Twin Authors

All similarities end with twin and author. Jennifer Roy thought she would be a pediatrician when she grew up. She became a teacher and then a curriculum writer, and then her cousin suggested that she write the story of her aunt. This is the story of the character in YELLOW STAR, the story that has propelled her into the Children's Literature Limelight. It was recently named a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award Book.

Julia DeVillers knew from early elementary school years that she would be a writer, and that's what she became. She, too, has recently been propelled into the Children's Literature Limelight when Disney bought the rights to her book HOW MY PRIVATE PERSONAL JOURNAL BECAME A BEST SELLER. The movie is called "Read It And Weep".



We had a great time at Cover to Cover. Julia shared stories about the making of the movie. She was invited to the set of the movie and had great photos to share. She also shared some of her other great books. Jennifer talked about her aunt's story and the process of writing the book. We loved both authors. This was their very first Twin Author Signing! We think they'd both be great for any conferences or school author visits. We are huge fans! It was great to meet two sisters who were talented and excited about each other's work. Thanks to Sally and the staff at Cover to Cover for hosting this event!

I am officially ready to start school again

I got a letter from one of my students who had a great book to recommend, one that is "funny, somewhat scary, and compelling."

That's right, compelling.

I cannot wait to spend my days with someone who reads COMPELLING books! And whose contribution to my postcard collection is one from the Main Library ("What an awesome place!") of Theodore Geisel, Judy Blume and Maurice Sendak.

I'm ready.

New Website for Literacy Educators

I have been spending lots of time on the new Choice Literacy website. A good friend of ours (Brenda Power) started it and it just "opened" last week. I think it is going to be a great site for teachers, librarians, literacy coaches, administrators, etc. It is a subscription site but if you go to the link, there are lots of free articles too. I think there is a newsletter that you can get to by signing up there. I am loving the articles and the whole idea of it. I have written a few articles for the site so I've spent lots of time reading the articles by the other authors. I would highly recommend it for thoughtful professional reading in the area of literacy. So far the topics are really smart and the articles are a great length for really thinking about classroom instruction. Some great stuff from Ellin Keene, Debbie Miller, Ruth Shagoury and lots of others. There are also video clips, study guides, etc. I haven't had as much time to look at those yet, but it looks packed with good stuff, with more to come. We totally trust Brenda--she is very smart about literacy and learning-- so we wanted to get the word out while this site is brand new! I think it will become a hit pretty fast!

YELLOW STAR and Others

Well, I seem to be back on a lucky streak with reading. I picked up YELLOW STAR by Jennifer Roy the other day. What an amazing read! It is an amazing story. Very powerful. Loved it. I read it in one sitting. It is told beautifully. I can't imagine this one won't win some kind of an award.

I also read PENNY FROM HEAVEN by Jennifer Holm. I loved this one too. The historical piece about the Italians during this time period was interesting. The characters have stayed with me. It is a great story. I am now a huge fan of Jennifer Holm. I didn't realize that she wrote BABYMOUSE too. I am always amazed at writers who can be successful at two very different types of writing. I want to go back and read her last book (Newbery Honor) OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA. I would be happy if this one won the Newbery too!

For an adult read, I just finished THE STOLEN CHILD: A NOVEL by Keith Donohue. It was not my usual read. I am not a big fantasy reader but I have had a lot of luck with Borders "Original Voices". They are usually a nice surprise from an author I do not know. I enjoyed this one. The metaphor and the story were engaging. The writing fascinated me. The story was told from two perspectives--the grown up Henry and the child. I am always amazed at how writers do this type of writing. Amazing how the story came together. The characters were fascinating. The whole premise was pretty interesting. I would recommend it.

Book Meme: Professional Books for Teachers Version

1. One book that changed your life?
WRITING: TEACHERS AND CHILDREN AT WORK by Donald Graves. This book is responsible for launching the workshop format in my classroom. (ML)

IN THE MIDDLE: READING, WRITING, AND LEARNING WITH ADOLESCENTS by Nancie Atwell. This book was the first I had read about writing workshop. (F)
CHOICE WORDS by Peter Johnston. The most amazing book that reminds us that teaching is so much about how we talk to kids. (F) (I second that! --ML)

2. One book you have read more than once?
RADICAL REFLECTIONS by Mem Fox. She inspires me to know my own mind and follow my own heart. (ML)

