How to Make a Constellation in 3 Easy Steps (An activity inspired by The Great Good Summer)

One of the many intriguing plot threads in this incredible novel is a metaphorical juxtaposition of protagonist Ivy Green's longing to be with her absent mother and the mythological story behind the constellations of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Y'all, that is just one of the literary gems laced and layered in the storyline. Seriously, I cannot recommend that you read this novel more highly. It's truly one of the finest that I've read - EVER! Mark my words...we have a Newbery contender here.

In the Educator's Guide, you will find a super easy, step-by-step constellation creation project. If you can gather up some black construction paper, tape, and a thumb tack you, my friends, can create a little corner of the galaxy to enjoy for days and to day to come. Just watch the video below and see what I mean!

Book Title: The Great Good Summer

Author: Liz Garton Scanlon

ISBN: 9781481411479

Synopsis: Ivy Green's mama has gone off with a charismatic preacher called Hallelujah Dave to The Great Good Bible Church of Panhandle Florida. At least that's where Ivy and her dad "think" Mama is. But since the church has no website or phone number and Mama left no forwarding address, Ivy's not entirely sure. She "does "know she's missing Mama. And she's starting to get just a little worried about her, too.

Paul Dobbs, one of Ivy's schoolmates, is also having a crummy summer. Paul has always wanted to be an astronaut, and now that NASA's space shuttle program has been scrapped, it looks like his dream will never get off the ground.

Although Ivy and Paul are an unlikely pair, it turns out they are the perfect allies for a runaway road trip to Florida--to look for Mama, to kiss the Space Shuttle good-bye, and maybe, "just maybe," regain their faith in the things in life that are most important.

Educator's Guide Overview: This in-depth guide consists of discussion questions, a study of the scientific method, writing exercises, a study of point-of-view, a thematic study, a lesson involving the creation and observation of a paper airplane,  and the creation of a constellation.

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE DOWNLOADABLE COPY.

The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch

Title: The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch

Author: Chris Barton

Illustrator: Don Tate

ISBN: 9780802853790

Synopsis: John Roy Lynch spent most of his childhood as a slave in Mississippi, but all of that changed with the Emancipation Proclamation. Suddenly people like John Roy could have paying jobs and attend school. While many people in the South were unhappy with the social change, John Roy thrived in the new era. He was appointed to serve as justice of the peace and was eventually elected into the United States Congress.This biography, with its informative backmatter and splendid illustrations, gives readers an in-depth look at the Reconstruction period through the life of one of the first African-American congressmen.

An Overview of the Educator's Guide: CCSS Writing, Reading, Foundational Skills, Speaking & Listening aligned discussion questions & writing prompts.

FREE EDUCATOR'S GUIDE DOWNLOAD!

Survival Secrets of Turkey Vultures by Deb Toor

Title: Survival Secrets of Turkey Vultures

Author: Debra Toor

ISBN: 978-1616335717

Synopsis: Join mother vulture on a day-long hunt to feed her hungry chicks. Will she survive? She can't defend herself, kill her own prey, or hunt without thermals. Up-to-date science, photos and activities will help kids understand this gentle vulture's adaptations and its biological role in nature. Suggested age range for readers: 9-11

Educator's Discussion & Activity Guide: Vetted by a number of scientists and experts in the field, this guide consists of an extensive research activity, writing lessons, a puzzle, and a fact-based bingo game. Deb Toor is passionate about this subject and has gone well beyond the extra mile to create a website packed with everything you'd like to know about the turkey vulture - and then some!

How to Make a Robotic Hand in 10 Easy Steps

Simple Saturday has returned - new and improved!

Check out this video inspired by Kersten Hamilton's most awesome Gadgets and Gears series. The robotic hand activity featured in the video below is part of the guide created for her newest book in the series, Ire of Iron Claw,  which will hit the market in July.  In the meantime, start reading the book that started all the buzz, The Mesmer Menace. While you're at it, check out the cool educator's guide that was created to compliment that book!

