Map Art Lab - A Must Have!

I’m participating in a blog roll in celebration of Map Art Lab: 52 Exciting Art Explorations in Mapmaking, Imagination, and Travel, a fantastic new book co-authored by siblings Jill K. Berry and Linden McNeilly. You might think I’m doing so because I’m super proud of Linden, as she is a VCFA grad sister. Or, you might think that I am doing so because Jill’s previous books are stupendous and that I plan on buying each and every one. While both facts are true, I am participating in this blog tour because the book is AMAZING and I know that kids and teachers will connect with the 52 labs included within.

The contents are broken down into seven units, each packed with a uniquely creative take on aspects of mapmaking – flat maps, cartography projects, personal maps, and those inspired by famous artists to name a few. And, the materials list reads like that in a Simple Saturday project – plastic food wrap, broken ceramic or tiles, jewelry findings, needle-nose pliers, etc. Oh, gosh! Be still my racing heart.

One of the most intriguing labs is entitled 'Topo Your Nose' (Lab 08, 28-9). Now, I’ve made topological maps of a cookie before, but never my nose. Doesn’t that sound like fun? The instructions state to press an oval-shaped bit of polymer clay over your nose, making sure to press into the contours of the bridge and around the nostrils. Isn’t that the greatest idea? And, directions for creating an Elevation Legend for said nose are available in the Take It Further sidebar. Love it! Love it! Love it!

Friends, it is your lucky day! You have a chance to win a free copy of Map Art Lab: 52 Exciting Art Explorations in Mapmaking, Imagination, and Travel. To be a contestant, all you have to do is comment below. Please be sure to add your email address to your post. One winner will be selected. I sure hope that it is you!!!!

And, hey, why not check out the other blogs participating on the roll? It’ll be interesting to read their impressions of this marvelous resource, right?

May 7 - Linden McNeilly http://www.facebook.com/lindenmcn

May 8 - Kim Rae Nugent  http://kimraenugent.blogspot.com/

May 9 - Cynthia Morris   http://www.originalimpulse.com/blog/

May 10 - Amy Smith  http://www.amysmithdesigns.com/blog

May 12 - Sean Corcoran https://www.facebook.com/TheArtHand

May 13 - Janet Fox  http://kidswriterjfox.blogspot.com/

May 14 - Tony Kehlhofer  http://www.maps4kids.com/blog

May 15 - Laurie Mika  http://mikaarts.com/wordpress/

May 16 - Jill Berry http://jillberrydesign.com/blog/

Hope to hear from you! Happy Simple Saturday!

The Readers' Theatre - Lights! Camera! Action! FUN!

While teaching the elementary-aged sector, some of my fondest memories were those of producing our Readers’ Theatre performances. When working with the wee little ones, I would interpret the text for them, coaching the young actors – line by line. My older students created scripts of their own based on sections of the novels we were studying. In either case, producing Readers’ Theatre scripts proved to be the most memorable, enjoyable, and interactive ways of engaging with the language arts.

In the article What is Readers Theatre, Literacy Specialist Linda Cornwell explains that the “…Readers Theater is an integrated approach for involving students in reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities.  It involves children in sharing literature, reading aloud, writing scripts, performing with a purpose, and working collaboratively.”  Well, I guess my students and I would have made Ms. Linda mighty proud! We did all of those things and more!

No props are necessary to produce a Readers’ Theatre. All you need is band of willing readers and a script inspired by an interesting and compelling story, one that, as Ms. Cornwell states, has, “…interesting characters, conflict, plot action, and humor.” Folks, Liz Garton Scanlon’s latest picture book The Good-Pie Partyis a shining example of such a story.

In The Good-Pie Party, heart-broken Posy is going to have to move, leaving her dearest friends behind. Instead of focusing on the tragedy of being torn apart, the kids decide to throw a huge neighborhood pie potluck party! Their efforts result in a smashing success! The plot is as simple and sweet as an apple turnover, perfectly suited for a Readers’ Theatre adaptation, which is exactly what we did.