LASTING IMPRESSIONS: WEAVING LITERATURE THROUGH THE WRITING WORKSHOP by Shelley Harwayne
WHAT A WRITER NEEDS by Ralph Fletcher.
Two of my all-time favorite books about writing workshop and the connection to great books. (F)

3. One book you would want on a desert island?
A book about all the cultures, religions, and political histories of the world. Then, when I got off the island, I might be a little better prepared to teach the myriad of students who are in my class each loop! (ML)

WORKSHOP OF THE POSSIBLE: NURTURING CHILDREN'S CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT by Ruth Shagoury Hubbard--a tribute to how amazing kids are! (F)

4. One book that made you laugh?
BLACK ANTS AND BUDDHISTS by Mary Cowhey. Mary Cowhey is a gifted storyteller. She brings her classroom to life with her stories of guiding young children towards critical thinking and social action. (ML)

DEAR MEM FOX, I HAVE READ ALL YOUR BOOKS EVEN THE PATHETIC ONES by Mem Fox. So many of Mem Fox's books make me laugh. This is one that I remember laughing all the way through. (F)

5. One book that made you cry?
ONE SIZE FITS FEW: THE FOLLY OF EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS by Susan Ohanian. The title says it all. (ML)
THE GAME OF SCHOOL by Robert Fried. The whole premise is sad. (F)

6. One book you wish had been written?
The one that will inspire a teacher who "laminates her lesson plans" to start thinking about teaching for student learning and not for her own convenience. (ML)

A book on how to teach, be a good mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend..., eat healthy, exercise, write, clean the house, read, and get enough sleep! (F)

7. One book you wish had never been written?
Not a wish I am philosophically able to make. (ML)
I agree with Mary Lee. (F)

8. One book you are currently reading?
School's about to start, so there are actually three:
BLACK ANTS AND BUDDHISTS by Mary Cowhey,
STUDY DRIVEN: A FRAMEWORK FOR PLANNING UNITS OF STUDY IN THE WRITING WORKSHOP by Katie Wood Ray, and
RETHINKING RUBRICS IN WRITING ASSESSMENT by Maja Wilson. (ML) All three of these books are causing me to reflect on my teaching practices, and they will all help me to keep my teaching and assessment responsive to my students' needs.

UNITS OF STUDY FOR TEACHING WRITING IN GRADES 3-5 by Lucy Calkins (F) This is a new resource that was recommended by others. I try to keep up on the new things out there on Reading and Writing Workshops.

9. One book you have been meaning to read?
I have two: GOING PUBLIC: PRIORITIES AND PRACTICES AT THE MANHATTAN NEW SCHOOL and WRITING THROUGH CHILDHOOD: RETHINKING PROCESS AND PRODUCT by Shelley Harwayne. Shelley Harwayne has had an amazing career as a public school teacher and administrator. Through it all, she has never lost her passionate belief in what children are capable of accomplishing. I admire her greatly. (ML)

WRITING SENSE: INTEGRATED READING AND WRITING LESSONS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS K-8 by Julie Kendall and Outey Khuon. I read MAKING SENSE by the same authors and was thrilled to see this one come out! (F)

10. Now tag five people.
Any teacher who reads professional books, consider yourself tagged!

Book Meme: Children's Literature Version

1. One book that changed your life?
A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeline L'Engle was the first really challenging book I ever read, and I found it all by myself -- a bonus! (ML)

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA by Katherine Paterson--was the first book I read for a children's lit class in college and I fell in love with Children's Lit again! (F)

2. One book you have read more than once?
When I was a kid, I reserved Sunday afternoons for re-reading books that made me cry. One of my favorites was LITTLE BRITCHES, by Ralph Moody. (ML)

THE LITTLE PRINCESS and THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett (F)

3. One book you would want on a desert island?
The biggest, thickest anthology of poetry I could lay hands on. (ML)

No poetry for me. I'd want WALK TWO MOONS by Sharon Creech (F)

4. One book that made you laugh?
THE BFG, by Roald Dahl. The first children's book to showcase farts, even if they were disguised as whizpoppers. (ML)

BARK, GEORGE by Jules Feiffer (F)

5. One book that made you cry?
The whole second half of EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS, by Deborah Wiles. (ML)

BABY by Patricia MacLachlan (F)

6. One book you wish had been written?
The one guaranteed to hook any struggling reader. (ML)

More books by favorite authors like Sharon Creech, Shannon Hale, Kate DiCamillo, Mem Fox, etc. I always hate waiting for their next books! (F)

7. One book you wish had never been written?
Not a wish I am philosophically able to make. (ML)

The new NANCY DREW books--I liked the old ones! (F)

8. One book you are currently reading?
One of the next on my to-read pile is A TRUE AND FAITHFUL NARRATIVE, by Katherine Sturtevant.

