tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79607015237209146362024-02-20T23:44:58.152-08:00SPELLBINDERSA Blog for librarians, authors, and educators working together to create lifelong readers.The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-47102706874121579932014-05-19T18:07:00.000-07:002014-05-19T18:07:29.731-07:00FAREWELL FROM SPELLBINDERS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome to the annual Spellbinders lunch, which actually ended up to be dinner this time around. It's the end of the year and we were all having difficulty finding a time to get together. The story of our lives lately. Carolee and Kim met up at the Flying Star and Caroline met us later at Alamosa Books.<br />
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We have loved sharing our stories and inspirations with you these past few years, but we have found it necessary to discontinue our Spellbinders Newsletter. Sadly, this will be our last issue. We are all so busy with our writing projects and our book travels that we've had to find ways to cut back our commitments. <br />
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The good news is that we will each be continuing our own individual author newsletters with some special offerings. Carolee will be creating more resources for educators and is giving a free online summer writing course beginning June 14. If you tried to sign up previously, it unfortunately didn't go through due to changes in Yahoo policies, so please try again <a href="http://eepurl.com/TmB3b">HERE</a> for Carolee's Newsletter and Writing Workshop.<br />
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If you don't get a follow up confirmation from MailChimp, contact Carolee directly by <a href="mailto:caroleedean@gmail.com" target="_blank">EMAIL.</a><br />
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Kim has an exciting new book, FORBIDDEN, coming out this fall and has tons of giveaways planned. Sign up here for <a href="http://eepurl.com/NBXon" target="_blank">Kim's Newsletter.</a><br />
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Caroline is working on the final stages of her new historical verse novel, BLUE BIRDS, coming March 2015 as well as awaiting final art for her first picture book, OVER IN THE WETLANDS, coming fall 2015.<br />
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She has recently started a newsletter which will publish 3-4 times a year. <a href="http://carolinestarrrose.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=08cfed66e18542515b38186f3&id=3cc0e44a0d" target="_blank">Sign up here to follow</a>. Other ways to keep in touch include her <a href="http://carolinestarrrose.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, <a href="http://carolinestarrrose.com/blog/" target="_blank">blog</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolineStarrRose" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/CStarrRose" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<br />
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We are also sad to announce that Alamosa Books, Albuquerque's only book store catering specifically to children and teens, is closing. They are currently offering a 30% discount on all books and merchandise, so stop on by.<br />
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Farewell to all of you. We have thoroughly enjoyed the last few years. New adventures await!!The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-42458654465560385702014-04-13T17:56:00.000-07:002014-04-13T18:30:13.416-07:00 The Secret Language of Stories Explores HAMLET - Carolee Dean FREE SUMMER CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP based on The Secret Language of Stories coming in June. Watch for details and sign up later this month.<br />
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HAMLET</div>
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Ordinary World – Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is grieving because his father has recently died. His uncle, Claudius, has married Queen Gertrude, and taken over the throne.<br />
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As the play begins, two guards have asked Horatio, a friend of Hamlet, to keep watch with them because they have lately seen a ghost roaming outside of Elsinore Castle. When the ghost appears, wearing the king's armor, the three men take this as an omen of impending military conflict. Rumor is that the Norwegian Prince, Fortinbras, has returned to Denmark to reclaim lands formerly seized by King Hamlet.<br />
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This is a good example of a story that begins with a new reality. If we go back just a little further, Hamlet's father was ruling Denmark and all was well. To Hamlet, this change of fortune would feel like the New World, but to the reader, these scenes simply establish the current situation, the new What-Is, and the reality of the moment.<br />
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Stories told in sequels or serials do this all the time. At the end of one story a new reality is established, and in the next book, this new reality becomes the Ordinary World.<br />
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Call and Response- Horatio brings Hamlet to see the ghost who proclaims that he is indeed the dead king. He tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius and asks Hamlet to seek revenge. Hamlet is reluctant to kill Claudius without proof of guilt.<br />
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Mentors, Guides and Gifts- The ghost serves the role of mentor in this story. He arms Hamlet with the truth, orders him to exact revenge, and appears again midway through the story to remind Hamlet of his mission.<br />
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Crossing- Hamlet decides to act crazy to give himself time to figure out what to do about Claudius without alerting his uncle to his true intentions.<br />
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New World- Claudius and Gertrude try to find out why Hamlet is acting so strangely. They ask two of his friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to come to Elsinore to keep an eye on him. Meanwhile, Polonius, the Lord Chamberlain, suggests that perhaps Hamlet is acting erratically because he is tormented with love for Polonius's daughter Ophelia. <br />
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Problem, Prize, and Plan- Hamlet wants to be able to prove that his uncle killed his father, and then exact his revenge if he can demonstrate Claudius's guilt. A traveling troupe of actors comes to the castle and Hamlet enlists their aid. He asks them to perform a scene reenacting the details of his father's murder.<br />
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Meanwhile, Claudius is making his own plans. He wants to find out the true reason behind Hamlet's strange behavior. Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet during a conversation with Ophelia. Hamlet tells Ophelia that all women are untrue and he wants to ban marriage. "Get thee to a nunnery," he proclaims.<br />
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This scene has caused much debate about the nature of Hamlet. Is he, in fact, continuing to try to prove his madness, or is he truly becoming unhinged?<br />
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Midpoint Attempt- The actors perform their play for the royal family. during the murder scene, Claudius jumps up and leaves the room. Hamlet believes this is the proof he needs and goes to kill Claudius.<br />
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Downtime- Hamlet finds Claudius praying. Hamlet fears that if he kills Claudius in prayer, his soul will go to heaven, and Hamlet's revenge will be incomplete.<br />
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Chase and Escape- Hamlet goes to confront his mother about her hasty marriage to Claudius. He hears someone moving behind the tapestry and stabs through the fabric with his sword, believing it to be king. It is actually Polonius.<br />
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After the death of Polonius, Claudius sends Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Unbeknownst to them, the sealed orders they are carrying contain a request from Claudius to the King of England to put Hamlet to death.<br />
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Death and Transformation- Overcome with grief at the death of her father, Polonius, Ophelia drowns herself. Her enraged brother Laertes, returns from France and Claudius convinces him that the deaths of his family members are the fault of Hamlet.<br />
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When Claudius receives a letter stating that Hamlet is returning to Denmark because his ship was attacked by pirates, he devises a plan to kill Hamlet with the help of Laertes. Laertes will challenge Hamlet to an innocent sword fight with blunted weapons, but Laertes's sword will not be blunted. Furthermore, the tip will be poisoned. If Laertes strikes Hamlet first, Hamlet will die. If Hamlet strikes first then Claudius will congratulate him with a goblet poisoned with wine.<br />
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Climax- During the sword fight, Hamlet strikes first but refuses the goblet. His mother grabs it and drinks to his honor and then dies. Laertes wounds Hamlet but he does not immediately die. Then Laertes is cut by Hamlet with his own sword. Knowing he is a doomed man, Laertes reveals that Claudius poisoned the sword as well as the goblet that killed the queen.<br />
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Reward- Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned blade and forces him to drink the rest of the wine. After exacting his revenge, Hamlet asks Laertes for forgiveness and Laertes absolves him of the deaths of his father and sister. They all hear Fortinbras, who has just returned from Poland, approaching the castle. Hamlet tells Horatio he wants Fortinbras to be king and asks Horatio to tell his story, which Horatio promises to do.<br />
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Ambassadors from England arrive with Fortinbras and report that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. Horatio promises to tell them all the tragic story of what has happened and Fortinbras orders that Hamlet be carried away with the honor due a dead soldier.<br />
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Now a new world order has been established with Fortinbras ruling Denmark. An entirely original story could begin with this new set of affairs. <br />
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At the end of any story, there is the assumption that the story continues with the new reality as the norm. Likewise, at the beginning of any story there must be the realization that the status quo has come and gone many times already, replaced by other status quos. <br />
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An interesting writing exercise is to start a story where another story has left off. Movie makers do this all the time, as do writers of fan fiction, but this is also a valuable creative writing activity for students of all ages.The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-28099841796875447692014-03-10T19:35:00.002-07:002014-03-10T19:44:04.105-07:00MACBETH AND THE TRAGIC HERO'S JOURNEY by Carolee Dean<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">Before I begin my discussion on tragic heroes, I want to let
everyone know that I will be offering a <b>FREE online writing workshop</b> beginning
June 14 based on The Secret Language of Stories. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">Details and sign up will be
available in April. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">For a breakdown of the system visit <a href="http://caroleedeanbooks.blogspot.com/p/secret-language-of-stories.html" target="_blank">my blog</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> Macbeth and the Tragic
Hero’s Journey</span></h3>
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I’m often asked if the hero’s journey plot analysis works for
all types of stories, such as those involving tragic heroes, so I thought I’d
try it out on one of the most famous tragic heroes in literature – Macbeth.
Macbeth is often taught in high school English courses during junior year,
making it a pertinent story to analyze.</div>
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A tragic hero is a character who starts out with great promise.
He is usually of noble heritage and held in high esteem by his peers, but a
tragic flaw causes a fall from grace. At some point in the story, the tragic
hero realizes he has made an irreversible error in judgement that will lead to
his doom, but he faces his demise with honor.</div>
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Plot Analysis</h4>
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<u>Ordinary World</u> – Duncan, the king of Scottland is at a
military camp when he receives the news that Macbeth and Banquo, two of his
generals, have defeated invading armies, one from Norway and one from Ireland.</div>
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<u>Call and Response</u>- On their way to meet with the king
after their victories, Macbeth and Banquo come across three witches in a moor.
The witches speak in riddles telling Macbeth that he will be made Thane of
Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland.
They also proclaim that Banquo’s offspring will rule Scotland, though he
himself will never be king. Both men are skeptical until they receive the news
that Duncan has in fact named Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth starts to wonder
if the other parts of the prophecy might be true and what would be required of
him to make it come to pass. </div>
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Macbeth starts out as brave and noble but the witches prophecy
brings out the fatal flaw that make him a tragic hero – his desire for power
and position and his ultimate willingness to do anything to succeed.</div>
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<u>Mentors, Guides & Gifts</u>- Macbeth tells his wife, Lady
Macbeth, of the witches and their
prophecy and confides his misgivings about the possibility that he might
have to commit murder to actualize the prediction. In the beginning, Lady
Macbeth shares none of his hesitation and tells him he must kill King Duncan
that very night while he is a guest in their home.</div>
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Macbeth’s reluctance and guilt are demonstrated through various
hallucinations, the first and most memorable being the famous floating dagger. Although
Macbeth does appear to have a conscience, it is not developed enough to keep
him from committing murder. When he shows hesitancy, his wife challenges his
manhood, thus propelling him to dark deeds.</div>
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<u>Crossing-</u> Macbeth gets the chamberlains drunk and then
proceeds to stab Duncan to death. The next morning he blames the chamberlains
for the murder of the king and kills them in a rage, supposedly to avenge the king’s
death. This action represents crossing a line that cannot be uncrossed. Once
the king's body is discovered, Macbeth forges ahead toward his goal, putting
aside all of his previous reservations.</div>
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<u>New World-</u> Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, flee
fearing that whoever killed their father will come after them next. This has
the result of casting suspicion on them for possibly hiring the chamberlains to
kill Duncan. All of the lords, except for Macduff, agree to name Hamlet king.
Macduff returns to his own castle rather than going to the coronation, thus
arousing suspicion and fear in Macbeth.</div>
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<u>Problem, Prize, & Plan- </u> Once Macbeth enters the world of murder and intrigue,
he must commit other murders to secure his position. Fearing the part of the
prophecy that claimed Banquo’s heirs would rule Scotland, Macbeth plots to send
men to kill both Banquo and his son, Fleance. Although Lady Macbeth encouraged
the murder of Duncan, she falters at the suggestion of more killings.</div>
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<u>Midpoint Attempt-</u> The killers are successful in murdering
Banquo, but Fleance escapes. The prize of kingship feels tentative to Macbeth
with Fleance still alive. The noblemen arrive for the banquet celebrating
Macbeth's coronation, but he becomes distraught when the ghost of Banquo
appears sitting in his chair. His bizarre behavior makes the noblemen begin to
doubt his sanity and his ability to rule Scotland.</div>
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<u>Downtime-</u> Macbeth goes to the witches for counsel and
they give him a false sense of security by telling him he will be safe until
Birnham Wood comes to Dunsinane Castle. They give further false hope by
proclaiming that Macbeth is incapable of being harmed by any man born of woman.</div>
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<u>Chase & Escape-</u> Macduff goes to England to meet up
with Prince Malcolm and ask for assistance from King Edward to fight Macbeth.
