Write Now! An occasional day in the life of children's author Erin Dealey

My favorite End of the Year Writing Activity

Memorial Day and student brains (No that is NOT an oxymoron...) will soon switch to SUMMER if they haven't already. (Don't you love the fan mail I just got from Greenhills Elementary? But I digress..)

The end of school is SO CLOSE they can almost taste it--which is why I love this FUN How To assignment--adaptable for grades 2-12--that even your unmotivated writers will try!   

"But I can't have fun with only ____(fill in the blank) more weeks to cover the (evil laughter muoo-ah-ha-ha) Standards," you lament.

Fear not! This activity covers Sequence of events, Clarity/word choice, main idea/details, public speaking/narration, FOOD, and if you plan it right, you won't have papers to correct! So what are you waiting for?

Day 1: Supplies needed:

1. Bring in 2-3 boxes of easy-to-prepare food from your pantry shelves. Something with a recipe or directions on the back. (Note--You're not gonna make it. You just have to read the directions aloud.) Ex: Cake mixes, Cereal, or Mac cheese. 
2. 1 bag of individually wrapped bubble gum.
3. 1 bubble mix with bubble wand 

Day 1 Lesson: HOW TO  intro: Have students read directions on box(es) aloud. 

HOW TO  model (in pairs or small groups): Have students write simple How To directions, choosing from How To Tie Your Shoe (no Velcro smarties or sandals allowed.) or How To Blow A Bubble. 

Collect and ask for a volunteer to demo one of the HOW TOs. Volunteer selects a HOW TO at random and its author must read it allowed as volunteer attempts to follow the directions. 

Writing Assignment (in class or homework): At the end of the HOW To models, instruct each student to now write HOW TO directions, choosing How To MaKe an Ice Cream Sundae  OR How to Make a P,B,& J sandwich. (Unless of course you have peanut allergies in class!)

YES, they will ask if they get to eat them. YES, you will answer, THOSE WHO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT WILL GET TO EAT THE END RESULT. ; ) 

Day 2: (Suggest doing this next part outside or in the cafeteria.) I guarantee your students will complete this assignment and the results are always fun. Bring in whatever supplies (within reason--and budget. Ha--did I just say the B word? Like we have one? But this isn't the first time you've paid for supplies out of your own pocket, is it?)

The catch? Pick volunteer and select a random HOW TO as before. HOWEVER, if the author does not specify, "Open jar of Peanut butter/carton of ice cream" then the volunteer must proceed without opening the jar/carton. Follow the directions only.

Volunteer and Author get to share the end results--if they want! Send me photos if you have them!

RE Correcting Papers: If you really feel the need to give them a grade--Authors get 10 points each for (10) completing assignment, (10) reading it allowed, and (10) if end result is edible. Add 'em up and you're done!

 

Children's Book Week

Some recent school visit photos to celebrate Children's Book Week:

        One of my favorite challenges: Hooking that middle grades crowd!

Warming up my helpers with some quick improv games. (My 30 second audition.)

Little Bo Peep Can't Get To Sleep

 

 

 

 

 

Peep met a (very smiley) troll

along the way:

Who dares to cross my bridge today?

 

The end of a very fun day!

Next stop: Towne Center Books (Pleasanton CA) on Saturday,May 16th 1-3pm to celebrate Kids Otter Read Across the Bay!

School visit Mother's Day poems

After two awesome assemblies during a recent author visit to Charles Brown Elementary School, I did some writing workshops and Q & A with the 4th and 5th grade classes. Since this was a return visit, the 5th grade teachers asked me to show their kids how to write a First Line/Last Line poem.  I always tell the students this poem writes itself (partly true) and we're off and writing, and this was the case at CB--just in time for Mother's Day! Lorena wrote hers in espanol (above), and I predicted her mom would cry when she gets it tomorrow. : )  Who wouldn't?

Let it be known, however, that the kids didn't shed any tears while they wrote. Here's the pattern to share with your young writers. (5-7 lines work great but the format is very flexible. In poetry, there are no wrong answers.)

A poem to the moms of the world.

The world is full of hope because of you.

You teach us to believe in our dreams. 

Dreams about life and love.

Love you so much we wrote you a poem.

A poem to the moms of the world.

See what I mean about this poem writing itself? You'll be surprised what your students come up with. Send me some of their poems if you try it!

 Happy Mother's Day to all! And to quote a Mom's day card I got at our local book store: Thank you, Mom, for reading us more than the riot act!

SCBWI Davis and Style...

