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An Interview with Colby Sharp

By on July 29, 2013   /   Author Interviews, For Teachers  

I’d like to welcome Colby Sharp to the Mixed-Up Files. He’s a fourth-grade teacher, children’s book blogger, the father of three, and an avid reader. Welcome Colby, we’re so glad you could visit today!

Colby Sharp: It is an honor to be here. Crazy thing happened in the few weeks since you wrote up these questions. I got a new job! Click here to read about it. Now I’m a third-grade teacher.

Michele Weber Hurwitz for the Mixed-Up Files: Let’s talk first about your years of teaching fourth-graders. Tell us about your reading philosophy and what you do in the classroom to get students excited about books. I know you’ve had book exchanges, and students have even guest-posted on your blog.

CS: I think that the most important thing I do to get kids excited about reading is give them time to read books of their own choosing. Without time and choice it wouldn’t matter what I did to get kids excited about reading. Those two things are key. With that being said, I try to do a lot of fun things to get kids excited about reading: book speed dating, author Skype visits, author visits, and sharing my own reading life.

MUF: What are some favorite, well-read books on your classroom shelf, and what do you think is the magic quality of those books that resonates with students?

CS: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate and Wonder by R.J. Palacio jump out at me as the two newer books that kids are crazy about. I think that one of the things that makes these two books so special is that they really tug at the heartstrings of young readers.

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MUF: Has there been a particularly memorable author visit at your school? What do you think are the ingredients for a successful author visit?

CS: All of the author visits that my students and I have hosted have gone really well. Our last visit of 2012-2013 was with Liesl Shurtliff. I think that the most important thing in making an author visit successful is preparation. My students spend a ton of time getting ready for author visits. We decorate the school. My students spend time studying about the author. We read all of their books, and we do everything we can to make them feel welcome while they are in our building.

MUF: Do you find that your fourth-graders read more e-books or print?

CS: Print. I’m not sure if this has to do with access, or if they truly prefer print books. Many of my students end up getting an e-reader for Christmas. They are crazy about the thing for the first couple of weeks after winter break, but their interest quickly cools as they realize they don’t have access to the books they want to read on their e-reader. I have 2,500 books in my classroom library. Kids usually have 3-5 books on their e-reader. They almost always abandon the e-reader by the end of January.

MUF: What prompted you to start a blog about children’s books? Give us a picture of what your blog is all about.

CS: This is a terrible reason, but it seemed like everyone else had a blog, so I figured I needed one too. I like to think of my blog as a place where I celebrate and honor the books that my students and I fall in love with. It is also a great place for me to reflect on my teaching practice.

MUF: You’re a passionate supporter of children’s authors, and you write very down-to-earth, heartfelt reviews, which are now followed by several thousand readers. Did you envision this when you started the blog?

CS: Ha! When I started my blog, I didn’t even think about who would read it or how many readers it would have. I just wanted to fit in.

MUF: What is the Nerdy Book Club, and who is the mysterious Mr. Schu?

CS: The Nerdy Book Club is a way of life. If you are a reader, you are a member (if you want to be). It is a place where teaching literacy and books are celebrated every single day. Mr. Schu is an amazing librarian, a children’s literature advocate, and one of my best friends in the entire world.

MUF: Tell us about your 2013 personal challenge involving running and reading. Where are you at in your journey and what is your goal? What made you want to take on this challenge?

CS: I’m trying to run 1006 miles and read 1007 books in 2013. I have set a reading goal the last couple of years, and that goal had really helped me push myself as a reader. I thought that adding running to the mix would be a healthy way to help me keep a little more balance in my life. I’m currently at just over 600 miles ran and 550 books read.

colby-sharp 2MUF: What were you like as a fourth-grader? What kind of books did you like to read? Didn’t your mom work at your school? Was that cool or embarrassing?

CS: I was a sports nut. Every recess of every elementary school day was spent playing basketball, baseball, or football. Girls terrified me, so I didn’t spend a lot of time talking with them. Fourth grade was the year that I fell in love with Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, which is still one of my all-time favorite books. My mom didn’t work at my school until I was in middle school. Having a lunch lady mom was a little embarrassing at first, but I quickly realized that always getting the biggest slice of pizza was pretty darn awesome.

MUF: What do you like to do in your downtime, when you’re not teaching, blogging, running, reading, or being a dad? Where would we find you on a Sunday afternoon?

CS: I really enjoy spending one-on-one time with my wife. She is the most amazing person that I have ever met, and every moment we spend together is precious.

MUF: What’s your next challenge?

CS: Moving to third grade will be a huge challenge. I’m excited to see how they compare to my fourth-graders.

Thank you so much, Colby, for being a guest on the Mixed-Up Files today! Be sure to check out Colby’s book reviews on his blog.

