Monday, March 25, 2013

Caroline's Classroom Connections

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March 25, 2013
Caroline's Classroom Connections
A BREATH OF EYRE by Eve Marie Mont

setting: twenty-first century America and nineteenth-century England
age range: young adult
Kirkus starred review
This richly satisfying tale of first and last love transcends its genre -- not another breathless, fan-fiction take on a literary classic but an intertextual love letter.
 
Please tell us about your book.
 
A BREATH OF EYRE is about Emma Townsend, a girl who seeks solace in books to help her escape her loneliness at her exclusive prep school. She has few friends and even fewer romantic prospects, unless you count her crush on her English teacher. But escape soon arrives in a leather-bound copy of JANE EYRE. Emma feels a strong sense of kinship with the lonely, headstrong Jane, but when a lightning strike catapults her into Jane's body and her nineteenth-century world, Emma is torn between two vastly different worlds, and two vastly different men. 
 
Moving between her two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane's story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own.
 
What inspired you to write this story? 
 
Ever since I first read JANE EYRE in eleventh grade, it has remained my favorite book, one I return to again and again and that never loses its fascination for me. 
 
I've never found another story with such a restrained yet passionate romance. And Jane is the ultimate heroine: strong, intelligent, moral, and unafraid to speak her mind. I knew I wanted my protagonist, Emma, to step into her shoes as she awakens to first love and discovers her own strength of character.
 
Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching? 
 
As an English teacher, my main research was to read JANE EYRE numerous times -- not really much of a hardship for me! 
The most exciting part of this process was recreating scenes of JANE EYRE from a modern girl's perspective, wondering how Emma would respond to Jane's fashion sense, using a chamber pot, being without cell phone or computer or electricity. I also love researching places in my attempt to create a fully realized setting. Emma's contemporary world is a fictional town in eastern Massachusetts, but I based it on a real place that I adore for its quirky New England charm and atmosphere. 
 
A Breath of Eyre Book Trailer
A Breath of Eyre Book Trailer
 
What were some special challenges you faced while writing A BREATH OF EYRE?
 
JANE EYRE is one of the most beloved books in literature, so the idea that I have tampered with a treasured classic causes me plenty of sleepless nights. Rather than a straight retelling such as April Linder's JANEA BREATH OF EYRE is more of a mash-up of a contemporary YA with a classic Gothic novel. It was a challenge to balance the scenes that take place in Jane's world with those that take place in protagonist Emma's real world. 
 
While I use some of Brontë's text verbatim, most of the JANE EYRE scenes have been recreated to show a modern girl's reaction to being thrust into a nineteenth-century world. But Emma's own story is just as important as her adventures in JANE EYRE, so two-thirds of the novel takes place in her modern world. Yet in this case, life imitates art, and Emma soon realizes she has far more in common with Jane than she initially thought.  
 
What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?
 
I would hope that my novel might direct young readers to pick up JANE EYRE to see which elements I borrowed, adapted, or omitted, and of course, so they could discover for themselves what an amazing and romantic novel it is. 
  
Beyond any curriculum tie-ins, the book touches on a lot of issues relevant to today's teens -- self-esteem and identity, depression, loss of a parent, gender and women's issues, self-expression, the powers of writing, first love, and most important, finding one's voice. 
 
I think the book would be suitable for middle and high school libraries, English classes, and even mother-daughter book clubs.
  
Thank you, Eve, for joining us today! If you'd like to learn more about Eve Marie Mont, stop by her website. Eve's next book, A TOUCH OF SCARLET, which leads Emma into the world of Hester Prynne, releases tomorrow.

 


  
  

 
  
      
 
 Black Stripes
Meet the Spellbinders
Caroline Starr Rose 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
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

Comfort Paperback Cover
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.
Take Me There Cover

She conducts teacher trainings on inspiring reluctant writers including "The Secret Language of Stories" and "Random Act of Haiku."


 Follow me on Twitter 
  
  
  

Kim Bio PhotoKimberley 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 Circle of Secretsas 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. 
  
