Ricki – Page 76 – Unleashing Readers

Top Ten Tuesday: Books from ALAN that Ricki is Excited About

August 4, 2016December 1, 2015 by Ricki

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

Today’s Topic: Books from ALAN that Ricki is Excited About

I was going to create a list of the top ten books from the NCTE convention and ALAN Workshop that I am excited about, but that just became too overwhelming. There were so many great books from this conference, that I need to limit my pool for my own sanity. The ALAN Workshop is my favorite place to be!

1. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

My friends are buzzing about this one, and I can’t wait to read it!

2. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

Not only is the title captivating, but I hear the book is incredible.

3. The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

The concept of this book is so intriguing. After meeting the author (who is very smart), I have a feeling that I will really enjoy it!

4. The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork

After hearing Francisco book talk this book, I want to wrap myself in this story. I am waiting for the right frame of mind, which will be very soon.

5. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

I love all things Sarah Dessen. She just warms my soul.

6. Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein

Who doesn’t love Elizabeth Wein? Whew. She is an incredible writer.

7. These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

Another rock star author! I’ve heard this book is difficult to put down!

8. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everyone keeps telling me to read this book! I am not lying. I have received several text messages from different people!

9. Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (siblings!)

I don’t tend to read middle grade graphic novels, but I saw a few pages from this book, and it looks so funny!

10. Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Besides my love for the cover, I am intrigued by this book. I suspect it is going to be very good!

Make sure to check out Kellee’s list of the books she’s looking forward to reading from ALAN! (Available tomorrow!)

If you attended, which books from NCTE and ALAN are you excited about?
If not, which books are you looking forward to read this upcoming year?

Author Guest Post!: “Spurring Ideas with Creative Teamwork” by Jack Keely, Author of The Whistlebrass Horror

April 22, 2023November 29, 2015 by Ricki

“Spurring Ideas with Creative Teamwork”

I recently co-authored a YA novel with another writer, Briar Lee Mitchell. This process proved to be a positive and surprisingly creative experience for both of us. Briar got the ball rolling with a few sentences that described a rather ordinary scene, which had a slightly ominous suggestion of things to come.

It had only been a circle of stones by the river. Nothing so special about it really, but it hadn’t been there the day before. He was sure of it.

With that, we were off, bouncing pages and ideas back and forth. Over time, characters changed, names changed, and the story galloped off in unexpected directions. The end result was The Whistlebrass Horror published by Permuted Press. Our teamwork was a success.

While recently teaching a graphic design class, I thought it would be interesting for the students to design and illustrate something that they had written themselves. With so many dazzling distractions instantly available on their TVs, computers, and magic phones, many young people are discouragingly hesitant to open a book. If you suggest that they attempt some creative writing, you may find yourself confronted with a roomful of kids staring at you in bewilderment.

For instructors who love to read and are entranced with the magic of wordplay, there are few things as rewarding as winning over a reluctant reader or igniting the creative spark in a budding writer. The initial challenge is simply breaking the ice. I wondered if setting up my students in teams might be a good way to break through any stage fright they might have, and allow them to rely on each other to propel a story forward. I mentioned this idea to another instructor. His response was emphatic.

“Don’t do it,” he said. “They’ll hate you.”

He had learned from experience that setting up classroom teams could result in disaster. Students were often paired with partners that they didn’t like. Some teams were saddled with a student who did no work, or an alpha kid who attempted to dominate the rest. The result was unproductive lopsided partnerships. After pondering the pitfalls, I came up with an alternative method of getting students to collaborate.

We started by discussing Chris Van Allsburg’s brilliant book, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick in which evocative pictures depicting mysterious events are accompanied by a title and a single sentence that encourage readers to invent their own stories.

I asked my students to each come up with at least two imaginative sentences that could be part of a novel or short story. The sentences did not have to relate to each other in any way. Most came up with ten or more that varied from wry observations to fragments of conversations. Students wrote about strange machines, modern day dinosaurs, telepathic dogs, and intimidating strangers. The surprising results were along the lines of the following:

He suspected that the creature was hiding in the old grocery store.
As the sun came out from behind a cloud, the pigs began to dance.
Had his mad uncle concealed the skeleton key in the birthday cake?
“But why are you wearing a penguin costume?” whispered Agnes.