Michele Weber Hurwitz is the author of Calli Be Gold (Wendy Lamb Books 2011) and The Summer I Saved the World…in 65 Days (Wendy Lamb Books, coming spring 2014). Visit her at www.micheleweberhurwitz.com.

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Tricks to Critiques

By on July 26, 2013   /   Book Lists  

When your writing project, whether it be a novel, a poem, or a short story, has reached a place where you feel happy about it, keep in mind that your perception of it is a little like if you pressed your nose against a mirror to check if your hair looks good. You’re simply too close to it to see it properly. Now is the time to add the greatest addition to your tool box. No, not a blow dryer. What you need are the fresh eyes of a trustworthy critique partner. But finding this magical partner and then making good use of the feedback that she offers can be tricky. The following is a list of questions frequently asked by writers who are looking for a constructive critique.

How do I find a critique partner?

The best way to find fellow writers is to take a class. Most towns have universities that offer affordable classes for adult education in various subjects such as creative writing. Here, you’ll have an opportunity to read or listen to your classmates’ writing samples and you’ll soon know whose style fits with what you like or what you can connect with. I don’t mean to say that you want to find the “best” writer in the class and latch onto them, but rather, cue yourself in to a style that resonates with your writing sensibilities and ask that writer if they’d be interested in exchanging a few pages. If it goes well for both of you, then you can suggest exchanging full manuscripts.scbwi-logo

Another great place to meet writers is at a writers conference. Given that this is a blog for middle-grade readers and writers, I’ll assume that your interest is in children’s books. So I’d highly recommend becoming a member of
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. The SCBWI is, in my opinion, the best resource available. Most regions offer one or two big conferences a year, each lasting a full weekend, and their workshop and luncheon schedule is designed to help writers meet one another.

If you don’t have either the time or the finances for a class or a conference, you can find online writers’ message boards, such as Verla Kay’s Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Chat Board. Verla Kay is a picture book author who started this forum, also called the Blue Board, about ten years ago. It was on this board that I found my critique buddies. And even though we’ve never met in person, we’ve all become close friends as well as cheerleaders for one another’s writing triumphs.verla kay

 

When is the best time during the process to request a critique?

Every writer is different. I know writers who meet as a group every other week and critique each other’s progress, chapter by chapter. This works well for them because it holds them accountable for maintaining their personal writing goals. They can’t procrastinate getting that word count up when they know it’s their turn to present their work on a scheduled date.

When I am first starting a new project, I like to write a few chapters and then pass those chapters along to almost anyone who’s willing to read them (for me, that person is my husband) and tell me if the idea is worth pursuing. If I get a thumb’s up, I’ll keep working on that project until it is completely finished. I may try to revise and polish it up, but if I have a person who’s patient (or held captive, such as my husband) I prefer to let him see the work in its messy but complete phase. At this point I’ll request what I call a “Big Chunk Critique.” I ask things like: Does this scene make sense? Is this element believable? Is the ending satisfying?

After I receive the Big Chunk Feedback, I revise and polish the manuscript according to the suggestions, plus I tidy and tighten up everything else. When it’s completely finished and I feel absolutely satisfied with it, I send it off to my critique partners. Then I prepare for my satisfaction to get turned on its head. It’s okay though because that’s what those readers are supposed to do. I want them to show me what doesn’t work and help me face head-on the manuscript’s problems. I think it’s important to add that my partners are also good at telling me what they liked and what places made them laugh or cry. Not only do their compliments please my ego, but they also help me know what scenes I need to leave alone.

Is a paid critique from a professional worth the cost?

If you’re interested in finding someone to give you a professional edit of your complete manuscript you can expect to pay a lot of money. Check closely the credentials of the person offering the services and make sure your manuscript is of a genre or category that is the editor’s expertise. Most writers I’ve talked to who have paid for an edit have said that yes, it was worth it. Does it guarantee that after you revise according to the suggestions you’ll find an agent or a publisher? Sadly, no, it does not. But usually the paid edit includes a few pages of detailed notes about your story plus comments throughout the pages of the manuscript. This kind of feedback is an education in itself. Even if it doesn’t help you sell this particular manuscript, you may learn something about your writing that will help you write your next manuscripts.

What if I don’t agree with the suggestions in my critique?

It’s perfectly fine to disagree. Accept the advice graciously and if you have questions or need clarification on some of the notes or comments, hopefully your critique partner will let you feel free to ask. Once you understand everything and you’re still not sure how you feel about the suggestions, then put the manuscript away for a while, maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks. When you’re ready to look at it again, pull it out and carefully consider everything that’s been said. Then start scratching off each comment you disagree with and keep the ones that resonate with you.

If you have the right partner, the purpose of her critique will be to help you make your manuscript what you want it to be.

 

Jennifer Duddy Gill is the author of forthcoming The Secret of Ferrell Savage (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, February, 2014).

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