Monday, February 23, 2015

Stretch With a Jigsaw Poem

By Janie Reinart

It's time to “work out” your writing muscles. Take a deep cleansing breath and stretch
 
View image | gettyimages.com


This idea is a bit like magnetic poetry, except we are using whole lines of poetry instead of single words to create something new. You can do this activity alone or with your writing group. You are putting the pieces of this puzzle back together in your own way.

View image | gettyimages.com


Find three to six poems with a similar theme. My themes were dreams and nature. I printed each poem on a different color paper and cut them line by line with a paper cutter.You can also use scissors.




The poems are color coded. Click the poet to see the poem:

1. Hope is the Thing With Feathers by Emily Dickinson, 



2. Dreams by Langston Hughes

3. Dream Dust by Langston Hughes
 
4. Excerpt - (On white paper)
 Little Word, Little White Bird 
by Carl Sandburg


 
Love is a little white bird

And the flight of it so fast

You can't see it
And you know it's there  
Only by the faint whirr of its wings

And the hush song coming so low to your ears

You fear it might be silence

And you listen keen and you listen long

And you know it's more than silence

For you get the hush song so lovely

It hurts and cuts into your heart

And what you want is to give more than you can get

And you'd like to write it 
but it can't be written

And you'd like to sing it 
but you don't dare try
Because the little white bird sings it better than you can

 

5. Summer Grass by Carl Sandburg

 

6. Dream Variations  

by Langston Hughes 

 

 

 

Next, supply your writing group with glue sticks, the poetry line strips, and a plain piece of paper. Work together as a team. Everyone draws two to three strips of poetry from the pile without looking at the words. 

Each person reads their poetry line strips silently, then takes turns reading the lines they selected to each other. One person starts the puzzle poem by putting down a line.

 


 

Continue until everyone uses a line or two and the lines make sense with the poem you are creating.You can hand write in lines or words to complete your poem. Title your poem and your jigsaw poem is finished. It's fun to read the poems by the famous poets to see where the lines were originally used.




View image | gettyimages.com


For more writing inspiration share your jigsaw poem with us. 

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

An Author Interview with Janet F. Smart ~By Suzy Leopold

What a great opportunity, I had to interview an author who is self published. Let me introduce you to Janet F. Smart

Q: Tell us about your self-published book Fun Through the Seasons: Recipes, Crafts and Fun Facts for Kids. Share other published credits, if you would like.

A: I self-published Fun Through the Seasons last year. I have been a columnist for Two-Lane Livin’ Magazine since October 2009. I gathered my fun articles, which included stories, poems, easy recipes and crafts, and put them together to form my book. It is appropriate for kids K-5th grade, with help from parents for the younger ones. You can buy it at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Fun Through the Seasons
Recipes, Crafts and Fun Facts for Kids
Here is the link to Amazon.
Q: What is your current WIP or next project?
A: I have a number of WIPs. Of course, every month I write a new column for Two-Lane Livin’ Magazine. I am also working on a poetry book for children and a chapter book. And I never know when a new picture book idea will pop into my head. I just finished editing one of my very first picture books. It is a completely different version of the first manuscript—and a lot better. I am anxious to start sending it out again.
Janet F. Smart's
Writing Desk
Q: What inspired you to write?
A: Family! I wrote a picture book about picking berries with my mom, Grandma, Aunt and cousin. Of course, I thought it was a wonderful story. But, I started going to a writing group that met in Ripley every week and I discovered I didn’t know a thing about writing. But, I learned fast. And, since then, I have incorporated a lot of family memories into my writing. I’ve written two novellas—one based on the early life of my grandparents and one based on Mom’s life before she was married. Both of my middle grade manuscripts take place in the early 1960s. One is based on what I would like to have happened to me when I was young and the other is based on a vague memory I had of something that happened in the fall of 1962. I recently placed first in our local library’s annual writing contest in the memoir category. My submission was about my dad and the things he kept. It was titled, Life in a Footlocker.
Q: What words of wisdom or advice do you have for pre-published writers?
A: If you love to write, my words of wisdom to you would be to keep writing. Do not give up. Writing isn’t as easy as some people think. Don’t send in your first draft. Have others read it and edit, edit, edit until you get it right. Develop a tough skin and accept constructive advice. Your manuscript will thank you.
Q: Where can readers find out more about you?
A: I am on Facebook. I have a writing blog, personal blog and author site. I would love for you to come and follow me on my blogs and visit my author’s site and look around. You will find out a little more about this persistent, aspiring author who loves gardening, genealogy, traveling West Virginia, crafting, collecting, sewing and hunting Indian arrowheads.  
A blue jean quilt
made by Janet
Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch at http://creativewritingintheblackberrypatch.blogspot.com/
Writing in the Blackberry Patch at http://janetsmart.blogspot.com/
Janet F. Smart, Children’s Author at http://janetfsmart.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
Janet at
New River Gorge Bridge 

