Caroline's Classroom Connections at SPELLBINDERS

I'm back from my SIMPLY AMAZING overseas research/pleasure trip, my brain stuffed, and my body weary.  So while I get past jet-lag and unpack and download pictures and catch up on email and bills and all those other lovely household tasks, I give you the wonderful Caroline Starr Rose at SPELLBINDERS who features another one of my dear writing friends, Augusta Scattergood! Enjoy!

February 25, 2013 Caroline's Classroom Connections GLORY BE by Augusta Scattergood genre: middle-grade historical fiction publisher: Scholastic publication date: January 2012 praise: Children's Book Council 2013 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People GLORY BE on NPR. "There's a whiff of Carson McCullers in Augusta Scattergood's story of a sultry Southern summer long ago when the outside world moved all the markers of Gloriana Hemphill's growing up.  It's a summer of bigotry and beehive hairdos, of sit-ins and dangerous boys.  All mixed together and beautifully recalled."                --Richard Peck, Newbery Award-winning author of A Year Down Yonder Glory Be is a lovely debut novel for younger readers, akin to Kathryn Stockett's The Help  -- an important read that raises powerful racial issues of the 1960s American South.                --  Kathryn Erskine, National Book Award-winning author of Mockingbird Glory Be weaves a seamless story of sisterly love, broken friendships, and the strength that it takes to stand up for the right thing. Augusta Scattergood is at the top of my debut-authors-to-watch list.              -- Barbara O'Connor, Parents' Choice Award-winning author of How to Steal a Dog    Please tell us about your book. GLORY BE is set in a small town in Mississippi during Freedom Summer, 1964. Almost-12-year-old Glory is mystified by much that's happening in her town, including the closing of the pool and her sister's preference for a new boyfriend over their secrets and games. At first, their maid, Emma, assures Glory that everything will turn out fine, that the sisters will always have each other, and eventually their town will move past the events of the summer. Soon, however, everyone realizes that things will never be the same.    What inspired you to write this story? I grew up in Mississippi and was there during the summer of 1964. But while it was happening, most of my friends and I were shielded from the events of that period in our history.    Many years later, while working as a school librarian, I heard Ruby Bridges speak to our students. One thing she shared about her experiences integrating the New Orleans schools as a young child was that she felt had the parents left the children to figure the situation out, maybe things would have turned out differently. That really hit me. In my own personal experience, no kids ever had an opportunity to figure out anything having to do with race. During those turbulent times, as youngsters, we were shielded from so much that was happening. As we got older, we realized we'd been there for a very important part of history. Even now, a lot of students don't know as much about the Civil Rights Movement as we might think.   Soon after hearing Ruby Bridges talk, I start writing GLORY BE. Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching?  Since I was actually present at the setting, so to speak, I had a good feel for the time and place of my book. But there's so much on the internet that I could check. Which Elvis/ Beatles songs had already been recorded. When did various Nancy Drew books appear. Important stuff! I found a treasure trove in two oral history sites: the Library of Congress and the University of North Carolina library websites. Especially for voices and stories of African Americans who lived in the South during this period and later spoke about it. I also relied on my friends and my family. I know they wondered why I cared if football players practiced in pads or not, during the summer of 1964! I didn't talk much about the actual topic of the book-integration of the town's swimming pool- until I was near publication. It was just too close to me. What are some special challenges associated with writing historical fiction? There's a particular challenge in writing about a period in our history that's so personal to people who still remember it. Not only do you need to get the details right (don't even get me started about the ruckus I raised posting a question about Skeeter's hairstyle in the movie The Help!), you need to get the facts as accurately as you can determine from research. Then there's the issue of making the history appealing to younger readers. Without preaching.    What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom? The Civil Rights movement Race American history Family values If you'd like to learn more about Augusta and GLORY BE, please visit her blog and website, www.augustascattergood.com.                      Join Our Mailing List! Meet the Spellbinders Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. She's taught English and social studies to upper elementary and middle-school students in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. Back in New Mexico, Caroline now writes middle-grade novels and picture books full time.  To find teacher's guides, writing activities, and information about author visits, go to her website, stop by her blog, or follow her on Twitter.    Carolee Dean has made numerous appearances as a guest poet/author at schools, libraries, poetry events, and teacher/library conferences. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy and a master's degree in communicative disorders, and she has spent over a decade working in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist. Her first novel, Comfort,was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults, was named the Best YA Novel of 2002 by the Texas Institute of Letters, and was on the TAYSHAS (Texas Library Association) reading list. Take Me There is a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. She conducts teacher trainings on inspiring reluctant writers including "The Secret Language of Stories" and "Random Act of Haiku."             Kimberley Griffiths Little is the recipient of the Southwest Book Award, The Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010, and the author of the highly acclaimed, The Healing Spell and Circle of Secrets, published by Scholastic Press. Look for her books at the Scholastic Book Fairs, as well as two more forthcoming novels in 2012 and 2013.    She lives on a dirt road in a small town by the Rio Grande with her husband, a robotics engineer and their three sons. Kimberley is a favorite speaker at schools around the country, presenting "The Creative Diary", a highly successful writing workshop and has been a speaker at many conferences. Please visit her website to download free Teacher's Guides and Book Club Guides.       Upcoming Events Caroline Starr Rose April 19 New Mexico Library Association Youth Luncheon Albuquerque, NM July 27 19th Annual Norfolk Public Library Literature Festival, Norfolk, NE

