The Puzzling Curriculum Piece (from Jody Feldman)

When I set out to write my first middle-grade novel, my initial thought—besides, egads! what have I gotten myself into?—was to write the book I would have wanted to read at that age.

In 3rd through 7th grades especially, I happened to be a voracious reader ...
EXCEPT
when it came time to read the books our teachers had assigned to the whole class.

I suppose there was some value in studying stories about all those dead animals; however, each time one of my teachers introduced the next book by revealing the cover, a cover featuring a raccoon or a deer or a dog, I groaned. Silently, but with all my heart.

Don’t get me wrong. I like animals. I do. It’s just that I’d read enough books to know that, with that assigned story, any triumph would come, hand-in-paw, with severe heartbreak. Why, instead, couldn’t we find the value in Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle or Encyclopedia Brown or The Phantom Tollbooth (hey, that one has a dog!)?

So when I began brainstorming ideas for my first novel, I knew, for 10-year-old me, it would need to be something a kid would read for fun. I gave no thought to curriculum tie-ins, Common Core Standards, or anything education-based. And yet, I often get mail from teachers and students that reveals The Gollywhopper Games or The Seventh Level is being used in yet another classroom.

How’d that happen?
Magic, maybe?
I’m not quite sure.

I do know it started by an association with the very smart debut authors of the Class of 2k8 who encouraged us all to come up with discussion guides. That continued with me panicking about what to include in said discussion guide. But after I breathed and realized my books contain much about leadership, fairness, sportsmanship, and other character-building elements, and after I remembered curriculum is more than reading, writing and ‘rithmetic, I ran with it.

Then wait!
There’s the puzzle piece.
In my books, the characters need to work their way past many puzzles in order to succeed. Teachers tell me about having their students come up to blackboards, whiteboards, smartboards and take their shot at solving the puzzles along with the characters.  These kiddos, they say, are becoming more proficient in logic and reasoning by discussing the necessary steps toward solution. Additionally, they are picking up on and utilizing the clues peppered throughout the puzzle sections as the characters move forward.

It was a purposeful decision to take that approach to puzzles. When I couldn’t solve certain (okay, most of the) Encylopedia Brown mini-mysteries, I’d often wish that the upside-down solution pages would include a hint before they offered up the full-out explanations.

So while I am mindful of the impact my books may have in classrooms, and while I’m learning more and more about how I may be able to tie some details of my stories into curriculum, my heart lies in writing the best book I can. With that in mind, if you’d like the specifics of how teachers use elements of my books in their curricula, I can try to put you in touch with those who do just that. And I can point you to my discussion guides.

But now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to either
A. Go study up on the Common Core Standards.
B. Go write my next book.
C. Do more A than B.
D. Do more B than A.
E. Have a snack.

Celebrating THE ADVENTURES OF THE BAILEY SCHOOL KIDS with MARCIA THORNTON JONES

THE ADVENTURES OF THE BAILEY SCHOOL KIDS celebrates its 25^th anniversary in 2015! The 64 titles in the original series combined with the 19 titles in the BAILEY CITY MONSTERS and BAILEY SCHOOL KIDS JR. CHAPTER BOOKS spin-off series provide a multi-age, multi-level, multi-interest reading list that could last an entire school year for students in grades 2-4! Help celebrate the BSK’s 25^th anniversary using these Common Core Initiative Standards (reading literature and writing) and NCTE standards (standards 3 6, and 7)!

1.      Write one-line summaries on index cards for each chapter of the BSK adventure you read. Shuffle them and see if a friend can put them in the correct order. When you’re done, illustrate your cards and use them to make your own graphic novel!

2.      Become the Bailey School Kids! Write a script highlighting the main plot events in the beginning, middle, and end of the book you read. Act it out for your friends!

3.      Fold a piece of paper into fourths to make four columns. Label each column with a character’s name: Howie, Melody, Liza, and Eddie. Brainstorm adjectives that describe each character and add them to the appropriate column, then look through your book to find examples of actions, words, and descriptions that support your adjective choices. Be sure to show your results by writing the page numbers in the appropriate columns.

