My Dog Is the Best

MY DOG IS THE BEST

My Dog Is the Best
by Laurie Ann Thompson (Author) and Paul Schmid (Illustrator)

Booktalk: What do you get when you combine one energetic, enthusiastic little boy with his sleepy but tolerant dog? Unconditional love.

Using simple words and spare illustrations, My Dog Is the Best celebrates the special bond that exists between a young child and a beloved family pet. It’s the heartwarming story of two best friends. . . told by a boy with a very active imagination.

Snippet:
He reads books.

Dog_reads.books

I’ve known Laurie for ten years. (We started working together in 2005 when she signed up for her first online writing workshop.) Needless to say I was quite pleased when she emailed me last month to let me know she had another new book coming out! After I asked her if could share it on my blog, Laurie invited me to be a part of this blog tour and graciously agreed to answer my three blog tour questions…

05_lauriethompson_PhotoByMaryBalmaceda-500x750

Q. When did you start writing?
A.
Well, I guess in some ways I’ve always been a writer. My mom says that before I could even read my favorite thing to do was tell her stories, on and on, hour after hour. Later, in school, I loved every assignment related to writing. As a teen, I kept a journal, including lots of really terrible, angsty poetry. And, just for fun, I pursued a technical writing minor in college. Still, I never considered writing as a career until I was pregnant with my first child. I didn’t know much about having babies or raising them, so that became my big research project. I read everything I could get my hands on, and—of course—passed all of that useful knowledge on to my friends who already had children. One day my best friend said, “You know, you should really write all of this stuff down for people. It seems like such a waste to just tell me.” I realize now that it was probably just to shut me up (tactful, isn’t she?), but her comment set me on a new course, and I started querying parenting magazines. After my child was born, however, I fell in love with the children’s books I was reading at bedtime every night. I knew I’d found my calling.

Dog_plays.ball

Q. Describe your writing process.
A.
It really varies, since I write so many different kinds of things. If I’m setting out to write long-form nonfiction, such as Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something that Matters, I start with research, then I outline, then I draft the proposal. Finally, when I’ve worked on that for a long time and given it a lot of time to stew in my brain, then I start drafting sample chapters. Inevitably, that changes the proposal and the outline, but I just can’t start with the actual writing until I have a vision of how all of the pieces are going to come together in the end.

Be A Changemaker

A. For picture books, even nonfiction like Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, it’s more about trial and error, jumping in and playing with the story. I’ll usually just do just enough research or idea generation to have a basic idea of where I’m headed, then I’ll just start drafting. When I find a general structure that I like, then I’ll go back and research to find the facts and details that I need to flesh it out (for nonfiction) or I’ll work on developing the story arc and characters (for fiction).

Emmanuel's Dream

A. In either case, my favorite part is revision. I was a software engineer before switching to writing, and revision feels just like debugging. I love taking something that is “broken” and fixing it so it’s just right, removing all of the errors getting all the parts to work perfectly alone and together as a whole.

Dog_fireman

Q. Tell us about your latest book.
A.
I initially wrote the manuscript for my latest book, My Dog Is the Best, as an assignment for your Easy Readers/Early Chapter Books workshop! It’s very different from what I usually write. Be a Changemaker and Emmanuel’s Dream are both serious nonfiction, while My Dog Is the Best is sweet, humorous fiction. I wanted to play with simple language for very young readers, while using emotions and scenes to which many young children could relate. I tweaked a bit for rhythm, pattern, and word choice, but the draft came out almost the same as you can see it in its final form in the book today. I was pleasantly surprised to have something I liked result from an assignment in a genre I wasn’t used to writing in, and even more pleasantly surprised when others liked it, too!

Dog_stegosaurus

Thanks so much for visiting the blog, Laurie! The book is adorable!

STEM + the Arts = STEAM

STEAM DIY Activity

The main character in My Dog Is the Best is a “maker” too. After he read a dinosaur book, he made a dinosaur costume he made for his dog. For your STEAM DIY Activity, you can make a costume for your dog, or make a small dog out of clay. If you have an adult to help you, try making a polymer clay puppy with this YouTube tutorial. (Click on the SEE MORE link under the video on YouTube to see the materials list.)

Visit all of the stops on the My Dog Is the Best book tour!

6/6/2015 Booking Mama
6/8/2015 Jean Reidy
6/9/2015 Watch. Connect. Read.
6/10/2015 5 Minutes for Books
6/11/2015 KidLit Frenzy
6/12/2015 Unleashing Readers
6/16/2015 Booktalking #kidlit
6/19/2015 Kirby’s Lane
7/1/2015 Library Lions

Complete the form below to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of MY DOG IS BEST. (Must have a U.S. mailing address to enter.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Copyright © 2015 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
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Bedtime for Chickies

Bedtime for Chickies
by Janee Trasler (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: Cheep cheep cheep! What does it take to get little Chickies to sleep? Meet the Chickies in their very first padded board book!