Thank you, Janet for sharing your writing journey with us. I enjoyed getting to know you and all about your writing.

Monday, February 16, 2015

What Does A Writer Need?


By Janie Reinart and Leslie Colin Tribble

        "There is no greater agony than bearing
           an untold story inside you." ~Maya Angelou

A writer's got to write like a writer's got to breathe. What helps you settle into that chair and write?

This is a "What Wheel", my (Janie) favorite graphic organizer set up like a wheel with spokes. Print a copy. Set the timer for one minute, and fill in as many lines on the wheel as you can. Answer the question asking what you need as a writer. 





 We polled writers from the Grog and got these answers.






1. Set a time to write or write when and where you can. Many writers seem to need a set time in order to be productive - like getting up at 5 am and hitting the keyboard. Others are good at writing while waiting for kids at piano lessons, or any number of other activities. I (Leslie) need a block of time, say at least an hour if not more. I don't like just getting into the flow of words and then having to stop. Consequently, some days (many!) are just not suited to writing.




2. Select a place to write: a desk, a comfy chair, a coffee shop. I (Leslie) set up a desk in an unused bedroom and have been delighted to discover I'm actually way more productive there. I feel like I'm really working, so I work harder. If you're away from your writing spot but are whacked upside the head with the best idea in the world, use the voice memo on your phone to record your ideas. This is a handy practice to utilize while driving.





3. Chose something to eat and drink: water, coffee, tea, dark chocolate, and gum were some of the favorites. Todd Burleson rewards himself with chocolate chip cookie dough--not the cookies. Marcie Flinchum Atkins drinks green Kombucha tea, while Suzy Leopold prefers iced sun tea. I'm (Janie) in with the chocolate!






4. Wear your cozy fuzzy slippers and robe or snuggle in a fleece blanket in winter. What, you don't write in your jammies? Kids enjoy feeling cozy.  Kid writers should give themselves permission to feel cozy while crafting for those snuggle bunnies.







5. Everyone likes colorful supplies including: paper, journals, colored pens and pencils and lap tops. Suzy Leopold's writing tool box has markers and highlighters, colored index cards and post it notes. It seems like most writers harbor a secret desire to own a stationary supply store. Next time you're drooling over the newest Sharpie, ask the similarly excited shopper next to you if they're a writer.  Kindred spirits in the pen department. Go on admit it. Who else has a notebook and pen obsession?



Use a primary journal as a book dummy.


6.Many mentioned a dictionary, thesaurus, rhyming dictionary or synonym finder, bullet journal, scribble book, flip dictionary, idea journals, books on the craft of writing, and stacks of picture books. We'd love to hear which types of resources you use.



Hockey mate and Pam Vaughan



Grandmommy Janie and Joey.

7. What does a writer need when they get stuck? Pam Vaughan likes frequent walks and runs, but for a great mental break plays hockey. I enjoy bird watching and reading to my grandchildren. Leslie gets outside for a walk with the dogs to get the ideas flowing again.





8. Some writers like silence, while others like music. Patricia Toht listens to theme music pertaining to what she is writing about. 

Just as we all write on different subjects for different age levels, we all need differing commodities to get us into the flow. At your next writer's meeting, ask the members what they need or use to help their writing along. You might find an idea that works well for you. After all, we all need to write that untold story inside us.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on what you need to write.  Leave a comment.  Maybe we'll find a treasure for ourselves in your ideas!  

