For Teachers

Living Lincoln’s Words

On this 205th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, I’m grateful for our 16th President’s lasting legacy.  Lincoln shepherded this nation through some of our most trying times, a life beautifully captured in Russell Freedman’s Newbery Medal-winning book, Lincoln: A Photobiography.

I’ve always admired the clear, thoughtful, and often poignant way in which Lincoln spoke and wrote.  He is among our history’s most quotable thinkers.  To honor the rich legacy that he left us, I’ve partnered favorite Lincoln quotes with middle grade books whose characters live his words.  Let’s hope that ongoing generations of young readers find inspiration to carry on Lincoln’s ideals.

Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor.The vivid story of a black family whose warm ties to each other and their land give them strength to defy rural Southern racism during the Depression. . . . Entirely through its own internal development, the novel shows the rich inner rewards of black pride, love, and independence despite the certainty of outer defeat.” —Booklist (Indiebound description)

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed
is more important than any other.

  The Librarian of Basra: A True Story of Iraq by Jeanette Winter  Alia Muhammad Baker is a librarian in Basra, Iraq. For fourteen years, her library has been a meeting place for those who love books. Until now. Now war has come, and Alia fears that the library–along with the thirty thousand books within it–will be destroyed forever.  … this true story about a librarian’s struggle to save her community’s priceless collection of books reminds us all how, throughout the world, the love of literature and the respect for knowledge know no boundaries. (Indiebound description)

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.

 The Underneath by Kathi Appelt; ill. by David Small  A calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the lonely howl of a chained-up hound deep in the backwaters of the bayou. She dares to find him in the forest, and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this feline, this creature he is supposed to hate. They are an unlikely pair, about to become an unlikely family. Ranger urges the cat to hide underneath the porch, to raise her kittens there because Gar-Face, the man living inside the house, will surely use them as alligator bait should he find them. But they are safe in the Underneath…as long as they stay in the Underneath. …a harrowing yet keenly sweet tale about the power of love — and its opposite, hate — the fragility of happiness and the importance of making good on your promises. (Indiebound description)

The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead  By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, and they know who to avoid. Like the crazy guy on the corner. But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a kid on the street for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then a mysterious note arrives, scrawled on a tiny slip of paper. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows things no one should know. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late. (Indiebound description)

In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.

Anne Frank’s Story by Carol Ann Lee  Millions of people throughout the world have read Anne Frank’s unforgettable diary. But most readers don’t know much about Anne’s life before she went into hiding. This remarkable biography, written especially for young readers, chronicles Anne’s life from her earliest days. The book includes remembrances from Anne’s family and friends and features rare photos of Anne from infancy to adolescence. A powerful, moving tribute to an ordinary girl whose life has inspired millions.  (Indiebound description)

Whatever you are, be a good one.

  Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney  Alice Rumphius … longed to travel the world, live in a house by the sea, and do something to make the world more beautiful. The countless lupines that bloom along the coast of Maine are the legacy of the real Miss Rumphius, the Lupine Lady, who scattered lupine seeds everywhere she went.  (Indiebound description)

The probability that we may fail in the struggle
ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.

Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson  Kadir Nelson tells the story of Mandela, a global icon, in poignant verse and glorious illustrations. It is the story of a young boy’s determination to change South Africa and of the struggles of a man who eventually became the president of his country by believing in equality for people of all colors. Readers will be inspired by Mandela’s triumph and his lifelong quest to create a more just world.

Sincere thanks to Stephanie Guerra and Megan Sloan, my teacher/writer colleagues who contributed book suggestions!

Katherine Schlick Noe teaches beginning and experienced teachers at Seattle University. Her debut novel, Something to Hold (Clarion, 2011) won the 2012 Washington State Scandiuzzi Children’s Book Award for middle grade/young adult and was named a 2012 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People.  Visit her at http://katherineschlicknoe.com.

Take the Polar Plunge! (into reading and writing)

ice-caps-267298   Happy 2014! It’s that time of year.

Who’s up for a Polar Plunge? You know, the thing where crazy — I mean awesome people decide to jump into the  frigid ocean or lake on in the month of January to… to… well, invigorate themselves and start the new year off right!  Come on, who’s with me?

(Uh, I don’t know about you, but  that looks a little icy and… cold. REALLY cold)

Don’t  worry. I’m not talking about THAT kind of Polar Plunge. The one I’m referring to is more metaphorical. You can do it at home… in your comfy, cozy pajamas if you wish.  I say, let’s take the Polar Plunge into reading and writing!!

What does that mean? Well, people who actually do the Polar Plunge say they it gets their juices flowing, you know so they warm up.  That’s what we want to happen with THIS type of Polar Plunge. We want to get our CREATIVE juices flowing so our brains will warm up and be focused!!

So where do we start?

First of all, since this is January, think about any goals you might have for yourself. They don’t have to be big ones, but anything that pertains to reading and writing.

READERS

Do you want to read more books this year? Be specific. How many? What kind? Maybe you want to try different genres or expand into different authors or series.  If you feel the need to keep motivated to meet your goal, join a group that supports readers.  Here are a couple:

GoodReads.com  They have a 2014 Reading Challenge. Simply enter the of  number  books you plan to read this year. You can track what you read, take a look at what others are reading and see recommendations on new and exciting books.

Scholastic.com   Has a reading resolution that you can fill out. Get your kids to do it, too!