The second part of the exercise was where the teamwork came sneaking in. Students were given lists of every sentence that the class had come up with. They were asked to select one or more of their own and one or more written by others. Then they were asked to write a very short story (a paragraph or two long) that included their selections. There was no limit on the number of sentences used, and most chose to use several. If necessary, changes in gender, names, and so on could be made.

The results were ingenious. The students read the stories aloud and enjoyed the laughter and applause they received. Some stories were very funny and some were quite serious. There were elements of fantasy, science fiction and magic realism. It was very interesting to see how different individuals used the same sentences to achieve different results.

Finally, the students created layouts and illustrations for their fiction. For many, it was a new experience to see their own writing and byline presented in a professional looking way. The entire exercise proved to be pleasant, provocative, and painless. My goal was to involve the students in authorship and collaboration, and to let them see how working with words can be fun and rewarding.

As they were leaving, one young man paused and said, “That was a fun class.”

Mission accomplished!

About the Author

Some claim that Jack Keely is the son of a celebrated spiritualist. Others insist that he grew up in the wagons of a traveling carnival. In any case, he has always been an aficionado of the arcane, the peculiar, and the eccentric.

He spent four years exploring the haunts of H. P. Lovecraft in the historic city of Providence, while obtaining his degree in illustration from Rhode Island School of Design. After an additional two years of study at Cranbrook Academy of Art, Keely began a long and checkered career illustrating dozens of books, including the best-selling Grossology series by Sylvia Branzei.

He recently completed the cover art and interior illustrations forThe Whistlebrass Horror, and co-authored the tale with Briar Lee Mitchell. The duo is currently at work on a sequel, The Whistlebrass Storm Watcher.

Jack Keely is said to spend most of his time behind the chained gates of the Keely family manse. Although the moldering old house appears to be abandoned, a light can often be seen at night in the library windows. On quiet evenings, if their hearing was sufficiently acute, passersby would likely hear the rhythmic thwack of a typewriter, or the scratch of a pen across a sheet of drawing paper.

About The Whistlebrass Horror

Founded on cursed land, Whistlebrass, Vermont is a place of dark deeds and darker dreams. Shortly after teenage newcomer Casey Wilde arrives in the haunted town his little sister disappears. Determined to get her back, Casey’s only clues are a murdered man’s rambling journal and a mysterious stone spiral on an isolated stretch of riverbank.

To help find his sister Casey teams up with Pike, a teen psychic with a rebellious streak. But Casey and Pike are up against a suave sociopath, a legion of living shadows, and a reptilian humanoid capable of stealing their life force and crushing them into dust. Who can Casey ask for help when no sane adult will believe his story?

Thank you, Jack, for this great teaching post, and thank you to Permuted Press for connecting us with Jack!

and

Where’s Will?: Find Shakespeare Hidden in His Plays by Tilly (Illustrator) and Anna Claybourne

June 13, 2016November 25, 2015 by Ricki

Where’s Will?: Find Shakespeare Hidden in His Plays
Illustrator: Tilly; Author: Anna Claybourne
Published September 1, 2015 by Kane Miller Books

Goodreads Summary: Spot Will Shakespeare and a selection of colourful characters from ten of his best-loved plays! Can you pick out Puck in the midsummer night? Will you spy Cecilia hidden in the Forest of Arden? And can you see Shakespeare making a cameo in every scene?

First, get to know each play by reading a snappy synopsis of the plot and meeting the main characters. Next, hunt for the characters, who are hidden in the detailed and beautifully illustrated pictures of the plays’ settings.

My Review: This book was a lot of fun for me to read! Readers of all ages would enjoy it. My son (age two) enjoyed pointing to all of the animals and people in the book. An elementary schooler or middle schooler would enjoy finding Will, the characters, and the pig in all of the pictures. A high schooler or adult will appreciate the brief (about 300 words) synopses of each play and illustrations (along with finding Will, of course). Each play features a two-page spread similar to a graphic novel, where the play is depicted in illustrations and words. At the top of each spread are cameos of the main characters of the play. Then, the reader can turn the page and search for the characters, Will, and the pig in a very detailed illustration (see below).