Friday, February 13, 2015

BROWN GIRL DREAMING OF CROSSOVER: Middle Grade Books for Black History Month ~ by Jackie Wellington

It is Black History Month.
A month to celebrate the life of people who look like me.
A month to acknowledge the contributions of African-Americans.
The SHORTEST month of the year, with the LONGEST impact on our lives.
And in its honor, we're celebrating BOOKS!
Who should we celebrate? All the African-American authors who found the courage to tell their stories.

Last week we showcased picture books with "POC" (People of Color) or "diverse" main characters or written by an author of color. This week, we shift our focus to Middle Grade books. Five books everyone - men, women, and children - should read this February.

* Title: BROWN GIRL DREAMING
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen
Word count: 30318
Summary: Raised in South Carolina and New York, author Jacqueline Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. Through vivid free verse, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s. 

This is my favorite Middle Grade book of 2014. This book resonated with me. Since I grew up in the 1970s, I was able to relate to the times. Moving from a Caribbean island to America, I was able to make the same comparisons Jackie made. I remember reading this book and thinking, "That is so true." Or mumbling, "Yep, I remember that." And snapping my fingers when I felt the connection to her family, repeating, "Everybody has someone like that in their family." The honesty in this book kept me turning the page. I read it at least five times already. And since I was writing this post, I decided to listen to it via audio (thanks Marcie Flinchum Atkins for this recommendation.) This book is special. I can see why it won the National Book Award. I was praying that this book took the top three - NBA, Newberry, and CSK (Coretta Scott King). But it was not disappointing. It received a Newberry honor and my favorite, an NAACP Image Award.


*Title: THE CROSSOVER
Author: Kwame Alexander 
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Word Count:16888
Summary: Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health. 
 
This book should be on every middle schooler's night stand. This book was a quick read. I read it in less than two hours. I love the poetic feel. And I was able to connect to "Filthy-McNasty," one of the main characters. This book is funny and real. It reminded of teaching middle schoolers. Kwame nailed these boys. He nailed the strong African-American mother who held her family down. The woman who kept her husband in check. And the mother who her boys grounded. I love this book. And did I mention, it won the 2014 NEWBERRY AWARD. Yes, Honey! It slayed the competition. 



 *Title: GAMEWORLD
Author: Chris Farley

School Library Journal said it best: " here (finally!) is a middle-grade action novel that showcases West Indian mythology and features protagonists of color: an Afro-Caribbean boy, Hispanic-Caribbean boy who also is a wheelchair user, and a Korean girl."

I checked this book out from the library after reading about the author on The Brown Bookshelf . This book is PHENOMENAL. A mix of mystery, adventure, and humor. It is appealing to the gamers of the world, the video-playing-dreamers. It is THE HARDY BOYS meet PERCY JACKSON.





*Title: HOW LAMAR'S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA-SIZED TROPHY
Author: Crystal Allen
Publisher: Balzer & Bray, Scholastic
Word Count: 54705
Summary: When thirteen-year-old, bowling-obsessed Lamar Washington finds out that his idol is coming to town, he finds himself involved in some unsavory activities as he tries to change his image to impress people. The plot contains violence. 

If you want to laugh....THIS IS IT. This book is funny. I love this book so much. Whenever, I want a break from writing, this is one of my go-to books. The main character is funny and he talks trash, a whole-lotta-trash. Lamar is the "Harry Potter" of comedy. With his quick wit, he always have a comeback. I love this book. 


 
 *Title: THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM - 1963
Author: Christopher Paul Curtis
Publisher: Yearling
Word Count:50225
Summary: The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they visit Grandma Sands in Alabama in the summer of 1963.

I had to add this book here. I have read this book for years. And every year, during Black History Month, I revisit the Watsons. This book is a history lesson balled into humor. I cry and laugh at the same time. It addresses social injustices, but because the family is hilarious, the social issues is second nature. I will never stop reading this book. 