Feeling invincible, Macbeth orders his men to take over Macduff’s castle and
kill Lady Macduff as well as her children. This action marks the total moral
and mental disintegration of Macbeth since Lady Macduff and her young son are
no real threat to him. When Macduff finds out of this treachery, he swears
revenge and proceeds to Scotland with Malcolm and the English army to confront
Macbeth.</div>
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<u>Death & Transformation</u>- Lady Macbeth descends into
madness, wanders the castle, and claims she has blood on her hands that cannot
be washed away. Macbeth prepares for the coming battle feeling secure because
of the witches visions. He hears a cry and is informed that Lady Macbeth is
dead.</div>
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<u>Climax</u>- In spite of his despair, Macbeth prepares for
battle, still believing he is invincible, but when he hears that the English
are using boughs cut from Birnham Wood to shield themselves as they approach
Dunsinane Castle, he realizes that the witch’s twisted prophecies have really
hinted at his doom. While fighting Macduff, Macbeth proclaims the man cannot
kill him because no one “of woman born,” has the power to harm him. Macduff reveals
that he was not "of woman born" but was actually "untimely
ripped" from his mother's womb. He then proceeds to kill Macbeth.</div>
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<u>Reward-</u> Macduff cuts off Macbeth’s head, displaying it
like a war trophy, and proclaims Malcolm king of Scotland. Malcolm states that
he is adopting the English system of
peerage and is turning all of his thanes into earls. They are all
invited to the coronation ceremony. Everyone is a winner, except of course,
Macbeth and his wife. </div>
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In the end, everyone gets his (or her) just reward.</div>
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The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-59805533631242156682014-03-03T13:56:00.003-08:002014-03-03T13:56:55.702-08:00The Difference Between An Author and A Writer<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I’ve always thought there was a difference between an author and a writer. A big difference. And it’s more than the difference between being published and not published. For me, I really crossed the line between “writer” and “author” several years ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"> <img align="none" height="475" src="https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1376362109l/16181630.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline; height: 475px; line-height: 14px; outline: none; width: 314px;" width="314" /></span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As a freshman in college, I was pretty sure I had things figured out. I was majoring in philosophy and minoring in literature; I wanted to take creative writing but I was told I had to go through the paces of literature first before I could do creative writing exclusively. That was frustrating, but not really that big of a deal--I wanted to major in philosophy and go to law school. I didn’t really want to be a lawyer, but my dad always told me law school was an excellent education, and it sounded like an interesting challenge (clearly, I wasn’t half as smart as I thought I was). I was a hell of a debater in high school, great at public speaking and thinking on my feet. If at some point I wanted to be a lawyer, I was always pretty convinced I’d be good at it (cough, arrogance, cough).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Writing was something that I considered to be part of me. Since I was a little girl I was an obsessive writer, with the notebook collection to prove it. It was stress relief, entertainment, escapism and my idea of a fun night all rolled into one. I woke up early to write; I stayed up late after parties or studying. I wrote during classes. Every spare thought in my mind was about stories.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>But I was convinced that writing would never be a viable career. </b>Specifically because I had been told this in no uncertain terms. My advisor, my brother, the media at large. My parents never told me it wouldn’t work--only that I couldn’t expect to ever make money at it. I told myself that I was a writer in my core and nothing had stopped me thus far, nor did I need any additional money or validation. I wrote for me, and that was that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">But then I went to Scotland in my junior year. <b>The teachers I had there spoke about literature like it was love</b>; amid the damp Scottish winds, the bright yellow gorse against the gray clouded skies and the roses that bloomed through late December, there was a different attitude about life than anything I had encountered in the US. <b>The cobblestones and centuries-old buildings whispered to me that life is short, but limitless in its shine and potential</b>. The people there laughed at my American sense of capitalism, my notion that money should have anything to do with my career.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">St. Andrews, Scotland was the site of a religious mecca, and then a place of religious persecution. It hosted raids and attacks, housed the bones of a saint, and welcomed to its shores princes and scholars and scientists. At my college in the US, I felt like life was a candle in a hurricane lamp--small, essential, and contained. In Scotland, I felt like the glass covering was removed and I could step close to the candle, curl my fingers around its light and feel the heat through my hands. <b>It inspired the greatest passion and the greatest commitment to that passion that I’ve ever felt. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Life may be short, but it’s wondrous and dazzling and you can feel that by living your passions, committing to your dreams. I think that’s the difference between a writer and an author. <b> A writer is someone who can use her words well, but an author is a writer with a vocation.</b> A calling. A commitment. I ended up living for almost four years in Scotland, and I learned how to leave doubt behind. I learned how to be an author, and not just a writer.</span></span></div>
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<br /><em><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.acgaughen.com/" style="color: #336699;" target="_self">A.C. Gaughen</a> has been a concierge, a personal shopper, a handbag saleswoman, a wrapper (often and understandably confused with the homonym without a “w”), a call center phone-line answerer, a tour guide for the Commonwealth, a blogger, a writer of research articles like “How to Grind with a Boy”, and, most memorably, someone who couldn’t hang a shirt on a hanger correctly. Through all of these, however, she’s also been the young adult author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scarlet-A-C-Gaughen/dp/0802734243/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y" style="color: #336699;" target="_self">SCARLET</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Thief-A-Scarlet-Novel/dp/0802736149" style="color: #336699;" target="_self">LADY THIEF</a>, with Bloomsbury/Walker.</span></em></div>
The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-41144601397605892112014-02-09T20:41:00.002-08:002014-02-09T20:42:15.678-08:00HOT PLOTS - ROMEO AND JULIET by Carolee Dean<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Students all around the country read <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> their Freshman year of high school. One of the factors that has made this such a classic and enduring story is the strength of Shakespeare's plot. This month I'm using The Secret Language of Stories (SLOS) to analyze this timeless tale.<br />
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As always, you may find a full description of SLOS on <a href="http://caroleedeanbooks.blogspot.com/p/secret-language-of-stories.html" target="_blank">my blog</a>.<br />
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<u>The Ordinary World</u> – In the streets of Verona, a fight breaks out between servants of the Capulets and Montagues establishing the long time feud between the two families. Prince Escalus decrees death for anyone who disturbs the peace. Meanwhile, Romeo Montague is despondent because Rosaline does not love him, and at the Capulet estate, Paris asks Capulet for permission to marry his daughter Juliet.<br />
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<u>Call and Response</u>- Capulet sends a servant out to invite guests to a feast, but the servant cannot read the guest list and asks Romeo for assistance. When Romeo sees Rosaline's name, he decides to crash the party. His friend Benvolio hopes Romeo will realize there are other beautiful women in Verona, but Romeo only agrees to go because he wants to see Rosaline. All of that changes when he meets Juliet. He dances with her and they kiss before he realizes she is the daughter of his father’s enemy. The “Call to Adventure” is represented by the inner stirrings of love felt by both Romeo and Juliet. They face their reluctance to get involved during the famous balcony scene where Juliet debates the meaning of a name, "Deny thy father and refuse thy name;/ Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,/And I'll no longer be a Capulet" (II.ii.38-40).<br />
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<u>Crossing</u>- Romeo climbs an orchard wall to arrive at Juliet’s balcony where they both profess their love. When Juliet expresses her concern for Romeo's safety, he replies, “I am no pilot, yet, wert though as far/ As that vast shore washed with the farthest sea,/ I would adventure for such merchandise” (II.ii.88-99). These lines show how the outward expression of crossing over into the New World may look like a simple gesture (i.e. climbing a wall) while inwardly it represents a great journey.<br />
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<u>Mentors, Guides, and Gifts</u>- Juliet’s nurse offers advice and guidance to Juliet throughout the play and helps to procure a ladder after the wedding so Romeo can gain access to Juliet's bedroom. Friar Laurence counsels Romeo, performs the forbidden wedding ceremony, and helps Juliet devise the plan at the end of the story that unintentionally results in the death of the two lovers.<br />
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<u>New World</u>- Although Romeo and Juliet both remain in Verona for the first half of the story, their situations are irrevocably altered and their perceptions changed because of forbidden love.<br />
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<u>Problem, Prize, and Plan</u>- The problem these two lovers face is that they want to be together, but their families are sworn enemies. They plan to get married with the aid of Friar Laurence and Juliet's nurse.<br />
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<u>Midpoint Attempt</u>- Romeo marries Juliet in secret and it appears that he has won his prize. He plans to come to Juliet that night and they part, but soon after, Tybalt sees Romeo and challenges him to a duel. Tybalt is still angry about Romeo crashing the Capulet's party. Romeo refuses to fight because Tybalt is now his kinsman. Mercutio doesn’t understand Romeo's reluctance and he fights Tybalt himself. Tybalt kills Mercutio. Romeo then flies into a rage and kills Tybalt. The Prince responds by banishing Romeo from Verona forever.<br />
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<u>Downtime</u>- Romeo spends the night with Juliet and they consummate their marriage.<br />
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<u>Chase and Escape</u>: The next morning Romeo flees the city. Juliet’s father, upset by the death of Tybalt, has arranged for her to marry Paris in three days. Juliet then seeks out Friar Laurence in pursuit of an escape. He concocts a plan for her to take a potion that will make her appear dead. She will then be free to join Romeo. Friar Laurence sends Friar John to find Romeo with a message outlining the plan, but John gets detained and Romeo never receives the letter.<br />
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<u>Death and Transformation</u>- Juliet arrives at home and discovers the wedding has been moved up. She takes the potion and her nurse finds her body the next morning. Juliet is then placed in the family crypt.<br />
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<u>Climax</u>- When Romeo hears that Juliet has died, he buys poison from an apothecary. He then races back to Verona. When he sees Paris scattering flowers outside of Juliet's tomb, they fight and Romeo kills Paris. Romeo then enters the tomb, takes the poison, and dies at Juliet's side. When Juliet awakens and realizes that Romeo has perished, she kisses his poisoned lips. When this fails to kill her, she stabs herself in the heart with his dagger.<br />
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<u>Reward</u>- Although this story is a tragedy, there is still a reward of sorts. The Capulets and Montagues arrive at the graveyard. Monague's wife has died of grief over the banishment of Romeo. When the two men see their dead children’s bodies, they agree to stop their feud and raise gold statues of the two lovers in Verona as a memorial of their love.<br />
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NOTE: If you are using this play with your students, you may want to have them create a modern parody by replacing each section of the plot with experiences from contemporary life. For example, teens could explore situations that pit groups against each other such as rivalries between gangs, schools, and sports teams. The story could even take place at the Olympic Games with team members from two rivaling countries falling in love. Although taking poison seems like a melodramatic (and unrealistic) way to fake one's death, there might be other examples from modern experience such as taking part in the witness protection program or pretending to die in a car crash or fire. Students don't have to write a story. Just brainstorming the possibilities helps them to connect the story to their own experiences.The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-39220312388005128672014-02-07T15:39:00.004-08:002014-02-07T15:39:54.921-08:00CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS: MAY B. BY CAROLINE STARR ROSE + GIVEAWAY<div style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img align="none" height="371" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/920ac15cdae826bddb68e22f4/images/May_B._cover_jpeg52d642.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline; height: auto; line-height: 14px; outline: none;" width="250" /> </span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;"><strong>age range</strong>: middle grade<br /><strong>setting</strong>: 1870s Kansas frontier<br /><a href="http://www.carolinestarrrose.com/Caroline_Starr_Rose/For_Teachers_files/May%20B%20study%20guide%20PDF.pdf" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;">May B. study guide</a><br /><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/resource/may-b/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; line-height: 17.27272605895996px; outline: none; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;">May B. book talk</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOdvfZeL_10" style="color: #336699;" target="_self">May B. book trailer</a></span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">School Library Journal review:</span></u></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Told in spare, vivid verse, May’s story works on many levels; as a survival story, a coming-of-age tale, and a worthwhile next read for “Little House on the Prairie” fans.</span></em></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Publisher's Weekly starred review:</span></u></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Writing with compassion and a wealth of evocative details, Rose offers a memorable heroine and a testament to the will to survive. </span></em></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hornbook review:</span></u></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The verse novel form is particularly well suited to this spare survival story set on the homesteaded Kansas prairie. Rose uses a close-up lens and a fine sense of rhythm to draw us into her stark world, Little House on the Prairie without the coziness. </span></em></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kirkus starred review:</span></u></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As unforgiving as the western Kansas prairies, this extraordinary verse novel—Rose’s debut—paints a gritty picture of late-19th-century frontier life from the perspective of a 12-year-old dyslexic girl named Mavis Elizabeth Betterly… May B. for short.</span></em></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please tell us about your book.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mavis Elizabeth Betterly, or May B. as she is known, is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead, “Just until Christmas,” says her Pa. Twelve-year-old May wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by fifteen long, unfamiliar miles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned to the oncoming winter, trapped all alone in a tiny snow-covered sod house without any way to let her family know and no neighbors to turn to. In her solitude, she wavers between relishing her freedom and succumbing to utter despair, while trying to survive in the harshest conditions. Her physical struggle to first withstand and then to escape her prison is matched by tormenting memories of her failures at school. Only a very strong girl will be able to stand up to both and emerge alive and well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In this debut novel written in gripping verse, Caroline Starr Rose has given readers a new heroine to root for, one who never, ever gives up.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What inspired you to write this story?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because of my childhood love for the Little House on the Prairie series, I wanted to create my own strong pioneer girl. I was also curious how someone might write about solitude and challenged myself to experiment with a storyline that would confine one character to a limited space (believe me, there were many times I didn’t feel up to this challenge!). I’d also fallen hard for Gary Paulsen’s HATCHET and wanted to create a survival story told from a girl’s perspective.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">May’s name, Mavis Elizabeth Betterly, came to me before I did any character development. I liked the way I could shorten Mavis Betterly to May B. and loved the way her name hinted at the wishy-washy word “maybe” (which is a word like mediocre or okay; it doesn’t carry a lot of conviction), but also contained the strong word “better”. Though I wasn’t quite sure of the specifics, I determined there had to be something in May’s life that made her feel mediocre, something she longed to do better and something that spoke not only to her lack of ability but also her sense of worth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a teacher, I’d always wondered how children with learning disabilities had fared at a time before their challenges were understood, especially in the days when recitation and reading aloud were the major means of instruction. Dyslexia became a perfect obstacle for a child striving to do better and mirrored nicely May B.’s theme of isolation.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching? </span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My first attempt at writing had been historical fiction, and I learned from that disastrous manuscript that regardless of the history, the story had to belong to the character; I couldn’t beat historical facts into my readers’ heads. I went into May B. trusting that if I kept my protagonist’s perspective and understanding of her world, enough history would organically seep in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One special challenge was locating where May’s sod house stood. There’s a reference in the story to THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER, so the book had to take place in 1876 or later. I wanted her in a part of western Kansas that wasn’t very developed and was semi-close to a railroad. It was also necessary to have wolves around. The first place I located May was outside of Dodge City, where she would have been smack dab in the middle of the Chisolm Cattle Trail -- not exactly the solitude I was looking for (I also wasn’t interested in telling the sort of rowdy cowboy story that Dodge City brings to mind). The story couldn’t take place much beyond 1880 because in order to have wolves, buffalo still needed to be prevalent; by 1880 these animals were largely wiped out. Gove County, Kansas became a good location: the railroad (and therefore surrounding communities) was still relatively new but old enough to have been there before 1880; the short-grass country of western Kansas supported sod houses; and wolves, while not spotted everyday, would have still roamed in packs at this time.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What are some special challenges associated with writing a verse novel?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">May B. didn’t start as a novel in verse. I poked around with some scenes in prose but quickly found the writing wasn’t right. I wasn’t close enough to the character. I wasn’t telling the story as honestly as I could. Continuing with my research, I picked up Elizabeth Hamsten’s Read This Only to Yourself: The Private Writings of Midwestern Women, 1880-1910. Reading these women’s first-hand accounts was like finding a magic formula: their stark, terse, matter-of-fact way of sharing their lives showed me May’s voice. I began writing again, this time in verse, and the story fell into place.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?</span></strong></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">the frontier era</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">pioneers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Kansas history</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">one-room schoolhouses</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">learning disabilities</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">blizzards</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">survival / isolation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">shame / self-worth</span></li>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Giveaway</strong><br />In celebration of May's recent paperback release, I'm giving away one signed copy. To enter, please </span><a href="mailto:carolinestarr@yahoo.com" style="color: #336699;" target="_self"><span style="color: black;">email Caroline</span></a><span style="color: black;"> your mailing address with "May B." in the subject line. The winner will be announced in next month's Classroom Connections.</span></span>The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-75066475495853133802014-02-02T19:00:00.005-08:002014-02-02T19:01:14.047-08:00Writing Resolutions<br />
