Poetry Friday: Sputter, Sputter, Sput!

Come take a ride in the car with Sputter, Sputter, Sput! by Babs Bell (Author) and Bob Staake (Illustrator)

I put some gas in to my car
Glug!
Gurgle!
Glug!

Ideas Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Ask students to write about a trip they have taken in their car. Use the Describing Wheel graphic organizer to brainstorm details. Where did they go? What did they see?

Word Choice Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: The sounds in this poem Glug! Gurgle! Glug! add vivid details. Ask students to use the Observation Chart graphic organizer to make a list of road sounds to add to their story.

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Charlotte’s Library.

Six Trait Writing Programs

bloggers needed for new easy reader award

Happy news! CYBILS is adding a NEW category for easy readers!

Here is the announcement from the CYBILS blog:

New Category: Easy Readers

We’re adding a new category for the 2008 Cybils–Easy Readers. Easy Readers are those 6″ x 9″ books found in the easy-to-read section. The category will be headed up by none other than Anastasia Suen (Book of the Week, Children’s Book Biz News, Picture Book of the Day, Scholastic’s Kid Lit Kit) and we’re looking for judges. If you’re interested, read the judging announcement and send me and Anne an e-mail. (If you’ve already written in, but would consider serving on Easy Readers, then please also drop us a line.)

P.S. I am 24 hours behind responding to Cybils e-mails. Do not panic. I will answer Thursday afternoon.

–Kelly Herold

Learn how to write an easy reader.

Bandit

Bandit by Karen Rostoker-Gruber (Author) and Vincent Nguyen (Illustrator) begins…

Bandit woke up.
Something felt different today.
He could feel it in his bones.

Ideas Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Bandit the cat is the star of this story. Ask students to think of a story a pet they know could tell. Students can use the Story Map graphic organizer to plot their story.

Voice Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Bandit the cat “speaks” in this book with cartoon bubbles. Use this as a model for writing as students add the pet’s voice to their story.

You may wish to have the students write and illustrate their own pet comics. They can do it the old fashioned way, with a pencil and paper, or create a comic online with Read-Write-Think’s Comic Creator. (After students create the comic they can print it out. The comic will NOT be saved online.)

Six Trait Writing Programs

Madam President

In Madam President by Lane Smith a girl imagines she is the president…

There are executive orders to give,
daily briefs to review,
a lunch to approve…

Ideas Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: The art in this book shows a girl taking charge of her school and neighborhood. Ask students what they would do if they could be “president” for a day. They can use the Persuasion Chart graphic organizer to plan their ideas.

Sentence Fluency Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: This excerpt uses one long sentence illustrated over several pages. This approach works with a illustrated book, but in a short story without art you have to write your ideas in words. Ask students to have a peer read their story aloud to see how the sentences flow. Does the story make sense to the peer editor? Are the sentences complete? Rewrite as needed.

Six Trait Writing Programs

Friend on Freedom River

In Friend on Freedom River by Gloria Whelan (Author) and Gisbert van Frankenhuyzen (Illustrator) Louis is “the man” of the house while his father is working up north. He is putting the boat way when…

A voice whispered, “Are you a friend?”

Louis was so startled he dropped the boat. Those words meant only one thing: runaway slaves.

Ideas Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Louis has a choice to make when he is asked to row a boat to carry the slaves across an icy river to freedom. Ask students to write about a time when they had to make a hard decision.

Conventions Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: As Louis rows the family across the river, they sing a song. The song lyrics are typed in italics. No quotation marks are used. Ask students to use the same format if a song fits into their decision story.

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September 1-26, 2008 Intensive Picture Book Workshop with 3 critiques

If your kids are in school now (or will be soon) and you want to work on your writing, I’m offering an online GROUP picture book writing workshop September 1-26. (I offer self-paced writing workshops year-round.) The first emails go out THIS Friday, August 29th. (More info here.)

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Nonfiction Monday Round-up

Welcome to the Nonfiction Monday Round-up!

Here’s what the kidlitosphere is reading this week…

1. Picture Book of the Day (Night Shift)
2. Just One More Book (Little Lions, Bull Baiters & Hunting Hounds)
3. Wendie’s Wanderings (Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi and other party Recipes)
4. Tricia (10 Things I Can Do To Help My World)
5. propernoun.net (Into the Sky)
6. The Well-Read Child (Seven Miles to Freedom: The Roberts Smalls Story)
7. Fuse #8 (Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Sciesz
8. Tricia (Trio of Food Chain Books)
9. Kid Lit Kit (Night Shift paired reading)

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Nonfiction Monday: Night Shift

The idea for Night Shift by Jessie Hartland came while she was doing one of the jobs in this book!

Late at night when the owls are out and the raccoons are diving into trash cans….

there are people out there awake doing all sorts of interesting things…

Ideas Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Ask students to brainstorm a list of interesting “day jobs” so they can create a companion book as a class.

Word Choice Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Details make writing come alive. Ask students to use the Describing Wheel graphic organizer to create a word list for the job they’ve selected for their page in “day jobs” companion book.

Six Trait Writing Programs

Poetry Friday: The Months

The Months by Sara Coleridge, first published in 1834, is brought to life again by illustrator Kathy Weller…

August brings
the sheaves of corn,
then the harvest
home is borne.

Ideas Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Ask students to write a short poem about something that happens this month. Use the Idea Wheel Graphic Organizer to brainstorm ideas.

Word Choice Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: After students select a topic for their poem ask them to use the  Observation Chart Graphic Organizer to create a word list for their poem.

Bonus! Read the entire book on the web at Big Universe!

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Read. Imagine. Talk.

Six Trait Writing Programs

What’s Going On?

Strange things are happening in What’s Going On?  by Elena O’Callaghan (Author) and Africa Fanlo (Illustrator).

“Weird things my dad has done in the last three months:

1. He brushed his teeth with hair gel instead of toothpaste.

Ideas Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Ask students to make a list of crazy things they have done when they were tired and to use them in a story.

Word Choice Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Ask students to use the Observation Chart Graphic Organizer to describe their crazy things and to use these details in their writing.

Six Trait Writing Programs