Scholastic Art Director Marijka Kostiw's cool shoes sum up one of Golden Books Editor/Author Diane Muldrow's points at Saturday's SCBWI Davis conference: You have to have style.

Muldrow told pb authors to "think cinematically" and dummy their manuscripts to see if the story fits the visual medium of picture books.  

Author Chris Eboch (Her Haunted series debuts in August.)now has me thinking about virtual school visits, a more affordable option for this era of school- budgets-left-behind. Can't beat the commute!

The Persian Storytelling style wherein the narrator points to one character per finger on one hand (thanks Sara Kahn!)might help keep my pb characters to a manageable cast. (It won't work when I start getting material together for my theater kids this summer at Sugarloaf Fine Arts Camp! 40-theater kids per session...)

Congrats to my crit group pal, Linda Joy Singleton, for her successful presentation on Navigating the Blogging World (see her cool Dead Girl Walking book trailer at http://www.youtube.com .)

And speaking of blogs, Curtis Brown agent Nathan Bransford answers all the How-do I? questions and more at http://www.NathanBransford.blogspot.com . NOTE: If he can't answer them, go to http://www.verlakay.com . I sat next to Verla for most of the day and enjoyed all of our asides. Nathan's tip on series submissions: Don't assume it's a series. The first book must work as a stand alone. It's not a series until the second book is published.

But one of the main highlights for me was being able to thank Viking editor Kendra Levin in person for the helpful, encouraging two-page rejection letter she sent me a while back after reading my middle grades manuscript. Thanks for a rejection you ask? Heck yeah. Not only did she take time out of her crazy-busy schedule (Now that's style!), Levin's editorial suggestions helped me to revise and take my ms to the next level. My agent has it now. Fingers crossed. : )

For more details about the SCBWI Davis speakers, hop over to Laure Latham-Guyot's blog at http://www.frog-mom.com . And MANY thanks to RA Tekla White and her committee for a great day! 

Influenza: The Next Pandemic? (Twenty-First Century Books/2007)

With the swine flu outbreak, everyone should know about Connie Goldsmith’s book, Influenza: The Next Pandemic? (Twenty-First Century Books). Goldsmith discusses the historical impact of the flu; how flu viruses mutate; today's flu viruses; and preventing the flu. She reported on bird flu in this book before it hit the major news outlets. In fact, she's even been commissioned by the editors of NurseWeek, a periodical for practicing nurses, to write an article on the flu this week. Influenza: The Next Pandemic? has received excellent reviews from librarians and the medical community. The NSTA Children’s Book council called it “a seamless blend of history and science.” Connie's book may be found on Amazon at: http://www.amazon. com/Influenza-Pandemic-Twenty-First-Century-Medical Connie advises: "I'd encourage all of you who are interested to check the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention website at : http://www.cdc. gov/swineflu/ for common-sense precautions to follow and for additional information. This particular flu contains elements of human, bird, and swine flu and has never been seen in humans before. Therefore, no one has any natural immunity, and of course, current flu shots offer no protection against it." Stay healthy!

Editors and Egg Hunts: a thank you to my awesome AGENT : )

     Last weekend at the Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt I realized that children at an egg hunt are very much like writers searching for publishers. We all want to fill our baskets. 

Picture a football field covered with color-coded plastic Easter eggs. (within view of the stage I might add, where authors Lynn Hazen and Phil Silver (photo below R) and I were scheduled for Storytime. Not the easiest gig, but fun just the same.) OK back to the field. Each color of egg had age appropriate goodies inside. A perfect match for all, right?

The littlest kids went first and they were instructed to pick up the yellow eggs ONLY. But many were so eager to fill their baskets, they grabbed whatever eggs (ie publishers)they could find while patient Moms and Dads (ie agents) dropped the blue and orange eggs back onto the ground for the next round of egg hunters. "Why can't I have that one?" one confused toddler (ie writer--You getting this metaphor?) asked. "Because the yellow ones are for you," mom/agent said. 

Picture the next two age groups chomping at the bit. Their eyes on that special egg /editor of their dreams. "I want that blue one!" one 6 year old boy announced with such Hands-off-It's-mine detrmination a few fellow egg hunters backed away. But alas, the blue ones were earmarked for the oldest kids. "When our turn comes, we're heading for those cool orange ones over there!" his Dad/agent said, knowing the best deal for his client--err son. Note: a meltdown over the right egg is not an easy parenting gig. We all want the kid to succeed.  And sadly, blue-egg boy's tunnel vision (and yeah, the meltdown) kept him from seeing that. "Trust me, dude, the orange ones are the best," Dad tried again.  (somebody give this agent--err Dad--a medal!) And, when it was their turn, the blue-egg guy followed Dad's lead. Happy Easter, right? 