Here are the five books on our list...There are a whole lot more. But what books are you reading this February. Comment and let us know.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Folktales and Tall Tales ~By Suzy Leopold

The following tall tale heroes may sound familiar to you: Pecos Bill, John Henry, and Johnny Appleseed. Tomorrow is the birthday of my favorite tall tale character. 


Happy Birthday Paul Bunyan! 

February 12, 1834
Paul's Birthday Cake
According to a legend from Bangor, Maine, February 12th is the birthday of Paul Bunyan. I know this legendary hero is claimed by and celebrated in several states, across the Northwoods as their hero. Paul Bunyan is celebrated in Minnesota, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Even Oregon and California remember this top "feller" in the woods.

The fiction genre of Folktales and Tall Tales are often stories passed down by word of mouth and have been around for centuries. Kids delight in these exaggerated stories that often times connect them with current books and movies about modern superheros of today.


Reading Genres
More Reading Genres
Many of the tall tale characters are based on historical events or people. Most of the stories are about fictional heroes and heroines who were brought to life with the retelling and passing down of the stories from generation to generation.

As a kid who grew up in Minnesota, my favorite folk tale hero is Paul Bunyan the Lumberjack. The tall tale that I recall was how Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox stomped across the Northwoods. Babe created many lakes wherever he stepped, thus the nickname for my home state, "Minnesota the Land of 10,000 Lakes". 
On the Left: Picture of Suzy at Paul Bunyan Land Circa 1989
On the Right: A Postcard from Paul Bunyan Land Brainerd, MN
My favorite book about Paul Bunyan is one that I read as a kid. It was purchased from the gift shop at Paul Bunyan Land in Brainerd, Minnesota.

Paul Bunyan Swings His Axe
Author/Illustrator Dell J. McCormick 

Stories of Paul Bunyan, the giant woodsman, and Babe the Blue Ox, have been collected and written for many years. This lumberjack is one of the best-loved legendary heroes. The author shares seventeen interesting authentic yarns about Paul Bunyan's adventures throughout the Northwoods. Everyone loves Paul!

Many of us are familiar with the many excellent collections of American folklore and tall tales that are passed down from generation to generation and are shared as literary lessons with students. 

Folktales and Tall Tales are an excellent lesson to introduce the literary device of hyperbole with students. Kids love the humour and outrageous exaggeration of this genre.

Have you ever heard of multicultural folktales and tall tales? There are many beautifully written folktales and tall tales that share stories of people from throughout the world.

The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales
By Virginia Hamilton Illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
The twenty-four American folk tales included in this book are animal tales, cautionary tales and slave tales of freedom. This tale is about slaves who possessed the ancient magic words to fly away to freedom. 

This beautiful book is the winner of numerous awards including the Coretta Scott King Award, A Booklist Children's Editors' Choice, A School Library Journal Best Books of the Year and many others. The book meets Common Core State Standards for grades 6-8.

Horse Hooves and Chicken Feet: Mexican Folktales
By Neil Philip Illustrated by Jacqueline Mair
Classic themes of fairytale elements are blended with magic  and infused with Roman Catholic imagery to create a distinctive Mexican flavor and flare in this book. The collection of fifteen unique folktales and depict the rich storytelling traditions found in Mexico along with the customs and cultures of the Mexican people. 

The illustrations depict Mexican folk art and whimsical paintings in bright fiesta like colors. The author includes Notes on the Stories and a Bibliography.

There are specific elements that classify a book as a folktale or a tall tale. These stories follow a story arc and include a character, a specific setting and a plot filled with action.

A folktale or a tall tale begins with hooking a reader by introducing the main character along with his/her super powers.

The Character
The main character is bigger than life with super-human abilities and has a problem to solve.

The Setting
The setting is important because the story emerges from experiences of characters who lived at a certain time and place.

The Plot
The plot is funny and impossible beyond belief and has many exaggerations along with action.

The story ending is important as the main character solves the problem, overcomes the obstacle or beats the "bad guy".

Resources

The following links are a source of additional information about Folktales and Tall Tales: 

Tall Tale Elements on You Tube.