4.      Did something in the BSK adventure remind you of something that happened to you? Write a memoir about it.

5.      What should be the next story in the series? Brainstorm a list of titles that would make great additions to the Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series. Practice authentic persuasive writing by sending a letter to the publisher to let them know! But you don’t have to wait for Marcia to write one. You can create your own fan fiction!

Want to celebrate with me in person? Author visits are a great way to celebrate reading, writing, and core content. Here are a few ideas to support a scheduled visit using core content standards.

1.      Write a letter to the PTA, principal, and/or superintendent to convince him/her/them that inviting an author to your school is important.

2.      Marcia T. Jones has published more than 130 books! How many can your class read before she arrives? Keep a record using a graph.

3.      What makes a book good? Brainstorm a list of criteria for judging whether a book is good or not. Now, read three of Marcia T. Jones’s books. Rate each one using the criteria you listed!

4.      What books by Marcia T. Jones are your school’s favorites? Conduct a survey of all the classrooms in your school. Make a chart of your findings and post it in the library! How can the information you learned help your librarian and classroom teachers?

5.      Does inviting an author increase reading enthusiasm in your school? Conduct before and after research by recording the number of times books by Marcia T. Jones are checked out from the library. Compare the ‘before visit’ results with ‘after visit’ check-outs!

Interested in scheduling an author visit? Visit www.MarciaTJones.com for information about author visits as well as for more reading/writing activities--including two plays. You can also message me on LinkedIn and Facebook.

(Illustrations by John Steven Gurney)

“Middleview” Interview with Debut MG Author Varsha Bajaj

Posted by Tamera Wissinger

Today, Varsha Bajaj is joining Smack Dab In The Middle Blog for a guest “middleview” interview. Varsha’s debut middle grade novel ABBY SPENCER GOES TO BOLLYWOOD, Albert Whitman, released on 03/01/2014! Congratulations, Varsha!

Here is a bit about Varsha in her own words:

My story begins in Mumbai, India. My slice of Mumbai in the early 1960s was a rambling house built in the 1930s surrounded by coconut, guava and beetle nut trees. I was raised in a Maharashtrian, joint family; my father's parents and his sister lived with us.

My father and grandfather were perfumers and sampling strips of sandalwood and jasmine were always being sniffed and perfected. Making perfumes became a part of my imaginative play. Didn't everyone make perfumes of dirt, crushed flowers and pebbles? I grew up reading cross culturally. We were exposed to various children's series written by British author Enid Blyton. These were stories set in far away, unseen, magical England. They were tales of boarding schools, vacations in a caravan and exotic foods like crumpets.

There were no explanations or author's notes. Enid Blyton probably did not realize that her books were being read by millions of non British children in Her Majesty's ex colonies. At times we were puzzled. My sister and I tried to figure out the meaning of “blancmange”. Using context clues we guessed that it was some kind of slippery British dessert. I also read plenty of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy series. I was also bitten by the travel bug; I just did not know it then!

My grandfather influenced my reading choices as I got older. He introduced me to Jane Austen, and P.G. Wodehouse. On my own I discovered American romance novels!

Growing up I wanted to be a journalist and then an Indian classical singer. The worst case of dust and other allergies soon torpedoed that dream. My choice of profession crystallized after meeting an inspiring psychology teacher in tenth grade, Mrs. Krishnaswamy.

On September 13th, 1986, I came to America as a graduate student. I was young, naive, and idealistic. I arrived at Lambert international Airport in St. Louis with two suitcases, a few dollars and dreams. I was to be met by a representative in the Foreign Student's Office. After waiting for someone to show up for twenty interminably long minutes, I dug out some quarters (kept in case of an emergency that I hoped wouldn't happen) and read strange directions to make a call to the International student office. About an hour later a student walked up to me and asked, "Varsha?"

I blinked my tears away and nodded.

"Welcome to America," he said.

We drove into Illinois in uncomfortable silence. His limited English made conversation almost impossible.

I felt a frightening loneliness. Everyone I knew and loved was a world away. I stared through the window at the alien surroundings whizzing past me on the people less highway. Then I read, "Mississippi River."

It spoke to me. The Mississippi was where Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn played. I had visited that river before. I started to babble about Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer. My companion looked at me as if I was demented and drove a little faster. But my fear had decreased, and my mouth was a little less dry.