For our first feature article of 2014, Spellbinders asked some of our author friends what their writing resolutions are for the upcoming year. Check these out. You may find a few you want to adopt for yourself.<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Fairies-True-Story-Shirley-Raye-Redmond-2012-Paperback/00/$T2eC16N,!ygE9s7HHqqEBRW5KuOltg~~_35.JPG?set_id=89040003C1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Fairies-True-Story-Shirley-Raye-Redmond-2012-Paperback/00/$T2eC16N,!ygE9s7HHqqEBRW5KuOltg~~_35.JPG?set_id=89040003C1" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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Shirley Raye Redmond<br />
<a href="http://www.shirleyrayeredmond.com/">www.shirleyrayeredmond.com</a><br />
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<b>S</b> is for Social Media—I will make use of Amazon’s Author Central, Good Reads author page and Facebook, although this is just not my sort of thing. I’d rather be writing!<br />
<b>M</b> is for Marketing—I will spend at least 30 minutes each day actively marketing my titles by contacting libraries, bloggers, bookstores and appropriate museum gift shops, etc. I’m even considering contacting photography shops about carrying my FAIRIES: A TRUE STORY (Random House) as it is about a photographic hoax.<br />
<b>A</b> is for Achievable—I have set a realistic goal of writing at least 1000 polished words per day.<br />
<b>R</b> is for Reading—I will make time to read books, blogs, and pertinent magazines.<br />
<b>T</b> is for Time Sensitive—I will take all deadlines seriously, even my own self-imposed ones.<br />
<b>E</b> is for Exercise—I will strive to take 10,000 steps a day (I wear a pedometer) so as not to come down with repetitive use injuries and other aches and pains caused by too much sitting.<br />
<b>R</b> is for Revision--I will not resent it, but learn to relish it.<br />
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Betsy James<br />
<a href="http://listeningatthegate.com/">http://listeningatthegate.com</a><br />
<a href="http://betsyjames.com/" target="_blank">http://betsyjames.com </a> <br />
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I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I make resolutions about every three months, when I nuke yet again the piles of books and papers and swear that next time I won’t let the piles get overwhelming. As if. Recently I did make a resolution-like decision, though. I can’t print it here because there’s a curse word in it. It goes something like, “From 9 to 12 in the morning, drop everything, including &%$#, and write.” I suppose I could have printed that as e***l. It is the curse.<br />
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Judith Schiess Avila<br />
<a href="http://www.judithavila.com/">www.JudithAvila.com</a><br />
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It was a huge relief seeing the ball drop on 2013. My 90-year-old father died in April, 2013, leaving our family deprived of his gruff strength and humor. My amazing little sister was diagnosed with breast cancer that same month. So was one of my best friends. My two wonderful, longtime dog companions both died. And I loaned my new truck to a friend who totaled it in a freak rain-related accident. So, plowing ahead in my old Subaru, I found comfort watching 2013 grow smaller and disappear in the rearview mirror.<br />
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Sometime during 2014, I hope to get my sanity back. Last year I wrote virtually nothing, using travels with my book Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir by One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII as an excuse. But I have learned that writing brings me happiness, focus, and (I hope) sanity.<br />
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This year I vow to be present in every minute. When a news item catches my eye, I will tell myself, Wow! This could be a story. What if… When my friends relate funny or touching incidents, I will examine them for story potential and again ask myself, What if… When I see an inspiring movie or read a fascinating book, I’ll take it further – great tale, but what if… Everything that passes the “what if” test by making my imagination soar will be captured in my computer journal. And when I am asked to write something, I will never say I’m too busy.<br />
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These few short paragraphs are a start.<br />
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Kersten Hamilton<br />
<a href="http://home.comcast.net/~kerstenhamilton/" target="_blank">Kersten's website</a><br />
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I'm giving up on social media for 2014. No Twitter, no Facebook, no blog. I'm going to take the time I would have spent on social media and spend it writing instead.<br />
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<b>And here are two resolutions from the Spellbinders:</b><br />
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Caroline Starr Rose<br />
<a href="http://www.carolinestarrrose.com/">www.carolinestarrrose.com</a><br />
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Keep plugging away! If I look at the big picture, I tend to freak out. Day by day, bird by bird makes it feel doable.<br />
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Carolee Dean<br />
<a href="http://caroleedeanbooks.blogspot.com/">http://caroleedeanbooks.blogspot.com</a><br />
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I plan to be more active on social media - Twitter (@CaroleeJDean), Facebook, and my blog, so I can stay connected with readers. At the same time, I don't want it to become a huge time suck, so I plan to do a little something each Sunday and spend the rest of the week writing books. Its funny that this is exactly the opposite of Kersten's resolution above.<br />
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The bottom line is do something, shake it up, keep it fresh. That's what writing is all about.<br />
Now go out there and make it a great 2014The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-30128118365716208262014-01-27T06:08:00.002-08:002014-01-27T06:08:11.868-08:00CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS: MAY B. BY CAROLINE STARR ROSE + GIVEAWAY<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<img align="none" height="371" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/920ac15cdae826bddb68e22f4/images/May_B._cover_jpeg52d642.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline; height: auto; line-height: 14px; outline: none;" width="250" /> </div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><strong>age range</strong>: middle grade<br /><strong>setting</strong>: 1870s Kansas frontier<br /><a href="http://www.carolinestarrrose.com/Caroline_Starr_Rose/For_Teachers_files/May%20B%20study%20guide%20PDF.pdf" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;">May B. study guide</a><br /><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/resource/may-b/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px; outline: none; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;">May B. book talk</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOdvfZeL_10" style="color: #336699;" target="_self">May B. book trailer</a></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><u>School Library Journal review:</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><em>Told in spare, vivid verse, May’s story works on many levels; as a survival story, a coming-of-age tale, and a worthwhile next read for “Little House on the Prairie” fans.</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><u>Publisher's Weekly starred review:</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><em>Writing with compassion and a wealth of evocative details, Rose offers a memorable heroine and a testament to the will to survive. </em></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><u>Hornbook review:</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><em>The verse novel form is particularly well suited to this spare survival story set on the homesteaded Kansas prairie. Rose uses a close-up lens and a fine sense of rhythm to draw us into her stark world, Little House on the Prairie without the coziness. </em></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><u>Kirkus starred review:</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><em>As unforgiving as the western Kansas prairies, this extraordinary verse novel—Rose’s debut—paints a gritty picture of late-19th-century frontier life from the perspective of a 12-year-old dyslexic girl named Mavis Elizabeth Betterly… May B. for short.</em></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><strong>Please tell us about your book.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Mavis Elizabeth Betterly, or May B. as she is known, is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead, “Just until Christmas,” says her Pa. Twelve-year-old May wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by fifteen long, unfamiliar miles.</span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned to the oncoming winter, trapped all alone in a tiny snow-covered sod house without any way to let her family know and no neighbors to turn to. In her solitude, she wavers between relishing her freedom and succumbing to utter despair, while trying to survive in the harshest conditions. Her physical struggle to first withstand and then to escape her prison is matched by tormenting memories of her failures at school. Only a very strong girl will be able to stand up to both and emerge alive and well. </span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">In this debut novel written in gripping verse, Caroline Starr Rose has given readers a new heroine to root for, one who never, ever gives up.</span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><strong>What inspired you to write this story?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Because of my childhood love for the Little House on the Prairie series, I wanted to create my own strong pioneer girl. I was also curious how someone might write about solitude and challenged myself to experiment with a storyline that would confine one character to a limited space (believe me, there were many times I didn’t feel up to this challenge!). I’d also fallen hard for Gary Paulsen’s HATCHET and wanted to create a survival story told from a girl’s perspective.</span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">May’s name, Mavis Elizabeth Betterly, came to me before I did any character development. I liked the way I could shorten Mavis Betterly to May B. and loved the way her name hinted at the wishy-washy word “maybe” (which is a word like mediocre or okay; it doesn’t carry a lot of conviction), but also contained the strong word “better”. Though I wasn’t quite sure of the specifics, I determined there had to be something in May’s life that made her feel mediocre, something she longed to do better and something that spoke not only to her lack of ability but also her sense of worth.</span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">As a teacher, I’d always wondered how children with learning disabilities had fared at a time before their challenges were understood, especially in the days when recitation and reading aloud were the major means of instruction. Dyslexia became a perfect obstacle for a child striving to do better and mirrored nicely May B.’s theme of isolation.</span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><strong>Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching? </strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">My first attempt at writing had been historical fiction, and I learned from that disastrous manuscript that regardless of the history, the story had to belong to the character; I couldn’t beat historical facts into my readers’ heads. I went into May B. trusting that if I kept my protagonist’s perspective and understanding of her world, enough history would organically seep in.</span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">One special challenge was locating where May’s sod house stood. There’s a reference in the story to THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER, so the book had to take place in 1876 or later. I wanted her in a part of western Kansas that wasn’t very developed and was semi-close to a railroad. It was also necessary to have wolves around. The first place I located May was outside of Dodge City, where she would have been smack dab in the middle of the Chisolm Cattle Trail -- not exactly the solitude I was looking for (I also wasn’t interested in telling the sort of rowdy cowboy story that Dodge City brings to mind). The story couldn’t take place much beyond 1880 because in order to have wolves, buffalo still needed to be prevalent; by 1880 these animals were largely wiped out. Gove County, Kansas became a good location: the railroad (and therefore surrounding communities) was still relatively new but old enough to have been there before 1880; the short-grass country of western Kansas supported sod houses; and wolves, while not spotted everyday, would have still roamed in packs at this time.</span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><strong>What are some special challenges associated with writing a verse novel?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">May B. didn’t start as a novel in verse. I poked around with some scenes in prose but quickly found the writing wasn’t right. I wasn’t close enough to the character. I wasn’t telling the story as honestly as I could. Continuing with my research, I picked up Elizabeth Hamsten’s Read This Only to Yourself: The Private Writings of Midwestern Women, 1880-1910. Reading these women’s first-hand accounts was like finding a magic formula: their stark, terse, matter-of-fact way of sharing their lives showed me May’s voice. I began writing again, this time in verse, and the story fell into place.</span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><strong>What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?</strong></span></div>
<ul style="background-color: white;">
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">the frontier era</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">pioneers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Kansas history</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">one-room schoolhouses</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">learning disabilities</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">blizzards</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">survival / isolation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">shame / self-worth</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Giveaway</strong><br />In celebration of May's recent paperback release, I'm giving away one signed copy. To enter, please </span><a href="mailto:carolinestarr@yahoo.com" style="color: #336699;" target="_self"><span style="color: black;">email Caroline</span></a><span style="color: black;"> your mailing address with "May B." in the subject line. The winner will be announced in next month's Classroom Connections.</span></span>The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-33461437227202537632014-01-19T07:00:00.000-08:002014-01-19T18:31:46.839-08:00Countdown to ALA Newbery 2014 Winners! <div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">COUNTDOWN
TO ALA NEWBERY 2014 WINNERS! </span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="mso-ignore: vglayout;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzA6U3ww813X4w7ETrN_81DMvDRvm5g-JzAwGIAoEWdhMUd8Yyv3xmVKWNKDMW0qS7FayjtyRb-TVbtHGUv8biIOg7vb46UkjTQkMmWvrnMAl27gXixO60Ih3mJuSQmUfDmN13Q4Gq8RY/s1600/newbery+medal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzA6U3ww813X4w7ETrN_81DMvDRvm5g-JzAwGIAoEWdhMUd8Yyv3xmVKWNKDMW0qS7FayjtyRb-TVbtHGUv8biIOg7vb46UkjTQkMmWvrnMAl27gXixO60Ih3mJuSQmUfDmN13Q4Gq8RY/s1600/newbery+medal.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="mso-ignore: vglayout;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many schools and libraries put
together Mock Newbery Award book clubs, rallying their students to read the
books that are getting “winner buzz” each year and then putting together
discussion groups to talk about the books they’ve read.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In December or January, ballots are
assembled and the students can vote on their favorites and see which book “won”
that year’s Mock Newbery Award. Sound like fun? It is!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here are a few links for more
information to get started at your school:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0014HzinsjIXSicSXK-ZcZnOUSueF6OnEmHwg0lV6XIcGjMeTXFl7O_clr2ONzyfMQOs2bjpeYQx2A4fA3CI2gWQiwX5BygysirgDcxldEiiB_XRi5ENqsZEanHvdoEWDADWoEtAq-COsImAo3HGP-6lL-6t4Jch6v7ligPrF1LL2Y=" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Newbery Book Club</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0014HzinsjIXSi5YSZ-ydL9q2oKzL4gYt6RqVcEFKVakjnxhIIy3JNghQUQvFHvQYIUQjvmxYPuUvo-VFSaURxrT1_ZluuUv9Pta2ccWlp_NvOxUZKpCCjy08kN3zDeDZbFIIG65dPNdjE=" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eva Perry Mock Newbery</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0014HzinsjIXSi9foqvGjb5_OkXVYmCtt-KOjl-ANXo67_gNlspufEGyofIFmfjACeZMWISZ4OhUQbg4pyR6jQN28KLiJVHp1AhVuhFcm5f7y9S8LS3Pn5kXw==" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ACPL Mock Newbery and
General Children’s Book Site</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you’re on </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank" title="Goodreads"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Goodreads</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,
there is a forum filled with librarians, teachers and readers, who discuss
books all year long as books are published. They discuss the pros and cons
about each title’s potential as a Newbery Medal contender.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve often learned about new books
that I’ve missed, and I enjoy the conversation about good books in these
forums.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/16663-mock-newbery-2014" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Newbery 2014 Discussion
Groups on Goodreads (all the boards are at this link and it’s super easy to
join – just one click at the top left!)</span></b></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In case you’ve been a bit swamped
with lesson plans or life (who isn’t?!), here are a few of the books (down
below!) folks have been buzzing about all year long as potential Newbery winners.