TBR Reading Pile Challenge   This blog has a “To Be Read” challenge that helps you keep track of what you’re reading, motivates you to post reviews and communicate with others. It even offers some giveaways!

Reading Olympics  Many schools, library systems and towns are having this contest. It is a way to get kids (and adults) excited about reading.  Simply do a web search on “Reading Olympics” and see if something comes up in your area. If not, start your own! (Good Reads has recommendations for Reading Olympic books here.)

There are TONS of blogs that cover the idea of “Reading Goals for 2014”. Simply do a search and see what you can find. If the blog looks interesting, follow it.  Or maybe start your own blog about cool books.  (We did!)

 

WRITERS

Have you always wanted to write a book? Well, 2014 is your year to do it!  If you’re nervous about it or don’t have any idea where to start, don’t worry. There are a phenomenal number  of ways to find information — and more importantly — support. The children’s writer community is a very welcome and open group and we all LOVE to help each other.  There are soooo many great websites and blogs out there about writing for kids — too many to mention in just one post. So I’ll focus on some motivational challenges that are going on right now to get you started:

KIDLIT411     A brand new blog that has  SO MUCH information on it, it’s hard to put it into words.

Start the Year Off Write!   This is great for the new writer who has no idea how to get started. The blog gives 21 fast and easy writing prompts to get you started. Perfect for a new writer who needs direction (and inspiration). The challenge started on Jan 5th, but you can still sign up and, if you go back and do all the exercises and post, then you could be eligible for some awesome giveaways.

Revi Mo  The sign-up for this Revision Month blog is closed, but anyone can access the awesome posts. Check them out for great revision ideas.

12 x 12 in 2014  If you’re ready to dive into writing, check out this fantastic challenge. You are challenged to write 12 Picture Books in 12 months. Wow! Plus, when join, you get access to tons of writing advice, connect with other writers, all of which will inspire you to keep going. Registration is open until the end of February. Even if you don’t register, there’s some wonderful information on Julie Hedlund’s blog.

Mini-WOW Non-fiction Pic   Is nonfiction your thing? Check out Kristen Fulton’s nonfiction picture book challenge in February 2014.

Chapter Book Challenge    Want to write chapter books? Sign up for this challenge in March of 2014.

Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo blog   And don’t forget this awesome event! Tara runs a Picture Book Idea Month challenge in November of every year. While it’s not going on now, this is a fantastic blog with tons of information!

 

These are just a few of the MANY places you can find writing inspiration. I know there are TONS more out there.

But hopefully, this list will give you the motivation to dip your toe in… Or maybe to just take a deep breath and jump! Come on in, the water’s fine. 🙂

Whatever the case, GOOD LUCK and HAPPY READING AND WRITING!

 

What are your goals for reading and writing in 2014? Post them below. Also, if you know of any more reading or writing blogs that offer terrific advice and provide great camaraderie, feel free to add them, too.

 

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Jennifer Swanson is the author of more than 16 books for children. When not writing, you can find her with a book in her hand. Her goal is to read 30 or more books in 2014!

 

 

 

 

 

Visions of Gold and Silver

The milk and cookies are waiting by the fireplaces, stockings are hung, candles are lit in windows the world over and you know what that means? The book award fairies are on their way to spread holiday cheer and shiny gold and silver stickers as they do every year for a few very special books.
il_340x270.310268467It’s mock Newbery season and many library systems and bookstores around the country are posting the results from their hard working mock Newbery and mock Caldecott groups. Here are some links to the ones I know about.
If you’ve ever wondered how those sticker wearing books are chosen here are some links to the criterion for a few of the Middle Grade eligible awards.
If you like to follow the conversation about this years books, Heavy Medal provides lively and informative chat about this year’s crop of contenders.
And here’s the unsung part of the book award story. The librarians who serve on these book award committees usually do so without extra pay. They travel to several meetings in their award-choosing year. They spend countless hours on email communicating with committee members about the titles, and they read hundreds of books. Here’s the thing that surprised me most about the committee members. They often read books many times over. I heard from one committee member that she read a title eight times–a title that didn’t get a sticker in the end. The final winning books are sometimes read many more times than that.
As an author, it would be easy to be discouraged by how few books are singled out for award stickers each year. But here’s something that I have found very encouraging. Each award committee is made up of librarians from across the country and those librarians, following their year of service on an award committee, go back to their communities and advocate for the books they loved, but perhaps didn’t give a sticker to, to be included on state reading lists for children’s choice book awards and Battle of the Books lists.
These state level book awards, though they don’t get the fanfare of a national award are the engine that keeps literary fiction for children in print. Year after year, librarian’s around the country work very hard to choose a list of books for their local readers which are deep and diverse and have the potential to become classics. What I love is that these state reading lists are not the same fare being pushed at the local big box store. They are not always the books that are already best sellers or have a huge marketing push. They really look for those gems that will serve their children well. So if you’re looking for that next great read for a child in your life, look no further than your own state’s reading lists. These programs are generally found under

OBOB_small

your state library association, so for me that would be the Oregon Library Association, or the local Council of Teachers of English.  Battle of the Books is a reading incentive program worthy of a post all it’s own. Here’s a link to the one in my state. Oregon Battle of the Books
So for all you hard working librarians out there, thank you from all of us at the Mixed Up Files for your hard work in championing excellence in children’s books and for sharing your favorites far and wide. Joy and peaceful hours of good reading in your new year!
For all you teachers and parents and writers out there, is there a librarian who’s made a difference in your life? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.