Snippet:
cheep cheep cheep
We can’t sleep.
We’re thirsty.

Hear the book sung in this 1:18 Bedtime for Chickies book trailer.

**Janee is one of my former students!**

Copyright © 2014 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
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Summer Reading

Baby Born in Collaborative Summer Library Program

I’m pleased to announce that Baby Born is on the Early Literacy list for this year’s Collaborative Summer Library Program. This summer reading program is used in 48 states!

Baby Born
by Anastasia Suen (Author) and Chih-Wei Chang (Illustrator)

Booktalk: “The soothing verse follows a year in the life of a newborn…”
~Kirkus Reviews

Snippet:
Baby born
in winter’s sleep
snowflakes fall
snuggle deep

See inside this board book!

Also available in Spanish

For toddler time:
Craft: Make a baby in a blanket (just like the book cover!)
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Picture Book of the Day

Hey Little Baby!
by Heather Leigh (Author) and Genevieve Cote (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A little baby has found his hands, his tiny toes, his lovely voice, and his sweet nose—what else will he find in his world, his cozy, wonder-filled world? (A perfect baby gift!)

Snippet: Hey, little baby,
you’ve arrived in our world.
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Chapter Book of the Day

Marco’s Cinco De Mayo
by Lisa Bullard (Author) and Holli Conger (Illustrator)
24 pages

Booktalk: Marco loves the food, parades, and fun of Cinco de Mayo. This year he’s one of the dancers. (This short “faction” chapter book has facts about the holiday and a simple fiction story. Try the “Make Your Own Maracas” activity in the back of the book.)

Snippet: Hi, I’m Marco. See my costume? It’s for Cinco de Mayo!

That’s a holiday that started in Mexico. People there speak Spanish. “Cinco de Mayo” means the “5th of May” in Spanish.

**Holli is one of my former students!**

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Literary Links

Ready to write your children’s book? May 2-June 20 (online) children’s book writing workshops begin tomorrow!

How to Write a Book When You’re Really, Really Busy (via WritersDigest.com)
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Site Meter Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

May 2012 Online Workshops

May 2012 Online Workshops

The May 2012 workshops will begin on Wednesday, May 2nd.

Which workshop is best for you?

New to children’s books?
Learn about the different types of children’s books in the Children’s Book Genres Workshop.

Passionate about literacy?
Find out how you can write for children learning to read in the Children’s Literacy Workshop (for Writers).

Ready to write?
Write and edit your book in the

After you finish a writing workshop you can work through two more edits in a “work-in-progress” workshop, by rewriting your picture book or easy reader or working on the next chapter of your children’s chapter book or children’s novel.

The May workshop dates are May 2-June 20, 2012.

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Picture Book of the Day

Take Your Mama to Work Today
by Amy Reichert (Author) and Alexandra Boiger (Illustrator)

Booktalk: When Violet visits her mom’s office on Take Your Child to Work Day (April 26th this year), she is very helpful.

Snippet: Sometimes the boss won’t say hello because he’ll be getting ready for a presentation–that’s like show-and-tell for grown-ups. You’re probably an expert at show-and-tell, so be sure to offer to help.
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Chapter Book of the Day

Take Your Mama to Work Today
by Valerie Hobbs (Author) and Jennifer Thermes (Illustrator)
336 pages

Booktalk: Maggie is always full of questions. But a young maid in a fine lady’s house isn’t supposed to wonder so much, so one day Maggie is thrown out into the street with only a tiny heart-shaped locket for a keepsake. Who is the lady in the locket?

A little dog named Oliver is pushing his nose along an icy sidewalk searching for his lost mistress, or at least something to eat. No matter how hard he looks he can’t find either one, but he does see a girl with round blue eyes and a golden locket around her neck. The girl calls him “Lucky.”

Snippet: For once in his short life, Oliver was happy to be an ordinary mutt, with parts of many kinds of dogs all mixed together. The part of him that was bloodhound would help find Bertie. With one last look at the cozy house where he had been raised from a pup, Oliver headed into the wide open world.
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April 2012 Carnival Of Children’s Literature

  • Our April 2012 host is A Curious Thing.
  • Add YOUR post to this carnival by filling out this form.
  • The deadline for adding your post is April 26th.
  • The carnival will go live on April 28th.