(We’re focusing on the Newbery since this is a Middle-Grade Savvy Site. Of
course, all the awards from Picture Books through the Young Adult Printz Award
are at the links below.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let us know which are your favorites
for the 2014 Newbery Medal, and don’t forget to watch the </span><a href="http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2014/01/ala-announce-next-classics-children-s-and-young-adult-literature-and-media" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ALA Newbery Broadcast
next Monday, January 27th. (This link takes you to a full page from ALA with
all the info and details!)</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Information about how to log in and
watch it LIVE is right here: </span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/alayma14" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Live ALA Youth Media
Awards Broadcast (This is a direct link to the *live* broadcast Monday morning
at 8:00 a.m. ET).</span></b></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just
a *few* titles – and there is NO predicting what will happen!</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0jmIzuMDgz9If4bEX8DpCIsS8_osjuO0MNrLgvhYfFyDmig6E2HfmzY34rChBst8gpeMVwhyphenhyphenhtevXFqKqXvm4N-VXSA2Mw2KVLQDFKggDZANbrkqlGMpV6GvkNZbweXAvQ3tRgDiM7M/s1600/Counting+by+7s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0jmIzuMDgz9If4bEX8DpCIsS8_osjuO0MNrLgvhYfFyDmig6E2HfmzY34rChBst8gpeMVwhyphenhyphenhtevXFqKqXvm4N-VXSA2Mw2KVLQDFKggDZANbrkqlGMpV6GvkNZbweXAvQ3tRgDiM7M/s1600/Counting+by+7s.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kimberley Griffiths Little’s next
Middle Grade novel, THE TIME OF THE FIREFLIES, will publish July, 2014 by
Scholastic. (Her Young Adult debut, FORBIDDEN, launches November 2014 with
Harpercollins). You can find her hanging out a lot on </span></i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/kimberleygriffithslittle" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Facebook.</span></i></a><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Enjoy Teacher’s Guides, Mother/Daughter Book Club Guides,
and “filmed on location” book trailers at her </span></i><a href="http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">website.</span></i><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-81268645918360941862014-01-12T14:44:00.001-08:002014-01-12T14:45:30.467-08:00The Secret Language of Stories Explores I AM LEGEND posted by Carolee Dean<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy New Year Everyone! First off, the winners of the FIERCE READS TOUR Book Giveaway have all been notified. They were Chris Victor, Mindy Holt, Karen Douglas and Elizabeth. If you have not already received your fabulous book prizes, please contact me by <a href="mailto:caroleedean@yahoo.com" target="_blank">email</a>.</div>
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For the 2013-14 school year I have been using my twelve step story
analysis method to outline popular books and movies. This month I’m reviewing one of my favorite movies, <i>I Am Legend. </i>It is a true classic.<i> </i>Before we get started, if you aren’t
familiar with my plot analysis system, check out The Secret Language of Stories at <a href="http://caroleedeanbooks.blogspot.com/p/secret-language-of-stories.html" target="_blank">Carolee Dean Books</a>.</div>
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The 2007 film, <i>I Am
Legend</i>, featuring Will Smith, is based loosely on a 1954 novel by Richard Matheson
with the same title. The novel greatly influenced the zombie genre and the concept
of apocalyptic disease. In addition to the 2007 movie, other film versions
include <i>The Last Man on Earth </i>(1964)
and <i>The Omega Man</i> (1971) starring
Charlton Heston. The novel also inspired the movie, <i>Night of the Living Dead </i>(1968), and reportedly influenced the
writing of Stephen King.</div>
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When I talk to students about story plots, I always begin by discussing the OLD WORLD and the NEW WORLD. The before and after contrasts in <i>I
Am Legend </i>are stark. The movie begins with a TV interview of Dr. Alice
Krippin (Emma Thompson) a doctor who has found the cure for cancer in a
genetically engineered form of measles she created. The film then cuts to a
scene occurring years later in downtown NYC where virologist Robert Neville
hunts deer because wild animals have returned to the now nearly uninhabited
city.</div>
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Neville is the only survivor of a deadly virus caused from Kripin’s
measles cure. The mutated strain has turned most of the population into rabid vampire-like
predators. They are called Darkseekers because they cannot expose themselves to
light, forcing them to hunt at night. As a product of their ruthless hunting
practices, Neville appears to be the only person left alive. </div>
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The film handles the contrasts between the OLD and NEW
WORLDS in interesting ways. Trying to deal with his desperate loneliness and wanting
to continue some semblance of a normal routine, Neville watches old newscasts
he has recorded. It is through these newscasts, as well as a series of
flashbacks, that the OLD WORLD, and the details of the rise of the deadly virus,
is revealed. </div>
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But the abandoned city isn’t the only New World explored in the
story. In fact, the first part of the movie establishes Neville’s new routine
in what has become his post apocalyptic “ordinary world.” He gets up every day,
does his exercise routine, feeds his dog, Sam, watches the “old” news, and goes
to the video store where he interacts with the mannequins he has placed around
the store. He has even given the mannequins names, attesting to his desperate
loneliness and the fact that everyone else has either died or become a Darkseeker. </div>
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Neville has recorded a radio broadcast offering food and
shelter to any remaining survivors. He instructs them to meet him at the South
Street Seaport at midday. Therefore, part of his daily routine includes hitting
golf balls into the ocean while he waits at the Seaport for anyone else who has
survived the plague and may have heard his message. He also checks on the
status of the rabid rats he has injected with various serums made from his
immune blood. As he searches for a cure, he creates video documentation of his
research. It’s a pretty full routine, but he still finds time to hunt deer with
his loyal dog, Sam.</div>
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Neville does not appear to have any MENTORS or GUIDES to
help him, even in the flashbacks. The GIFTS he acquires to assist him on his
quest for survival are items he finds randomly searching the apartments of the
dead. He is so alone, he asks for advice and guidance from the mannequins. It
is this lack of assistance and absence of any human contact that helps create
the mood of isolation, loneliness and despair that pervades the movie</div>
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The CALL TO ADVENTURE occurs when Sam follows a deer into an
abandoned building. Neville is reluctant to enter, calling to his dog, trying desperately
to get her to come out. He finally goes inside after her, sweating profusely,
aiming his rifle at anything that moves in the darkness. The deer they were
hunting has been killed and dragged through the building full of Darkseekers.
Neville stumbles upon a group of them huddled together like bees in a hive. At
this point he finds Sam and runs for his life, barely escaping the vicious undead.</div>
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The next day, Neville gathers supplies and returns to the
abandoned building where he sets a trap and captures one of the Darkseekers, a
female, for his research. The CROSSING OVER in this story occurs when Neville
brings the creature home. This action sets in motion a chain of events that
changes the course of the story.</div>
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The PROBLEM is established at the very beginning of the
movie. Almost all of the world’s population has been decimated by the killer
virus. The PRIZE that virologist Robert Neville seeks is a cure. His PLAN is to
keep working on different variations of his serum until he discovers one that
reverses the effects of KV (the Krippin Virus). One of the mixtures shows
promise in a rat and so Neville uses it to inject the woman. His first ATTEMPT
at the MIDPOINT of the movie seems to fail when the creature tries to break
free from her restraints to attack him, but Neville is able to sedate her and keep her on ice
to lower her elevated body temperature.</div>
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After his failed attempt with the serum, Neville takes some
DOWNTIME to regroup and come up with another plan, but a major twist occurs
when Neville goes out hunting with Sam and sees that one of the mannequins he
previously placed in the video store is now standing in front of the Grand
Central Terminal. Completely derailed by this image, and perhaps fearing for
his sanity, he goes to investigate and is knocked out when he hits his head on the ground as
he is caught in a trap similar to the one he set for the Darkseekers.</div>
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As it nears dusk, Neville’s watch alarm goes off and wakes
him up. He is able to cut himself down from the cable ensnaring his leg, but
vicious Darkseeker dogs CHASE him and one of them bites Sam. Neville takes his
companion home and tries to inject her with the serum, but it’s too late and
Sam begins the metamorphosis. Neville is forced to strangle Sam to
death as she turns on him. </div>
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Sam was the only friend Neville had left. He goes through a
crisis of the soul and chooses to face DEATH to wait for the Darkseekers that
night at the Seaport, knowing they will surely come for him. He kills many of
them, but he is obviously outnumbered. Just as it appears that they will
annihilate him, bright lights suddenly frighten the Darkseekers away and
Neville is rescued by two uninfected humans, a woman named Anna and a boy named
Ethan, who heard his radio broadcasts and have travelled from <st1:place w:st="on">Maryland</st1:place> to find him. </div>
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In the presence of humans for the first time in three years,
Neville goes through an awkward TRANSFORMATION as he tries to relate to them.
It’s easier for him to repeat the lines of SHREK than it is to have a real
conversation. He explodes in anger when Anna insists that God told her to go to
the survivor’s camp in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Bethel</st1:city>,
<st1:state w:st="on">Vermont</st1:state></st1:place>, and he tells her there
is no survivor’s camp. There was a plan to create one, but the virus moved
through the population too quickly.</div>
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During the FINAL SHOWDOWN, Darkseekers arrive at his
townhouse. Anna inadvertently led them there when she brought Neville home. At
first he is able to fend them off with UV lights and mines planted outside his residence,
but they eventually rip open the roof and get inside. Neville takes Anna and
Ethan down to the lab where they lock themselves inside a glass room with the
infected Darkseeker woman. They see that the woman is beginning to become human
again. The serum is working.</div>
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The alpha male Darkseeker throws his body into the glass and
it begins to crack in the pattern of a butterfly. Neville notices that Anna has
a butterfly tattoo and he recalls, in a flashback. how one of the last things his
dead daughter did was to make a butterfly symbol with her hands, right before
the evacuation helicopter carrying Neville’s wife and daughter crashed. For the
first time in the movie, Neville experiences true hope.</div>
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Neville draws blood from the infected woman, puts it in a
vial, and gives the vial to Anna, telling her it holds the cure. Then he shuts
Anna and Ethan in a coal chute and detonates a hand grenade killing himself and
the Darkseekers.</div>
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The REWARD is realized when Anna and Ethan arrive at the
survivor’s camp with the blood that holds the cure. The survivors are the
legacy and Neville’s fight to find the cure was his legend. </div>
The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-2368257782567486182013-12-08T18:48:00.000-08:002013-12-08T18:48:29.356-08:00Holiday Haiku by Carolee Dean<div class="MsoNormal">
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I try to avoid the teacher's lounge during the holidays. The supply of sugary, buttery sweets is endless.</div>
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Several years ago I gave up baking cookies for the holidays and started giving away bookmarks with poems I'd created. Not only are these treats non-fattening, they are totally gluten free and last all year long! </div>
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I love haiku poems. They have a simple form of three lines with a syllable structure of 5-7-5. It takes minutes to learn the rules of haiku, but a lifetime to master the art.</div>
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I find it a great mental exercise for students of all ages to brainstorm a subject (winter holidays for instance) and categorize words and phrases into syllables. Even high school students continue to struggle with understanding syllable structure, a fundamental skill for decoding increasingly longer and more difficult words.</div>
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I like to start with a brainstorming session where we create a "word wall" on the white board. I then type the list and pass it out the next time I meet with students. Reluctant writers have the words spelled out for them and then may simply put interesting combinations together to create a haiku poem. Students who want a greater challenge are free to ditch the list and create their own. I always leave extra space at the bottom of the list for any last minute inspirations. The haiku poems may then be written on cards or custom made bookmarks. </div>
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<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 131.75pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoNormal">
One Syllable</div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 131.75pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoNormal">
Two Syllable</div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 131.75pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoNormal">
Three Syllable</div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 131.75pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoNormal">
Four Syllable </div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 171.4pt;" valign="top" width="229"><div class="MsoNormal">
Five Syllable</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 131.75pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Ham<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Snow<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Frost<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Toys<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Trees<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Lamb<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Star<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Gift<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Elves <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Lights<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Coal <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Gloves<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Boots<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 131.75pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Presents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Apples<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Kwanzaa<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Rudolph<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Reindeer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Snowflakes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Snow Day<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Santa<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Skiing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Eggnog<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The Grinch<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Mittens<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Ski Lodge<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 131.75pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Jingle Bells<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Pumpkin Pie<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Black Friday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Hanukkah<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Snowboarding<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Ice Skating<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Mrs. Claus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Hot <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cocoa</st1:place></st1:city><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Posole<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Ornaments<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Candy Cane<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Winter Break<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">New Year’s Eve<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Button Nose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 131.75pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Merry Christmas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Happy New Year<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Biscochitos<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Decorations<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Silver and Gold<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Apple Cider<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Two Hour Delay<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Saint Nicholas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 171.4pt;" valign="top" width="229"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Frosty the Snowman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Watching the Ball Drop<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">One Horse Open Sleigh<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Gingerbread Houses<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Luminarias <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Winter Wonderland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Nutcracker Ballet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">A Red-Nosed Reindeer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Here are a few examples: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;">Green elves who live in</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;">haunted gingerbread houses</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;">shouldn't throw snow balls</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;">Frosty the Snowman</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;">ice skating in Central Park</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;">watching the ball drop</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;">Warm, woolen mittens,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;">snowflakes on reindeer noses,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;">A cold winter's night</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="color: purple;">Drink some hot cocoa, </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="color: purple;">and write yourself some poems. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="color: purple;">We'll see you next year!!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-64550858957831586092013-12-02T09:47:00.000-08:002013-12-02T09:48:25.414-08:00Eight Authors. Five New Titles. Two Weeks. One Fierce Tour.<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">...and one great giveaway.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><img align="none" height="288" src="https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/www.jessicabrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Unremembered-FINAL1.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline; height: 288px; line-height: 14px; outline: none; width: 200px;" width="200" /><img align="none" height="289" src="https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/www.jessicabrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Unforgotten_CVR.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline; height: 289px; line-height: 14px; outline: none; width: 193px;" width="193" /><img align="none" height="293" src="https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/4.bp.blogspot.com/-8jKJmniCE9M/UTEKyjoi4XI/AAAAAAAAHGg/Ii57q9uk7cU/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline; height: 293px; line-height: 14px; outline: none; width: 390px;" width="390" /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Young Adult authors <a href="http://www.genniferalbin.com/" style="color: #336699;">Gennifer Albin</a>, <a href="http://www.leighbardugo.com/" style="color: #336699;">Leigh Bardugo</a>, <a href="http://www.annaguirre.com/" style="color: #336699;">Ann Aguirre</a>, and <a href="http://www.jessicabrody.com/" style="color: #336699;">Jessica Brody</a> came through Albuquerque, NM at the end of October for stop two on their eight-city<a href="http://www.macteenbooks.com/fiercereads/tour.php" style="color: #336699;"> Fierce Reads tour</a>. The Spellbinders had the opportunity to talk with the authors beforehand and moderated their discussion.