Y'all, this series is PERFECT for the bright child who owns a love of language, suspense, drama, and science! Just thinking about it makes me want to do a little hand jive!

DINOSAUR BOY by Cory Oakes Putnam

Title: Dinosaur Boy

Author: Cory Putnam Oakes

ISBN: 9781492605379

Synopsis: Everyone knows the dinosaur gene skips a generation.

So it isn’t a complete surprise when Sawyer sprouts spikes and a tail before the start of fifth grade. After all, his grandfather was part stegosaurus.

Despite the Principal’s Zero Tolerance Policy, Sawyer becomes a bully magnet, befriended only by Elliot aka “Gigantor” and the weird new girl. When the bullies start disappearing, Sawyer is relieved—until he discovers a secret about the principal that’s more shocking than Dino DNA. The bullies are in for a galactically horrible fate…and it’s up to Sawyer and his friends to rescue them.

Discussion & Activity Guide Download: Guide consists of discussion questions, a word scramble puzzle, a point-of-view writing project, and a guided research activity - all aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

Author P. J. Hoover’s School Visit Programming Guide

Click on the image to access this Post-Presentation Discussion & Writing Lesson Application Guide.

Contact P. J. Hoover to schedule a school visit with her. You'll be super glad you did!!!

Princess Posey an the Tiny Treasure

Title: Princess Posey and the Tiny Treasure

Author: Stephanie Greene

Illustrator: Stephanie Roth Sisson

ISBN: 9780142424155

Synopsis: When Gramps buys Posey the most adorable stuffed animal-a pink piglet named Poinky who can perch on the top of her pencil-Posey can’t wait to show him to all her friends. But when Poinky mistakenly ends up in Miss Lee’s Consequence Drawer Posey is heartbroken. Will the Pink Princess be able to find her courage and explain things to Miss Lee?

Discussion & Activity Guide Download: Guide consists of discussion questions, instructions to craft an narrative and an opinion piece, lessons to construct the numerical sequencing of a clock face and an o-clock booklet, and a box-making craft.

Princess Posey and the Next Door Dog

Title: Princess Posey and the Next Door Dog

Author: Stephanie Greene

Illustrator: Stephanie Roth Sisson

ISBN: 9780399254635

Synopsis: When Posey puts on her tutu, she turns into brave Princess Posey who can face anything. But when she has to write a story about a pet, the only one around is the new next-door dog who has a loud bark. Also, Posey has a secret. When she was little, a dog knocked her over to lick her ice cream and she’s been afraid of dogs ever since. Can her tutu help her tackle this challenge?

Discussion & Activity Guide Download: Consists of discussion questions, letter boxes, a character wheel manipulative (based on Joesph Campbell's archetypical study), and instructions to make a homemade dog toy!

All the best in 2015!

I'm so darned excited about the arrival of the new year I can barely stand it. I'm perculating with plans, projects and unlimited possibilities. Can't wait!

Well...for starters, I'm revamping the website. I'll be taking a little posting sabbatical until it's launched. I can't wait for you to see all of new bells and whistles in store for you then. It's going to be great!

How about you? What are your hopes and dreams for the New Year? Drop me a note. I'd love to hear them.

For now, I'd like to earnestly wish you the happiest, healthiest, and most prosperous New Year ever!

See you soon!

Featured Guide of the Week - Not in the Script

Amy Finnegan’s Not in the Script (Bloomsbury, 2014) is a swoony, dreamy, delightful romp into the world of teen screen stars. Cleverly told in alternating points of view, I found characters Emma Taylor and Jake Elliot to be perfectly cast for their roles in the wildly popular television series, Coyote Hills.

Emma is stellar – on and off of the set. She’s an awarding winning actress in search of authenticity in life and, most especially, in love. Jake, a model of Abercrombie hunkiness, decides to step off the runway to join Coyote Hills television cast. His motive? His mother is disabled and he desires to be closer to her. (Who wouldn’t fall in love with a gorgeous guy led by a tender, loving heart?) Enter dastardly ego-charged leading man Brett Crawford; self-centered Rachel, the manipulative bestie; and paparazzi with piranha-like appetites and, my friend, you have the makings of a deliciously angsty drama!  

