Friday Reads

Picture Book of the Day

Soccer Hour
by Carol Nevius (Author) and Bill Thomson (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Soccer practice begins, and the players stretch, warm up, and work on their footwork, juggling, goal shooting, and keep-away skills…

Snippet:
We practice playing as a team.
A winning season is our dream.
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Writing the World for Kids

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Chapter Book of the Day

Path of the Pronghorn
by Cat Urbigkit (Author) and Mark Gocke (Illustrator)
32 pages

Booktalk: Pronghorns are the fastest land mammals in North America, clocked at speeds of up to sixty miles per hour. Of all the world’s land animals, only cheetahs are faster.

Snippet: Fawns start running when just a few days old, dashing around their mothers at speeds up to twenty-five miles an hour! As fawns mature, they will run even faster.
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

This week’s STEM Friday Round-up is hosted by Red Phoenix Books.

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Nonfiction Monday on February 13, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on February 13, 2012

is at Wrapped in Foil.

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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Young Readers

Picture Book of the Day

My Little Baby
by Begin Smart Books

Booktalk: On each page spread, a proud animal mom talks about what her baby says…

Snippet:
My pup says
WOOF!

And the baby animal says it twice…

woof
woof

Each baby animal also has a texture to touch.
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Chapter Book of the Day

Ten (The Winnie Years)
by Nathan Bransford (Author)
208 pages

Booktalk: Winnie Perry is turning ten and ten is BIG: it means double digits, more responsibility, and being an almost-middle-schooler. Ten means that Winnie can handle anything, even a three-year-old baby brother and a practically teenage (and acting like it) older sister. And with her best friend, Amanda, by her side, Winnie plans on enjoying every last second of their last year in elementary school.

Snippet: The thing about birthdays is that they are shiny and sparkly and make the birthday girl feel special. And guess what? Today I was the birthday girl. As of today–oh my goodness gravy–I, Winnie Perry, was living in the Land of Double Digits.
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School Visit at John Paul II High School

Thanks for another great day, Cardinals!

Special thanks to Media Specialists Gracelyn Shea and Linda Berger!
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STEM Friday on February 10, 2012

STEM Friday is coming! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The STEM Friday Round-up on February 10, 2012

is at Red Phoenix Books.

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Literary Link

Tips for connecting with reluctant and struggling readers (via @paulgreci)
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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Great Books

Picture Book of the Day

The Pink Party
by Maryann MacDonald (Author) and Judy Stead (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Rose and Valentina both love pink. But whenever Rose gets something pink, Valentina gets something even pinker!

Snippet:
“Is it okay if I get one, too?” Valentina asked.
Rose’s heart tripped, then tumbled…
but she was afraid to say no.
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Chapter Book of the Day

My Frozen Valentine
by Eric Fein (Author) and Gregg Schigiel and Lee Loughridge (Illustrators)
56 pages

Booktalk: It’s Valentine’s Day in Gotham, but not everyone is celebrating. Victor Fries (aka Mr. Freeze) has never gotten over the death of his wife, Nora, and he’s not about to let anyone enjoy this painful holiday. Only Batman can stop the cold-hearted criminal before Victor refrigerates the city!

Snippet: “It’s not just the cold temperatures,” Gordon said. “We’ve been getting reports of strange objects hovering over the city. They look like flying saucers with some kind of weapon attached. One police officer said it was a cannon that fired rays of ice.”
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5 Great Books About Presidents

George Washington — Soldier, Hero, President
by Justine Fontes and Ron Fontes (Authors)
See George Washington grow up in this Level 3 easy reader biography.

I’m Going to Washington to Visit the President
by Harriet Zeifert (Author) and Tanya Roitman (Illustrator)
Go on a tour of tour nation’s capitol. Level 1 easy reader

Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President
by Shirley Raye Redmond (Author) and John Manders (Illustrator)
Explorers Lewis and Clark try to find a present for President Thomas Jefferson. Level 3 easy reader

Presidents’ Day
by Margaret McNamara (Author) and Mike Gordon (Illustrator)
The kids at Robin Hill School celebrate Presidents’ Day. Level 1 easy reader

Presidents’ Day
by David F. Marx (Author)
Learn the facts about Presidents’ Day. Level 1 easy reader
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Literary Links

Penguin has a new app to help break through writer’s block (via @ebooknewser)

Easy directions for making a pop-up book (via @imaginationsoup)
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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Free Throw/Tiro Libre

My Book of the Week

Free Throw by Anastasia Suen (writing as Jake Maddox)
A basketball novel

  • Copyright: 2007
  • Guided Reading level: L
  • ATOS Level: 2.8
  • AR Quiz Number: 109967
  • Library Binding / Paperback: 72 pages
  • Publisher: Stone Arch Books

Since Derek is the tallest kid on his basetball team, his coach decides to let him play center instead of Jason. Derek thinks this is a lucky break, until Jason stops passing him the ball out on the court. As Jason takes his revenge on him, Derek begins to lose confidence. He’s not sure he’ll ever be able to make a successful free throw with Jason breathing down his neck.