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><b>What's your weirdest writing habit? </b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Gennifer Albin</b>: I often but not always burn incense.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Jessica Brody</b>: I never drink coffee unless I’m writing. It’s “productive juice.” I try to eat the same thing, tricking my brain into knowing it’s writing time. I listen to the same white noise track with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainwave_entrainment" style="color: #336699;"><span class="s2">brain entrainment</span></a> work track underneath. And I put on Mac Freedom. </span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Leigh Bardugo</b>: I use Mac Freedom, too. I eat the same thing every morning. Pot roast. When I’m on deadline, it’s 15 minutes for each meal, the rest of the time at my desk. If writing with friends, we take each others’ phones so we stay offline.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Ann Aguirre</b>: I start at the same time every day and treat writing like a day job. I make sure my words are done before turning on the Internet and turn it off when I feel distractible. I’m generally done with my writing by lunch. Then I’ll do social media stuff.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><b>What is cool about writing a series?</b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Jessica Brody</b>: I like writing trilogies because you have more opportunity to create a bigger character arc. By the time a stand alone comes out and you are marketing it, you have moved on to other books.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Leigh Bardugo</b>: The most intense book for me was book two because I was working on deadline. The biggest challenge was book three because it was about closing doors [rather than opening them]. </span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Gennifer Albin</b>: I wrote the first book of the Crewel series on a library computer during <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" style="color: #336699;">NaNoWriMo </a>and now sit on the advisory board. The Crewel world trilogy starts with a secret. Book two has more secrets, more violence, and more kissing. </span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Ann Aguirre</b>: I prefer writing series to writing stand alone books. Even though I’ve written series of 5-6 books, I prefer trilogies. I have a trilogy brain. I admire writers who write 20 books on the same character. I would have killed all the characters by now.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><img align="none" height="301" src="https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/www.alicemarvels.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/enclave-series.png" style="border: 0px; display: inline; float: right; height: 301px; line-height: 14px; outline: none; width: 600px;" width="600" /></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><b>I noticed three of the four of you use prologues in your book.</b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Gennifer Albin</b>: A good prologue is awesome, but it should serve a purpose. I write mine first. They always take place right before the story starts. They’re a bridge from the previous story to the new one. I firmly believe it’s the best page in my first novel. Hopefully it encapsulates what I’m trying to do in the whole book.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Leigh Bardugo</b>: I knew when querying some agents were very anti-prologue, so I sent things from chapter one. All three of my books are framed with a before and after, and they are both written last. I wanted to write in first person, but wanted the sure and steady third-person guiding hand that is typical of fantasy. So the prologue has the traditional fantasy feel.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Jessica Brody</b>: I've never heard till recently that prologues weren’t popular. A good prologue hooks you in fast. Each of my prologues will challenge my character with a different element (science vs. nature is a major part of the series). I’m inspired by Leigh’s pattern to her prologues. My second book’s prologue is a flash forward. I think prologues are great if you can find a purpose. They can’t be info dumps. Mine are called chapter zero.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white;">
<br />
<div class="p1" style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><b>How do you juggle writing and touring?</b></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Ann Aguirre</b>: I killed myself prior to tour to get everything turned in early. Everyday for two months was a 14 hour day. I wanted to focus on the tour and a little social media. And that’s it.</span></div>
<div class="p2" style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Jessica Brody</b>: I enjoy the tour bubble. I don’t hear news. There’s not a lot of connection with family. You can set things aside for a while and choose not to think about it right now. You have to be present on tour. Give it your all. You can’t be in your head thinking about what you’re supposed to be doing [in the rest of your life]. I love being on tour. It’s easy to forget readers exist when you’re in your office, but on tour you remember why you write.</span></div>
<div class="p2" style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Leigh Bardugo</b>: I’m trying to learn to be more balanced. There are phases when I’m intensely in the book, then I have a few weeks off, and then tour. Very compartmentalized. Yes, it’s challenging, but this is what I’ve wanted my whole life. I’m very happy.</span></div>
<div class="p2" style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Gennifer Albin</b>: This is my third tour, and it’s the first time I’ve never had something to turn in. I have my own deadlines, things I’ve promised to readers but it’s not an editor, marketing, or PR deadline. It’s been awesome. I always think, I’ll get writing done on tour, but then I don’t.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Finally, what makes something a Fierce Read?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Jessica Brody</b>: Something that makes you think and challenge the world around you. It brings reality to a new level, takes normal circumstances and takes them to the extreme.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Ann Aguirre</b>: A Fierce Read has an empowered heroine. I’m tired of books with passive girls who wait for others to solve their problems, wait for the boy, wait for their families to treat them better. I want to see a character standing proudly at the helm of her own life and want readers to see what’s possible if you try. In the last 2-3 years there has been a shift in the prevailing winds. There are a lot more empowered heroines. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Leigh Bardugo</b>: There are lots of different ways to be empowered. For a time there was codified language used for a strong heroine. Now we can have heroines strong because they are clever or physically adept. There is so much range to build unique variety of characters.<br /><br /><strong>Four lucky readers will be able to win books from the Fierce Reads Tour. Simply<a href="mailto:carolinestarr@yahoo.com" style="color: #336699; font-weight: normal;" target="_self"> email Caroline directly</a> with the heading Fierce Reads or leave a comment at the Spellbinders blog. Winners will be announced in next month's feature article.</strong></span><br />
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The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-1093458553605700062013-12-02T09:45:00.000-08:002013-12-02T09:45:30.673-08:00Caroline's Classroom Connections: Jen Robinson on THE READ-ALOUD HANDBOOK<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><em>Jen Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page has graciously allowed me to share this article which originally ran at her blog. Jen knows all things kidlit, and her newsletter is a must read. <a href="http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog/" style="color: #336699;" target="_self">Please consider clicking through to sign up</a>. </em></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/014312160X/jensbookrevie-20" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">The Read-Aloud Handbook: Seventh Edition</a><br />Author: <a href="http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">Jim Trelease</a><br />Pages: 384<br />Age Range: Adult nonfiction (for parents and teachers)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014312160X/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=014312160X&linkCode=as2&tag=jensbookrevie-20" style="color: #999999; float: left; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q%3F_encoding%3DUTF8%26ASIN%3D014312160X%26Format%3D_SL160_%26ID%3DAsinImage%26MarketPlace%3DUS%26ServiceVersion%3D20070822%26WS%3D1%26tag%3Djensbookrevie-20" style="border: 0px; display: inline; height: auto; line-height: 14px; outline: none;" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir%3Ft%3Djensbookrevie-20%26l%3Das2%26o%3D1%26a%3D014312160X" style="border: 0px; display: inline; height: auto; line-height: 14px; outline: none;" width="1" />The 7th Edition of Jim Trelease's <em>The Read-Aloud Handbook </em>was published in June. I pre-ordered my copy, and it arrived that day, but various things kept me from reading it until this week. I <a href="http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog/2010/02/the-readaloud-handbook-jim-trelease.html" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">reviewed the previous edition of The Read-Aloud Handbook</a> in 2010, having also read an earlier version before starting my blog. I was fortunate enough to hear Jim speak to parents at the Santa Clara City Library in January of 2007. <a href="http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog/2007/01/jim_trelease_ta_1.html" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">My notes from that session are here.</a> I have referenced Jim's work on encouraging reading aloud to children many times over the course of my blogging. So you may consider this more a recommendation and discussion than a formal review. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Let me first state for the record that I believe that all parents of young children should read <em>The Read-Aloud Handbook</em>, as should all elementary and middle school teachers. <em>The Read-Aloud Handbook</em> started out as a little booklet that the author self-published in 1979 to encourage other parents to read aloud, and talk about books, with their kids. It became a phenomenon, was picked up by Penguin, and was named by Penguin in 2010 as one of the seventy-five most important books published in the company's 75 year history. It certainly had an impact on me, though I first read it long before I had a child of my own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><em><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451af1569e2019b00073876970b-pi" style="color: #999999; float: left; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="GBMantra" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451af1569e2019b00073876970b" src="https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/jkrbooks.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451af1569e2019b00073876970b-200wi" style="border: 0px; display: inline; height: auto; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; outline: none; width: 200px;" title="GBMantra" /></a>The Read-Aloud Handbook</em> posits that instead of focusing on test-prep, flashcards, and the like, what parents and schools need to do to improve life-long levels of literacy and critical thinking, is simply read aloud to kids. I obviously agree (and posted the Read-Aloud Mantra to the left several weeks ago on my blog). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">More than 30 years after initial publication, The 7th Edition of <em>The Read-Aloud Handbook</em> retains Trelease's passion for reading to kids, but has a lot more references and research. The 7th Edition is about 40% changed from the 6th Edition, with new research findings, book recommendations, and discussions of the impact of eBooks and tablets. Even as someone who had read earlier editions (and follows published research studied pretty closely), once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. I finished it in about a day (it helps that nearly half of the book consists of a treasury of recommended read-aloud titles, which I only skimmed). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">My reading of this edition was certainly colored by the fact that I have a three-year-old daughter who I very much hope grows up to be an avid reader. I flagged a mix of items throughout the book - interesting things that I might want to share on the blog, as well as action items for myself (like getting around to putting a basket of picture books in the bathroom). I'll share some of the former here, and put the latter into a separate post. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Here are some of the many quotes that I flagged:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"Why are students failing and dropping out of school? Because they cannot read well enough to do the assigned work--which affects the entire report card. Change the reading scores and you change the graduation rate and then the prison population--which changes the social climate of America." (Page <em>xxvi</em>, Introduction) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"If we're waiting for government to save our reading souls, we've got a long wait. Ultimately it will come down to the individual student, parent, teacher, and librarian." (Page <em>xxix</em>, Introduction)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"One factor hidden in the decline of students' recreational reading (as they get older) is that it coincides with a decline in the amount of time adults read to them. By middle school, almost no one is reading aloud to students. If each read-aloud is a commercial for the pleasures of reading, then a decline in advertising would naturally be reflected in a decline in students' recreational reading." (Page 6, Chapter 1)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"Students who read the most also read the best, achieve the most, and stay in school the longest. Conversely, those who don't read much cannot get better at it." (Page 7)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"What motivates children and adults to read more is that (1) they like the experience, (2) they like the subject matter, and (3) they like and follow the lead of people who read a lot." (Page 10)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"The message in this kind of research (especially the Hart and Risley study on <em>Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children</em>) is unambiguous: It's not the toys in the home that make the difference in children's lives; it's the words in their heads. The least expensive thing we can give a child outside of a hug turns out to be the most valuable: words. You don't need a job, a checking account, or even a high school diploma to talk with a child." (Page 16)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"> "Here is a crucial fact to consider in the reading and writing connection. Visual receptors in the brain outnumber auditory receptors 30:1. In other words, the chances of a word (or sentence) being retained in our memory bank are thirty times greater if we see it instead of just hear it." (Page 43, Chapter Two). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"So how do we educate the heart? There are really only two ways: life experience and stories about life experience, which is called literature. Great preachers and teachers--Aesop, Socrates, Confucius, Moses, and Jesus--have traditionally used stories to get their lesson plans across, educating both the mind and the heart." (Page 45)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"> "(Expectation of Reward / Effort Required) = Frequency of Activity... When you maintain strong reward factors and lower the number of difficulties, you will see a higher frequency of reading... If you really want to get more reading done, then take control of the distractions: needless trips to the mall, phone calls, multiple televisions, DVD players, e-mails, computer games--each calling for immediate attention or multi-tasking." (Page 84-86, Chapter 5)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"Make sure you, the adult role model, are seen reading daily. It works even better if you read at the same time as the child." (Page 92, Chapter 5)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">(On applying Oprah's example of generating enthusiasm for books) "What can we apply from this to our work with children? Well, let's eliminate not all but much of the writing they're required to do whenever they read. ("The more we read, the more we gotta write, so let's read less and we can work less.") We adults don't labor when we read, so why are we forcing children to? It hasn't created a nation of writers or readers." (Page 103, Chapter 5)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"It's difficult to get good at reading if you're short of print. Government programs like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top ensure that children who are behind in reading are entitled to after-school tutoring and extra help with phonics. Nice. But giving phonics lessons to kids who don't have any print in their lives is like giving oars to people who don't have a boat -- you don't get very far." (Page 107, Chapter 6)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"By the reckoning of its own Department of Education, California's ratio of school librarian to student ranks fifty-first in the nation, with 1 librarian for every 5,124 students, more than five times the national average of 1 to 916. Even the state's adult prison system does better, with 1 librarian to 4,283 inmates." (Page 109). Sigh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">(On reading blogs, tablets, social networks instead of books) "Reading, when it's done today, doesn't go very deep, and it's so private it's invisible. The trouble is, how do you pass invisible torches? How do you pose as an invisible role model?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"...the e-book is here to stay, for very legitimate reasons. It's a win-win situation: a moneymaker for the publisher and a money saver for the buyer. It also saves time, space, student spines, and trees, to say nothing of what it does for the visually impaired." (Page 131, Chapter 7)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"The research clearly shows that we read more slowly (6 to 11 percent) from a screen than from paper. As with automobile driving, humans may get better and faster at e-reading over the years--but that could take generations." (Page 133) I did not know this, and found it fascinating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"So what happens to the creative process when there is no disconnect time, when we and our children are constantly downloading, uploading, texting, YouTubing, Googling, or tweeting our 742 "friends"? Less "deep thinking" takes place, less creativity." (Page 139)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"It is not so much what children are doing while they watch multiple hours of TV; it is the experiences they are not having that make the viewing so dangerous." (Page 142, Chapter 8)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">"A California professor, Jo Stanchfield, once told me that girls tend to be extrinsically motivated in their reading (favoring the choices of their peers, mom, and teacher), while boys are intrinsically motivated (favoring what they themselves are interested in). I agree. Call it selfish or pragmatic, but guys are drawn more to what interests them, not what interests the crowd." (Page 169, Chapter 10)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">There's lots more to the book, obviously, but those quotes should be more than sufficient to give you a feel, and hopefully inspire you to want to read the rest. I feel that if you have kids, or you work with kids, you should read <em>The Read-Aloud Handbook</em>. If you feel like you don't have time, at least read the introduction, which sums up many of the findings discussed throughout the book. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00AEDDPT6/jensbookrevie-20" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">Kindle edition</a> of <em>The Read-Aloud Handbook</em> is $7.99, and you can read it on your phone. (I prefer the print edition for things like this, that I'm going to refer back to, but if cost or time is an object, e-books have advantages.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">I'm pulling out a few other ideas from this edition of <em>The Read-Aloud Handbook</em>, and will be sharing them as separate posts in the coming days. I welcome your feedback. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Publisher: Penguin Books<br />Publication Date: June 25, 2013<br />Source of Book: Purchased</span><br /> </div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me <a href="http://twitter.com/jensbookpage" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">@JensBookPage</a> or at my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GrowingBookworms" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">Growing Bookworms page on Facebook</a>.<br />Reprinted with permission<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>LINKS</strong></span><br />Read Jen's next article, <a href="http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog/2013/10/actions-im-taking-after-reading-the-new-read-aloud-handbook.html" style="color: #336699;" target="_self">Actions I'm Taking After Reading the New Read-Aloud Handbook</a><br />Visit author Jim Trelease's webpage <a href="http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/" style="color: #336699;" target="_self">here</a>.<br /><a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/strategies/readingaloud.php" style="color: #336699;" target="_self">Teaching resources for reading aloud<br />R</a></span><span style="color: #336699; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/articles/reading-aloud.htm" style="color: #336699;" target="_self">eadAloud.org<br />Reading is Fundamental</a></span></div>
