovers could relate to. It's such an interesting premise and world...and then Mary throws in a few twists so I just wanted to keep reading so much that I couldn't put it down. 
    As a mentor text, I love the world building but also how she shows us the characters. She layers in what they are doing, what they are thinking, and how they are feeling. It took me a lot of writing so start to pay attention to all the layers that go in to good writing. 
     I would especially pay attention to word choice and use this to show how word choice really makes a difference when it comes to descriptive writing and showing readers what is going on. This is a YA novel and I usually use the $100 word term to talk to younger writers but I think it would apply to teen writers as well. $100 words means we're using words that are more descriptive than $1 words. It's like going out for a super fancy steak dinner instead of the dollar menu at McDonald's. Which kind of writing would you want to devour? Right? It's a great metaphor and helpful as student writers think about which words they use in their description. 
Snatch of Text:  
"The floor beneath Sofi's feet shuddered, and a second later her stomach lurched as the entire level of gamer rooms began to descend. Waves rocked against the giant windows, slapping them with foam while they sank down, until all but the top three feet of glass was submerged beneath the oceanscape. She was staring into an enormous pool of water reaching higher than her head and deeper than she could swim. And so lucid she could almost see the other side." (p. 37)
Writing Prompt: Use descriptive writing to describe a fictional or real setting. Write about how Mary Weber's word choice helps you better understand the situation the character Sofi is in. 

A Boy Called Bat

Title: A Boy Called Bat 
Author: Elana K. Arnold
Illustrator: Charles Santoso  
Publisher: Walden Pond Press 
Publication Date: March 14th, 2017 
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises—some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat’s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter.

But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he’s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet. 
What I Think: I love Bat. I love Bat and his mom and his sister and his little pet baby skunk. And I love this story. Elana K. Arnold does a wonderful job of bringing them all to life. Bat is unique as any little kid and we get to see and understand him in this book. Bat really loves the baby skunk that his mom brings home and he spends the book working to take care of him and show his mom that he can be a good caretaker of a skunk. He also learns a bit about what it means to be a friend along the way too.  
     As a mentor text, I grabbed a piece of text that talks a bit about Bat's room and his house. But if you look at it closely, you'll actually see that this part seems to be about Bat's room and this system they have at their house when it's really about Bat. As readers, students can infer that Bat likes things a certain way, that he likes his room, and that his family has a specific system just for him. They can make connections between themselves and Bat. As writers, they can think about how Elana takes time to explain Bat's room but she's giving super specific information that adds to the story. This is something I've learned over time as a writer but it's still not easy to do. Writers spend a lot of time thinking about show don't tell but we have to be careful to use description that is purposeful and moves a story forward.
Snatch of Text: 
     "After finishing his snack, Bat went to his room. Bat's room was his favorite place in the whole world. In his room, Bat felt completely comfortable. Here, he knew where everything was. If something was in the wrong place, it was his own fault, because no one messed with his room but him.
     In the rest of their small house, Bat's mom and sister knew to put anything that needed to go to Bat's room in one of three baskets: his clean laundry basket, his book basket, and his miscellaneous stuff basket.
     'Miscellaneous' was a great word, and one of Bat's favorites. It meant all the extra stuff, so the miscellaneous stuff basket could have almost anything (except clean laundry and books) in it."         (p. 6-7)
Writing Prompt: Write about you or your main character's room. Think about how giving the reader a glimpse into your or your main character's room might show them who you/your main character is while still moving your story along.

The Marvels Review and Giveaway! #ad

Title: The Marvels 
Author: Brian Selznick 
Illustrator: Brian Selznick 
Publisher: Scholastic Press 
Publication Date: September 15th, 2015 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Hybrid Novel with Pictures 
GoodReads Summary: Caldecott Award winner and bookmaking trailblazer Brian Selznick once again plays with the form he invented and takes readers on a voyage!