The Educator’s Guide reads like a Screenwriting 101 course. In it, students are presented basic formatting structure and terminology of scriptwriting. They are then led through a series of character analysis, plotting, and storyboarding activities. The culminating project is a book trailer starring the cast of Coyote Hills. Lights! Camera! ACTION!

Not in the Script is a fun read – the perfect balance of steamy and sweet. Feel free to download the Educator’s Guide to get a sense of the creative writing possibilities Emma, Jake, and Brett inspire!

Featured Guide of the Week - The Secret Side of Empty

This week I’d like to showcase a guide I made for Maria Andreu’s incredible A Secret Side of Empty, an important story about a good girl’s downward spiral and rise back to an authentic life.   

Here’s how Running Press Kids describes A Secret Side of Empty:  As a straight-A student with a budding romance and loyal best friend, M.T.’s life seems as apple-pie American as her blondish hair and pale skin. But M.T. hides two facts to the contrary: her full name of Monserrat Thalia and her status as an undocumented immigrant.

With senior year of high school kicking into full swing, M.T. sees her hopes for a “normal” future unraveling. And it will take discovering a sense of trust in herself and others for M.T. to stake a claim in the life that she wants.

This book is rich with depth and emotion – the perfect fodder with which to develop angsty, heart-felt discussion questions. I recall feeling such compassion for M.T., a bright girl who had done all the right things as a student and a friend, all under the guise of keeping her undocumented status a secret. For a time, the poor kid just gave up trying. It was painful to witness M.T.’s steady steps toward self-destruction. There are tons of kids who can relate to her struggle. What’s the use, right?

Click HERE to access the Discussion & Writing Prompt guide all-prettied up by Running Press’ graphic artists. Also, click HERE if you’d like review the others I’ve made for them.

Stay tuned. There will be more where these came from!

Featured Guide of the Week - Girl in Reverse

It is no wonder why NPR included Girl in Reverse (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2014) as part of their Best Books in 2014 list. Folks, this is so much more than a gorgeous cover (Isn’t it stunning, though?). Friends, author Barbara Stuber created a masterpiece. It’s powerful and tender, poignant and thoughtful, unbelievable and unforgettable. Historical fiction at its best. I swear.

Here’s a short synopsis of this great book pulled from Simon & Schuster’s website: Being adopted isn’t easy—especially when you’re seen as a national enemy. When Lily was three, her mother put her up for adoption, then disappeared without a trace. Or so Lily was told. Lily grew up in her new family and tried to forget her past. But with the Korean War raging and the fear of “Commies” everywhere, Lily’s Asian heritage makes her a target. She is sick of the racism she faces, a fact her adoptive parents won’t take seriously. For Lily, war is everywhere—the dinner table, the halls at school, and especially within her own skin.

Barbara gave me many themes to work with in this book– poetry, history, family, the need to belong, isolation, friendship, and more. These topics are explored in the Discussion & Writing Prompt Guide through discussion questions and in-depth writing prompts for grades 6 to 12. In addition, there is a list of linked research topics that add even more depth to the reading experience.

 And, I must say that partnering with Barbara on this project was a delightful experience. She’s generous and kind. It’s no wonder she penned such a remarkable book as this one. I’m honored to not only have created a guide for her, but to call her my friend.

 Smart NPR. They know a good thing when they see one, right?

Yay, Barbara!!!! I'm so very happy for you!

Follow-up Guide for Picture Day Perfection

Don’t let this silly face on the Picture Day Perfection cover fool you in any way. Author Deb Diesen’s hilarious book is picture perfect to teach advanced elements of story and that’s just what we did in a follow-up guide crafted for grades 3 to 5. This book, pared with the attached guide, will make teaching the complicated (and sometimes kind of - yawn - boring) topic of elements of story fun, as well as unforgettable!