That day Mark Twain made a girl from India feel less alone, and a lot less scared. Such is the power of stories. Western writers have invited me into their world. My adjustment to this country and culture was facilitated by my knowledge of the language and my awareness of the culture through books, movies and music and by the warmth and welcoming attitude of its people.

After a dozen intermediate years in which I got a Masters degree, worked as a Counselor, got married, had two children and became a citizen, I started writing. It was 1999, two years after my daughter was born; my son was five and I had fallen in love with the picture book.

And I continue to write today...

Here’s a description of ABBY SPENCER GOES TO BOLLYWOOD:

What's the one thing you want most in your life? Abby Spencer wants a life of excitement!

Well, sort of. Actually, that's a lie. All Abby really wants is to meet her father. It's not that she's ungrateful for what she has - nice mom, adorable grandparents, great friends - but she feels like something's missing. And she'd never tell anyone that. 



Abby knows her dad lives in India, but she's never met him and doesn't know much else about him. But Abby's mom realizes it's time to have the big talk. It's time for Abby to finally meet her father.


But does he want to meet her? Is Abby ready for the truth? Abby's about to find out that her dad lives a very different life in a very different country and she's going to experience it all, for better or worse. This is what happens when all your wishes come true...

Here are the links to Varsha online: Website, Facebook,  Twitter, Goodreads 

Now it’s time to hear from our guest:

Smack Dab Middleview with ABBY SPENCER GOES TO BOLLYWOOD author Varsha Bajaj

1. In a nutshell, what does your main character, Abby Spencer want?

Abby Spencer would love to meet her father. She knows that he is from India and lives there, but not much else. She wants to understand him and have him in her life.

She would also like to have more excitement in her normal but boring life. In Abby’s words, “My life is a plate of perfectly edible but ordinary scrambled eggs. I want them savory, creamy, cheesy and maybe with bacon on the side.”

2. What is in her way?

Abby’s mother has been reluctant to share anything but the minimum information about her father. Abby does not want to push her mother for fear of hurting her. Abby is also upset and angry that he has never made any attempt to know her or be involved in her life.

3. Did you know right away that this was your story, or did you discover it as you wrote? How did the story evolve?

I was enthusiastic about the concept and knew it was a story I wanted to tell but the details of the story evolved as I wrote and discovered my protagonist. Abby turned out to be spunky, fun, adventurous, intelligent and sensitive. I started to look at situations through Abby’s eyes and that’s when the story took off. Abby above all, has a sense of humor and it does not desert her through the story and neither does her imaginary string quartet!

4. Was Abby Spencer goes to Bollywood always for middle grade readers or not? If so, why did you choose middle grade? If not, what had to change for it to be considered a middle grade novel?

Yes, it was always meant as a middle grade novel. I wanted Abby to be old enough to make the journey to India but I didn’t want her to be so old that the reader wouldn’t be able to buy that her mother had continued to keep her father’s identity a secret.

5. What is the best part of writing for middle grade readers?

I love that middle graders still have some of their innocence and are not jaded. Their sense of adventure is palpable. They still have so many firsts ahead of them.

6. What are the challenges in taking your character to another culture/country which might not be familiar to them?

Taking Abby and the readers on a journey to India was a privilege. But there were challenges. Abby would be seeing India for the first time, and through the eyes of teenager raised in America. She has taken many privileges for granted.  In many ways, I tried to channel and recall the reactions of my own teenagers to Mumbai and India. I also wanted to make sure that Abby’s story and journey always took first place. I had to resist the urge to have the plot twists and turns be determined by my desire to take the reader sightseeing.

Balancing teen interest/appeal with cultural specificity was important to me.

Thank you for joining us at Smack Dab in the Middle Blog, Varsha, and again, congratulations on the release of ABBY SPENCER GOES TO BOLLYWOOD!

The Big "R" (March Theme)

by Naomi Kinsman

After working with many, many classrooms of young writers, I've learned that revision is one of the most puzzling parts of the writing craft to teach. Swapping out a word or two here or there, sure, but rewriting? No, no, and no, thank you.

I have to be honest and admit that my blood pressure always goes up when young writers dig in their heels and tell me that what they've written is perfect. They insist that while they might replace the word "fun" with "daring" to better describe their adventurous day, rewriting the details of the day itself so that a reader might experience it moment by moment would NOT make the piece stronger.