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I haven’t read the full version of each play featured in the book, but I am quite inspired to read them now! High school teachers would love this book. It shows the complexity and greatness of Shakespeare’s work. After reading one of Shakespeare’s plays, a teacher could show the students the synopsis and the spread. This provides a picture of the time period and also allows for conversations about why the author may have made decisions to include/exclude specific plot details. If my tenth graders had all read Romeo & Juliet the previous year, it would be neat to show them that play. Then, when we read another Shakespeare play, I could ask them to illustrate their own scenes. This would be an intense final project, and I would give the option for students to use video games as a platform for this kind of world-building.

Discussion Questions: How do the illustrations of the plays differ? Why might the illustrator have chosen to depict the play with these colors/moods?; What tough decisions might the author have faced when choosing the plot details to include in the 300-word synopses?; How do these illustrations/synopses give us fuller depictions of the plays?

We Flagged:

Read This If You Loved: Plays by William Shakespeare; Where’s Waldo? books

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Lynn for providing a copy for review!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Fictional Families We’d Invite to Thanksgiving

November 24, 2015 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Fictional Families We’d Invite to Thanksgiving

The door is always open, folks!

Ricki

1. The Nguyens from Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

This family is kind and giving. I fell in love with them.

2. The Finches from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (but not from Go Set a Watchman)

I’d love for Atticus to share some of his wise words with the table. I am keeping my image of him sacred, so we will stick with the first book.

3. The Sweetwines from I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

I want to give the twins a big ol’ hug.

4. The Donabedians from Like Water on Stone by Dana Walrath

Yet another set of children that I want to hug!

5. The Nisbetts from The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

I liked how the parents in this book tried hard to teach Marlee about the world while still working to be fair. Even when Marlee is punished, she recognizes that her punishment is fair. I didn’t like the mother as much in the beginning, but she dynamically changes as the book progresses, and the family felt very real to me.

Kellee

1. The Nguyens from Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

I know, I know, but I had to include Willow! I love what this family became by the end of the book, and I would definitely love to spend time with them.

2. The Weasleys from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Well, first, I love redheads, but second, I love all of the Weasleys! Dinner at their house would be so much fun (though pre-book 7 would be more fun that post…)

3. The Murphys from One for the Murphys by Lynda Mulally Hunt

The way the Murphys embrace Carley shows me what an amazing family they are.

4. The Kanes from The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan

I wuld love to be surrounded by all the mythology and adventure, even for one day! (Though they can keep the danger.) I also would love to hang out with Bast.

5. Rafe’s family from Openly Straight by Ben Konigsberg

His parents seem like the most caring, opening, fun, and sweet parents, and I would love to spend a day with them and Rafe.

Which fictional families would you invite to your dinner table?

and

Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway!: The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen and Illustrated by Dan Hanna

November 19, 2015 by Ricki

The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish
Author: Deborah Diesen; Illustrator: Dan Hanna
Published: September 8, 2015 byFarrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Summary: Holiday sequel to The New York Times bestselling Pout-Pout Fish series reminds young readers what being merry is all about

The grumpiest fish in children’s literature is back with another case of “the dreary wearies.” This time, Mr. Fish, star ofThe New York Times bestselling Pout-Pout Fish series, is down in the dumps over holiday shopping. With a message for readers of all ages, The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish (Farrar, Straus, & Giroux Books | Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Ages 2-6) finds Mr. Fish so consumed with finding that perfect gift for each of his friends that he forgets the true meaning of the holidays.

When Mr. Fish—with his signature Pout-Pout Fish frown—comes up empty-handed, Miss Shimmer intervenes with a plan to make homemade gifts. He soon learns that it’s not about busting the budget or gifting the season’s hottest item, but giving from the heart. Together they experience the joy that comes from giving and sharing—the merriest gifts of all.

Ricki’s Review: Ever since I received this book, my toddler has demanded I read it to him multiple times a day. The story has a wonderful moral that is very important for the gift-giving season. As a mom, I work really hard to try to show my son that material items should not be significant. Not only does this book teach lessons related to this topic, but it prizes friendship. I suspect we will be reading this book again and again in years to come because the need for this lesson will recur as he grows older. He loves the complexity of the illustrations. There is so much to look at on each page!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book offers opportunities for students to create their own homemade gifts for friends, family, or those in need. It will inspire students to want to create something that will be greatly appreciated by another person.