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The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-81595385295938268542013-11-17T20:04:00.001-08:002013-11-18T13:59:35.432-08:00KIMBERLEY'S BOOK BUZZ with Uma Krishnaswami<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Multi-Construction of Story OR Are Multi-Cultural Books Dead? Maybe . . . Maybe Not! </h2>
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by Uma Krishnaswami</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwvJLKPuPGG4dys2KMYY-68rSn6hfzl2cIRTYzsFeyJZN207Cyf421xgO3ZI8plGCRH4DuqbtgdZDRBegyaJ2EogMH80uuni3SV1LxdOENrQCvqSfW5SoH1r6COnWARJqTbIXyeyxuuU/s1600/UmaKrishnaswami-225x295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwvJLKPuPGG4dys2KMYY-68rSn6hfzl2cIRTYzsFeyJZN207Cyf421xgO3ZI8plGCRH4DuqbtgdZDRBegyaJ2EogMH80uuni3SV1LxdOENrQCvqSfW5SoH1r6COnWARJqTbIXyeyxuuU/s320/UmaKrishnaswami-225x295.jpg" height="320" width="243" /></a></div>
Multicultural literature is by definition the literature of the other, reflecting, as <a href="http://people.ucalgary.ca/~rmcgilli/">Roderick McGillis</a> puts it, “a desire for recognition on the part of people who have been either invisible or unfairly constructed or both.”</div>
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Recently, I received a letter from a young Indian American reader who had read <a href="http://bookdragon.si.edu/2011/05/13/the-grand-plan-to-fix-everything-by-uma-krishnaswami-illustrated-by-abigail-halpin/">a couple</a> of <a href="http://niranjana.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/the-problem-with-being-slightly-heroic-by-uma-krishnaswami/">my books</a>. She wrote about the main character: “I cannot tell you how much I loved Dini because she sounds and thinks like me and her family looks and sounds like mine. I read a lot, so I don’t mean that I only like books where the characters are similar to me. But once in a while it is very nice.” </div>
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One can interpret such a letter as calling for culturally grounded books to serve as mirrors, reflecting readers’ images back to themselves, but that is not what I think my young reader is saying. I think she’s echoing the very same call for many stories that made <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html">Chimamanda Adichie’s TED talk</a> so wildly popular. She’s talking about multiple constructions of identity. By 2020, when one in two students in the United States is projected to be a child of color, such diverse constructions should also be commonplace in books.</div>
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Perhaps, too, my reader’s call is for many kinds of stories. Typically, stories of immigrants in the United States have tended to focus on the journey to America. There are many wonderful stories in this category—<a href="http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/books/Inside-Out-Back-Again-Thanhha-Lai/">Inside Out and Back Again</a> by Thanhha Lai, for instance, or <a href="http://www.scholastic.com/esperanza/">Esperanza Rising</a> by Pam Muñoz Ryan. But other narratives are now beginning to be told, stories in which identity choices do not constitute the storyline, where cultural multiplicity is taken for granted. Books like Kathi Appelt’s middle grade novel, <a href="http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2013_ypl_appelt.html">The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp</a>. Or consider the YA novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outside-Beauty-Cynthia-Kadohata/dp/1416998187">Outside Beauty</a> by Cynthia Kadohata, where the bonds of sisterhood get forged in a wildly atypical family context. </div>
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Perhaps it’s time to think of constructing stories that will function, not as mirrors reflecting who we are now or who we were yesterday, but prisms projecting who we can be in decades yet to come. </div>
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From Kimberley Griffiths Little, one of your SPELLBINDERS:</div>
<br />
Uma blogs on this subject frequently as well as teaching at the <a href="http://www.vcfa.edu/wcya" target="_blank">Vermont College of Fine Arts in their MFA program for children’s literature. </a>She calls them *Books With Cultural Contexts*! (<a href="http://www.umakrishnaswami.com/biography" target="_blank">Click here to read Uma’s intriguing bio</a>).Visit her website at <a href="http://www.umakrishnaswami.com/">http://www.umakrishnaswami.com</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Below is a book list with books in all children’s lit categories with specific cultural contexts—they are only a small selection of the many, many fine books out there.<br />
How many have you read? (And scroll down for the **giveaway** of Uma’s new MG book!)<br />
<br />
<b><u>Picture Books</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinm3PyEKtbawOkQj5FTK3tyEIcFMg7vi5XRFCE39S2urxdMAeYif3i7eQn2FFCvcHuV4DIArKWVr5MFvu-HxcpN-56HRILso_VTCyc5ft4al5LKYWav3rEnx2E7AbSBJnlusfTeDmlsBc/s1600/fromthebellybuttonofthemoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinm3PyEKtbawOkQj5FTK3tyEIcFMg7vi5XRFCE39S2urxdMAeYif3i7eQn2FFCvcHuV4DIArKWVr5MFvu-HxcpN-56HRILso_VTCyc5ft4al5LKYWav3rEnx2E7AbSBJnlusfTeDmlsBc/s1600/fromthebellybuttonofthemoon.jpg" height="200" width="146" /></a><i>Jingle Dancer</i> by Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying Hwa-Hu<br />
<i>The Kamishibai Man</i> by Allen Say<br />
<i>From the Bellybutton of the Moon</i> by Francisco Alarcon illustrated by Maya Cristina Gonzales<br />
<i>The Princess of Borscht</i> by Leda Schubert, illustrated by Bonnie Christensen<br />
<i>Tiger on a Tree</i> by Anushka Ravishankar, illustrated by Pulak Biswas<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Chapter Books</u></b><br />
<em><br /></em><em>Anna Hibiscus</em> (and sequels) by Atinuke<br />
<em>The Year of the Dog</em> (and sequels) by Grace Lin<br />
<em>The No-Dogs-Allowed Rule</em> by Kashmira Sheth<br />
<em>Indian Shoes</em> by Cynthia Leitich Smith<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b><b><u>Middle Grade</u></b><br />
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<em>A Suitcase of Seaweed and Other Poems</em> by Janet Wong<br />
<em>Chronal Engine</em> by Greg Leitich Smith <span style="mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
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<em>A Single Shard</em> by Linda Sue Park<br />
<em>Looking for Bapu</em> by Anjali Banerjee<br />
<em>Moccasin Thunder: American Indian Stories for Today</em> edited by Lori Marie Carlson<br />
<em>Bamboo People</em> by Mitali Perkins<br />
<em>The Wild Book</em> by Margarita Engle<br />
<em>The Grand Plan to Fix Everything </em>by Uma Krishnaswami<br />
<em>The Problem with Being Slightly Heroic </em>by Uma Krishnaswami<br />
<em>Words in the Dust </em>by Trent Reedy<br />
<em>Ghetto Cowboy </em>by G. Neri<br />
<em>The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Shang</em><i><em>The Unforgotten Coat </em></i>by Frank Cottrell Boyce<br />
<em>Breakaway, Enchanted Runner, </em>and <em>The Last Snake Runner </em>by Kimberley Griffiths Little (soon to be re-released in print and Kindle/Nook versions in a week or two so keep an eye out!)<br />
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<b><u>Young Adult</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
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<em>Shadow Spinner</em> by Susan Fletcher<br />
<em>Habibi</em> by Naomi Shihab Nye<br />
<em>A Step From Heaven</em> by An Na<br />
<em>Code Talker</em> by Joseph Bruchac<br />
Cynthia Leitich Smith’s <em>Tantalize</em> series<br />
<em>American Born Chinese</em> by Gene Luen Yang<br />
<em>The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian</em> by Sherman Alexie<br />
<em>No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller</em> by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson<br />
<em>Ask Me No Questions</em> by Marina Budhos<br />
<em>Tyrell</em> (and sequels) by Coe Booth<br />
<em>A Girl Called Problem</em> by Katie Quirk<br />
<em>Purple Hibiscus</em> by Chimamanda Adichie<br />
<em>Haroun and the Sea of Stories</em> by Salman Rushdie<br />
<br />
And now for your chance to win Uma’s MG novel – set in India about Bollywood! Funny and poignant family story about friendship and magic and dreams and movie stars! Just leave a comment on our SPELLBINDER blog to win OR email Kimberley at kglittle@msn.com. Our random generator (or a hat!) will pick the winner in our final SPELLBINDER issue Monday, December 9th before we break for the holidays.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe10MD8oU62O_mwBoGYIKiIE5N5aFSueAwPC_0fUqVOAR9WLCKhuz6sF6XDi88c7ko7TiUbbctho8n7Y02UIqT8Tq2pUWQRZ4whoTBowxQwn-Zxc-nBvpwmf0X4Z7qz_d_Hf7RchtcyYU/s1600/Gran-Plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe10MD8oU62O_mwBoGYIKiIE5N5aFSueAwPC_0fUqVOAR9WLCKhuz6sF6XDi88c7ko7TiUbbctho8n7Y02UIqT8Tq2pUWQRZ4whoTBowxQwn-Zxc-nBvpwmf0X4Z7qz_d_Hf7RchtcyYU/s1600/Gran-Plan.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com/" target="_blank"><i>Kimberley Griffiths Little</i></a><em> is the author of three magical realism novels with Scholastic, THE HEALING SPELL, CIRCLE OF SECRETS, and </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-Butterflies-Kimberley-Griffiths-Little/dp/0545425131/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_2" target="_blank"><i>WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME (2013)</i></a><em>. Forthcoming: THE TIME OF THE FIREFLIES (Scholastic, 2014) and her Young Adult debut, FORBIDDEN with Harpercollins (Fall 2014). When she’s not writing you can find her reading/daydreaming in her Victorian cottage and eating chocolate chip cookies with a hit of Dr. Pepper.</em><br />
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<span style="color: red;">THE WINNER OF THE AUTOGRAPHED TYGER, TYGER TRILOGY IS MARJORIE DIBENEDETTO contact Kimberley at kglittle@msn.com</span></div>
The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-37447871899848155912013-11-10T18:32:00.000-08:002013-11-10T18:48:34.803-08:00BAD NEWS FOR OUTLAWS - STORY ANALYSIS by Carolee Dean<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
When I discuss plotting with students, I provide numerous
examples from movies and novels for each of the twelve steps. (For a full discussion of my plotting system see The Secret Language of Stories at <a href="http://caroleedeanbooks.blogspot.com/p/secret-language-of-stories.html" target="_blank">Carolee Dean Books</a>).<br />
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I like to follow up with a discussion of plot as it relates to an entire story. Picture books work quite well for this purpose since they
may be shared with students at one sitting. Many of them contain content
that is appropriate for teens as well as younger students.<br />
<br />
One fabulous example
is <i>Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable
Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy Marshal </i>by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. Vaunda is a New Mexico author and librarian and her book is a Coretta Scott King Award recipient.</div>
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This true story follows the life of a slave who became one of the most feared lawmen of the Wild West. The
bibliography and website information at the back of the book make it easy to
connect to other articles and support the common core standards with non-fiction
resources. </div>
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<br />
Here's the plot...</div>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>THE OLD WORLD</b>: The story begins with a dramatic showdown
between Bass Reeves and outlaw, Jim Webb. It then goes back in time to explore
Bass’s slave days in Texas. His owner was so impressed with his shooting skills
that he not only took Bass hunting and entered him in shooting competitions; he
also took Bass with him to fight in the Civil War. But one night something
happened that changed Bass’s life forever. </div>
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<b>THE CALL TO ADVENTURE</b>: Bass and his owner had a fight over a
card game and Bass hit the man. Fearing for his life, he decided to run away to
Indian Territory where he lived among the various tribes and learned their
languages. </div>
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<b>MENTORS, GUIDES, AND GIFTS</b>: Judge Isaac C. Parker served as
in inspiration by giving Bass a job as deputy marshal, to help bring order and
justice to the Indian Territory. </div>
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<b>THE CROSSING</b>: Bass traveled to each of his missions with a
set of fine horses, a chuck wagon, a cook, a guard, at least one posse man, and a
tumbleweed wagon used to bring in the criminals. </div>
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<b>THE NEW WORLD</b>: One of the first challenges Bass had to face
in his new position was the fact that he was illiterate. He asked someone to read the warrants to him while
he memorized each name and all the charges. Sometimes he had thirty warrants at
a time, and he had to keep all of that information in his memory. </div>
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<i>I love sharing this part of the story with my students,
since most of them have severe reading disabilities. It demonstrates how we can
all develop strategies to overcome our deficits and short-comings.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>THE PROBLEM, THE PRIZE, AND THE PLAN</b>: One of Bass Reeves
favorite methods for capturing outlaws was to use disguises. One time when he
was tracking two brothers, he dressed like an
outlaw, going so far as to shoot three holes in an old hat. Then he walked
twenty-eight miles to their hideout so no one would see his fine horses or his
wagons.</div>
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<b>MIDPOINT CHALLENGE</b>: When Bass arrived at the house, he
showed the mother of the outlaws his hat full of bullet holes and told her a
posse was after him. She invited him in and when her sons arrived, the three
men agreed to become partners.</div>
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<b>DOWNTIME</b>: Everyone but Bass went to sleep. He stayed up and
put the criminals in handcuffs. They woke up to a very rude surprise.</div>
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<b>CHASE AND ESCAPE</b>: Bass made the two men walk the
twenty-eight miles back to the tumbleweed wagon. Their mother followed for three of those miles, yelling and screaming at Bass.</div>
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<i>Note: Many stories, even picture books, contain repetitions
of the plan, attempt response cycle. What comes next in the Bass Reeves story
are several shorter vignettes of his adventures capturing various outlaws. </i></div>
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<b>DEATH EXPERIENCE</b>: Although Bass faced many ruthless outlaws, his most dangerous experience was
facing a mob of ordinary citizens. They
were about to lynch a black man. Bass rode right into their midst without a
word, cut the man down, and rode away with him on the back of his horse.</div>
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<b>CLIMACTIC SHOWDOWN</b>: The climax of a story is the test of a
hero’s true character. In a story of the Wild West you might expect a shootout
or a duel, but Bass’s defining moment was much more internal. He received an
arrest warrant for his own son who had killed his wife in a moment of jealous
rage. Bass had to decide if he was going to follow through with his duty or
not. True to his character, he arrested his own son.</div>
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<b>REWARD</b>: When Oklahoma became a state and the Indian
Territory was a thing of the past, local lawmen replaced federal marshals. Bass
joined the police force in Muskogee, Oklahoma. When he died, hundreds of people
attended his funeral. One man commented that Bass was, “one of the bravest men
this country has ever known.”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42m4vIPvu4ukqPxiRdV4uDajXhI6j6FGJU1ZEvCwBflY8RhVvdxDd2xOZiPrdCqdLhSlKW5PzRUNc1DjbJca0FmI71o0DnmjEB5vFL1jBPQ3T5v4dxxmauGwjyBKPHWPaZ1jsJt7DAH8/s1600/Bad+News+for+Outlaws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42m4vIPvu4ukqPxiRdV4uDajXhI6j6FGJU1ZEvCwBflY8RhVvdxDd2xOZiPrdCqdLhSlKW5PzRUNc1DjbJca0FmI71o0DnmjEB5vFL1jBPQ3T5v4dxxmauGwjyBKPHWPaZ1jsJt7DAH8/s1600/Bad+News+for+Outlaws.jpg" /></a></div>
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Understanding the basic plot structure of stories can be an
invaluable way to get story ideas of your own. When writers, whether amateurs
or experts, see the different ways plots can unfold, they may tuck away ideas for
their own adventures.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When students understand these patterns that are repeated
across genres, they start to recognize them in movies and books. The secret
language of the story becomes a language they may learn to speak.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Remember, for a more detailed discussion of each of these
twelve steps, go to <a href="http://caroleedeanbooks.blogspot.com/p/secret-language-of-stories.html" target="_blank">Carolee Dean Books.</a></div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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For classroom resources for <i>Bad News for Outlaws</i> see the publisher's site <a href="https://www.lernerbooks.com/badnews/" target="_blank">at Lerner Books.</a></div>
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The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-48230199737565252872013-11-02T21:52:00.002-07:002013-11-02T21:52:40.848-07:00Haunted Hearts and the Making of Books by Author Kersten Hamilton<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/tyger-tyger/id427571024?mt=11" target="_blank">CLICK HERE FOR A FREE COPY OF TYGER TYGER AVAILABLE THROUGH NOVEMBER 5</a></div>
<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Century Schoolbook;">Go to </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Century Schoolbook;">View in iTunes </span><span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook;">when you get to the preview or go directly to iTunes via your eReader and search for <i>Tyger Tyger.</i></span></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">Haunted Hearts and the Making of Books</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">Where do you find ideas for your stories?</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Century Schoolbook;">At dawn today I saw sheep, their woolly coats thick with first frost, sleeping in the field. They woke as the sun rose, and, still frosted and not bothering to get up, began to make a breakfast of their green bed. I tucked the image away like a greedy dragon snatching up gold. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">I know I will use it in a book. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">I wish my books could be made of such beautiful bits and bobs of reality. But I know that nobody would read them if they were. Robert Frost said, </span><span style="color: #101010; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” And it is true</span><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">The real world is not only beautiful, it is also painful and complicated. Writers must walk through things we don’t understand, face things that haunt us, transform them and offer them to our readers as gifts. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">Here is one of the haunted corners of my heart:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">When I was about ten, I befriended an abused dog. He was in bad shape, but I nursed him back to health and named him Joe. He was my best buddy. But because I couldn’t afford a license the dogcatcher showed up one day and literally dragged Joe away from me. I would have stopped him if I could, but I was too little.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">Joe was a scrap of a dog that had no chance of being adopted by anyone else. The dogcatcher told me I had two weeks to get enough money to buy Joe a license or he would be put down.<span style="color: #1d1d1d;"> </span>I worked as hard as I could, earning money any way I could think of. My family didn’t have enough money to keep food on the table. There was no one else to help me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">I didn’t earn enough. On the day they killed Joe, I was sitting on a rooftop wishing I was strong enough to fight the world and save him. Smart enough to have thought of some way to earn the money. But I wasn’t.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">That dogcatcher who exercised power with no mercy became my personal model of human evil. As a child I thought that the fight against that evil was hopeless. But I have lived longer now, and have seen a lot of things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">I have seen that hearts which are watered with tears grow mercy.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">I write stories about difficult things because I think maybe, just maybe, if someone had told that man the right stories before he became a dogcatcher, he would have grown up to have tears in his heart.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">My best writing tip is: dig deep. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">Deep, deep into the things that hurt, because those are the things that matter. Those are the things that need to be made right.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; text-align: center;">Kersten Hamilton is the author of the acclaimed </span><i style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; text-align: center;">Tyger Tyger </i><span style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; text-align: center;">series. To find out more about her books visit </span><a href="http://home.comcast.net/~kerstenhamilton/" style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Kersten's Website.</a></div>
