Letters to Book Characters

Binky the Space Cat

by Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press, 2009

Dear Binky,

You are so cute and funny. Why do you eat “Aliens”? I think you are a chubby little kittie. I have two cats at home, a big one named Luna and a small one named Taiyou. Toayou is very funny like you, they do not fart as much as you. If you have to much “Aliens” in your “Spsce station” just call an exterminator they kill all “Aliens”.

Your friend,

S.

P.S.   Please answer me.

* * * *

Dear S.,

You are so kind and know when you see a good personalty. I think aliens taste like fried chicken, it is so yummy. Luna should be the leader of the space station because she’s older. I do not need an exterminator I am the one who kills the aliens, anyway I can’t let an intruder in my space station. 

Your Pal,

Binky 

 Holly fuzz butt I forgot! I’m on a diet.

* * * * 

The assignment was to write a letter to a book character, and then write the letter the book character might write back. The students posted the letters on their blogs. This pair turned out great!

Blog Reading Blues

I am so pathetically behind in blog reading. How far behind am I, you ask? I just went to Bloglines for the first time in I Don't Know How Long, and I was stunned by the bloggy productivity of you all!

The King of All Bloggy Productivity goes to Sam Riddleburger with 87 posts since the last time I checked Bloglines! It's mind boggling...the alternative Harry Potter endings, the Rubik's Cube solving, the juggling video (great music, and I love the slo-mo at the end), the reviews of obscure books...All I can say is, WOW!

The Candy Blog (82 new posts) just barely edged out Fuse #8 (80 new posts) for first place. Good thing I looked, The Candy Blog has a contest going on -- she's giving away candy! Go check it out! No Video Sunday for Fuse this week, but good for her -- she gets a vacation!

In second place, with 65 posts, is Two Writing Teachers. They have so many great ideas for writing workshop that it almost gives me hives (but in a good way -- in a "stick your neck out and try something new" way).

In a close third, is Jen Robinson, with 56 posts since last I checked Bloglines. Wow, Jen! You've been busy! I can't wait to read The Puzzling World of Winston Breen, and your new photo is smashing! (Dang! You even added another post while I was working on this!)

Blogs in the 40's (number of posts, not necessarily age) are Mentor Texts (45) and Miss Rumphius (44). I love Literacy Teacher's (Mentor Texts) posts about her read alouds. Tricia (Miss Rumphius) has been tagged for a writing meme that you might want to try. (Not me, not now, I'm too busy reading blogs!)

Blogs in the 30's include Big A little a (39 -- Weekend Reviews, Everyday Etiquette, The Edge of the Forest, The Cybils -- come up for air, Kelly!), A Wrung Sponge (37 -- how does she do it with two little boys and her 365 photo project and her school library and her typing classes?), and Robin Brande (30 -- sorry I haven't been back for Tuesday Book Club. School happened. Reading has declined. Paper grading and assessment scoring has increased. The snake training story is a hoot. I DID have time to read that!)

Everybody else who's in double digits, you have my deepest admiration!

Read Roger (28)
Tea Cozy (27)
ReadWriteBelieve (26) (That is some freaky geekery!!!!)
Chicken Spaghetti (26) (Love the news from the coop!)
WildRoseReader (22)
GottaBook (22)
Educating Alice (19)
Mother Reader (17) (I have the same blues you do!)
Liz in Ink (17)
Hip Writer Mama (15)
Read, Read, Read (11)
Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast (10) (But add to that a hundred important Robert's Snow emails!)

And you, I know what happened to your life! Keep plugging. You'll be able to come up for air in a month or so:

Creative Literacy (5)

If you didn't find your blog in this post, it's not because I don't read your blog, it's because I've come to the end of the hour that I allotted for doing this penance. I'm going to Bloglines as soon as I post this, and I'm going to click the "Mark All Read" button and start over again fresh.