Don't forget these gifts!

I hope you are enjoying your winter holidays. One of the things my kids always do is gather their gifts and take a picture. It's fun to look back at these pictures and remember.

At the beginning of November, I set a goal to send a newsletter with a freebie each week until the end of the year. I've had so much fun creating and developing resources to make teaching writers manageable and enjoyable.

Just like my kids line up their gifts and snap a photo in order to remember, I wanted to recap the gifts I've given in the past two months.

You can find them all on my website.

1. What to do when students have nothing to write: Finding Topics: A Guide for Teachers (my second ebook). Elsie tweeted, "Just out! A fabulous guide for teachers. Help students who have nothing to write about."
2. A True Confession about Grading Student Writing (my first vlog): JUMP IN: Great Teaching Begins in the Pool (my first ebook from Spring 2016)
3. What to say in a writing conference: Video Training: 3 Secrets to Powerful Conferences and a PDF of my Conference Question Cheat Sheet. Jennifer Court left this comment, "You have provided quick and meaningful information to implement into classrooms with easy steps. I appreciate that what you have suggested could happen tomorrow in any classroom."
4. Teach students to think in parts: 5 Storyboard Templates
5. Quick & Meaningful Writing Assessment: A mini-course on Happy Teaching with Ruth Ayres. Maggie Chase said, "Ruth is down to earth, encouraging and knowledgeable about the realities and practicalities of grading students' written work."
6. How to make student stories fun to read: Video Training: Stories Have Struggles
7. How to stop hearing I CAN'T WRITE! from your students: 10 Tiny (But Mighty) Celebrations

You can pick up any of these free resources on my website. (No worries...you won't receive double emails from me -- my email list provider has superhero capabilities and takes care of things like that.)

While you're on the resource page of my website, you'll also see the link to my YouTube channel where I house all of my video minilessons. You might want to check that out, too. Teachers tell me the video minilessons are super helpful to use in writing workshop.

We've reached 500+ Email Pals! {CELEBRATE This Week: 139}

 

I'm glad you are here to celebrate! 

Share a link to your blog post below and/or use #celebratelu to share celebrations on Twitter. Check out the details here. Celebrate This Week goes live on Friday night around 10(ish). Consider it as a weekend celebration. Whenever it fits in your life, add your link. 

Please leave a little comment love for the person who links before you.

*****

Wow! Over 500 Email Pals!

It is beyond what I could even imagine.

I love getting to help make teaching writers manageable + enjoyable. 
It's such a dream come true!

To celebrate and help me say thank you in a big way, 

Stenhouse is offering this unbelievable giveaway. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I love to celebrate the ordinary. However, from time to time, it is good to celebrate the extraordinary. I'm so glad we have this space to celebrate each week. Looking forward to celebrating with you this week.

An InLinkz Link-up

MOPS Giveaway Recipient

Amanda Villagomez is the lucky recipient of the one year MOPS membership. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and left a comment or entered the giveaway.

Lucky!

Congratulations to Brent Doty! Chronicle Books will send you your prize pack. I'd love to hear your thoughts about Carnivores.

I'm excited about all of the interest in this book. It is well worth getting a copy.

Happy reading.

the giveaway goes to...

Gretchen is the lucky recipient of SEA MONSTER AND THE BOSSY FISH. Please send me your mailing address and I'll pass it along to Chronicle Books. 

Meanwhile, if you haven't checked out the other stops on the blog tour, now is a good time! (And don't forget there's a 30% discount until September 6 at Chronicle Books if you use the promotional code SEAMONSTER.)

Tuesday 8/20/2013: Kid Lit Frenzy 

Wednesday 8/21/2013: There’s A Book  

Friday 8/23/2013: Maestra Amanda’s Bookshelf 

Saturday 8/24/2013: Reading Rumpus 

Sunday 8/25/2013: 5 Minutes for Mom 

Monday 8/26/2013: Ruth Ayres Writes 

Tuesday 8/27/2013: The Family That Reads Together 

Wednesday 8/28/2013: This Kid Reviews Books 

Thursday 8/29/2013: Sharpread 

Friday 8/30/2013: KateMessner.com

Welcome Kate Messner! (plus a giveaway)

Chronicle Books is generously giving away a copy of Sea Monster and the Bossy Fish. Enter using the form at the end of this post.

I'm excited to host Kate Messner today. She writes about the way dialogue and speech bubbles influence her writing process. I'm looking forward to sharing some of her insights with students.