Picture the very sad child arriving late to find an empty football field.  No eggs at all. The writer--oops--child had taken so long getting her basket ready, they'd missed the whole thing. Well, except for the petting zoo, and our author tables--which have nothing whatsoever to do with this over-extended  metaphor.   

The moral of the story? You decide--I was over signing books when the kids plopped on the grass to open their eggs. 

The message? A sincere thank you to my wonderful agent, Deborah Warren of East/West Literary who always makes sure I get the right eggs in my basket. : ) And hugs to those weary Egg Hunt parents. You rock. The kid won't remember the melt-down--only the chocolate kisses inside his egg. 

     PS Thanks also to my high school helpers (Jordan and her pals) for manning the booth during my storytime!

Not your Momma's Critique Group : )

THE Group--(we still don't have a name) meets every other Thursday, with writing pals (L to R) Linda Joy Singleton * Dead Girl series, The Seer series and more. www.LindaJoySingleton.com , Connie Goldsmith * Invisible Invaders , Superbugs Strike Back and other cutting edge science titles. www.lernerbooks.com , and Patricia Newman *Jingle the Brass, and soon to be released Nugget on the Flight Deck (Fall 2009) www.patriciamnewman.com at a local Border's. (Yes, I said the B-word. They've been good to us. Plus, it's the closest mid-point we could find, and no Indies around for miles.)

This week we had the usual chapters to critique, news about editors and agents and SOUND THE TRUMPETS Patti shared the first glimpses of Nugget, with cool illustrations by Aaron Zenz and military jargon and facts about life aboard an aircraft carrier.

We KNOW this book's gonna TAKE OFF and SOAR, Patti. (and not just because we've known Nugget since it was a mere gleam in your writer's eye...)

It's not just about the coffee... 

We are serious about this stuff.

Plus I got a new camera for my birthday...                                                                  

THANK YOU, PTA!

  One of the best parts about doing Author Visits at schools is the opportunity to encourage kids to read and write. Thank you to all of the wonderful students and teachers, and amazing Librarians I've met recently. As you can see, my golden retriever MAX likes to read the fan mail, which comes in various shapes and sizes. (Thanks Mrs. Gee and her 22 sheep! See other photos for a look inside their book...) But here are some letters that Ridgeview Elementary students wrote to the often unsung heroes, their PTA, who sponsored my visit.

Thank you PTA for having Erin Dealey. She is so cool and fun and nice. Please let her come again. She is fun to watch. I like her noises and it is fun to listen to her. she is wonderful. She made LITTLE BO PEEP CAN'T GET TO SLEEP and GOLDIE LOCKS HAS CHICKEN POX. I like her books. They are cool. She is a cool author.        Love, Hannah

Thank you PTA for having an author come in....One thing I learned is that your sloppy copy is your friend. Write your story. (How do you make those noises?) Jack and Jill were funny. I had the best assembly ever.        Fondly, Tejbir

Dear PTA, ...thank you for raising money. I'm going to write a book about you. I love Erin Dealey.     Love, Zak

Dear PTA, the author was pretty funny. I wish she would live here. My class and I will do our best and work the hardest. All the graders will do their best. The more the teachers keep teaching us, the more we will do. Erin Dealey's book was amazing!     from Jabari

Here's one for me: Dear Mrs. Dealey, Good morning! How are you today? Your books are the greatest! You're AWESOME! You made us really smart! Thank you for coming to our school. Will you come back sometime? Your big fan, Liam

: )  THANK YOU, PTA!!!!! You rock!

 

I LOVE To Read! (I lv 2 Txt!)

Some schools are already gearing up for

I LOVE to READ month, which is January or February, depending on who you talk to, OR March if you celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday (March 2nd) by READING ACROSS AMERICA. And I'll be doing my part with school visits from Sacramento to Southern CA. : )  Which in turn got me thinking about the fact that what we READ is WRITING, and while some kids say they don't have time to read, and hate to write, I bet they love to TEXT....