To get a sense of what a Readers’ Theatre script looks like access the Curriculum Guide created for The Good-Pie Party. Also, note that a number of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and Core Curriculum State Standards are met by performing pieces such as this.

Goodness me! All of this delicious academic goodness and they’re down-right fun to perform!

Reference: "Scholastic.com for Librarians | What Is Readers Theater." Scholastic.com for Librarians | What Is Readers Theater. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. <http://www.scholastic.com/librarians/programs/whatisrt.htm>.

The Activity Guide: The perfect piece of promotional panache

A paper plate puppet unearthed from the Simple Saturday archives of old.Back in 2009, the sheer delight of creating simple, entertaining activities for the young and old alike birthed this website. Be it a science experiment or a messy arts and craft something or other, the original Simple Saturday premise was to encourage folks to stop by and enjoy a little crafting fun together. In a way, each original blog post could be considered as an activity guide – a quick explanation about a fun little project to do in a short amount of time. 

Activity guides serve as the perfect piece of promotional panache. Short. Inexpensive.  To the point.  Fun. And, many offer games and follow-up lessons that can be aligned with those all empowering academic standards.  A one-stop shop, if you ask me.

Author Cynthia Lui knows all about the power of the Activity Guide. When she contacted me to make a Comprehensive Guide and a Readers’ Theatre script for her darling Wooby and Peep: A Story of an Unlikely Friendship, I did a little poking around on her website to discover she already had some spiffy Activity Guides posted there. It seems that she and illustrator Mary Peterson had partnered up to create marionette-like cut-outs to print and play with. These lend themselves perfectly to be used as puppets in the Readers’ Theatre! Nice work, Cynthia and Mary!

I still hear the Saturday call of the glue gun and have a few plans to create something simple and new. In fact, I got a stash of paper towel rolls piling up in the basement ready and waiting to be crafted with. All I need are some magnets, a couple of thin wooden dowels, poster board, some tempera paint, and YOU! Intrigued? Well then, come back soon and let’s have some Simple Saturday fun together, like old times.

Want to?

Try, Try Again - The Scientific Method

Click on image to access Science at PPPST.com - PowerPoint presentations for all ages!Famed author Clarence Day once said, “Information’s pretty thin stuff unless it’s mixed with experience.” I think Clarence would have been pleased with the experiential hoopla happening in my prior classroom.

My classroom’s science shelf was lined with informative botany, zoology, anatomy, chemistry, taxonomy, biology, and simple machine packets, thick with the promise of splendor for all of us to consider! I have to say that not all, but plenty of our experiments were busts. And, like real scientists do, when that happened, we pulled back, asked questions, considered our data, and try, tried again until we got it right. Together, we experienced the scientific method on a shoestring!

The key word in Clarence’s quote is “experience.” He didn’t say “testing” or “quizzing.” Instead, he was referring involvement, participation, and understanding. Mr. Day is talking about the need for active learning, the focus that helps to create the best kind of supplemental guide for a math or science related book.

Click on image and buy the book!!!!!The guide created for Patricia Newman’s latest, Plastic Ahoy!: Investigating The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, serves as an effective example of experiencing information. Newman crafted this compelling book as if it were a scientific quest to discover the phenomenon known as gyres - large systems of rotating ocean currents consisting of a heavy concentration of trashed plastic threatening to destroy ocean life. Plastic Ahoy!: Investigating The Great Pacific Garbage Patch allows the reader to join with a team of graduate students and become trash detectives by hypothesizing what the effects of plastic garbage might have on the future of the earth’s oceans.

In the guide, the lesson entitled The Summary of the Scientific Method ( pg. 13) serves as an effective example of leading the reader to discover answers to their own burning questions. Kids can use this step-by-step method to formulate a hypothesis and then generate a plan to prove it. Perhaps, much like my days in the classroom, though some of their experiments might turn out to be busts; they’ll have a grand time scientifically trying them over and over again until they get it right.

I only wish I could be here to join in the fun!