Sea Monster Speaks! Dialogue, Speech Bubbles, and Picture Book Revision

Sea Monster and the Bossy Fish is my second picture book starring Ernest, a lovable and slightly anxious sea monster In the first book, Sea Monster's First Day, he braves the hallways of a brand new school (of fish!) and deals with the usual first-day jitters that students of all ages know so well. In the second title, Sea Monster and the Bossy Fish, Ernest encounters another common school challenge -- the playground bully. How do you deal with someone who doesn't always play in ways that are friendly and inclusive?

From the moment I started thinking about Ernest's first story, it came to me in his own sea-monstery, narrative voice. (Yes...I have sea monster voices floating around in my head. This is normal in the world of children's writers, even though it does sometimes make me star off into space and think about eating leech pizza for dinner.) Writing in that voice meant that while Ernest was telling the story to readers as a narrator, he'd also need to speak with other characters in a way that was clear. In my first draft of this book, I wrote those words in italics and put the other characters' dialogue in quotation marks. But sometimes, that felt confusing. I talked a lot with my editor Melissa about this during the production process -- how to make it clear to young readers who was saying what, and to whom.

Speech bubbles seemed to be the best way to accomplish this kind of clarity for kids (and to let adults reading aloud know which voice they should use for each line!) so my editor sketched out the book's spreads with all the fish-to-fish dialogue in speech bubbles. This was an interesting process and required some revision of the text after the illustration process began. Some pages had dialogue that was simply too long or conversations that went back and forth too much for readers to follow, and those scenes had to be trimmed. In other situations, too many characters were talking on the same page, and it got confusing, so that was another revision challenge.

One of my favorite things about working on picture books is the dance that happens between the text and illustration. Andy Rash's bright, funny illustration style and wicked sense of humor mean that there are jokes in both Sea Monster books that I'd never imagined as the author but laughed like crazy over once I got the sketches to review. There's a lot of back and forth that goes on when a picture book is being made, and like any dance, it involves compromise sometimes. The dialogue in the Sea Monster books is a great example of that kind of revision, and it's work that I'm always happy to do. At its best, this process creates a book that's the best of two people's creative ideas. To me, it's one of the most magical things about writing picture books.

Chronicle Books is offering a 30% discount until September 6. Just enter this promotion code: SEAMONSTER. Now is the perfect time to get your copy!

Kate Messner is one of the authors I admire most. I love the way she writes in many genres and topics, and follows her creativity. Mostly, though, I admire how genuine she is and the way she cares about people. If you've not been over to Kate's website, I hope you make time for it soon.

This post is part of the MAKING FISHY FRIENDS Blog Tour. Check out the other stops below:

Tuesday 8/20/2013: Kid Lit Frenzy 

Wednesday 8/21/2013: There’s A Book  

Friday 8/23/2013: Maestra Amanda’s Bookshelf 

Saturday 8/24/2013: Reading Rumpus 

Sunday 8/25/2013: 5 Minutes for Mom 

Monday 8/26/2013: Ruth Ayres Writes 

Tuesday 8/27/2013: The Family That Reads Together 

Wednesday 8/28/2013: This Kid Reviews Books 

Thursday 8/29/2013: Sharpread 

Friday 8/30/2013: KateMessner.com

{Thanks to all who entered. The giveaway is now closed. Gretchen was the recipient of SEA MONSTER AND THE BOSSY FISH.}

last IVY + BEAN chance for the BIG GIVEAWAY!

Next week is the FIRST OFFICIAL IVY + BEAN DAY!

And this is your last chance to get in the SUPER GIANT INCREDIBLE GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY!

In addition, the lucky grand prize recipient will receive these...

Monday morning I'll select four more people for the last chance to be entered in the grand prize giveaway. Leave a comment on this post to enter. Recipients will be posted tomorrow morning before school. You'll need to email me immediately if you win, because Monday is the last day to enter names in the BIG giveaway!

ivy + bean book seven giveaway

I love that Annie Barrows is a favorite author around our house. I think it's important to have favorite authors. (Speaking of which, I'm going to listen to one of mine speak tomorrow!)

Here's to week seven of Ivy + Bean!

If you want a chance to be in the running for the grand prize giveaway from Chronicle Books, leave a comment here for a chance to receive...

or

And don't forget to make plans for the first official Ivy + Bean Day in October!

giveaway week 5

1,3,5, 2
The book goes to...

Linda at teacherdanceSeptember 12, 2012 9:12 PM

I just checked out two more from our school library, and now I just need some little kids to share them. They are fun!

Mini notes to...

Jasmine KoSeptember 14, 2012 1:47 AM

I tend to relate to bookish characters, so maybe a bookish set of twins? :)

Thanks for hosting this celebration!
Jasmine

tania conwellSeptember 14, 2012 11:23 PM

My 6 year old is Bean, always a little mischief. My 8 year old is ivy always planning and making lists! We love ivy and bean!