BREAD AND ROSES, TOO by Katherine Paterson (F)

9. One book you have been meaning to read?
Now that I finished HP #6, I guess that honor goes the THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION by Nancy Farmer. (ML)

#4-12 of THE SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS by Lemony Snicket (F)

10. Now tag five people.
If you're reading this, you've probably already been tagged. Now get busy and make your list! If you're not sure where to send it, put it in our comments and we'll get you in!

It was only a matter of time

TheBookDragon is on a quest to find 100 Librarians (great or otherwise) in children's and YA literature. They swiped the idea from our 100 Cool Teachers in Children's Literature, but let's not get carried away and forget to pay homage to Jen Robinson's lists of cool boys and cool girls that got US started!

(It really is a matter of time now before I start a list of dogs...unless someone gets there before I do!)

Poetry Friday

Awhile back, our friend Bill shared this ode to the spell checker from The Journal of Irreproducible Results:

Candidate for a Pullet Surprise
Jerrold H. Zar

I have a spelling checker,
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.

Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.

A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when eye rime.

Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.

(click here for the rest of the poem)


The best poems are often ones that are given to us, for whatever reason. In that spirit, I give to you a few of my favorite places to find poetry on the Internet:

FOR KIDS AND TEACHERS
The Children's Poetry Archive. The idea behind this site is that poetry "lives in the sound of the words, the voice of the poet...The poetry archive is a place where everyone can listen to poetry." Mostly obscure children's poets (plus a couple of dead guys), but a work in progress with a good mission. Go listen.

GigglePoetry. Funny poems for kids. You can read and rate (the funniness) of poems, go to poetry class, have poetry fun, do poetry theater, and enter contests. Sections for teachers.

Magnetic Poetry Online for kids. There are four different kids' kits: the basic kids' kit, first words, best friends, and storymaker. Sections for teachers and lots of kits to help adults get in touch with their dog/cat/horse-loving genius Shakespearean Muse.

FOR POETRY LOVERS
The Favorite Poem Project. This one fascinates me. People nominated their favorite poems, and this is where you can read the favorites and/or watch videos of the nominator talking about why the poem is their favorite and reading it. This was a project of former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky.

Poetry 180. A poem a day for high school students, intended to be read over the PA system. This was a project of former Poet Laureate Billy Collins.

While we're on the subject of Poet Laureates (Poets Laureate?), Donald Hall is the current Poet Laureate. His project? Dunno.

PoetryFoundation. A huge archive of poems sortable by poem, poet, audio/visuals, articles, and children's.

AND MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE DAILY (NOT JUST FRIDAY) POETRY FIX COMES FROM...
The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor. You can hear this on public radio, listen via the web, subscribe to the daily email, or subscribe to the podcast.

Author of Yellow Star Coming to Town

Since we are trying to read the book that wins this coming year's Newbery, I am very happy about this latest news. I just found out that Jennifer Roy, the author of YELLOW STAR will be at Cover to Cover Bookstore on Tuesday, August 15. I am very excited! I keep seeing this book on Mock Newbery lists everywhere! So, I had it on my "Hope to Read Soon" list anyway. I am going to try to pick up the book tomorrow and read it before her visit this week. Sounds like an amazing book. And, as an added treat, her twin sister, author of HOW MY PRIVATE, PERSONAL JOURNAL BECAME A BESTSELLER will also be there. This book was made into the latest Disney Channel Original movie! Twin authors! Mary Lee, wouldn't it be great if we read the book that wins the Newbery, met the author and met her twin sister, another great author!? I'll let you know after I read it. But the reviews I've read so far have been amazing!

100 Cool Teachers

Here's the original invitation to nominate your favorite teacher(s) in Children's Literature.

The eighty-four we have so far are listed in the sidebar on the right, and much of the conversation about those took place in July.

We can't wait to hear who you'll nominate!