Why does my blood pressure go up? I suppose it's because I know what they're really saying (that their hand hurts and their brain hurts and they've put as much effort into this piece of paper as they're willing to put) and I completely understand why they're saying it (because they don't see how it will make any difference in their life anyway whether the writing is good or great and by the way it's sunny outside and isn't it time for recess?) but I know that if they'd try truly revising and see what comes of the process, they might just become believers, the way I did.

I'm frustrated, in short, because no amount of words will communicate what I'm trying to say. They will NOT believe me when I say that revision can be the most fun part of the process. They will NOT believe me when I say that revision is the way to make an okay piece of writing so shiny that they want to hang it on their refrigerator. They will never believe these things unless I find a way to show them through experience. And they won't revise. We're in a catch-22.

However, a few months ago I hosted a panel with young writers who I had mentored. An audience member asked the girls what they would change if they could re-do their editorial mentorship, and you won't believe what they said. They said, "We'd revise deeper. We'd take the notes and think  about them and fix the entire story, not just the parts Naomi pointed out specifically." I seriously almost stood up in front of 150 people and danced. I've been thinking about their comments ever since, trying to figure out what the key to turning the revision light on must be and whether there's a way to translate the experience to our developing students who aren't yet working on such ambitious projects.

I'm coming to believe the key is the authentic audience. When a writer knows that their work will be in print, unchangeable, and out in the world for readers to experience, the game changes. It doesn't matter how old you are or how experienced you are, revision is about our readers. At some point in any project, we've revised a piece as far as we need to go for our own understanding or pleasure. The rest of the revision is about how the writing communicates with a reader. Thus, I think in order for revision to be authentic, we have to let our young writers choose which pieces they want to revise and share. When the writer chooses to finish and share a particular piece of writing and has an idea of the reader they hope to affect, then taking the time to revise makes sense.

We can offer publishing opportunities of all kinds and whether they are in our classrooms or beyond, I think publication is the key to revision. It's the reason for the revision, and the motivation behind all the hard work.

Should you know young writers in need of a challenge, the opportunity to revise, and the opportunity to publish, check out Society of Young Inklings' current writing contest for 1st-8th graders here. Winners receive a free editorial mentorship and publication in the Inklings annual anthology, but all applicants will receive a letter about the strengths and areas of growth in their story or poem, so it's a learning experience all around.

Cross-Curriculum Ideas for JANE IN BLOOM: Deborah Lytton March Theme

On my website, I have guides for teachers, librarians and book clubs who want to discuss JANE IN BLOOM.  Here are a few cross-curriculum tie-ins for working with the book. 

Art:  Paint or draw a picture of one of the roses described in the book.  What would you name it? 

Art:  Bring in a photograph of a pet or a flower.  Write a paragraph describing the photograph.  What emotions do you feel when you look at the photo? 

Language Arts:  Write a poem about someone you love.  Write a poem about something you wish you could change.  

Language Arts:  Floriography is the language of flowers.  How about making up a language for something else, like fruit.  What would it mean if I gave you an orange?  An apple?  A watermelon? 

Science:  Choose a breed of dog you like and write about it.  How do certain characteristics of the breed relate to its special skills?   

Science:  Research one of the animals described at the Santa Barbara Zoo.  Write a paragraph about the animal-where it is from, what it eats, how it sleeps. 

If you have any other ideas, please share them with me.  I'd love to hear what you think:)

Common Core and Curriculum Connections

Common Core. I’m going to get those words out of the way at the start. Please don’t run away screaming. My goal is to show that there are ways to use middle grade fiction to meet the guidelines of the standards.

One of the misconceptions about the Common Core is that it expects students to read nonfiction ("informational texts") instead of fiction. Another way to look at it is that students need to be reading more overall, and that the nonfiction can come in classes other than English Language Arts. It’s also easy to see that the standards encourage collaboration amongst departments within a school whether it’s through research projects.

As a librarian, it’s exciting to see the possibilities. Students might read a book like Wake Up Missing by Kate Messner in English class, then study the brain and concussions in science, and the geography and history of the Florida Everglades in Social Studies. Or students might read Holly Schindler’s The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky and then study found art in their art classes before creating their own projects. In fact, completing research is a big part of the Common Core writing standards, so any time students can be encouraged to find out more about what they are reading in their fiction, they are meeting a standard.