Practice comprehending literary terms with Picture Day Perfection Bingo.This guide is rich with literary terminology such as rising and falling action, exposition, climax, resolution, and aspects of the three act structure. Being that Picture Day Perfection’s intriguing circular plot line has such a clever twist at the end; students of all ages will delight in returning to the text with the intent of connecting the action on the page to the classic story arc.  And, for the ultimate opportunity to practice the application of skills, students can participate in a Readers’ Theatre production. The script is divided into specific acts and scenes, all correlating with the elevated concepts presented in the guide.

I have to say that creating two age-appropriate guides for the same book was a fascinating experience. We went from sequencing the months of the year in the proper ordinal pattern to chatting it up using high-level literary lingo.  Please take a moment to download the guide and see what I mean.

School Visit Overview - Self Esteem with K. A. Barson

Title: 45 Pounds (more or less)

Author: K. A. Barson

Publisher: Speak Teen (Penguin)

Synopsis: Here are the numbers of Ann Galardi’s life:

She is 16.
And a size 17.
Her perfect mother is a size 6.
Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 2 months, and wants Ann to be a bridesmaid.
So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45 pounds (more or less).

Welcome to the world of informercial diet plans, wedding dance lessons, endless run-ins with the cutest guy Ann’s ever seen—and some surprises about her not-so-perfect mother.

And there’s one more thing—it’s all about feeling comfortable in your own skin—no matter how you add it up!

Download a .pdf copy of an overview of K. A. Barson's school visit programming and follow-up lessons and activities. 

Featured Guide of the Week - Picture Day Perfection

Deb Diesen is the queen of the plot twist! In her Picture Day Perfection, we’re riding along with our sullen protagonist on his way to the photographer’s stool, even feeling a little bit sorry for the messy mix-ups this kid is enduring, to discover that he had it all planned out – perfectly! That little twit. He had me right where he wanted me the whole time. 

Not only did Deb craft a clever tale, Dan Santat’s illustrations kept me smiling with each page turn. Y’all, this book is straight up funny! If you’ve got a kooky kid in your life, this one’s for them. Get it. They’ll love it. And, if you’re hoping to lead said kooky kid into a deeper study of foundational skills in literature, download the guide. Strike while enthusiasm is hot, right?

Along with series of pre and post reading discussion questions, the guide presents writing and illustrating prompts, a study of adjectives (which Deb highlights masterfully in the text), a calendar/sequential numeric activity, and a super fun construction paper photography craft that I just have to tell you about.

I have a passion for making quirky, inexpensive kiddie crafts. Give me some tape, construction paper, and a sunny afternoon and watch me go! And, that’s just what I did with an activity for this Picture Day Perfection guide. The catch is, though, I don’t live in Texas anymore, where the sun shines brightly almost every day of the year. No. I live in Michigan now, where gun-metal grey skies dominate the calendar. This change in locale made the processing portion of this project a little bit more challenging.

When you download the guide, you’ll see that sunshine is a key procedure element and, when I was making a sample for the guide, I couldn’t find any! I chased whatever rays I could find by taping and retaping the ‘photo’ to just about every window all around the house.  My husband cracked up when he pulled up after work to find this fellow taped on the picture window facing our front lawn, for the entire world to see!

What will the neighbors think, right? We decided that they’d better get used to it.

Download the guide here and see what I mean. I hope you have as much fun with the projects as I did making them.

A Graphic Designed Guide for Press Play

As I’ve said before, each guide I create invites a unique experience. Making a guide for Eric Devine’s hard-hitting Press Play was one of the best, ever. Running Press asked for a different format than we’ve used before. Plans were to take my content to the art department to let them work their magic. The end result is amazing!! I’m really excited to show you what it looks like.