Two seemingly unrelated stories--one in words, the other in pictures--come together. The illustrated story begins in 1766 with Billy Marvel, the lone survivor of a shipwreck, and charts the adventures of his family of actors over five generations. The prose story opens in 1990 and follows Joseph, who has run away from school to an estranged uncle's puzzling house in London, where he, along with the reader, must piece together many mysteries. 
What I Think: I'm so excited to share this book with young readers! I'm a fan of The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck and believe fans of Selznick's work will enjoy The Marvels as well. While Selznick includes his combination of drawings and prose to tell his story again, this time the majority of the drawings come first and then the bulk of the text comes at the end. I was so fascinated by the drawings and then even more intrigued by the prose because the characters are so interesting. By the end of the book, I felt so connected and in love with the characters but it happened so naturally along the way.
     As a mentor text, this book is an excellent anchor piece for looking at character development and characterization. We see especially how Joseph develops as a character and how he changes throughout the book. It's simple and subtle but remarkable at the same time.
     The Marvels is also a unique opportunity to discuss how the setting impacts the book and the characters because it is deeply woven into the progress of the story and its characters.
     Finally, the end notes are always fascinating but completely so in this instance. Discussing how the author got the idea for The Marvels and extending that to students, asking them to think about the world around them and the stories and possibility for stories around them is a powerful opportunity to help them see how they are writers. Writers need ideas...and there are ideas all over the place if we just keep our eyes open. Brian Selznick shows us what we're able to find when we do keep our eyes open. You either see it or you don't. 

There are so many mysteries to unlock in The Marvels. All readers are going to be curious as to how Joseph and the Marvels are connected! To hear some mysterious recordings by Brian Selznick, get a sneak peek at artwork from the book, and discover souvenirs from inside THE MARVELS house, check out the YOU EITHER SEE IT OR YOU DON’T tour. Can you figure out what they all mean? You either see it or you don’t.

September 7^th – TheBookSmugglers.com

September 8^th – Hypable.com

September 9^th – SuperSpaceChick.com

September 10^th – TheReadingRoom.com

September 11^th – PopWrapped.com

Brian Selznick will be out on a multi-city tour to celebrate the release of The Marvels!

Click here to find out where you can meet Brian on his tour for #THEMARVELS! 

And be sure to enter the giveaway below!

Read Together: Grades 4 - 8 
Read Alone: Grades 5 - 8 
Read With: The Real Boy by Anne Ursu, See You At Harry's by Jo Knowles, Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz, We Were Liars by E. Lockhaart 
Snatch of Text:  

Writing Prompts: Write about a time in you life when you did something scary but didn't realize you were brave until afterwards. 
Topics Covered: Family, Friendship, Mystery, Determination, Courage, Honesty 

I *heart* It:

*Thanks to Scholastic for providing

a copy of this title and the opportunity to offer a giveaway

in exchange for an honest review!*

#ad

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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! 

Just One Day

Title: Just One Day
 Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Speak
Publication Date: August 20, 2013 
 Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction
 GoodReads Summary: Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase—packed, planned, ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she’s not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life.

A book about love, heartbreak, travel, identity, and the “accidents” of fate, Just One Day shows us how sometimes in order to get found, you first have to get lost. . . and how often the people we are seeking are much closer than we know.

The first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon! 
What I Think: When I was a sophomore in high school, I toured Italy with the orchestra. It was an amazing trip that I will never forget. It's the only and only time I have ever been to Europe. While I would love to go back I'm not sure how likely it is that I'll visit again any time soon. A guided tour sets the stage for Allyson's story. I love the bit of adventure - although somewhat reckless - that encompasses this story. As I work with teachers and students on digital citizenship, there is definitely this element of discussing choices that students make on and off technology. While Allyson makes a choice to abandon her plans, her friend and the safety of the guided tour/trip that she's on, it's definitely a choice I might discuss with students. I'm certain students would be able to see how dangerous it might have been for Allyson and this seems like it could be the start of a great conversation about the decisions we - adults, teens, people - make everyday and how those decisions impact us. Some decisions are clearly more trivial than others, but all make an impact whether big small. 
      As a mentor text, this book has a great opening line and first paragraph to follow. In one sense, it offers a question that challenges a well-known literary figure and that makes a reader stop and wonder, curious to read on, wondering if the author just might be on to something no one has had the audacity to suggest. Could Shakespeare be wrong? Surely not...but maybe?
     More than that though, Gayle Forman suggests her "What if...?" thinking with readers so we can see what she's thinking here. As I write more and more, I notice myself looking at the world around me and wondering "What if...?" all the time. I look at a person, a place, a thing...and I wonder what story belong to that person, place or thing and then I wonder, "What if...?" I write fiction and non-fiction but what I truly love about fiction is that a writer can look at something and imagine a story around it and then have dinner, watch a show or go for a run and then come back and imagine a totally different story around it all over again. It's fun. It's a great feeling of possibility and creativity. I love the opening of this book as a mentor text because it reminds writers to take something solid, well-known, established, and to slither in and find a "What if...?" This would make a great mentor text to use in terms of generating ideas and/or in looking at catchy first lines.  
Read Together: Grades 8 - 12
Read Alone: Grades 9 - 12 
Read With: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot, Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
Snatch of Text: 
     "What if Shakespeare had it wrong?
     To be or not to be: that is the question. That's from Hamlet's - maybe Shakespeare's - most famous soliloquy. I had to memorize the whole speech for sophomore English, and I can still remember every word. I didn't give it much thought back then. I just wanted to get all the words right and collect my A. But what if Shakespeare - and Hamlet - were asking the wrong question? What if the real question is not whether to be, but how to be?"
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you wondered about life. It might be when you questioned someone or something or when you realized things weren't as you might have thought all along.
Topics Covered: Courage, Friendship, Love, Relationships, Trust, Curiosity, Perseverance, Honesty