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The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-81775980630081392342013-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:002013-10-28T06:00:00.035-07:00CHAINED by Lynne Kelly<h1 class="h1" style="color: #202020; font-family: Arial; font-size: 34px; line-height: 34px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Caroline's Classroom Connections: CHAINED by Lynne Kelly + Links of Note</span></h1>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><em>Lynne Kelly has written a story that unwraps the heart and asks it to be brave, loyal, and above all, kind. Readers of all ages will worry for Hastin as he marks the wall that records his bondage to a cruel master, but they will ultimately celebrate his jubilant triumph. This story unwrapped my own heart. </em><br />–Kathi Appelt, author of the Newbery Honor and New York Times bestseller THE UNDERNEATH</span><br />
<img data-cke-saved-src="https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/lynnekellybooks.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/CHAINED-JKT-COMP_2-200x300.jpg" height="200" id="il_fi" src="https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/lynnekellybooks.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/CHAINED-JKT-COMP_2-200x300.jpg" style="-webkit-border-image: url(data:image/png; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 9; border-image-source: url(data:image/png; border-image-width: 9px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #505050; cursor: default; display: inline-block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; height: auto; line-height: 14px; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: none; padding: 8px;" width="133" /><br />
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">reading level:</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> 10 and up</span><br />
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">setting:</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> Northern India</span><br />
<a data-cke-saved-href="http://lynnekellybooks.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chained-CCSS-Annotated-Book-Guide.pdf" href="http://lynnekellybooks.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chained-CCSS-Annotated-Book-Guide.pdf" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" target="_self">CCSS study guide</a><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" />
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Please tell us about your book.</b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">CHAINED is a midgrade novel about 10-year-old Hastin, who lives in a rural village of northern India with his mother and sister. To help pay off the hospital bills from his sister's illness, Hastin takes a job as an elephant keeper at a run-down circus far from home. Life at the circus isn't the adventure he expected, but he and the elephant, Nandita, become best friends. They're both captive workers for the cruel circus owner and elephant trainer, and Hastin wants he and Nandita to escape and return to their homes, even if it means saying goodbye to each other.</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" />
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">What inspired you to write this story?</b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">I've always loved elephants, but I got the idea for CHAINED when I was at a presentation and heard the tale "Don't Be Like The Elephant," about how a small rope or chain can hold a full-grown elephant because once they give up trying to break free, they never try again. It's meant to be an example of learned helplessness or self-limiting behavior, but I got the idea then to write a picture book about a captive elephant. I didn't know at the time it would grow into the novel that it is now.</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" />
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching?</b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">I read all I could online and in books about India, and corresponded with or talked to people who'd lived there. For example, when I came across an article about homes in parts of India where poverty is high, I emailed the reporter to find out about what kind of house Hastin would live in.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">One of the most interesting things I learned was that India itself is so diverse—if I read about a folk tale I wanted to use in the story, I had to find out first if it was a tale that would be told in the northern part of the country where CHAINED takes place. Same thing with the food and names—I'd choose a character name or a favorite food that I'd later find out isn't found in that region. That's the kind of information that was hard to get just by reading; it took talking to people from India to find out about the regionally appropriate stories, foods, names, etc. With all its languages, traditions, and customs, India seems in some ways like many different countries in one.</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">I knew more about elephants since I've always been interested in them, but I still had to do more research to make sure the behavior of Nandita and the other elephants in the herd was accurate. Again I did a lot of reading (and recorded every elephant show I could find on Animal Planet), and also talked to experts who've worked with elephants. Once in a while our zoo has an elephant open house event, so I've gone to those a few times so I can see the elephants up close and ask questions of the keepers.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">What are some special challenges associated with introducing a setting your audience might be unfamiliar with?</b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Writing the story in a way that would be clear to readers not familiar with the setting and culture, but not annoying or over-explained for those who are familiar with India.</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" />
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?</b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">The setting – the desert and forest regions of northern India</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Indian culture, although India itself is very diverse</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Child laborers in India</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Elephant behavior, communication, and habitat</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">And math too! Students can figure out how much time Hastin has left in his year-long service at the circus, and how large a circle Nandita wears into the ground given a certain length of chain, for examples.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Please visit Lynne's </span><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.lynnekelly.blogspot.com/" href="http://www.lynnekelly.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" target="_self">blog</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> and </span><a data-cke-saved-href="http://lynnekellybooks.com/wordpress/" href="http://lynnekellybooks.com/wordpress/" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" target="_self">website</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> for further information.</span><br />
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<strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">Links of Note</span></strong><br />
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<strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Library News</strong><br />
<a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/hub/sos-librarians/" href="http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/hub/sos-librarians/" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" target="_self">S.O.S Librarians</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> -- a blog celebrating and supporting school and public librarians (part of the Children’s Literature Network)</span><br />
<a data-cke-saved-href="http://thepagesage.blogspot.com/2013/08/inside-industry-librarian.html" href="http://thepagesage.blogspot.com/2013/08/inside-industry-librarian.html" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" target="_self">Inside the Industry: Librarian</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> :: The Page Sage</span><br />
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<strong>Characters</strong><br />
<a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.mariondanebauer.com/blog/2013/07/but-do-you-love-her/" href="http://www.mariondanebauer.com/blog/2013/07/but-do-you-love-her/" target="_self">But Do You Love Her?</a> :: Marion Dane Bauer<br />
<a data-cke-saved-href="http://dawnmalone.blogspot.com/2013/08/developing-characters-blog-break-series.html" href="http://dawnmalone.blogspot.com/2013/08/developing-characters-blog-break-series.html" target="_self">Developing Characters: Blog Break Series</a> :: Dawn Malone</div>
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The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-28224233073592615982013-10-21T10:05:00.000-07:002013-10-21T10:05:00.239-07:00Kimberley's Book Buzz: An Interview with Kersten Hamilton of THE GOBLIN WARS + Three-Book Giveaway!<div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">
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<span class="s1"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">What started your interest/research/love affair with Celtic Mythology?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">As a child, I needed stories as much as I needed food or water, and the Celtic stories resonated with and partially formed my worldview. Celtic music pounds in my blood; I feel Celtic stories in my bones. It is so powerful it almost makes me a believer in racial memory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>How much research did you need to do? Any fun facts or interesting alleys the research led you to? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">The trilogy needed two detailed physical landscapes: Chicago and Mag Mell. I traveled to the National Zoo in Washington DC and several arboretums to find the inspiration for the plants, trees and strange creatures of Mag Mell. I fell in love with Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago one chill, drizzling day when my husband and I wandered through it. The cemetery and neighborhood around it became the Chicago setting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">It also needed an emotional landscape. I used the Celtic myths and legends I love so well to form the world of GOBLIN WARS. I took that created world and rooted it in actual history to create the worldviews of my characters. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">I ran down lots of research alleys as I was writing, and they sometimes changed characters or action. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Discovering that that Edgar Allen Poe was Irish, or that Jack the Ripper’s last victim was an Irish girl named Mary, whose father was a blacksmith back in Ireland, sent the plot spinning off in a new direction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>What were the challenges in writing this sprawling, epic trilogy? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span class="s1">The greatest challenge was dragging myself back into the real world at the end of each day. It didn’t feel sprawling while I was writing it—I suspect that is because I was in the moment with my characters taking one step at a time. It was exciting to wake up each morning and find out what happened next. Looking back at it, however, I think great googly-moogly! How did I keep all of that straight? </span><span class="s1"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>What are some ways teachers and librarians can use these books in the classroom? Projects? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">T.S. Eliot said, “The only way of expressing emotion in the form of art is by finding an objective correlative, in other words a set of objects, a chain of events, which shall be the formula of that particular emotion.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">THE GOBLIN WARS books evoke powerful emotion. I worked hard to find the chain of events that would leave my readers with exactly the emotional takeaway I wanted them to have in each and every scene.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">After I explain this, I have students choose a scene from the books that makes them feel strong emotion—be it <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anger" style="color: #336699;">anger</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disgust" style="color: #336699;">disgust</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear" style="color: #336699;">fear</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happiness" style="color: #336699;">happiness</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadness" style="color: #336699;">sadness</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surprise_(emotion)" style="color: #336699;">surprise</a>— and explain why it made them feel that way. In other words, they explore the chain of events that created the emotion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Surprise, for instance, happens when you have certain expectations—but things take a very different turn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">I ask the students to describe times when they were surprised in real life. What was the chain of events? What did they expect to happen? What really happened? What was something in THE GOBLIN WARS books that surprised them? What did they expect to happen instead? Why?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">After we have discussed the ‘formulas’ for creating other emotions, I have students choose an emotion they would like another person to feel, and write a story—a chain of events— that creates that emotion in their reader. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b>Why do you think it's important for kids/students to learn about other cultures and lands and people? Can they gain an appreciation and empathy and understanding without traveling there? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Story is better than travel. You can travel to another land, experience it as alien and exotic, and never connect deeply with someone of that culture. But you cannot be immersed in someone’s story and not connect with them. Story cuts through differences and lays open hearts. It is impossible to hate someone if you know their story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Quite simply, is the best way for students to not just to learn about but to learn to care deeply about people very different from themselves.<br /><br /><strong>Enter to win an autographed set of Kersten Hamilton's THE GOBLIN WARS by leaving a comment on the <a href="http://spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com/" style="color: #336699; font-weight: normal;" target="_self">Spellbinders Blog</a> or <a href="mailto:kglittle@msn.com" style="color: #336699; font-weight: normal;" target="_self">emailing me</a>. The winner will be randomly selected and announced November 18.</strong></span></div>
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The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-47978826907430608402013-10-14T07:00:00.000-07:002013-10-14T07:00:08.405-07:00The Secret Language of Stories - My Twelve Step Plot Analysis Method by Carolee Dean<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24.0pt;">
I’m starting this school year
with a review of the method I use to both plot my books and teach story
analysis to my students. For the rest of the year, my column will focus on
demonstrating how I use this system to analyze plots in picture books, novels,
and films. Next month will spotlight the Coretta Scott King winner <i>Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of
Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal</i> by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. </div>
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The<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Secret Language of Stories</i> (SLOS)
is a twelve-step story analysis I created based upon<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The Hero with a Thousand Faces<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>by Joseph Campbell as well as <i>The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for
Writers </i>by Christopher Vogler. Though I love both of these texts, I was
looking for symbols a little more concrete for the students I work with, and
terms that brought images easily to mind for them (and myself). </div>
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As a
speech-language pathologist in the public schools, I serve students elementary
through high school of all ability levels. Understanding the structure of
narratives gives kids a framework not just for understanding the stories they
hear and read, but also for telling the stories of their lives.</div>
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SLOS is broken
down into twelve basic parts. Stories don’t necessarily contain all of the
components, and they don’t always occur in the order given here. The purpose of
this analysis is not to micro analyze every element of a story, but rather to
help students recognize what is going on in stories and to begin to think like
authors. </div>
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1)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><st1:place w:st="on">Old World</st1:place>
– Setting and characters are introduced. I often start out comparing and
contrasting the Old World with the <st1:place w:st="on">New World</st1:place>
(item 5).</div>
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2)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Call and Response – This may
occur during or after the inciting incident. The Hero receives a call to
adventure. Sometimes he eagerly undertakes this challenge, but more often there
is a period of reluctance or even refusal as the dangers of the adventure are
weighed against possible benefits.</div>
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3)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Mentors, Guides, and Gifts – A
mentor appears to encourage the hero to accept the challenge of the call and
gifts are often given to help him on his way.</div>
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4)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Crossing – The hero decides to
act and crosses over into the <st1:place w:st="on">New World</st1:place>.</div>
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5)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>New World – The hero faces
small challenges as she learns to function in the <st1:place w:st="on">New World</st1:place>.</div>
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6)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Problems, Prizes, and Plans – A
clear story goal is established and <b>plans </b>are made<span class="apple-converted-space"><b> </b></span>for
how it will be attained.</div>
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7)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Midpoint Challenge: Going for
the Prize – An <b>attempt<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>is
made to attain the Prize. A shift in the story occurs.</div>
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8)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Downtime – This section shows
the hero’s<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>response </b>to
what happened during the attempt. It may be a time of celebration, recovery,
healing, regrouping or sulking, depending on what happened during the attempt
to attain the Prize.</div>
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(Note: In
longer stories, endless cycles of the <b>plan,
attempt, response</b> sequence continue to build momentum.)</div>
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9)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Chase – A twist sends the story
off in a new direction. Something is being pursued. The hero may be pursuing
the prize or the villain, or the villain may be pursuing the hero.</div>
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10)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span> Death
and Transformation – This is the point in the story where it appears that whatever
is of highest value will be lost. Often someone dies at this point in the
narrative.</div>
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11)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span> Showdown:
The Final Test – The hero must face one final challenge to demonstrate whether
the changes that have occurred are lasting or only temporary; internal or
merely external.</div>
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12)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span> Reward
- The hero gets what she has earned. If she has passed the final test, it
may be a reward. If not, there may be other consequences. Often there is a
celebration and the return of the hero to the group.</div>
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This is a very
brief overview. For more information
visit <a href="http://caroleedeanbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Carolee Dean Books</a> and check out the tab entitled The Secret Language of Stories. If you have
