Surf's Up - Kwame Alexander & Daniel Miyares
Parents: Low word count makes it easy to read again and again. Also, a great summer read since the setting is at the beach. Teachers: GREAT reader's theater opportunity with this book. Also, great for reading with expression. Writers: Perfect mentor text for a story told entirely through dialogue, adding voice, and low word count.
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1. TITLE PAGE: If you skip past the title page you will miss a very important part of the story! I love how it grabs you right from the beginning! 2. CHARACTERS: Listen, Bear is great in this story, but for me, the little red-haired girl steals the show! I don't know if making her a red-head was the brainchild of Ame or Zacharia but I love, love, love her! 3. LITTLE DETAILS: It's the little things that add so much enjoyment. Two that stand out for me are Bear's shirt and the part in the story when the little girl shouts, "HORRIBLE BEARS". I don't want to give anything away but watch for this subtle change in the middle of the story. 4. DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA: The drama starts right from the beginning and builds, and builds, and builds, until it bursts - so satisfying and fun to read! 5. ILLUSTRATIONS: Every page is fabulously illustrated, again down to the little details but I think my favorite is the end pages. Don't skip them! Parents: Kids can easily relate to the story and the message! Low word count, too so reading it over and over isn't time consuming. "Can we read it again, Mom?" "YES!" Teachers: Reading with expression - lots and lots of it! Writers: How to write an ending that leaves you wanting more, build-up the drama Confession: I've had this book since it released in March. I can't count how many times I have read it to my kids. This "5 Fabulous Things" is overdue! 1. ILLUSTRATIONS: The use of black-and-white v. full color is carefully chosen for each page and it makes a BIG impact. B&W for Albert's humdrum tales and full color for those "amazing" moments. clever- I love clever. 2. PAGE TURNS: Holy page turns Batman! A4 is filled with them and kids will love them! Which leads me to #3. 3. READ-ALOUD-ABILITY: This book begs to be read aloud! My kids like taking turns being Albert and his friends. Seriously, teachers/librarians, read this to your class and every student will be fully engaged! 4. PIRATES, ZOMBIES, & A MAD SCIENTIST: It's all in here...and more. 5. SURPRISING TWIST: One of my favorite things is a clever surprising twist at the end of a picture book and A4 delivers. Parents: Fun, humorous, imagination Teachers: Making predictions Writers: How to write page turns, voice, endings with a twist Moms of little ones and early childhood ed. teachers rejoice! I have been introduced to an amazing resource that is FULL of amazing literary-based activities AND it involves food, AND it helps build your child’s self-image, AND it is fabulously organized! Summer vacation just got more fun and meaningful for my kids!
SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING, AND COOKING by Vivian Kirkfield highlights six elements that are crucial for building a positive self-image. Each element has 15+ targeted picture books as well as an accompanying craft and recipe. As a former kindergarten teacher and day-care provider, Vivian has the experience, knowledge, and expertise to create this wonderful resource. I only wish I found it sooner! Click on the book to link directly to Amazon! So I knew it had been a while since I posted an update but I didn't realize just how long until now! I know we all say it but, where does the time go? I apologize for my absence. I felt I needed to take some time to focus solely on the craft of writing. While I was "away" I completed two picture book courses, am currently in the middle of another, and joined the amazing 12 x 12 challenge. The goal of the challenge is to write 12 picture books in 12 months and I am happy to report that I am only behind by 1! I have also been revising some of my earlier manuscripts and submitted one to a few agents last week.