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Trends in Nonfiction - Guest Writer Jennifer Swanson!

February 18, 2013 Trends in Nonfiction - by Guest Writer Jennifer Swanson!  Our Guest Writer today is Jennifer Swanson - thanks so much for an illuminating and wonderful article about non-fiction. Take is away, Jen . . . !  Back in November, I was lucky enough to attend the Falling Leaves Master Retreat for nonfiction writers. It was FABULOUS!   Located at a YMCA camp nestled in the mountains of the Adirondacks and overlooking beautiful Silver Lake Bay, it was picture perfect for a weekend of learning about writing. The leaves on the trees were decked out in bright oranges and reds and there was just a nip of chilly weather in the air to brighten your cheeks. This Florida girl was in heaven! Aside from the wonderfully peaceful environment, the weekend just hummed with energy. The mix of new and established writers and as well 5 valued editors from major publishing houses had my creative senses in a whirl. All of the editor talks were extremely interesting and informative. Listening to them, I managed to take away a few notes on upcoming trends in nonfiction. Naturally, a fair amount of talk centered around the Common Core and how all newly published nonfiction books need provide teachers with the necessary tools for teaching.   The editors made a big deal about this: According to the guidelines for the Common Core: 50% of classroom reading in elementary and middle schools will use nonfiction books 70% of classroom reading in high school will use nonfiction books In response for the increased demand, publishers will be providing many different types of nonfiction books. One editor introduced a new term for a type of nonfiction. She called it "Browsable nonfiction". So, what is Browsable Nonfiction? These books are examples of browsable nonfiction:                                   But so are these:                                 So, I guess you could say that browsable books are books that have short bites of information. They can be lists, like the books in the first section above. Or they can have chapters filled with interesting snippets of history or art. They can also deal with many different topics all in one book. The advantage of browsable books? Perfect for the reluctant reader or maybe just one that needs a book to keep their attention, they are chock full of fun and exciting fun facts!  These books usually contain many vivid and visually entertaining photos - the better to catch a reader's eye and interest. These diverse and unique books are filled with  fascinating information presented in easy to read snippets and chapters. In this world where readers are deluged with information and images 24 hours a day, these books not only capture and hold a reader's attention, but also make for great resources for tiny bits of trivia to share with your friends. As far as the Common Core goes, they can be great starter books for a research project. Or for even finding a topic. Have to do write a biography but not sure what interests you? Then pick up the How They Croaked Book, and page through the chapters. Surely reading about the dramatic endings of some of these people will liven up the most boring of biography topics. Browsable books often contain interactive features like For Further Reading and Original text from other sources, hands-on reference material, and easy connections a reader can make. Hopefully, a small nugget of information will turn into a large thirst for knowledge. Narrative Nonfiction books are also making a surge according to the publishers. Narrative nonfiction, like the word narrative implies, has a storyline to it. For example:          School Library Journal awards Larry Dane Brimner's Birmingham Sunday with a starred review. "The author successfully blends the facts of the event with the intense emotions of the period in order to bring it to life. ...The book is beautifully designed, with good-quality, black-and-white photos, informative captions, and pertinent pull quotes. A worthy addition to any collection." The book contains informational sidebars to augment the highly engaging text. These provides opportunities for classroom discussions using Common Core relative questions and topics. But narrative nonfiction is not only for history and biographies, it can also be used very successfully in science books as well.   This introduction to black holes takes readers from simple to complex by dropping definitions and information slowly and clearly into the lively narrative. Dramatic and amazing illustrations help to impart the sense of the vast distances in space, of how atomic nuclei meld in the intense interaction  called fusion, and how the areas of a black hole-the event boundary, the extreme gravity zone, and the singularity-are defined. ... " -School Library Journal, starred review     The author provides additional information on her website and an extensive glossary to make this book very user-friendly. What did I come away with from my fantastic weekend in the Adirondacks?  Upcoming nonfiction books are interesting, exciting and ready to grab the imagination of any child - from 1  to 101!  Check them out!! So tell us, what nonfiction books are you excited about this year? Go to our SPELLBINDERS blog and put your favorites and suggestions in the comments so we can all get inspired and learn about new titles. We're always looking for great books to add to our "to-read" list. -- Jennifer Swanson is a self-professed science geek and author of 9 nonfiction books for kids. When not writing she can be found searching for cool science facts to share with her students. You can find more about Jennifer at her website http://jenniferswansonbooks.com/  Join Our Mailing List! Meet the Spellbinders Kimberley Griffiths Little is the recipient of the Southwest Book Award, The Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010, and the author of the highly acclaimed, The Healing Spell and Circle of Secrets, published by Scholastic Press. Look for her books at the Scholastic Book Fairs, as well as two more forthcoming novels in 2012 and 2013. She lives on a dirt road in a small town by the Rio Grande with her husband, a robotics engineer and their three sons. Kimberley is a favorite speaker at schools around the country, presenting "The Creative Diary", a highly successful writing workshop and has been a speaker at many conferences. Please visit her website  to download free Teacher's Guides and Book Club Guides.      Carolee Dean has made numerous appearances as a guest poet/author at schools, libraries, poetry events, and teacher/library conferences. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy and a master's degree in communicative disorders, and she has spent over a decade working in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist. Her first novel, Comfort,was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults, was named the Best YA Novel of 2002 by the Texas Institute of Letters, and was on the TAYSHAS (Texas Library Association) reading list. She conducts teacher trainings on inspiring reluctant writers including "The Secret Language of Stories" and "Random Acts of Haiku." To find teacher's guides, writing activities, and information about author visits, go to www.caroleedean.com.       Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. She's taught English and social studies to upper elementary and middle-school students in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. Back in New  Mexico, Caroline now writes middle-grade novels and picture books full time. Website  Blog       UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS

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Inspiring and motivational video!

I'm still out of the country on my research trip to Jordan and Israel, but I've been wanting to share this marvelous video with y'all.

This message is for anyone, no matter what your dreams or career or creativity.

Stay focused on who you are and what you're meant to do in this life. 

Happy Valentine's Day - and it's my birthday, too, so I want to share some *love*!  ~Kimberley

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane . . . for Amman, Jordan!

This post feels surreal. I'm really going. Really, truly. Tomorrow morning, I leave for my dream trip to Jordan and Israel for two weeks.

I've been reading about the Middle East and bedouins and camels and tribes and desert living and tents and dates and oases for more than 15 years. It's a dream come true. And it's RESEARCH for my YA trilogy!!!

I want to drink camel's milk and sleep in a goat hair tent (we do get to visit a Jordanian Bedouin family and sit around their campfire!) and feel the desert air on my face and smell the wildflowers and feel the sand beneath my bare toes.

My husband is coming and we also invited my mother and my oldest son (the other two sons are in the middle of their semesters and too close to graduation! Sorry, boys - next time!)

Our trip was scheduled this past November, but my brother was too critically ill. It's been a flurry of preparation the last three weeks as well as prepping a new manuscript to sub to my editor and book festivals and flu and all that *stuff*.

In twenty-four hours I board a plane to Atlanta. Then Paris. Then Amman, Jordan. Wow.

Find me on Facebook for pictures and updates when I can log into the internet. https://www.facebook.com/kimberleygriffithslittle 

Au Revoir, dear friends!  Keep the home fires burning . . .

With love,
Kimberley

The Book Whisperer . . . Donalyn Miller. FAB interview - a must read!