A Discussion Guide Discussion

Suitable for all genres, Discussion Guides serve to guide understanding of not only the text, but its emotional connection with the reader. They contain interesting, probing, and enlightening questions that get the reader thinking and talking. These guides and be quite short, perhaps ten or so questions long, or can be several pages in length, depending on the needs and intent of the publication.  Quite often the questions posed serve as effective writing prompts, leading to a deeper study of a variety of topics.

When a reader connects with the story, they are more likely to be led through analysis of all sorts of literary elements.  Character motivation can be closely considered. Plot twists can be pointed out. Structure can be scrutinized. Voice and point-of-view can be made visible.  In short, Discussion Guides keep kids and teachers talk-talk-talking about a book—an author’s and librarian’s dream.

The Discussion Guide created for The Secret Side of Empty is an example of an in-depth guide, which works perfectly for this fascinating YA. In it, the protagonist struggles with the limitations her illegal status brings. She cannot go to college. She cannot work. The forecast for her life after high school is ‘empty.’  And so, she emotionally drops out. She drinks, experiments with drugs, and contemplates suicide. Much fodder for deep discussion, don't you think?

In-depth writing prompts have been added to this Discussion Guide, as well. Students are asked to express themselves through short narratives, informative essays, and opinion pieces. While not all Discussion Guides include specific prompts such as these, the well-developed questions in most can be utilized in this way.

And, yes, the questions and writing prompts for this Discussion Guide created for The Secret Side of Empty have been aligned with the Common Core State Standards. This not only validates the acts of questioning, discussion, and written expression, the alignment will hopefully help Maria  Andreu's great work find a lasting place on the curriculum shelf. That's the goal, right?

A New Year, Logo, and Focus

A few months ago, I asked some dear friends to help me define the skill set that I bring to the kid-lit table. After several insightful email exchanges, the concept you see on the left was conceived...and I love it!

I'm a kinesthetic learner. My mind works in a concrete way. I see patterns and structures in story. I can visualize braiding, layering, echoing, and the like in vivid color and line - ways that can be creatively communicated to others in my discussion and activity guides. In interpreting my vision, I connect readers with story. Holding closely with the slogan, Keeping your books in the hands of the educator and the heart of the child, striving to guide  a kid's learning process in a  non-didactic, entertaining manner.

It is by intentional design that 'education' is at the apex of the logo's equilateral pencil triangle. I believe, now more than ever, we authors and illustrators have the greatest impact on education. Our innate passion for story and love of young readers is what can be transferred as enthusiasm for learning process. Literary elements we hold dear - plot, theme, premise, tension, climax, a satisfying resolution, to name a few - is the stuff that kids need to hear about from folks that they admire - writers and illustrators. US!

I don't pretend to have all the answers to eliminate test anxiety, stress in the classroom, or teacher burnout. I wish I did, but I don't. But what I do know how to do is connect a kid to a story in a way that they will learn something. And, that's pretty cool...don't you think?

Under the Freedom Tree - A Remarkable Story

The tale of Under the Freedom Tree is a moving historical account of bravery and tenacity and inner conviction.  Susan VanHecke’s beautifully written account of three runaway slaves who became contraband of war is the type of story that stays with a reader long after the final page is turned. And, illustrator London Ladd’s heartfelt renditions of tragedy and triumph breathe life into the bold acts that ultimately played convincing roles in Lincoln’s decision to craft the Emancipation Proclamation. Folks, it was and is a true honor to create a Discussion and Activity Guide for this incredible story. It’s a keeper, for certain.

Mary Smith Peake - my hero!!!!!There are number of critical players in Under the Freedom Tree, people who changed history because of their beliefs in civil rights for all. For instance, there are Frank Baker, James Townsend, and Shepard Mallory – the three runaway slaves who risked their lives to find asylum at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Then, there’s General Benjamin Butler of the Union Army who deemed these men as ‘chattel’ and refused to return them to Confederate Army. And my most favorite person in the story – one that I’ve come to love – is Mary Smith Peake, the heroic teacher who courageously taught the children of the Slabtown community to read under the shade of a broad-limbed Live Oak – The Freedom Tree.