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STEM Haiku

Share your own haiku about a STEM topic during National Poetry Month.

(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Percentages
A little of this
a little of that, bit by
bit, add up to one.
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Site Meter Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Great Books

Picture Book of the Day

C. R. Mudgeon
by Leslie Muir (Author) and Julian Hector (Illustrator)

Booktalk: C.R. Mudgeon, a sensible hedgehog, likes knowing just what to expect. Always. No surprises, no excitement. So when a noisy new neighbor, Paprika the squirrel, arrives, C.R. Mudgeon is even less cheerful than normal.

Snippet:
At suppertime C.R. Mudgeon smelled something strange.
Peppery.
Tickly.
He sneezed.
Paprika was cooking. The air was thick with her spices.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ2xgF1RmLc]
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Chapter Book of the Day

The Glass Collector
by Anna Perera (Author)
352 pages

Booktalk: Fifteen-year-old Aaron lives amongst the rubbish piles in the slums of Cairo. His job? To collect broken glass. His life? Wasted. His hope? To find a future he can believe in.

Snippet: Aaron walks slowly and painfully, trying hard to take the weight off his left knee, which is throbbing badly after a fall this morning with a pony and cart. The toe he jabbed and the elbow he bashed when he landed on the hot, potholed road hurt almost as badly and, for one awful moment, he thinks he’ll just sink down on the pavement and give up.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrA4weYw49g]
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STEM Haiku

(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Write a haiku about STEM for National Poetry Month and share it.

Binary Words
Electricity
on and off. Words are ones and
zeroes. Talk is math.
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Literary Links

Ready to write your children’s book? Apr 4-May 23 (online) writing workshops begin next TODAY!

Education Week: New Literacy Standards Could Challenge Even Passionate Readers
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Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

STEM Haiku

STEM Haiku

In honor of National Poetry Month, we invite you to share an original STEM haiku.

(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Share your original STEM haiku at the new STEM Friday blog.

Humming
you never rest
computer, you’re always hum,
hum, humming a tune
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Picture Book of the Day

Senorita Gordita
by Helen Ketteman (Author) and Will Terry (Illustrator)

Booktalk: In this Tex-Mex retelling of The Little Gingerbread Man, Senorita Gordita –a little corn cake– escapes from the frying pan and leads a merry chase. (Try the recipe for gorditas in the back!)

Snippet: And with a flip, and a skip, and a zip-zoom-zip, off she ran. Lagarto skittered after her.
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Chapter Book of the Day

Floors
by Patrick Carman
272 pages

Booktalk: Ten-year-old Leo Fillmore should know everything there is to know about the Whippet Hotel–he is the janitor’s son after all. But a whole lot of mystery gets thrown his way when four cryptic boxes are left to him…boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and an unexpected friend or two.

Snippet: Leo sat up in bed and thought of his mother’s voice; then he thought of ducks and breakfast. After that, he remembered the one thing he’d hoped to forget in his sleep: Merganzer D. Whippet, the owner and creator of the Whippet Hotel, was gone.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI-YxT1_O3o]

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Literary Links

Ready to write your children’s book? Apr 4-May 23 (online) writing workshops begin next week!

Did your child have 1000 hours of one-on-one reading by first grade? (via Momania: A Blog for Busy Moms)
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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Just So, Brianna (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Nonfiction Monday

Picture Book of the Day

Twice as Good: The story of William Powell and Clearview, the only golf course designed, built, and owned by an African-American
by Richard Michelson (Author) and Eric Velasquez (Illustrator)

Booktalk: To nine-year-old Willie Powell, there was no prettier sight than the smooth grass lawns of Edgewater Golf Cource.

Snippet: Willie Powell as fast. He was the only third grader who could run across the playgound faster than most fifth graders. But the new golf course as seven miles outside of town, and he’d promised his mother he would be home before dark.

BONUS! Download the teacher’s guide!
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Chapter Book of the Day

Amateur Wrestling: Combat on the Mat
by Garrison Wells (Author)
32 pages

Booktalk: Did you know that wrestling started out as a deadly sport? Ancient Greeks and Romans used it for self-defense. In modern times, amateur wrestling is still powerful and challenging. But training, equipment, rules, and scoring systems make the sport safer for competitors.

Snippet: Amateur wrestling is one of the oldest styles of fighting. It has been around for thousands of years. Proof of its history has been found in China, Egypt, India, France, and other countries. Archaeologists in Egypt have found art dating back to 2300 B.C. that shows wrestling. Drawings on cave walls in France show wrestling existed more than 15,000 years ago.
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Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Rasco From RIF

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April 2012 Online Workshops

The April 2012 workshops will begin on Wednesday, April 4th.