February 4, 2013 An Interview with Donalyn Miller, author of THE BOOK WHISPERER Part I I'd describe your beautiful book, THE BOOK WHISPERER, as a reading teacher's manifesto for free-choice reading. You state "students in free-reading programs perform better than or equal to students in any other type of reading program" and that students' "motivation and interest in reading is higher when they get the opportunity to read in school." Could you briefly walk us through the changes you experienced as a teacher that led you to embracing this mindset? When I first began teaching, I followed the other teachers in my department. I passed out reading logs, taught whole class novel units, and assigned book reports. I didn't know any other way. I knew that there was a disconnect between what readers do away from school and what I asked my students to do, but I wasn't sure what I could do about it. School reading and the reading I did on my own never overlapped when I was a kid. When I began questioning why this was still true for my students, I began to read and study reading workshop and look for ways to make school reading mirror what readers do "in the wild" as I call it. I gut check everything we do against these questions:  Does this help my students become more independent readers?  Do readers actually do this (or something similar)?  If I can say, "No," then what's the point?  Students in your class are expected to read forty books from a variety of genres in their year with you. How do your students first respond when hearing this? How does this compare to what they feel about their reading at the end of the year? I am known as the teacher who expects students to read a lot, so I think my reputation precedes me now. In the past, my students (and their parents) were shocked and worried about my reading expectations. I urge my students to try reading more at school and home. In turn, I promise them that I will do everything I can to teach them how to read and enjoy it more. We start with these mutual commitments. After a few months, students are amazed at how much they have read and feel more confident. By the end of the year, most of them have read substantially more than 40 books. For the past four years, our class average is 56.  My students also discover that I don't really care about the number of books they read. I just want them to find books that mean something to them. I want them to enjoy reading and find personal value in it. The children who read 20 books matter just as much to our class reading community as those who read 100. One of the things I love about your classroom is the way you read alongside your students. In giving your students choice, you have shifted the power from the all-knowing teacher to a place where readers meet and learn together. While your young "apprentices hone a craft under the tutelage of a master, " you feel strongly that "meaning from a text should not flow from my perceptions... [but] from my students' own understandings, under my guidance." This is a huge shift for children. How do you teach them to take the reins and trust their ideas?  It takes time to build a classroom community where everyone feels valued. The children don't trust me at first because they think I don't mean it when I say they can choose their own books, writing topics, and methods for responding. I work hard to encourage every student. I try to listen to them as a person before I respond as a teacher. When a student tells me he cried reading LOVE THAT DOG, he deserves to get an authentic reaction to his emotions before I ask him to evaluate how Sharon Creech crafted the story. I cannot tell you how many students tell me that they think adults don't really listen to them or see them.  Through feedback during conferences and one-on-one conversations, I encourage students to set their own learning goals and evaluate their work against standards and class-developed rubrics. Teaching students to critically look at their own work before turning it in for my evaluation is hard for many of them who seek my approval as indication that they are successful.  I love how you play book matchmaker for your kids throughout the year. Can you explain how you learn of their interests and pair books with readers? I learn about my students because I talk to them constantly-about their life experiences as well as school assignments. I know who plays sports and who likes origami. I know who has a new baby brother and who is an only child. I also keep an endless database of books and authors in my head (and use Goodreads), and I read several books a week. If I see that a book is popular with my students and I haven't read it, I get a copy and read it immediately. When I can't find a book that matches to a student's specific interests, I fall back on titles that have wide appeal to most kids like HOLES or NUMBER THE STARS. I also ask students about the other books they have read and enjoyed.  I read a lot of book reviews, reading blogs, and book lists, too. Remaining current on the newer books helps me provide titles that are relevant to my students. I also talk to a lot of teachers and librarians on Twitter who recommend books to my students and me.  Knowing my students and knowing books-there's no shortcut. I often joke that I spend my life introducing my shelf children to my classroom children and facilitating friendships between them. Learn more about Donalyn and her book at www.thebookwhisperer.com. Join us next month for the second part of the interview.   Join Our Mailing List! Meet the Spellbinders Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. She's taught English and social studies to upper elementary and middle-school students in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. Back in New Mexico, Caroline now writes middle-grade novels and picture books full time.  To find teacher's guides, writing activities, and information about author visits, go to her website, stop by her blog, or follow her on Twitter.    Carolee Dean has made numerous appearances as a guest poet/author at schools, libraries, poetry events, and teacher/library conferences. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy and a master's degree in communicative disorders, and she has spent over a decade working in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist. Her first novel, Comfort,was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults, was named the Best YA Novel of 2002 by the Texas Institute of Letters, and was on the TAYSHAS (Texas Library Association) reading list. Take Me There is a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. She conducts teacher trainings on inspiring reluctant writers including "The Secret Language of Stories" and "Random Act of Haiku."             Kimberley Griffiths Little is the recipient of the Southwest Book Award, The Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010, and the author of the highly acclaimed, The Healing Spell and Circle of Secrets, published by Scholastic Press. Look for her books at the Scholastic Book Fairs, as well as two more forthcoming novels in 2012 and 2013.    She lives on a dirt road in a small town by the Rio Grande with her husband, a robotics engineer and their three sons. Kimberley is a favorite speaker at schools around the country, presenting "The Creative Diary", a highly successful writing workshop and has been a speaker at many conferences. Please visit her website to download free Teacher's Guides and Book Club Guides.       Upcoming Events Caroline Starr Rose April 19 New Mexico Library Association Youth Luncheon Albuquerque, NM July 27 19th Annual Norfolk Public Library Literature Festival, Norfolk, NE

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