The guide is crafted in such a way that students will be able to retell this poignant story time and time again. It is my hope that, through the writing, matching, and historical sequencing activities offered in the guide, this remarkable recounting of the courageous individuals introduced in Under the Freedom Tree are celebrated forever.

Update

on 2014-11-26 12:24 by Debbie Gonzales

Note! The guide created for UNDER THE FREEDOM TREE has been included as a part of a review for the School Library Journal's Booktalks to Go: History in Picture Books. This amazing book is keeping some great company with several other fantastic titles. Now that's something to be thankful for, isn't it?

Beautiful Holiday Bows - A gift for you!

Click on the image to access the link and have some bodacious bow-making fun!

We've been working hard on those Core Standards, haven't we? The kids are out school on holiday break. We should do the same today, right? Let's make some bows. Want to?

The initial Simple Saturday premise was founded in 2009 as a website reference for simple, entertaining and inexpensive crafts and amusements for kids of all ages. This premise seemed like a natural way to jump into the blogging scene. One thing is for certain, it’s been a ton of fun posting about things that I enjoy doing!

In a post launched back in 2010, I explained how to make holiday bows. Friends, do not buy those expensive ones when you can create your own for a fraction of the price! Click on this link and find out how easy it is to do so.

If you have any trouble, just shoot me a comment and I’ll see what I can do help make your holiday bright!

The Graphic Organizer - A God-Send!

As previously posted in ReaderKidZ.com

Graphic organizers are some of the most beneficial tools around to teach complicated literary concepts such as theme, text structure, chronology, and sequencing - to name just a few. Also known as knowledge maps, cognitive organizers, or concept diagrams – graphic organizers provide a visual opportunity to grasp complex learning and instruction. And, they’re fun to use!

Here's a graphic organizer made to compliment a lesson in P. J. Hoover's school visit programming document. Click on the image and see how a graphic organizer can be used!Maureen McLaughlin and Brenda J. Overturf have joined forces to create an excellent e-book collection of graphic organizers that address both the narrative and informational text CCSS standards. The collection is entitled The Common Core: Graphic Organizers for Teaching K-12 Students to Meet the Reading Standards.  All of the organizers are developed to support students’ thinking process, and each is sensational.

The authors offer the following tips for the most effective use of graphic organizers. They say that educators should:

·        Clearly explain how the organizer works.

·        Demonstrate how to use it.

·        Engage students in guided practice.

·        Allow students to practice using the graphic organizer on their own.

·        Finally, engage students in reflection regarding how to use the organizer and in the topics and/or skills that they learned.

If you are an educator looking for ways to help your students grasp the expectations of Common Core Reading Standards 1 to 10, consider downloading this insightful e-book. It is loaded with plenty of strand-specific, power-packed graphic organizers, each complete with clear definitions stating the purpose and intent.

I particularly like the ones created to guide the understanding of informational text structures. Then again, I’m kinda geeky that way!

A Book Guide and Readers' Theatre for NO PIRATES ALLOWED! Said Library Lou

Big Pirate Pete says, "Click here and buy the book - or else!"Got a lively, entertaining, and not-so-quiet story for you – NO PIRATES ALLOWED! Said Library Lou written by Michigan author Rhonda Gowler Greene and illustrated by Brian Ajhar. I tell you, the experience of creating a Readers’ Theatre script and a Discussion/Activity Guide  for this picture book was like digging through a pirate’s chest full of jewels. This story has it all – danger, intrigue, conflict, and a slight suggestion of a love interest at the end.

In it, Big Pirate Pete is in search of treasure. According to his map, X marks the spot, and the spot is located smack-dab in the middle of tiny Library Lou’s domain – the Seabreezy Library. Pete is boisterous and tries to intimidate Lou. Undaunted and unflappable, Lou is firm with Pete. She promises that she will lead him to the treasure, after he complies with a few directives (Some of which are hilarious). In the end, Pete discovers that true treasure lies in books, a bounty worth more than pirate’s booty!

One of the many aspects that made working this projectsuch funisthat Brian generously allowed me to use his illustrations to compliment the guide and the script. I fell in love with his style, the way he plays with size and color and expression. Fantastic!