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Kellee Rereads Hilda and the Midnight Giant

 

Title: Hilda and the Midnight Giant

Author: Luke Pearson

Illustrator: Luke Pearson

Publisher: Nobrow Press

Publication Date: April, 2012

Genre/Format: Fantasy/Graphic Novel

Goodreads Summary: In Hilda and the Midnight Giant, our protagonist finds her world turned upside down as she faces the prospect of leaving her snow-capped birthplace for the hum of the megalopolis, where her mother (an architect) has been offered a prestigious job. During Hilda's daily one-and-a-half hour trek to school she looks for ways to stall her mother's decision. She conspires with the beings of the mystical Blue Forest to delay the inevitable. Will they help or hinder her? More importantly, who is this mysterious Midnight Giant?

     This is the first part of the Hildafolk series, a series that follows Hilda on her many adventures and travels through the magical fjords and enchanted mountains of her birthplace as she unravels the mysteries of the supernatural world that surrounds her.

What I Think: When Hilda and the Midnight Giant was in Mr. Schu and Scope's Top 20 of 2012 and I hadn't heard of it, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Graphic novels are the most loved format in my classroom and I try to keep as up to date about them as I can. I went straight to my bookstore, ordered it, and waited patiently. When it arrived, I delved right in. On my first read, I just found the story odd and didn't find myself connecting to the story at all. I knew then and there that I needed to reread at a later date to see if my perspective changed, so when April came around again, I knew that I would be reading Hilda for "It's A-OK to Reread in April".  Like Penny Kittle says in Book Love, "Rereading is an opportunity to see more. On the first time through a novel I am trying to figure out who is who and what is happening. I'm too engaged in understanding to analyze the book well. ON a second time through, I see the whole and then the parts differently." And this was no exception with my reread of Hilda. 

     Hilda reminds me a bit of Coraline- she is independent, a bit quirky and loves rainwear. And just like Coraline, she has a fantastical world surrounding her and she doesn't even know it.  It took this second time for me to realize the magic within this story: the connection between Hilda's and the Giant's story, the love of the Giants, the magical world of Elves, and the fascinating Woffs.
     I read one review that said Hilda's fantastical world reminded them of Miyazaki's work and though I didn't see it the first time (I think I was just caught up in the oddness), I definitely saw it the second time. The Woffs reminded me most of him- silent creatures that play a small yet important role in the story.
     In the end, I am so glad that I reread Hilda so I could get the full magical experience and I definitely recommend it. 

Read Together: Grades 4 to 8

Read Alone: Grades 3 and up

Read With: Coraline by Neal Gaiman, Explorer edited by Kazu Kibuishi, The Arrival by Shaun Tan, Castle Waiting by Linda Medley

Snatch of Text: 

Mentor Text for: World Building, Paneling, Imagination/Fantasy, Predicting

Writing Prompts: Is there something that you viewed differently after reading/seeing it for the second time like I did with Hilda? If not, try rereading a story that you didn't like; see if your perspective changes. 

Topics Covered: Territory, Love, Home, Discovery, Imagination

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