So, while I haven't been "here," I have been busy learning, creating, and perfecting my writing so it will be worthy of all you readers someday... hopefully soon. :) Word came today that the road to publication would be a bit longer for me. Although the editor really enjoyed my manuscript and had some very nice things to say about it, she ultimately felt it wasn’t the right fit for her and Chronicle Books. She did have some great feedback for me that I will certainly take into account as I go back to revise. But this is just a bump in the road. They say the average is seventeen rejections before a contract offer (This business is certainly not for the feeble) so I guess I’m one step closer. Time to push forward and put in some more work so I can find a home for my manuscript. When I was teaching, I was a big believer in the classroom environment being comfortable, welcoming, and just the right amount of stimulating. If you walked in my room during independent reading or writing time you would find kids scattered throughout the room. Some liked to stay at their seats, but others preferred to spread out on the floor with a carpet square, or on the rug. The lucky ones got a spot on the special couch for the day. I have always required a lot of space when writing. I can still see the large table at the Dimond Library which I sat at many nights writing history paper after history paper. Lately I have taken to my kitchen table or this spot on my kitchen counter. As much as I’d like to draft manuscripts while sitting on the living room couch it simply doesn’t work for me. The only inspiration I seem to get while there is to turn on another episode of Property Brothers. Plus, there isn’t a safe place to keep my cup of coffee nearby. So, if you, your students, or your kids are having trouble finding some inspiration, make the move. Find a place that you feel comfortable and focused. The words will surely begin to flow and the manuscripts drafted will bring much joy to both the writer and reader. Happy dreary, cold, crummy Monday morning, everyone! As if Mondays aren’t bad enough, right, Jodi “I’m really not feeling this whole Monday business. Not. At. All.” Egan? J I feel you and it was your Monday woe posts that inspired me to revise Jack Prelutsky’s classic kid poem “Homework, Oh Homework!” to a more adult version. Hope it gives you a little chuckle, Jodi, and everyone else who is ready to remove Mondays from the calendar.
“Monday, Oh Monday!” Monday! Oh, Monday! I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you away in the sink, if only a bomb would explode you to bits. Monday! Oh, Monday! You're giving me fits. I'd rather take baths with a man-eating shark, or wrestle a lion alone in the dark, eat spinach and liver, pet ten porcupines, than tackle this Monday. Stock up on those wines! Monday! Oh, Monday! You're last on my list, I simply can't see why you even exist, if you just disappeared it would tickle me pink. Monday! Oh, Monday! I hate you! You stink! Today is the first day of what is called Picture Book Idea Month or PiBoIdMo by those who are familiar with the children’s book writing world. In a nutshell, it is the brain child of the brilliant Tara Lazar (author of Monstore, I Thought This Was a Bear Book, and others), and challenges picture book writers to write down at least one new idea, concept, character, title, anything that could be turned into a new manuscript. Each day, a new guest blogger posts inspiring words that help them awaken their inner muse in hopes that it will do the same for you.
Teachers: Wouldn’t it be great to take this concept and tweak (a teacher’s favorite word) it to fit your classrooms? How many times do students say, “I can’t think of anything to write about?” Obviously, the curriculum gods and massive amount of material that needs covering would never allow you the time to use an entire month’s worth of writing time to simply generate ideas, nor do I think it necessary. But what if you took one day a month, or maybe a few minutes one day a week, for students to learn a new way to generate writing ideas and then practice it? That blank page can be mighty intimidating without any ideas of how to fill it. Parents: If your kids are like mine then they love to hear the same bedtime stories read over and over, night after night. Well, what if you mixed things up a little and told them a story instead? Don’t freak out – I know it can be intimidating. That blank page in your mind is mighty vast and mighty blank, isn’t it? Two suggestions: One- take part in PiBoIdMo. You don’t have to do it every day, just visit www.taralazar.com here and there during the month of November to get some inspiration. Let’s be honest, your kids are not going to critique your plot or the obstacles your protagonist will overcome to reach his/her goal. In fact, they will more than likely think your story is the best one they’ve ever heard and it will be the new one they want to hear again and again. Suggestion Two: Have your kids decide who the characters will be. Maybe they themselves will be in your story and their two best friends from school or favorite storybook/movie characters. Then have them decide where the story will take place and let that get you started. The possibilities are endless as will be the memories. Let me start by saying thank you for taking time out of your life to find your way to my page and read what I have to say. I understand that your time is valuable so, with that in mind, my promise to you is that I will only post things that I think are worthy and entertaining to read and I'll be as short and sweet as possible.
You are witnessing a true work in progress here, both this page as well as myself. When I set out at the beginning of the year to pursue my dream of writing picture books I had no idea how much work went into creating one. After taking several writing courses and writing several drafts of multiple manuscripts (and revising, and revising, and revising), I finally feel like I am on my way to achieving that dream. I am not naïve and I honestly understand that the world of children's book publishing is brutal and extremely selective and I love it. It pushes me. It makes me want it even more. And now that you've read this post, you will be able to say, "I knew, Kim, when she was just starting out." |
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