I so strongly encourage you to read this great story and then check out the guide and script – most especially, take note of the character cut-outs provided as a part of the diorama foldable activity. They’re great!

Better yet, gather up a cast of kids and film a production of NO PIRATES ALLOWED! Said Library Lou. Rhonda, Brian, and I would love to see it. Lights! Camera! Action! Arrrrrrrrr, matey!

Spanky: A Soldier's Son by Sue LaNeve

Click on the image to order the book!As I’ve said many times before, each guide I create offers a unique opportunity to learn something wonderfully new. Creating book guides for authors and illustrators also grant me the great pleasure of getting to know the individuals on a more personal level. Such was the great experience I had creating a guide for author Sue LaNeve’s award-winning Spanky: A Soldier’s Son.  It’s no surprise that LaNeve’s novel earned a bronze medal from the 2013 Military Writers Society. It’s that good. I can attest for it!

Click here to access the guide.The story is about a boy whose father is deployed to Afghanistan, leaving Spanky and his broken-hearted mother to fend for themselves in a new community. His father’s departing words were, “Son, make me proud.” These words haunt him as he deals with bullies, self-doubt, and adult-like responsibilities. Eventually, Spanky begins to trust and believe in himself by acknowledging the leadership skills he holds within.  In the end, he makes his father proud – and then some.

The story is great. Sue is fantastic. But, the aspect I enjoyed most about this project was partnering with Sue’s mom, Audrey W. Lederman, M Ed., as a consultant for the guide’s contents. You see, Audrey once worked with the talented and gifted. She was a true gift to me, I’ll tell you. Her insights and ideas were astounding!

Sue and Audrey - now there's a mother/daughter team that can't be beat.

For sure!

A Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff

I’ve been teaching long enough to know that there are times when the student has more to teach than the instructor does. As a Montessorian, moments like these are sheer bliss. They mean we’ve worked ourselves out of a job. The students have become independent, which is the ultimate goal of the classroom experience and in life. Working with the lovely and talented Kit Grindstaff on her Teacher’s Guide for her most incredible fantasy The Flame in the Mist was one of those blissful "forging toward independence" experiences.  

Kit describes The Flame in the Mist as the story of courageous and fiery-headed Jemma, who, with the help of two magical golden rats and her friend Digby, has a dangerous destiny to fulfill: to stop the evil rulers of her country, and the mist and misery they create. Whoa! Stop right there. Magical rats. Evil rulers. Mist and misery. Shoot…I’m chomping at the bit to make a guide for an awesome story like this one. But alas, fair Kit has a plan of her own – a good one, too.

Kit created her own guide that far surpasses anything that I could have dared to attempt making – an astounding 35 page feat of splendor comprised of chapter-by-chapter analysis, historical setting, a summary of Medieval times facts, a cool section entitled “Nursery Rhymes – Innocent or Creepy”, character analysis done in marvelously creative way, and even a criss-cross puzzle! All she needed me to do was to pretty it up a little and add the Core Curriculum State Standards annotations to it. She did the heavy lifting. I merely cheered her on.

I became enraptured by the story as I poured over the guide she created. So much so, I dropped a bomb of a hint that I wanted to read the book. Kit graciously sent me a copy in which she inscribed, “Thank you for helping me rock the schools with Jemma and the Ratresses.” No….sweet, Kit. I think you’ve done it all by yourself! And, I’ve have to say, that I’m mighty proud of YOU!

The Splurch Academy for Disruptive Boys: The Rat Brain Fiasco Game Board

Click on the image to buy the bookTo continue with the activity guide throw-back theme of late, let me tell you about this great game board I made for Julie Berry’s hilarious Splurch Academy for Disruptive Boys: The Rat Brain Fiasco quite some time ago.  I made the guts of the game. She and her sister made it pretty – or rather, scary.