Which workshop is best for you?

New to children’s books?
Learn about the different types of children’s books in the Children’s Book Genres Workshop.

Passionate about literacy?
Find out how you can write for children learning to read in the Children’s Literacy Workshop (for Writers).

Ready to write?
Write and edit your book in the

After you finish a writing workshop you can work through two more edits in a “work-in-progress” workshop, by rewriting your picture book or easy reader or working on the next chapter of your children’s chapter book or children’s novel.

The April workshop dates are April 4-May 23, 2012.

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STEM Haiku

In honor of National Poetry Month, we invite you to share an original STEM haiku.

(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Share your original STEM haiku at the new STEM Friday blog.

I’ll start…

Comments
A blog is a place
to share your thoughts. We invite
you to share yours here
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Just So, Brianna (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Great Books

Picture Book of the Day

Big Little Brother
by Kevin Kling (Author) and Chris Monroe (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Being an older brother has its benefits, of that there’s little doubt. But how would you feel if your little brother grew to be bigger than you?

Snippet:
It’s my own fault.
I wanted a little brother.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBGmGI40y7g]
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Chapter Book of the Day

The Faerie Ring
by Kiki Hamilton (Author)
352 pages

Booktalk: The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic.

Snippet: Tiki eyed the item that Leo had tossed under the desk. Mesmerized by its beauty, she reached for the ring. It was a burnished band of rich gold, capped by an intensely red stone the color of blood that almost seemed to beckon her.

Tiki stared into the ruby red depths, turning the stone this way and that to catch the light. Something flickered and her heart caught in her throat as she peered closer. Deep within the heart of the stone, flames burned.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5K7kQaMOcM]
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5 Great Earth Day Books

Earth Day
by Trudi Strain Trueit (Author)
Learn why we celebrate Earth Day in this Rookie Read-About Holidays easy reader.

Earth Day Girl
Wordgirl saves the world on Earth Day. Easy Reader.

Fancy Nancy: Every Day Is Earth Day
by Jane O’Connor (Author) and Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator)
Fancy Nancy goes green in this I Can Read Level 1 easy reader.

The Earth and I
by Frank Asch
A boy talks about his friend, the Earth. Picture Book

What Do You See at the Pond?
by Anastasia Suen (Author) and Aaron Boyd (Illustrator)
A boy and his mom take a nature walk in this simple easy reader.
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Literary Links

Ready to write your children’s book? Apr 4-May 23 (online) writing workshops begin next Wednesday!

Library Skills = Information Literacy Skills = Common Core Skills
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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Just So, Brianna (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Road Work Ahead (in the book club!)

My Book of the Week

Road Work Ahead by Anastasia Suen
A transportation picture book

“Suen’s sparse rhyming verse leads readers through the busy scenes and uses simple vocabulary that suits both the youngest listeners and those just beginning to read.” ~ Kirkus Reviews

“A batch of Grandma’s homemade oatmeal cookies beckons, but for this backseat narrator, the sights and sounds along the road to her house are equally compelling.” ~ Publishers Weekly

Activities:

Play the Road Signs Matching Game.

Find out more about Cars, Trucks, and Construction Play.

Watch the construction site video.

Make a Traffic Light Necklace with yarn and stickers.
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Picture Book of the Day

The Adventures of Granny Clearwater and Little Critter
by Kimberly Willis Holt (Author) and Laura Huliska-Beith (Illustrator)

Booktalk: The Clearwater family is heading west in their covered wagon. But when Granny and Little Critter are accidentally thrown from the back, they are suddenly on their own.

Snippet: They flew through the sky for almost a mile until they landed stuck to a prickly pear cactus. Granny kept napping as if nothing has happened, but Little Critter’s eyes popped open wide as he watched his family’s wagon disappear from the horizon.
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Chapter Book of the Day

The Gray Wolf Throne (A Seven Realms Novel)
by Cinda Williams Chima (Author)
528 pages

Booktalk: Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. But nothing prepares him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to queendom of the Fells.

Snippet: Three lean young men in Ardenine civilan garb played cards at a table by the door. Four had come in, but one of them had left a while ago. Several times, Raisa looked up and caught one or another of them staring at her. Apprehension slithered down her spine. Thieves or assasins? Or just young men showing interest in a girl on her own?

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/bXksII_uVG8]

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Literary Links

Ready to write your children’s book? Apr 4-May 23 (online) writing workshops begin next week!

How can you help your child learn to read?
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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Just So, Brianna (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.