Discussion Questions: How might you show your love to a family member or friend without buying anything? Do you think they would appreciate it more or less? Why?; How does pout-pout fish learn the value of gift-giving? What do his friends think about his gifts?

We Flagged:

Read This If You Loved: The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen; The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein; Books about Giving and Generosity; Books about Christmas

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Recommended For:

Q&A with Author Deborah Diesen

How did you come up with the original Pout-Pout fish book in 2008?

The story grew out of an actual pout! One day many, many years ago, when my elder son was a preschooler, he was having a very grouchy afternoon. Hoping to amuse him, I made an exaggerated pouty face at him. He smiled and then pouted right back, which got us both laughing. “We look like fish,” I said. “Like pout-pout fish!” As soon as I said that out loud, it became a story idea. I jotted the idea down and I started writing The Pout-Pout Fish that same day. Years later, I started sending the story to publishers, and in 2005 it was accepted at Farrar, Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers. The book was published in 2008 and began a series of stories, all featuring Mr. Fish, his friends, and their adventures.

Since the first book, we’ve seen Mr. Fish go to school, learn to smile, face the dark, discover how to dream and play hide-and-seek. What do kids (and their parents) love most about the series?

I think one of the things that makes Mr. Fish an appealing character for many kids and parents is that kids and parents alike can identify with his experiences. Toddlers sometimes pout; so do adults! Preschoolers have things they’re scared of; so do adults! Kindergarteners get nervous about starting something new; so do adults! Mr. Fish’s experiences provide a way for kids and grown-ups to explore those issues together. In addition, the stories have rhyme, repetition, and wordplay, which are fun in a read-aloud book. And Dan Hanna’s illustrations! They’re fantastic. They truly bring the stories to life.

What is Mr. Fish up to now? Does he have a case of the “dreary wearies” in the latest book, too?

Mr. Fish’s newest adventure is called The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish. In it, Mr. Fish is in a bit of a holiday panic, searching for perfect gifts for all of his friends. His shopping trip is unsuccessful, and Mr. Fish is sure that he’s let all of his friends down. But his friend Miss Shimmer reminds him that the best gifts of all come straight from the heart, and she helps him craft simple and meaningful presents to bring to the holiday party. His friends are delighted with their presents, and together everyone celebrates peace, joy, and love – what a very merry gift!

What do you hope young readers (ages 3-6) will learn from The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish? Is there a message here for grown-ups as well?

I hope that Mr. Fish’s latest tale will help children to realize that presents don’t need to be expensive or complicated or splashy. Simple, heartfelt presents that connect us to one another are the best gifts of all. A drawing; a craft project; time spent together; even just a smile! These sorts of gifts are the most cherished and the most enduring. It’s a lesson we grown-ups have to re-learn periodically as well.

Do you have any tips for parents of toddlers about the joy of giving presents, rather than just receiving them, this holiday season?

Kids love to give presents, and they especially love having an active role in the process of creating the presents. Try a craft idea or project that’s extremely simple and stress-free, and then let your child have at it with a minimum of help. The more messy, lopsided, and imperfect the results the better! Have fun with the process, and as you do you’ll create not just gifts but memories as well.

How do you and the illustrator, Dan Hanna, work together on the books? (Are there any special stories about the illustrations on Not-Very-Merry that you can share?)

I absolutely adore Dan’s art, and I credit it as the reason for the success of the series. We work independently of one another during the creation of the books. I work with our editor on the stories; then, when a story is finished and ready, she passes it along to Dan. Dan moves through the art creation process, from sketches to finished product, working with our editor and with the art director. I do see some of the steps along the way, but during the illustration process the author’s most important task is to stay out of the way! And that’s for the best, because it allows the artist to bring the story to life in the way only an artist can. Dan brings a thousand times more to the illustrations than I could ever begin to imagine – the characters and their expressions; the settings and their details; and all the funny and quirky extras. For instance, in The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish, one of the spreads shows a store full of what I describe in the text as shiny trinkets and handy gadgets. Dan took that description and brought it alive by imagining, drawing, and labeling shelf after shelf in the gift shop with hilarious and unique sea gifts. His creativity is amazing. I feel very grateful and happy to get to make books with Dan!