When I wrote The Water Castle, I was vaguely aware of the Common Core, but hadn’t given it much thought. It turns out, though, that the book fits very nicely with the standards since it includes science, math, and mythology. When I created the Educator’s Guide, I was sure to connect the activities to the standards. (You can download the Guide here.) I am currently working on a guide to go along with my upcoming release, The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill, and once again I’ll be keeping the CCSS in mind. This is a work of historical fiction that took a great deal of research on my part. Research and writing are a huge part of the CCSS, and I plan to emphasize that in my guide. Of course, as a librarian, I have an ulterior motive: getting more classes into the library.

As an author, I hope my books allow for exciting discussions and inspire kids to dig deeper and research different aspects of the story. And if this helps teachers meet the CCSS, so much the better. All this month at Smack Dab authors will be sharing the ways in which their books can be used in interdisciplinary studies. I hope that teachers and librarians will chime in to share the ways that they’ve used middle grade novels to meet the standards. At the risk of getting political, i don’t think the standards themselves are good or bad. It’s all in the implementation. There are many wise and creative teachers out there who are using literature to implement the standards in ways that are, dare I say it, fun.

Curriculum Connections for DON'T FEED THE BOY by Irene Latham

One of my favorite things about school visits is walking in and seeing all the amazing work teachers and librarians have done to incorporate one of my books into all areas of study. The things people come up with are inspiring!

But not everyone has time to come up with their own ideas. Which is why I like to provide for each of my books a DISCUSSION GUIDE that includes cross-curriculum suggestions. And since DON'T FEED THE BOY will be released in paperback June 24, I've decided to feature those ideas here. You can find more for this book and for others at my website.

LANGUAGE ARTS
1. Write a “who am I?” poem from the perspective of one of the animals at the zoo (your choice.) ex. IF NOT FOR THE CAT by Jack Prelutsky
2. Write a letter to a friend telling them all the ways they are important in your life.
3. Write a story about Whit’s first day at Meadowbrook Middle School.
4. Read IF I RAN THE ZOO by Dr. Seuss. Write your own version.
5. Write a position paper in favor or against zoos. Present your argument orally.

MATHEMATICS
1. Choose five exotic animals and create your own imaginary backyard zoo. Research what these animals eat. Calculate how much and what type of food to order. Create a budget.
2. Create a poll to discover the most popular/least popular zoo animal. Display your results in a graph.

SCIENCE
1. One of Whit’s summer projects is a field study. Conduct your own field study of an animal in your life.
2. Research an animal on the Red List of Endangered Species. Create a conservation plan based on your findings.

HISTORY
1. Research the history of zoos. Give a news report as if you are reporting from the very first zoo, a current zoo, or a zoo in the future.
2. Whit’s mother is a veterinarian turned zoo director. Research the role of women in zoos.
How has it changed? What gender roles do you see currently emerging?

ART
1. One way Stella escapes her life is by drawing birds at the zoo. Research and draw your favorite.
2. Create a 3-D model of Meadowbrook Zoo.
3. Examine the illustrations in DON’T FEED THE BOY. Why do you think the illustrator chose those particular scenes to illustrate? Choose another scene and illustrate it yourself.
4. Make a poster advertising the zoo. Include hours, prices and attractions.
5. Research John James Audubon, a famous artist and naturalist who, like Stella, loved to draw birds. Choose one of his paintings and attempt to copy it.

SMACK DAB NEWS!

Laurie Calkhoven's first historical mystery for American Girl — The Traveler's Tricks: A Caroline Mystery — debuts on March 1st!

Caroline has an important package to deliver for her father in the big city of Albany. That means a three-day stagecoach trip with her friend Rhonda! The other travelers, including a charming magician and a beautiful young woman with a sad past, fascinate the girls. But strange things begin to happen. Is there a mysterious rider in the woods? What made the inn's serving girl run from the barn screaming? And when Caroline's precious package goes missing, she realizes the culprit must be a fellow passenger. Will she unmask the thief in time, or will her promise to Papa be impossible to keep?