This YA is powerful, I’m telling you. Press Play reminds me of Cormier’s The Chocolate War. It’s the type of story that lingers in the mind well after the last page is read. I won’t lie to you. There were some parts of the story that were hard for me to read. Yes, it’s violent. Yet, like in The Chocolate War, the violence serves as a catalyst for the protagonist, and the reader, to look deeply within and check in with their core values. Even though I love the story, I still had to read some of the passages with my fingers over my eyes. Whoa, boy.

The guide content is aligned with the Common Core. There is an in-depth discussion component as well as a book trailer construction guide. The book trailer section doesn’t focus on the tech skills required to construct a video. Rather, it hones on the literary elements necessary to make the book trailer not only an academically sound project, but one that explores metaphorical images and the like. Plus, it’s FUN to make!

Please take a moment to have a look at this guide. Running Press did a smash-up job with it! I’d love to know what you think about.

And, check out Eric's book trailer...if you dare.

Presenting Author Margo Dill's School Visit Documentation

When I was classroom teacher, the author visits I appreciated the most were those that were a perfect blend of fun for the kids while being academically sound. One of my faves centered focused creating interesting characters. The author prepped me ahead of time, asking that I would have a stack of old magazines, glue sticks, and construction paper readily available for her follow up exercise. Man-oh-man! We had a blast!  She left behind a mess of paper scraps, a classroom full of inspired kids, and coolio follow-up activities to keep us going for several days afterwards!  Awesome!!!

I work to create this same wonderful experience with each CCSS Aligned School Visit Document I create.

I invite you to take a look at Margo Dill’s, just hot off the press! In it, you’ll find discussion questions and follow up activities designed to complement her fascinating school visit presentation, support the academic needs of the classroom, and get the kiddos jazzed about doing the research necessary to create their own great stories.

Margo’s leaving the teachers with a ton of CCSS aligned Reading Literature, Speaking & Listening, and Writing lessons to work with. Those students and educators will be singing her praises long after she’s gone.

Click here to access author Margo Dill's CCSS Aligned School Visit Document. Have a look. Get inspired. Have a little bit of fun while you’re at it. That’s the best part!

An Educator's Guide for T is for Texas

I want to home with the armadillo…

Well, shoot.

If I can’t go back to Texas, I’ll just have me some fun creating an Educator’s Guide about my beloved Lone Star State. Thanks to my good friend author Anne Bustard, that’s exactly what I got to do!

Just take a quick moment and check out the fun projects this guide is filled with, projects that tickle the creative side of the brain as well as the academic.

Why, we’ve got an awesome alphabet matching game and crossword puzzle, each with their very own answer sheets.

What’s not to love about this macaroni-backed armadillo? Isn’t he darling?

And, those fingertip bluebonnets are just about as a cute as a pig’s ear, don’t you think?

Each of the crafts has a writing component that’ll make both the kids and teachers holler, “Hi-dee-ho!”

Y’all, instead of hopping a flight to the heart of Texas, why don’t you simply download the Educator’s Guide right here and have some southern-fried fun.

It helped to take care of my homesick, bluebonnet blues for a little while. For that, amigo, I am mighty grateful!

An Educator's Guide for Outside In

Making an Educator’s Guide for Outside In was a joy to do. You see, the author, Sarah Ellis, was one of my VCFA advisors.  Not only was I delighted to be of service to someone I consider to a dear friend, I knew I’d be wowed by her work. Sarah did not let me down. Outside In is incredible! It’s no wonder it's been nominated for the prestigious Red Maple Award. Those smart Canadians … they know a good book when they read one.

Outside In explores the notions of community, environmentalism, materialism, honesty, and friendship. Sarah addresses these heavy concepts in the lively, humorous, and  heartfelt manner she’s known for.  Here’s how the publisher, Groundwood Books, synopsizes the story. “Lynn’s life is full — choir practice, school, shopping for the perfect jeans, and dealing with her free-spirited mother. Then one day her life is saved by a mysterious girl named Blossom, who introduces Lynn to her own world and family — both more bizarre, yet somehow more sane, than Lynn’s own.” I say, buy the book. You’ll be glad you did!