Any future plans for Mr. Fish? What adventures can we expect to see him in next?

Mr. Fish has a new mini-adventure coming out later this year called Kiss-Kiss, Pout-Pout Fish. This mini-adventure, like the previous mini-adventures Smile, Pout-Pout Fish and Sweet Dreams, Pout-Pout Fish, is a very short board book with just a few words per page, meant for babies and young toddlers. In spring 2016, there will be a touch-and-feel alphabet book and a sticker book. Another mini-adventure, called Trick or Treat, Pout-Pout Fish, will arrive later in 2016. And in 2017, Mr. Fish will be in a new full-length hardcover called The Pout-Pout Fish, Far, Far From Home. He stays pretty busy these days! But he’s enjoying all of his adventures.

As am I!

Q&A with Illustrator Dan Hanna

How long have you been illustrating the Pout-Pout Fish books? What inspired your depiction of the main character, Mr. Fish?

I started illustrating the first book in early 2007 and so it’s been about 8 or 9 years now.

About 15 years ago I was scuba diving in Fiji. There was a huge rusting hulk of a shipwreck about 80 feet down. At the end of a pole extending above the deck was a small metal basket. Resting in that basket was a pudgy fish about the size of my fist. I swam up and looked right into his eyes and he looked right back with a deep, gloomy frown. Years later, when I received the manuscript for The Pout-Pout Fish, that memory bubbled up. I realized, at that moment, that Mr. Fish was an actual fish, living on the other side of the world, 80 feet down on a shipwreck.

When there’s a new Pout-Pout story to illustrate, how do you collaborate with author Deborah Diesen?

It may seem odd but I don’t communicate with Debbie regarding the illustrations. I work with are the Editor (Janine O’Malley) and Art Director (Roberta Pressel). When I initially receive a manuscript I’m given complete freedom to break it down into pages and to illustrate it however I think best. After I complete the first dummy (a mock-up of the book) I send it to Janine and Roberta. That begins a long series of feedback and changes until we get to a version that we’re all happy with. At that point I begin the final art that will eventually be delivered to make the book.

What has been your favorite Pout-Pout book to illustrate? Why?

The first book! Nothing can compare to getting your first book published. Its success paved the way for all the others. The original book was the first for both Debbie and me and that made it extra special. Usually a publisher will team up a first timer with someone who has experience. Fortunately, FSG took a chance on two rookies.

What medium do you use to make the illustrations? What’s your favorite to work with? Tell us about your creative process.

I use the PPPPP approach: Paper, Pencils, Pens, Paint and Photoshop.

My favorite is just pencil and paper. When I start a new book I like to visit a variety of coffee shops in my area. I let my caffeinated mind roam, scribbling out ideas and laughing to myself. If a sketch doesn’t make me laugh then it usually doesn’t make the cut.

What illustration in The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish did you have the most fun creating?

I especially like the one where Mr. Fish imagines giving Ms. Clam the robot body. She just looks so happy and empowered.

The items in the shop and the gifts Mr. Fish imagines in this story are so detailed and quirky. How did you come up with them? Did you have a specific inspiration?

For the imagined gifts, I drew on my own experience as a kid where I would dream up magnificent presents for my family and friends. Eventually, as with Mr. Fish, I would have to confront reality and drastically scale back my plans.

The shop items are based on all the goofy stuff you can find on the shelves of some of the more interesting gift shops.

Of all the items that the Pout-Pout fish dreams up (robot, spaceship, submarine etc.), which one would you love to get this Christmas?

The Submarine! When I was a kid there was an ad in the back of a comic book for a submarine. The ad went something like this:

“Delux Submarine! Life Size! Torpedo Tubes! Absolutely NO Cardboard Parts! Only $10!!