Admittedly, when I took this photo (Yes, this is me in 4th, 5th, or 6th grade?) a text meant textbook, which meant reading at your desk and probably answering a bunch of borrrring questions about it after. Nothing like the 13 year old girl in Orange County who sent 14,528 texts in one month! (** HEY!!!--It must have been I LOVE to TEXT Month! lol!) Folks have estimated this equals 484 text messages a DAY while she's awake. Hmmmm....no time to READ, you say? Here's my theory: TEXTING IS POPULAR BECAUSE IT'S SOCIAL. When I was 12, (Yes, I actually remember...) reading was a great escape, but it was something you did in a quiet corner--or at your desk. That is UNTIL my 6th grade teacher (Thank you Mr. Markey!) decided I should go down the hall to the kindergarten once a week and read to them and BINGO, READING was suddenly SOCIAL! Sitting in a chair with all those adoring kinders at my feet (an added plus) and making books come alive for them was magical for all of us. It also got me hooked on reading. YES, I know most teachers have had to cut out all of the fun stuff to make sure NO child is left behind. (Don't get me started on this topic!) BUT....in celebration of I LOVE to READ month, let's make reading a social event.     

HOW? Pair up your sixth graders (or 4th or 5th) with a class from the lower grades. Week one, have them meet and talk about their interests, maybe even go to the library to pick out a picture book together. Why Picture Book? Even if they won't admit it, the big kids still love them and some may have never been read to when they were younger. The younger kids may be advanced readers but picture books are short enough so they can be read in one Library Visit,(After all we can't miss too much "Instructional time!") even by some of your ELL kids. Plus, and I don't just mean Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox or Little Bo Peep Can't Get To Sleep, picture books these days are awesome!

Week two, have the older kids pick out the book. Week three, the younger kids pick out the book and the two take turns reading it aloud together. I've paired up my middle grades students with elementary kids. I've taken high schoolers back to Kindergarten and second grade. They not only read to their buddies but wrote their own picture books for them based on the younger student's interests. And providing opportunities for older students to feel like POSITIVE role models is PRICELESS!   PS  I LV 2 TXT 2 ; )

Yes, Virginia...

 

I've had the pleasure of hanging out with librarians and reading teachers lately, at the California School Library Association conference SCHOOL LIBRARIES MAKE CONNECTIONS in Sacramento and last night at the Sacramento Area Reading Association's Mad Hatter's Tea Party. People who love words as much as I do. Who share their love of books with young readers everywhere. I can't thank them enough. Long ago, one such person let me--a 6th grader--go down the hall once a week to read to the kindergarteners. Talk about connections! Books were no longer just my private escape. Reading aloud to the kinders was a rewarding communal experience. : ) One that I think of every time I do a school visit.

How to thank them?  The list is too long...Jane Ritter, Penny Kastanis, Joanne Arellanes, Lori Lim (in photo R with author Elissa Haden guest), Janet Melikian, Norma Vance, Mary Helen Fischer, Julie Africa, Lorraine Littlejohn, Sandy Pattison, Wendy Chason, Sharon Hallberg ...and countless others. How to thank them?

• Share some of the theater games and writing activities that build fluency and fun in the classroom. (Yes, it's still allowed!) Provide a list of affordable school visits from authors &illustrators! (Yes, it's possible!) If you missed the CSLA conference and want the handouts, contact me through my web site: www.erindealey.com and I'll get them to you. 
• Spread the word about a fabulous funding opportunity: 

  SCBWI’s Amber Brown Fund Grant: See http://www.scbwi.org/awards.htm  

  “Any school with the desire and commitment to enrich their curriculum with a guest author or illustrator is eligible to apply. However, this grant is primarily focused on bringing an author or illustrator to a school that cannot or has not been able to afford this privilege.”  Applications may be submitted between November 1st and December 31st.

• Remind them how much they are appreciated.  Especially in these tough times. Last night at SARA, I sang them my fractured semi-autobiographical holiday carol, Deck the Walls with Mashed Potatoes, gave them an excerpt of my first published work, The Christmas Wrap Rap (Plays Magazine), and reminded all of the letter newsman Francis P. Church wrote to a little 8 year old girl named Virginia. The words are just as relevant today, as budgets are frozen and winter darkness surrounds us. And and I've only altered it a bit: 

  "VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
  "115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."
  
  

  VIRGINIA,

  Your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.  Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Librarian. SHe exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Librarians. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Librarians! You might as well not believe in books! …Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view the…beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Books! No Librarians? Thank God! They live, and theylive forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, they will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

   Happy Holidays to all.

(Author Brunch: L to R) Gennifer Choldenko, Jay Asher, Erin Dealey, Elissa Haden Guest, Lynn Hazen, Karen Beaumont, and Bob Barner.