questions or if you are interested in writing workshops for your staff or
students, please feel free to contact me at <a href="mailto:caroleedean@yahoo.com" target="_blank">my email</a>.</div>
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For an example of how I use SLOS
to analyze stories, refer to my post in last April’s issue of Spellbinders
where I discuss in detail Cassandra
Clare’s <i>City of Bones</i>
<a href="http://spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com/2013/04/city-of-bones-story-analysis-by-carolee.html">http://spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com/2013/04/city-of-bones-story-analysis-by-carolee.html</a>.</div>
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<br />
<b>Dori Fonda - Winner of MAY B, please send your snail mail address to Caroline <a href="mailto:carolinestarr@yahoo.com" target="_blank">by email</a> so she may send your book!</b></div>
<br />
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On a personal note, I’m very
please to announce that my verse novel, Forget Me Not, has just been released
in paperback!</div>
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The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-66315714895354034262013-10-06T18:44:00.001-07:002013-10-06T18:44:14.108-07:00A New School Year<h1 class="h1" style="color: #202020; font-family: Arial; font-size: 34px; line-height: 34px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A New School Year for Spellbinders</span></h1>
<br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><img align="none" data-cke-saved-src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/920ac15cdae826bddb68e22f4/images/thank_you.jpg" height="142" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/920ac15cdae826bddb68e22f4/images/thank_you.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #505050; cursor: default; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; height: 142px; line-height: 14px; outline: none; width: 355px;" width="355" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Thanks to everyone who participated in the Spellbinders Survey last May. We have taken your feedback into consideration in our planning for this year. What people requested most was articles about writing both for sharing with students and for personal use. Another request was for librarian and teacher interviews. With that in mind, we have created a great line up of authors, some of whom are librarians and teachers. They will all be sharing writing tips that will get adults and students alike revved up for writing.</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Several people asked for more links to articles and sites of interest to teachers and librarians. Caroline will be including those at the end of her monthly articles on Classroom Connections.</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">You also indicated that you wanted us to keep our weekly format. The schedule will be as follows: </span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">First Monday - Writing Tips from an Author/Librarian/Teacher</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Second Monday - The Secret Language of Stories by Carolee</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Third Monday - Kimberley's Book Buzz</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Fourth Monday - Caroline's Classroom Connections</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">We announced the winners of last May's survey at the end of the school year, but a couple of you have not responded. Please contact Carolee at </span><a data-cke-saved-href="mailto:caroleedean@yahoo.com" href="mailto:caroleedean@yahoo.com" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" target="_self">caroleedean@yahoo.com</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> so we can send you your books. Stay tuned, there will be lots of contests and prizes this year!</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Chris Victor - Won CIRCLE OF SECRETS by Kimberley Griffiths Little</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Dori Fonda - Won MAY B. by Caroline Starr Rose</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">We will see you next Monday when Carolee presents an overview of The Secret Language of Stories, the twelve step plot system she uses to create her books and to teach story analysis to struggling students.</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Until then...</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><img align="none" data-cke-saved-src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/920ac15cdae826bddb68e22f4/images/keep_reading.jpg" height="233" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/920ac15cdae826bddb68e22f4/images/keep_reading.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #505050; cursor: default; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; height: 233px; line-height: 14px; outline: none; width: 216px;" width="216" />The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-56647563559288390162013-05-22T16:36:00.000-07:002013-05-22T16:36:04.552-07:00WINNERS ANNOUNCEDAnd now for the winners of the Survey Giveaway!!!!<br />
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Valerie Bogart - FORGET ME NOT by Carolee Dean<br />
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Chris Victor - CIRCLE OF SECRETS by Kimberley Griffiths Little<br />
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Dori Fonda - MAY B. by Caroline Starr Rose<br />
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You will soon be receiving an email requesting your snail mail address. <br />
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THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED.The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-72546251985584530192013-05-20T16:06:00.001-07:002013-05-20T16:06:18.250-07:00CONTEST EXTENDED THROUGH TUESDAYSee the post below to find out about our survey and book giveaways. The contest has been extended until Tuesday night.The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-4804958393454646722013-05-14T08:00:00.000-07:002013-05-20T16:06:48.734-07:00FREE + LUNCH = GIVEAWAYS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Spellbinders met at Jason's Deli to discuss our plans for Year 5. There are some exciting things on the horizon including a real life Spellbinders Tour Across Texas in April 2014 in conjunction with TLA (The Texas Library Association Annual Conference). Watch for details in next October's issue.<br />
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We are also changing from Constant Contact to Mail Chimp, so be sure to let your IT administrators know. We will send more information next fall in Constant Contact.<br />
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As we contemplate how to best serve our readers, we would really appreciate it if you would take a brief survey to assist us. This is your opportunity to tell us what you love, what you want, and what we could make even better. Go here for the <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XQT7X9N" target="_blank">SURVEY</a><br />
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Your input is so important to us that we're having a drawing for free BOOKS, so after completing the survey, please sign up to win at Rafflecopter.<br />
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Winners will be contacted by email and announced on our blog Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Giveaways include these Spellbinders books:<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3d710d4/" id="rc-3d710d4" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> <script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script></div>
The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-67164849837463654412013-05-10T18:28:00.001-07:002013-05-10T18:28:30.787-07:00THE BOOK WHISPERER, Our Final Interview with Donalyn Miller<br />
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Click through to read parts <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001-qy_kR6SqVLB_6A-YwDu8xw_ypp67FBtqvKNCeVv7jaghoySP22-J2LG8tRcq6oM0tIDjc_bqJoCF14NJJ6KQXLkg6itbrFbiydcfPDeSxlkpnv7lrWuhQEE66ahMJ2syIQ-x-YtimNMOJ5GBWHhtKoe41iPOhZWelG7gs0ELdLi-wFq4e0kIbWzUpSb7s8aLs3tfZtJYgawBknPT6L5hXUayRoXNpx_8dLkYdNBcRFB_2DlnNo2FmM_TudWDp_gOVU40BPZkuBOPXWqGFNgea5mCKxOpp5h" linktype="1" shape="rect" target="_blank" track="on">one</a>, <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001-qy_kR6SqVLB_6A-YwDu8xw_ypp67FBtqvKNCeVv7jaghoySP22-J2LG8tRcq6oM0tIDjc_bqJoCF14NJJ6KQdzAH1qloaRZx06l7-865PeNjXyG8Ap-3Vk6NHiSCt78Zd60X8X2ciVXSY55Ohrww-2oIM0bmyFDEr_BjgkxhFNInr8Zzlb2JyaqxfZqTvtxM-rbK8HsH88q4VEfX2-ozA==" linktype="1" shape="rect" target="_blank" track="on">two</a>, and <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001-qy_kR6SqVLB_6A-YwDu8xw_ypp67FBtqvKNCeVv7jaghoySP22-J2LG8tRcq6oM0tIDjc_bqJoCF14NJJ6KQdzAH1qloaRZx06l7-865PeNjXyG8Ap-3Vk6NHiSCt78Zd60X8X2ciVXSY55Ohrww-2oIM0bmyFDEr_BjgkxhFNInr8Zzlb2JyaqxfZqTvtxM-rbK8HsH88wOCi5JrUQPcZArP8M9A_y" linktype="1" shape="rect" target="_blank" track="on">three</a>.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>I find your approach to standardized testing to be refreshing. Can you explain how you discuss testing with your kids? (I won't ask how you prepare them; that takes place in your room all year long.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It is February and I haven't talked to my students at all about our state tests. My district conducts benchmark testing that mirrors the format of our test, so I don't see the value in spending more days on it. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As we near the time for the test, I will show my students sample questions and evaluate how the test is formatted, but that is all.<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tests are just another genre of reading with its own specific vocabulary, format, and purpose. That's all. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Do you think a lot of the "extras" that are attached to traditional reading instruction come from fear, the worry that kids can't make connections unless we spell it out for them or that reading without the hoop jumping somehow isn't enough?</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Honestly, I think that a lot of what we ask kids to do are grade generators or efforts to motivate kids to read because we think they won't if we don't give them an assignment.</span> We don't know how to effectively assess students' mastery and growth, so we attach assignments to reading in order to have some proof.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Can you tell us about the difference between managing and controlling -- both a classroom and students themselves?</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Managing a classroom requires organization, planning, structure, and expertise. Controlling involves keeping most of the power.</span> I give a lot of my power over to the children. Does it matter to me where they sit when they read? Does it matter to me if they organize their notebook differently? Does it matter to me if they chat while they are working? Does it matter to me if they want to sketch their rough draft as a storyboard before writing an essay? No.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I don't have complicated procedures for classroom routines, either. My students take down chairs, take lunch count, shelve books, restock the Kleenex, empty our pencil sharpener-all of it without asking. Whenever a student mentions a needed job, we discuss it as a class, ask a volunteer to do it, and we are done. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>I want my students to learn what life readers know: reading is its own reward. Reading is a university course in life; it makes us smarter by increasing our vocabulary and background knowledge of countless topics. Reading allows us to travel to destinations that we will never experience outside of the pages of a book. Reading is a way to find friends who have the same problems we do and who can give advice on solving those problems. Through reading, we can witness all that is noble, beautiful, or horrifying about other human beings. From a book's characters, we can learn how to conduct ourselves. And most of all, reading is a communal act that connects you to other readers, comrades who have traveled to the same remarkable places that you have and been changed by them, too.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">- Donalyn Miller, THE BOOK WHISPERER</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Thank you so much for sharing your book and ideas with us, Donalyn!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Learn more about Donalyn and her book at<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001-qy_kR6SqVLB_6A-YwDu8xw_ypp67FBtqvKNCeVv7jaghoySP22-J2LG8tRcq6oM0tIDjc_bqJoCF14NJJ6KQXpS3efihB88adOGKKD9zCZm72aA7bf7sK0vFsVqHO-8" linktype="1" shape="rect" target="_blank" track="on">www.thebookwhisperer.com.</a> </span></div>
The Spellbindershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395442994423590737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7960701523720914636.post-62763568236904723842013-05-02T15:54:00.000-07:002013-05-02T15:54:21.787-07:00An Interview with Donalyn Miller, Author of THE BOOK WHISPERER, Part III<br />
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Click through to read parts <a href="http://spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com/2013/04/donalyn-millers-book-whisperer.html" target="_blank">one</a> and <a href="http://spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com/2013/05/an-interview-with-donalyn-miller-author.html" target="_blank">two</a>.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>What is a typical day in your classroom like?</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Loud! I joke that it sounds like beehive. We talk constantly about books and writing. My students spend the first 30 minutes reading while I confer with individual students about their reading and help students preview and select books. After reading time, we talk with partners about our reading experiences that day and I present a few book commercials about new additions to the class library or books I think students will enjoy based on what they are reading now, or books I think will stretch them. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">After reading time, I teach a lesson and students practice the skill or strategy I have taught using a common text like an article, poem, or short story for the first few encounters with this topic. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">As often as possible, I ask students to apply what they have learned to their independent reading, writing, or inquiry when they have mastered the skill or strategy after whole group instruction.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We write every day. Sometimes, we write about reading and sometimes we develop essays or reports. We are currently engaged in an author study about Seymour Simon. Students are reading several of his books, exploring his website, and creating reports of information based on one research topic. I am teaching lessons on sentence fluency, taking notes, combing information from several sources, and organizing information logically.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">I try to integrate reading and writing as much as possible, so some students could be reading or writing during our daily work periods depending on their individual progress and needs that day.</span> I circulate and confer with children during these work periods.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">After a work period, students share bits of their writing and solicit feedback from their peers. I facilitate these discussions.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><img align="left" border="0" height="320" hspace="5" src="https://ui.constantcontact.com/rnavmap/tip/dispatcher?origImg=http://www.ldswomensbookreview.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Wonder-book_216.jpg" vspace="5" width="216" />During the last ten minutes of class, we gather for a read aloud. Right now, we are reading WONDER by R.J. Palacio. We are keeping a running list of Mr. Browne's precepts on the board and discussing the book and its messages each day.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>You don't use the terms struggling or reluctant readers but instead identify readers as developing, dormant, and underground. Could you define for us what these readers are like and what they most need?</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Developing readers lack reading confidence, experience, or ability, but are somewhere on the path toward developing reading self-efficacy. I prefer this term to struggling readers because<span style="text-decoration: underline;">development implies progress and effort instead of failure</span>.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Dormant readers possess the grade and age levels abilities expected from them at school, but don't find reading personally meaningful beyond school expectations. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">I find that most of my students are dormant readers. They haven't experienced enough pleasure or engagement with reading.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Underground readers are avid readers who live two reading lives--one at school and one outside of school.</span> These children are often avid readers who may underperform on school reading assignments because they don't find them meaningful. They may not fill out reading logs, participate in whole class discussions, or complete reports, then excel on reading tests.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I think there are other types of readers who don't express these marked habits and abilities, but I chose to write about these types because these the students that benefit most from free choice voluntary reading and more classroom choice.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>"Students need to receive encouragement for the skills and knowledge they do have and be allowed to make mistakes as they work toward mastery." What are some "mistakes" you've seen kids afraid to make? How have you helped liberate them from this fear?</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Reading is hard because so much of it involves subjective interpretation. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Kids who want to get it right struggle when I push them to determine their own meaning for a text.</span> They want me to tell them what it means. They want explicit answers to every question. When we read shared texts, we look at the basic plot events or main ideas first, then delve into the deeper meanings or implications of a text. This assures everyone understands the universal meaning or key points before exploring personal connections and meanings. I think this values all of the learners in my class.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">I also share my mistakes and misconceptions with students</span>. They don't realize that even the most experienced readers and writers need to reread, revise, and mull over ideas. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Your principal sounds like a phenomenal person -- giving you the room to teach reading this way, encouraging fellow teachers to examine "classroom practices and institutional policies that are so entrenched in school cultures" as to be ineffective, the afterward he wrote for your book. How does someone who doesn't have the support you do go about making effective changes in their classroom community?</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It is hard to teach in a culture that doesn't get what you are doing. I keep Stephen Krashen's and Nancie Atwell's books on my shelf. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">I want colleagues, parents, and administrators to know that I have a research basis for what I am doing.</span> If anyone questions me about my methods, I refer to the research. You can disagree with me all you want, I am just one person, but how can you discount decades of research on our field? I cannot think of any administrator who would tell a teacher to disregard research.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">It helps to make a list of your core beliefs about teaching and learning and look at it often.</span> What do you believe is right for children? What do you believe is important for them to learn? How is your daily instruction leading students to a better life beyond school? It is easy to get bogged down in the daily grind of school, and it helps to remember these long term goals.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I was not treated well by many of my colleagues when I first changed my practices. It was hard. I sought out the teachers in my building who were most progressive and open-minded (and our librarian), and I developed collaborative relationships with them. I spent a lot of time with my students, which helped me focus on them. My students' test scores were good and I walked into school happy every day. My students and their parents were happy, too. Eventually, people were curious. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">I suggest that teachers implement as much as they can, document the results and share it with administrators and colleagues. Talk about what you are doing in your classroom and the positive results.</span> Better to talk about what you are doing and not what you wish you could.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Learn more about Donalyn and her book at <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001WbyJdtSEl6NjaF3JA71c9LSXQXbH7HoQuwrfUN8zJnOq8eqKPADEIi3BYDCbBz0KNBjUmSdpcVm2Grgx5dlCIu1RSUa4mU4-F2-PnFTRmXxEztp6KI_bZczvPTJCT1hc" linktype="1" shape="rect" target="_blank" track="on">www.thebookwhisperer.com.</a> </span></div>
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