Follow me on Twitter 

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

  

 
This email was sent to kglittle@msn.com by spellbinders@peifercomputing.net |  
Spellbinders | 3 YAF Authors | Albuquerque | NM | 87181

Monday, March 18, 2013

Book Buzz about Book Trailers!

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March 18, 2013
Book Buzz - Book Trailer Fun!  
by Kimberley Griffiths Little 
It's time for our annual Book Trailer Extravaganza!

Book trailers can be a great way to spotlight books in a fun, imaginative way that helps get your kids or your students interested in a book they otherwise might not look at twice.

If you're interested in creating book trailers with your students and are a new reader here - or want a refresher course - be sure to look up this post on making book trailers in your library or classroom or home.  http://spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com/2011/03/special-march-issue.html

There is also a Q&A with librarian Cynthia Stogdill about making book trailers with her students that we reprised last March, 2011 in the link: http://spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com/2011/03/special-march-issue.html  

Check out this post on making your own book trailer!
http://www.darcypattison.com/marketing/doggone-feet-trailer/

And don't forget Darcy Pattison's MARVELOUS book about making book trailers:
http://www.darcypattison.com/dpbooks/the-book-trailer-manual/

HAVE FUN sharing book trailers AND books with your students and children!!!

Now for some new book trailers to enjoy for Picture Books, Middle-Grade Novels and Young Adult Novels (as well as your SPELLBINDERS' book trailers).

Tell us about some of your favorite book trailers right here on my personal blog - or at our SPELLBINDER blog: www.spellbinderbooknews.blogspot.com 
 


Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

Doggone Feet Book Trailer
Doggone Feet Book Trailer- Picture Book

Book Trailer for WILD BOY by Mary Losure
Book Trailer for WILD BOY by Mary Losure

Emily's Dress Trailer?Take 2
Emily's Dress Trailer?Take 2

Circle Of Secrets By Kimberley Griffiths Little
Circle Of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little - Middle-Grade

May B. by Caroline Rose
May B. by Caroline Starr Rose - Middle-Grade Novel

Forget Me Not
Forget Me Not - Young Adult Novel

Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith Official Book Trailer
Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith - Young Adult Novel

 Black Stripes

Meet the Spellbinders


Kim Bio Photo
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 Circle of Secrets
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
to download free Teacher's Guides and Book Club Guides. 


Follow me on Twitter 

 Carolee Dean
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 Comfort Paperback Coverspeech-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 Take Me There CoverActs of Haiku."

To find teacher's guides, writing activities, and information about author visits, go to www.caroleedean.com.

 Follow me on Twitter 
  

Caroline Starr Rose
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.
May B



Blog   
  

UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS
           
  


This email was sent to kglittle@msn.com by spellbinders@peifercomputing.net |  
Spellbinders | 3 YAF Authors | Albuquerque | NM | 87181

Monday, March 11, 2013

The Reader/Author Connection - Part 2!



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  March 11, 2013
The Secret Language of Stories by Carolee Dean

THE READER/AUTHOR CONNECTION - Part Two

Last month I discussed a "Letter to the Author" project I conducted with freshman and sophomores at the high school where I work as a speech-language pathologist. Students read the graphic novel Tantalize and then wrote letters to the author, Cynthia Leitich Smith. My article included several tips on how to brainstorm content with students and incorporate goals and objectives into the letter writing process. A copy may be found here. The classroom teacher and I were delighted by the results. Even the most reluctant writers all completed a three paragraph letter.
As a follow up to last months letter writing project, I will be discussing additional tips for connecting authors and readers. 

Dear Teen Me 

1. Connect with authors through books and websites like  Dear Teen Me. While serving on a panel at the Montgomery Book Festival in February, I met co-panelist E. Kristin Anderson and fell in love with the book she edited with Miranda Kenneally entitled Dear Teen Me. The book contains letters by various authors to their teen selves and includes entries by Ellen Hopkins, Lauren Oliver, Carrie Jones and Cynthia Leitich Smith. The various authors cover a wide range of topics including finding true love, discovering the true meaning of friendship, as well as surviving physical abuse, body issues, and bullying. The stories are sometimes funny and sometimes sad, but always close to the heart. I highly recommend this book as well as the website Dear Teen Me for connecting readers and authors.