Tall Tales T Chart

EDSITEment

Reading Rockets



Do you have a favorite tall tale hero or heroine? 
Share a recommended title or two of your favorite folktale or tall tale.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Biographies: Boring No Longer by Pat Miller

If you think biographies are boring, then you haven’t read any recent ones. Long gone are birth-to-death yawners of two-dimensional dead guys.

Current biographies are attention grabbers. The recent ALA Youth Media Awards included 12 biographies. Titles like The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant won multiple awards.

Today’s biographies are like potato chips—it’s hard to read just one. And they offer new details and fresh perspectives on people you may think you know.


For example, here are five fresh looks at our Founding Father:
  • Anne Rockwell wrote Big George: How a Shy Boy Became President. She surprises us with the story of how George mastered his hot temper and overcame his shyness.
  • GEORGE: George Washington, Our Founding Father  by Frank Keating relates Washington’s life in first person, bringing George vividly to life. Included are some of the rules he used to guide his life. “Rule 56: Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation, for ‘tis better to be alone than in bad company.”


  • Farmer George Plants a Nation by Peggy Thomas reveals that George had three loves—his country was number three. Martha and farming were closest to his heart. Thomas details George’s passion for farming, including his labor-saving inventions and agricultural innovations


  • George Washington’s Teeth by Debora Chandra and Madeleine Comora relates the amazing chronology of Washington’s dental disease and loss alongside his accomplishments. Considering he was in chronic mouth pain, Washington’s achievements are even more remarkable.


  •  The House That George Built by Suzanne Slade divulges that the White House was Washington’s “baby”. He chose its location and helped survey the lot. He held a design contest and chose James Hoban, an Irish immigrant, as winner. Washington then set out to improve the design. Throughout his two busy terms as president, he kept a close eye on the construction and was responsible for bringing it in on time and under budget. However, completion came too late for Washington to spend a single night under its roof.

  • Besides adding personality to the well-known, biographers are resurrecting well-researched stories of forgotten women who risked their reputations, their fortunes, and their future.
        • Rough, Tough Charley by Verla Kay tells of a shy orphan who was good with horses and eventually gained fame as a fearless and expert stagecoach driver. Even when a horse kicked him in the face and he lost an eye, Charley continued to drive a dangerous route, losing not a single passenger or coach. After retiring, Charley raised cattle and ran a stage stop. At his death, it was discovered that Charley was a woman. Despite the discovery, Charley remained an esteemed member of the Oddfellows Club. She had voted 52 years before the federal government gave women the right to vote!

        • Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto by Susan Goldman Rubin is a heart-pounding story of a nurse who smuggled doomed Jewish children from Warsaw literally beneath the prying eyes of the Germans.

        • Cheryl Harness tells of a remarkable woman in Mary Walker Wears the Pants: The True Story of the Doctor, Reformer, and Civil War Hero. It will be difficult for children to imagine how shameful it was for women to wear pants—but Mary did. A skilled surgeon, Mary fought prejudice and red tape to serve on the front lines of the Civil War. She is still the only woman to have earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. 

        • Wild Women of the Wild West by Jonah Winter is one wild read. Fifteen women from Calamity Jane to Esther Morris are portrayed in two pages each. One of them, Mary Ellen Pleasant, became rich by operating a high-end boarding house where she was known as the best cook in San Francisco. She made smart financial investments and became a wealthy member of high society. When she was 51 the Civil War ended and Mary Ellen revealed her African American heritage and early life as a slave. She sued the city for discrimination on cable cars—and won. What she didn't reveal was that she provided the last station on the Underground Railroad for most of the slaves that escaped to San Francisco, providing them with jobs, shelter, and freedom.

    Of all the biographies I read in the last few months, my favorite is The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & The Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming. It has been named a 2015 Siebert Honor Book, Orbis Pictus Award winner, and a YALSA finalist for Excellence in Nonfiction. This is deeply researched book that reads like a novel, building detail upon ominous detail until the Romanov story becomes a Jenga tower. The tragedy is compounded because of all the ways it could have been avoided. This is one biography you can’t put down, and it’s a great example of all that is well with biographies today.

    Candace Fleming and Peggy Thomas are two of the speakers at the  NF 4 NF Nonfiction Conference for Children's Writers. Join us!