The Splurch Academy series is far from high fantasy, my friends. It’s just an example of some light-hearted, goofy, all-boy, brain-sucking fun. In it, protagonist Cody Mack, a mildy ill-mannered boy, is sent to a school run by a faculty of monsters! At first they work hard to conceal their fangs by posing as a polite principal and his studious staff. But then, like any horror story worth its blood, Cody uncovers clues that a boy was killed at the school and scrambles to avoid meeting the same demise.

Click on the image to download the game, if you dare!The game is constructed by tracing plot points of the book, most are cited from the text and are as ghoulish as ghoulish can be.  I like to imagine some wiry, seven-year-old boy’s grubby fingers flipping through the pages, intent upon relishing a re-read of the story's sloppy, slurpy gore. Delicious!

And, the best part is that the plot point game is inexpensive, easily reproduced, and distributed.

Ba-da-bing! Ba-da-BOO!

Ghostly Pops - Simple Saturday Throw-back Fun

Three years ago I crafted a post describing how to make Simple Saturday Ghostly Pops. The time is right to pull those scary suckers out of the archive dungeon and have some Halloween fun with them once again.

All you need to make these spooky little critters is an everyday sucker, a square of toilet paper, a marker, and a piece of string. Just all you need to do is drape that square of TP over the sucker. Gather it under the candy and tie it off with a small piece of yarn. Then, simply make two marks for your candy phantom's eyes and there you have it, you very own Simple Saturday Ghostly Pop!

For this and other activities perfectly suited to delight little ghoulies and goblins on All Hallows Eve access the guides I made for Kelly Bennett’s Vampire Babyand Stephanie Greene’s Princess Posey and the Monster Stew. Watch out, though. As you can see from John’s terrified reaction above, Ghost Pops and some of the things you’ll see in those guides can be down-right frightening!

Vampire Baby by Kelly Bennett

Click on image to purchase Vampire BabyThis picture book was written by one my most favorite authors, Kelly Bennett, and it is the perfect pairing for the upcoming season of blood-sucking fun! In Vampire Baby, the once sweet and cuddly Tootie has transformed overnight into a diaper-wearing vampire! Tootie bites all the time, and her favorite person to gnaw on is her older brother. He tires of being her perpetual victim and encourages a real vampire family to take her away. In the end, his protective nature takes over and he realizes that he loves Tootie, fangs and all.

Needless to say, creating a guide for this delightful story was great fun for me to do. I encourage you to check out the book and then review the guide. In it, you’ll see plenty of fun and games as well as an academically sound manipulative activity focused on teaching story structure. Folks, this concept is a tough one to teach. However, with some paper, scissors and Vampire Baby in hand, the heady literary elements of setting, character, rising action, climax, and resolution become less threatening and easier to comprehend.

Hope you have a safe and happy Halloween. I plan on it. Wish me luck keeping my hands out of the candy bowl. I'm a blood-sucker for candy corn.

One of My Favorites - Monster Stew

Click on image to purchase through IndieboundJust like teachers can't help but to have favorites, I feel the same way about the guide I created for this charming book written by  Stephanie Greene and illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson. The story tenderly depicts a young child's ambivalent fear of Halloween spookiness in a subtle and sweet way. I enjoyed creating this guide almost as much as I enjoyed reading the book.

There are plenty of discussion questions and fun lessons to choose from in the book guide. One the most enjoyable activities is the Black Cat Domino Game, and it's super easy to make, too. Just print the domino game pieces off on card stock. Trim around the edges of the domino cards and you're game-ready! The game can be played with one or more kiddos. Simply shuffle, stack cards face down, and begin matching the quantities of black cats printed on the cards.

 I do hope that you'll take some time to check out Princess Posey and the Monster Stew and then access the guide. Hopefully you'll find something in it that will compliment your Halloween festivities in a booo-tiful way!

A Book Trailer Construction Guide for Black Pool - An E-Book

Creating a guide for C. H. Garbutt's Black Pool: A Jack Flynn Adventure was a first for me in that this compelling story has been printed as a e-book by Vook.com. That's right...an e-book enhanced by this really cool WeJIT technology that engages the reader's decision-making process throughout the story's progression. Neat stuff.