Erin G

These girls are so dynamic and fun! The books create such great dialog with my first grader, too.

Thanks for the giveaway!

Send me an email with your mailing address. Please include week 5 giveaway and the item you are receiving. This makes it a little easier on my end. And remember, if you don't email me, you won't get your giveaway, nor be entered in the grand prize giveaway. (You may want to check week four giveaway because no one has responded yet!)

ivy + bean: week 5

Have you picked up an Ivy + Bean book yet? Around my house we are devouring them. Andy even read one so he wouldn't be left out of the dinner conversation. I'm starting to imagine some quirky characters for this genre.

One of the things that make Ivy + Bean stand out are their specific qualities. They have hobbies and personalities that make them a little different from the crowd. Take a minute to consider some quirky, special, or unique qualities you might use to create an early chapter book character.

I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments. On Sunday I'll use a random number generator to select four giveaway recipients. One person will receive:

Three people will receive:

I'll select the names before I go to bed on Sunday. Remember if you are selected, you are entered for a chance to receive the grand prize giveaway:

Check out these other blogs to increase your chances!

The Children's Book Review

Coquette Maman

The Family That Reads Together

In the Pages

Kid Lit Frenzy

Media Darlings

One Page to the Next

The O.W.L.

The O.W.L. for YA

Roundtable Reviews for Kids

Sharpread

There's A Book

 Van Meter Library Voice

 Watch. Connect. Read.

ivy + bean week 4 giveaway

The giveaway recipients are: 3, 5, 7, 6...

For the book:

Janelle McLaughlinSeptember 7, 2012 11:14 AM

No - pick me! :) good to see you today even though we didn't get to talk much.

And three sets of note cards:

V (BookBorne)September 7, 2012 3:06 PM

Awesome giveaway! Thank you so much.

MarshaSeptember 9, 2012 8:53 AM

I need more Ivy + Bean! Please.....

Heidi GrangeSeptember 7, 2012 4:32 PM

Love Ivy + Bean, make me smile. :)

Send me an email with your mailing address, and I'll pass along the info to Chronicle Books. It's helpful if you put week four and the item you are receiving in the email. Check back Wednesday for a new post.

ivy + bean take care of the babysitter: videos

This week I'd like to share a couple of videos with you. First is a must see book trailer for the series. It is perfect to show in classrooms to help get readers excited about Ivy + Bean.

The next two are longer, but I find them interesting because they are interviews with Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall. Any time I can pick up interesting bits about writers or illustrators, I think it is a good use of time.

This week Chronicle Books is giving away Ivy + Bean Take Care of the Babysitter.

And three sets of mini notes.

Just leave a comment on this post before Sunday night. I'll post giveaway recipients  on Sunday before I go to bed. If you receive a giveaway, your name will be placed in the grand prize drawing.

Don't forget to check out these other blogs:

The Children's Book Review

Coquette Maman

The Family That Reads Together

In the Pages

Kid Lit Frenzy

Media Darlings

One Page to the Next

The O.W.L.

The O.W.L. for YA

Roundtable Reviews for Kids

Sharpread

There's A Book

 Van Meter Library Voice

 Watch. Connect. Read.

ivy + bean week 3 giveaways

Using a Random Number Generator, these four commenters will receive the giveaways: 4, 9, 11, 1

Please email me your mailing address. It will also be helpful if you indicate Ivy + Bean week three giveaway in your note.

A copy of book three goes to:

Our Learning CollectionAugust 30, 2012 12:48 PMWhat a fun review! You've convinced me to read this book! We love studying fossils so I'm sure this will be a favorite one here. Thanks for sharing your review!

And three sets of mini notes to:

elsieAugust 30, 2012 8:58 PMThis review pushed me over the top, I've just finished the first book. These are great for jumping into chapter books. Thanks for the review Stephanie. You present a convincing argument.

LauraAugust 31, 2012 9:07 AMAn enthusiastic reminder to use and share book reviews in class. Thanks for sharing. 

DanaAugust 29, 2012 10:30 PMWhat a wonderful review. I like dinosaurs and I am a fan of Ivy + Bean so I feel like I need to read this book SOON. Plus, I love ice cream so if the book is better than ice cream than it must be really good! 

A big thanks from Stephanie for all of the response to her review. If you saw her in person, you would see adorable dimples appear at each comment. 

Remember if you are selected for a weekly giveaway, you are automatically in the drawing for the grand prize. Next Wednesday I'll highlight book four + another shot at a giveaway.

ivy + bean book three: book review

Stephanie finished book three last weekend, worked her way through book four and is now into book five. Meanwhile she's hooked Hannah on the series, and last night Sam finished the first book. I'm pretty sure we are going to be celebrating big on October 13, the first Annual Ivy + Bean Day!