When going about creating guides for smart, multi-layered, well-crafted books like this one, I like to look for thematic threads in the storyline to explore. One such thread I found in Outside In was the notion of ‘triangulation’ (A term that, interestingly, rhymes with the word ‘strangulation,’ which comes close to describing the emotionally precarious situation the protagonist must face.). The process of triangulation is the establishment of the distance between two points of a triangle. Lynn is not only studying the process of triangulation in Geometry, she living it in the flesh!

 Lynn’s enactment of triangulation is contrived by three vastly different groups of people she is associated with – Shakti, her nut-case mother; Celia and Kas, her two best friends; and the Underlanders, a strange yet remarkably tender community of people who live in the underbelly of the city. Shakti, her best friends, and the Underlanders serve as triangle endpoints. When these three worlds discover one another, Lynn is pressed at the poigniant center point of the story – pressed in hard!

In the Educator’s Guide you’ll find several really cool graphic organizers that analyze character, theme, and point of view. And, as bonus, there’s a nifty craft project included that requires basically no cash to create. Download the guide, have a look, and let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you.

Guide Review for Border Crossings: Coming of Age in the Czech Resistance

To be completely honest, as a teen, historical studies were not my cup of tea. I’d gloss right over as teachers would yammer on about the geographical locations of historical battles. And, then, to have to pair that information with the dates they occurred…well, look for me hiding out in the janitor’s closet.

That being said, if I would have had a book like Charles Novacek’s memoir Border Crossing: Coming of Age in the Czech Republic (published by Ten21 Press) to connect with me on emotional level from the start, maybe studying WWII as a teen might have been a more palatable experience.  I do know that I’m richer for the experience of creating an Educator’s Guide for this incredible book.

Synopsis: Charles Novacek’s free-roaming childhood came to an end in 1939, as war raged across the continent and the Nazis occupied Czechoslovakia. Charles and his sister were inducted into the Czech Resistance. At an age most children were learning how to diagram sentences, they were learning how to resist torture, handle phobias, and to control pain, hunger and thirst. Reflecting the desperation of the times, they were warned to trust no one.

The Educator's Guide has been crafted with the overall intent to connect readers with Charles’ emotional journey as a young man growing up in a time of historical turmoil. The lessons and activities presented in the guide are creative, intuitive, and informative, thus allowing students to consider Charles’ plight as if it were their own. All aspects of the guide have been aligned with the Common Core Anchor Standards of Reading Informational Texts, Writing, Speaking & Listening, and History/Social Studies for grades 6 to 12.

Timeline activity

The structure of the guide is defined by the use of personal bookmarks which establish four sections of study, each beginning with discussion questions inspired by quotations cited from the text and followed by carefully crafted, interactive activities. For instance, as a young man, Charles was inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If.” In the guide, students are encouraged to analyze the poem, through citation and interpretation, in light of character traits demonstrated by Charles throughout his life. Also, being that poetry and art helped define Charles’ inner character, students are guided to craft a free verse poem based on their perception of what life in a Bavarian displaced person’s camp might be like.

The final activity is a hands-on, manipulative timeline through which young people can compare and contrast historical events with those of Charles’ personal life. Students are directed to use scissors and tape to craft the timeline and then lay out tabs labeled with intriguing information in a sequential manner using the dates printed on the timeline as guides. Lastly, they are instructed to write an essay interpreting the correlations between the historical tabs and those that represent Charles’ life.

This unforgettable book distills history down to a person level, one that young people can connect with emotionally. Students will identify with Charles and his initial desires to be a regular kid, engaging in activities and interests much like their own. As the incredible story progresses, students will be shocked by the unbelievable trials Charles was forced to endure – trials that are documented through letters, documents, and pictures. In short, Border Crossings: Coming of Age in the Czech Resistance transcends a factual study of war and geography into an experience and appreciation of a man’s soulful journey of heartfelt love for his country and her people.