To access the guide, click on its cover.Being that Black Pool is digitally contrived, I thought it would be suiting to create a CCSS Annotated Book Trailer Construction Guide - one in which the reader can delve deeply into characterization, theme, setting, mood, and sensory detail. There are tons of graphic organizers in the guide, each designed to explore specific aspects of literature. Upon completion, students will have all that they need to craft a story board and create a book trailer script!

The best part of doing what I do is working with the variety of books that come my way. I love reading them, and then thinking of the various ways I can interpret the story's message in through discussion and hands-on activities.

What's next, you ask? Stop by next week and I'll tell you all about it!

Fab Guide for The 14 Fibs of Gregory K.

The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. is precisely the type of story I would have used in my classroom when I worked with those wacky upper elementary kiddos. It's funny and tender and intelligent and delicately didactic, in a super-subtle way.  Both boys and girls will enjoy this tangled tale of confusion, mild deception, pi (pie), and poetry.  

 Its a story about a boy who has a poet's heart and a father who is blind to the his passion. Author Greg Pincus nailed the voice of a conflicted, well-intentioned kid who, because of his desire to please others, gets caught in a web of lies - or fibs. Ultimately, through the study Fibonacci and his fascinating numeric sequence, the protagonist finds a way to be true to himself, as well be honest with his dad about his love of writing.

Fibonacci - and that ain't no lie.

In addition to being lively and full of comical action, this book is layered upon layer with depth of  that would reflect these literary elements and have some Fitheme and premise. I wanted to make a CCSS aligned guide Fibonacci fun, too! In it, along with gobs of discussion and writing activities, are three brainiac lessons that I had a total blast creating - The Pi Number Roll, Fibonacci Numbers in Excel, and - the all time classic - The Fractal Foldable! 

It's my hope that Pincus' The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. will become as timeless as the Golden Rectangle. I know it's tons more entertaining.

Update! Chained Wins SCBWI Crystal Kite Award!

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

I am thrilled to announce that Chained has won the coveted SCBWI Crystal Kite Members' Choice Award! Hip! Hip! Hooray for awesome author Lynne Kelly!

The SCBWI Crystal Kite Awards recognize great books from the 70 SCBWI regions around the world. Each regional chapter was assigned to one of 15 divisions and the membership in each division voted for their favorite book published by an SCBWI member that year. 

“The SCBWI is pleased to reward excellence in children’s books,” President Stephen Mooser stated.  “These awards honor authors from our many regions and help bring worthy books into the spotlight.”   

“Like the Golden Kite Awards, the Crystal Kites are selected by peers---authors and artists working in the children’s book field,” SCBWI Executive Director Lin Oliver commented.  “That makes them unique and especially satisfying to receive.” 

Lucky me to have had the honor to create a guide for this incredible book, right? I am not the least bit surpised that it has become an award-winner.

Congratulations, Lynne. You have much to be proud of!

A Guide Celebrating America's Finest!

Author Patricia Newman deserves a 21-gun salute for penning two exciting titles. Navy SEALs: Elite Operations and Army Special Forces: Elite Operations are both part of the Military Special Ops series and are phenomenal.  Newman takes the reader behind the scenes to show what it takes to become some of America’s best. Full of action and ammo, young readers are sure to enjoy this engaging non-fiction.

The books are rich with well-crafted text, great glossaries, fascinating photos, plenty of interesting sidebars and quotes from servicemen of all ranks – a plethora for this book guide crafter to work with. Patricia asked that I make a joint guide, one that would encompass the integrity of both books in one. My intention was to design a make-shift scavenger hunt that would mandate that the reader would have to read carefully to solve the puzzle, of sorts. The mission was accomplished, I must say.

One of the most gratifying activity (and the most fun) to create was the Path to the Green Beret and Earning the Trident Foldables. Here, the reader must perform reconnaissance through the text to discover the steps a Special Ops hopeful must take to earn the high honor to serve our country as a Navy SEAL or in the Army Special Forces. The foldables earned a gold star. Check them out.

Whether by land, or sea, or air… I can tell you, after making this guide, I am so very glad that the Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces are here. God bless America and the fine men who serve her.