For today's post, Stephanie (grade 3) wrote a book review of Ivy + Bean Break the Fossil Record. Since she's hooked both of her siblings on the book, we were talking about how readers often use reviews to share their opinions about a book. For more of the process of writing reviews with young writers, check out my post on Two Writing Teachers.

Here is Stephanie's review.

Aren't you just dying to read Ivy + Bean Break the Fossil Record after reading her 5-star review? Steph promises you'll like it "more than an icrecream fudge sundae!!" ("I used two exclamation points, Mom, because it is sososososo good!")

Leave a comment on this post and have a chance at the giveaways.

One person will receive a copy of book three.

Three people will receive a set of Ivy + Bean mini notes.

All giveaway recipients are entered into the grand
prize drawing.

Make sure to check out these other blogs and enter the giveways to increase your shot at the grand prize! I'll use a random number generator to select the recipients on Sunday before I go to bed.

The Children's Book Review

Coquette Maman

The Family That Reads Together

In the Pages

Kid Lit Frenzy

Media Darlings

One Page to the Next

The O.W.L.

The O.W.L. for YA

Roundtable Reviews for Kids

Sharpread

There's A Book

 Van Meter Library Voice

 Watch. Connect. Read.

giveaway results

First, THANK YOU for the kind and encouraging comments. It makes me want to write more possible minilesson posts!

Using a random number generator, the results are 4, 7, 12, 2.

TammyAugust 22, 2012 9:48 PM

I think in first grade we would talk about the fun word usage of "boing" and brainstorm some of our own to use in our writing.

Margaret SimonAugust 22, 2012 10:52 PM

Not only do I love seeing the lesson ideas, the ideas themselves lead me to create my own about other mentor texts, which I have decided is the best way to teach writing. Thanks.

newtreemomAugust 23, 2012 7:58 PM

Your minilessons are like minimentors for teachers (because they are short and focused- for the impact they have in helping us learn to use mentor texts more effectively, they are more like megamentors)! Thanks for sharing.

ChristinaAugust 22, 2012 5:15 PM

I, too, love your mini lesson ideas! Thanks for all the practical advice you share!

Send me an email with your mailing address and I'll send the information along to Chronicle Books. You'll receive your giveaway, as well as be entered into the grand prize drawing!

Check back Wednesday for another chance at a giveaway. Stephanie (grade 3) will share her book review of...

ivy + bean: book 2 (minilesson possibilities)

One thing I was struck by in Ivy + Bean and the Ghost that had to Go was the way Annie Barrows crafted action throughout the book. The opening scene involved gymnastics. I've met many young writers who want to write about gymnastics. I can't wait to share the way Annie Barrows stretches the action of a backbend. Check this out:

Then she arched over backward. She flung her arms over her head and made a perfect backbend. She looked like a turned-over pink teacup. Then she rose back up --- boing --- like a doll with elastic in its legs.

---Annie Barrows, Ivy + Bean and the Ghost that had to Go 

I can imagine teaching from these lines over the course of a few days. Here are some minilesson teaching points I'm eager to share with young writers...

• Writers often stretch action by adding a line of character description. Then they return to the action, and leave readers with a vivid picture of how the character looks when doing something.
• Writers use onomatopoeia (sound words) to help the reader imagine the action even more.
• Sometimes authors use a comparison to help the reader see the action more clearly. Annie Barrows uses two similes in this short passage.
• Its. Here is a prime opportunity to teach why it doesn't need an apostrophe!
• Writers use specific action verbs like arched, flung, and rose. 
• Dashes -- Check out how Annie used them to set apart the word boing. It almost feels like the sentence boings in the center of it! Writers sometimes use dashes when they want to startle readers and make them pay attention.

I'm sure you notice other teaching possibilities too. It is unlikely that I would teach all of these, however, they are all valid options, depending on the needs of the class. 

Leave a comment on this post and you'll get a chance to receive...

One person will receive book two in
the Ivy + Bean series.

Three people will receive mini note cards.

And if you receive a giveaway,  you get a chance at the grand prize...

Make sure to check out more inspiration from Ivy + Bean and the Ghost that had to Go at these other blogs:

The Children's Book Review

Coquette Maman

The Family That Reads Together

In the Pages

Kid Lit Frenzy

Media Darlings

One Page to the Next

The O.W.L.

The O.W.L. for YA

Roundtable Reviews for Kids

Sharpread

There's A Book

 Van Meter Library Voice

 Watch. Connect. Read.