I saved up the money and sent away for it. As I waited for it to be delivered my dreams were filled with visions of underwater adventure. Eventually it arrived and sank my dreams into the abyss. It was just a cardboard box with torpedo tubes made from toilet roll tubes. It was even more depressing than the Sea Monkeys and X-Ray Glasses.

What do you think was your most valuable childhood experience?

Being bored. I firmly believe that having enough free time to sit around and be bored is very important for the development of a healthy imagination.

What kinds of things inspire you to work?

I’m primarily motivated by death. When I contemplate my eventual demise it scares me into action. Although what really gets me going — is death and a cup of coffee.

What do you want the students to get out of your school visits?

That being a writer or illustrator is like being a wizard. Your magic wand is a pencil. Your potions are words and scribbles. And the spells you cast will be the stories you write and the pictures you draw. So pick up a pencil and make some magic happen!

Do you enjoy researching or do you prefer working totally from your imagination?

Initially I let my imagination run wild. Then I knock it out with a tranquilizer dart while I do some research. Finally, my groggy imagination re-awakes, snarls angrily and then runs wild again. I’ve found that this approach works best for me.

Do you have any advice for aspiring picture book illustrators?

Buy one thousand parrots and place them in a room with a looped recording saying something like: “Dan Hanna can sure draw fish!” Then release the parrots, using a helicopter, over each of the major publishing houses. When the editors leave for lunch they’ll hear the parrots in the trees screeching “Aaaaccck, Dan Hanna can sure draw fish!” Now I know this scheme seems rather elaborate, but it worked for me.

How did it feel to have your first book (and author Deborah Diesen’s first book) become so successful?

It feels like a hot air balloon ride. But not like one of those rides where the basket catches on fire or the balloon hits a power line or something.

What do you think will be the ultimate fate of your work?

Five billion years from now, when our sun has blown up and the Earth is a smoldering chunk of charcoal, humanity will hopefully have escaped to another planet. Perhaps, packed away in one of the zillions of moving boxes will be an old, dusty copy of “The Pout-Pout Fish”. Maybe then, some remnant of my wandering soul will smile as a genetically enhanced child stumbles across it and cracks open its ancient spine.

www.BlueBellyLizard.com

www.DanHanna.com

**Thank you to Alessandra for providing a copy for review!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Recent Book Quotes We’ve Loved

November 17, 2015 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Recent Book Quotes We’ve Loved

Book love.

Ricki

1. “I gave up practically the whole world for you,” I tell him, walking through the front door of my own love story. “The sun, stars, ocean, trees, everything, I gave it all up for you.”

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

2. “The thing I realize is, that it’s not what you take, it’s what you leave.”

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

3. “You never need an invitation to go home.”

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

4. “Survival had its price: guilt.” (from uncorrected proof)

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (review forthcoming)

5. “Esperanza smiled and reached over and gently pulled the yarn, unraveling the uneven stitches. Then she looked into Isabel’s trusting eyes and said, ‘Do not ever be afraid to start over.’”

Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Kellee

1. “Imaginary friends are like books. We’re created, we’re enjoyed, we’re dog-eared and creased, and then we’re tucked away until we’re needed again.”

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

2. “Different can be good… It makes you pay attention.”

Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord

3. “[S]taying positive and hopeful—even pretending to—was much better than giving in to fear.”

Cold War on Maplewood Street by Gayle Rosengren

4. Who you are is more than good enough.”

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

5. “Everything is connected. Every choice matters.Every person is vital, valuable, and worthy of respect.”

Revolution by Deborah Wiles

Which recent quotes do you love?

and

Author Guest Post!: “My Son’s Teacher’s Approach to Reading” by Beth Vrabel, Author of A Blind Guide to Stinkville

April 22, 2023November 15, 2015 by Ricki

“My Son’s Teacher’s Approach to Reading”

My son’s passion is soccer, but math comes a quick second. Those drills everyone groans about? The ones where students have five minutes to solve a hundred problems? He eats them up.

I think I get why: each week there is an obvious growth potential. He can—and does—create specific goals. This week, he scored a 98 percent in division facts. If he can do the same or better next week, he can move up to double-digit division. The progress can—and is—charted, allowing him to see the steady increase in his knowledge base.