While we anxiously awaited Cynthia's response to our letters, we read her excerpt from Dear Teen Me. Learning about Cynthia's experience of break up, heart break, and the girl bully who tormented, but ultimately admitted that she admired Cynthia, made it that much more meaningful when we received Cynthia's response to our student letters. She answered individual questions within a group letter and I made copies to hand out to all the students so they could follow along as I read the letter aloud in class.

Cynthia's Letter2. Connect with authors through their personal websites and blogs. If you are interested in having students write letters to an author and want to know whether you should send the letters to an email or snail mail address, try finding the author contact information online. Most children's/young adult authors love connecting with young readers and provide a contact page on their website where you may generate an email directly to them. If you contact the author before you have students write the letters, you will also know the odds of the author writing back (before the end of the school year). Let the author know that you are hoping their response can be part of your classroom connection to their book. As an author, I have been in the awkward position of receiving a packet of letters in July that was mailed in March, but didn't reach me until mid-summer because it was sent to my editor who then sent it to my agent who then sent it to me. You might be able to avoid this type of time-lag by contacting the author directly.

3. Arrange a Skype or Classroom Visit. While you're at the author's website, see if they have a page with information about their availability for school visits. Talk to your school librarian to find out if you have the financial resources to invite an author visit your school. This can get expensive if you have to pay travel costs, but many authors are now conducting Skype visits at a greatly reduced price. Some are even free.

Son by Lois Lowry 4. Give students extra credit for attending author events put on by local bookstores. You may be surprised to learn how many well-known authors are coming through your town. I live in Albuquerque, which is by no means a literary hub, but we are always having authors visit or local bookstores. This fall Lois Lowry gave a free one-hour talk at the University of New Mexico in promotion of her new novel, Son. It was right after the seventh graders at a local Charter School had finished reading The Giver. Unfortunately, the teacher didn't know about the event until after it was over.

Imagine what an extraordinary opportunity it would have been to hear Lois Lowry speak! Don't let this happen to you. Get on the mailing lists for your local book stores and keep your students up on authors that might be of interest to them. We've also had such student favorites as Lemony Snicket, John Green, and Alyson Noel come through town. These authors talk about everything from the personal life experiences that inspire their stories to research and the writing process, and most of the events are completely free.

5. Connect with local authors through  organizations such as SCBWI. You may be surprised to discover that you have many local children's and young adult authors living just within miles of your school. Many of these authors offer reduced rates for local school visits and might be willing to come in for an hour or two as opposed to a whole day. You may find out the names of local authors are by talking to book sellers or by contacting your local chapter of the Society of  Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (scbwi.org). If you have an interest in writing for children or young adults, you may want to consider joining this organization yourself. Many chapters have monthly meetings that are open to the public where you could potentially meet some of your local authors.

The most important thing to remember is that reading is about forming connections... to other cultures, other ideas, other times, and other people. Some of the most interesting characters you will ever meet, are the authors who created the fascinating worlds we all love to visit.




 Black Stripes
Meet the Spellbinders

Carolee DeanCarolee Dean has made numerous appearances as a guest poet/author at schools, libraries, poetry events, and teacher/library conferences. She holds a master's degree in communicative disorders, and has spent over a decade working in the public schools as a
Comfort Paperback Cover
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.
Her paranormal verse novel,
Forget Me Not, was published by Simon Pulse in October of 2012.
Take Me There Cover
  
She conducts teacher trainings on inspiring reluctant writers including "The Secret Language of Stories" and "Random Act of Haiku."Forget Me Not


 Follow me on Twitter 
  
  



  
Caroline Starr Rose
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 NewMexico, 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 my website.



  


 
Kimberley Griffiths Little has won 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
  



Circle of Secrets  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. 
  
Follow me on Twitter 






Upcoming Author 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

















This email was sent to kglittle@msn.com by spellbinders@peifercomputing.net |  
Spellbinders | 3 YAF Authors | Albuquerque | NM | 87181

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Time travel, war, love, rattlesnakes, magic . . .

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