Growth in reading and writing isn’t obvious. Just because a book is thicker than another doesn’t mean it’s more challenging. Just because he read it doesn’t mean he understood it. Just because he can tell you what happened doesn’t mean the story blossomed—or better yet, exploded—in his mind.

I have yet to see a writing or reading exam that goes beyond measuring grammar and vocabulary ability to measuring depth of engagement with a story. Sure, there are degrees of reading power tests, but do they really showcase whether a student “gets it”? I can time how long he spends reading, but how does that reflect what he absorbed?

Really, there is only one way to tell. Conversation.

My son’s second-grade teacher was brilliant at this. “Have you read this book?” she asked him one day, putting Call of the Wild on his desk. “I know you like dogs. Maybe you’d like this book. It’s one of my favorites.”

And then, a few days later, “What do you think about John Thornton?”

My boy was hooked. Maybe not on the story—at first—but in having book discussions with his teacher. He fell hard for the story later, but those few moments each afternoon where his teacher asked him where he was in the story filled him up. That she could hint to what was coming and loved the book as much as he did made a huge difference.

Soon he was asking her for other recommendations. Even better, he was looking for books he could recommend to her. “Mom, do you think my teacher has read this book?” he asked a few weeks later, pulling Where the Red Fern Grows from our shelves. “Do you think you could read it to me?”

Soon we, too, were talking through a book, drawing connections. He imagined what it would be like to live barefoot and wild like Billy. We moved on to Tuck Everlasting and debated what would make us drink from the spring. Would we want to live forever? He held my hand when my voice shook as I read the last chapter of Flora and Ulysses.

Now there were twenty kids in my son’s second-grade class. His teacher shouldn’t and couldn’t be expected to have separate lengthy book discussions with each child. But she didn’t have to; just a quick question here or there was more than enough to ignite his enthusiasm for reading.

My son’s daily reading log lists chapter titles and page numbers, but it doesn’t reflect the times he doodles Little Ann and Old Dan on his worksheets. It doesn’t measure his imaginary games of Quidditch on our front lawn, or take into account the Gryffindor hat he wears to bed each night. It doesn’t show that he named his guinea pig “Winn-Dixie.”

I ran into my son’s teacher at Barnes & Noble one Saturday. Her hands were full of books. One was specifically for my boy to read. “I can’t keep up with all of my readers,” she said. Is there any better indicator of amazing teaching than that?

About the Author

Beth Vrabel grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. She won a short-story contest in fourth grade and promptly decided writing was what she was going to do with her life. Although her other plans–becoming a wolf biologist, a Yellowstone National Park ranger, and a professional roller skater–didn’t come to fruition, she stuck with the writing. After graduating from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in journalism, she moved through the ranks of a local newspaper to become editor of two regional magazines and a lifestyle columnist. Beth now lives in Connecticut with her wonderful husband, two charming children, a spoiled rotten puppy, and two guinea pigs, Winn-Dixie and Pippin.

About A Blind Guide to Stinkville

Before Stinkville, Alice didn’t think albinism—or the blindness that goes with it—was a big deal. Sure, she uses a magnifier to read books. And a cane keeps her from bruising her hips on tables. Putting on sunscreen and always wearing a hat are just part of life. But life has always been like this for Alice. Until Stinkville.

For the first time in her life, Alice feels different—like she’s at a disadvantage. Back in her old neighborhood in Seattle, everyone knew Alice, and Alice knew her way around. In Stinkville, Alice finds herself floundering—she can’t even get to the library on her own. But when her parents start looking into schools for the blind, Alice takes a stand. She’s going to show them—and herself—that blindness is just a part of who she is, not all that she can be. To prove it, Alice enters the Stinkville Success Stories essay contest. No one, not even her new friend Kerica, believes she can scout out her new town’s stories and write the essay by herself. The funny thing is, as Alice confronts her own blindness, everyone else seems to see her for the first time.

This is a stirring small-town story that explores many different issues—albinism, blindness, depression, dyslexia, growing old, and more—with a light touch and lots of heart. Beth Vrabel’s characters are complicated and messy, but they come together in a story about the strength of community and friendship.

Thank you, Beth, for this post. We hope our sons are fortunate to have teachers like this one.

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