Now available in Spanish

Activities:

See the latest basketball news and videos at NBA.com.

Can you find all of the words in this Basketball Word Search Puzzle?

Make your own Basketball Word Scramble.

Discover the secret message in these Basketball Math Puzzles.
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Picture Book of the Day

Amber’s Fair-y Tale
by Deborah Bates Cavitt (Author) and Amy Rottinger (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A fractured fairy tale (based on Cinderella) with heifers and the Texas State Fair!

Snippet: Amber wasn’t allowed to go anywhere. Bonnie and Connie had found plenty of chores to keep her busy during fair week.

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

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Chapter Book of the Day

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances
by Lenore Look (Author) and LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)
208 pages

Booktalk: Let’s face it. When it comes to death, everything is scary. Especially if your name is Alvin Ho and you maybe, sort of, agreed to go to a funeral for your GungGung’s best friend (who was your best friend too).

Snippet: “Why did Charlie die?” I asked.

“You’re asking me? You’re the one who was here when GungGung got the news.”
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Literary Links

Celebrate & share the American Indian Youth Literature Award Winners & Honor Books (via @cynleitichsmith)

Lee & Low Acquires Children’s Book Press (via @PWKidsBookshelf + @leeandlow)
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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Nonfiction Monday

Picture Book of the Day

Climbing Lincoln’s Steps: The African American Journey
by Suzanne Slade (Author) and Colin Bootman (Illustrator)

Booktalk: The marble steps of our capitol’s Lincoln Memorial have witnessed key moments in African American history.

Snippet: The statue was unveiled to the public in 1922 in a building called the Lincoln Memorial. Since then, many people have climbed the steps leading to Abraham’s statue–inspired to take another step for change.
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Chapter Book of the Day

We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March
by Cynthia Levinson (Author)
176 pages

Booktalk: We ve Got a Job tells the little-known story of the 4,000 black elementary-, middle-, and high school students who voluntarily went to jail in Birmingham, Alalama, between May 2 and May 11, 1963. Fulfilling Mahatma Gandhi s and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. s precept to fill the jails, they succeeded where adults had failed in desegregating one of the most racially violent cities in America. Focusing on four of the original participants who have participated in extensive interviews, We ve Got a Job recounts the astonishing events before, during, and after the Children s March.

Snippet: Segregation in Birmingham wasn’t just a way of life. It was the law. The city’s Racial Segregration Ordinances, adopted in 1951, demanded almost total separation of blacks and whites.

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

BONUS! Download the curriculum guide (created by another former student!)
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Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Capstone Connect

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Nonfiction Book Blast 2012

Deborah Hopkinson booktalks A Boy Called Dickens

on the Nonfiction Book Blast blog today…

(His 200th birthday is tomorrow!)

Save the date! June 23, 2012 Nonfiction Book Blast 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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Literary Links

Publishing’s Ecosystem on the Brink: The Backstory | The Authors Guild Blog
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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Friday Reads

Picture Book of the Day

Feeding the Sheep
by Leda Schubert (Author) and Andrea U’Ren (Illustrator)

Booktalk: As a little girl asks questions, we all learn how wool from a sheep turns into a sweater.

Snippet:
“What are you doing?” the little girl asked.
“Feeding the sheep,” her mother answered.
Snowy day, corn and hay.
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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by The Iris Chronicles

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Chapter Book of the Day

Glaciers (Eye to Eye with Endangered Habitats)
by Precious McKenzie (Author)
24 pages

Booktalk: Learn about glaciers and how can we protect this endangered habitat.

Snippet: Glaciologists identified several types of glaciers. The two main types are continental and valley glaciers.
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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

This week’s STEM Friday Round-up is hosted by Simply Science.

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Nonfiction Monday on January 30, 2012

Nonfiction Monday is coming!

The Nonfiction Monday Round-up on January 30, 2012

is at Capstone Connect.

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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Young Readers

Picture Book of the Day

Trains Go
by Steve Light (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: A fun board book with 8 noisy trains!

Snippet: The big steam train goes, CHUGGA chugga chugga CHUGGA chugga chugga CHOO CHOOOOOOO!
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Chapter Book of the Day

Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow
by Nathan Bransford (Author)
288 pages

Booktalk: Jacob Wonderbar is used to detentions, but when a spaceship crashes near his house, he finds himself in a whole new level of trouble. After swapping a corn dog for the ship, he and his two best friends, Sarah Daisy and Dexter, take off on a madcap adventure…

Snippet: Suddenly the street lit up and there was a flash in the forest, almost like an explosion without sound. A green laser shot up into the sky and then disappeared just as quickly. A moment later there was a faint whirring sound and a hiss. Then the street was silent again.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/2uu3TvAi1Kc]

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STEM Friday on January 20, 2012

STEM Friday is coming! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The STEM Friday Round-up on January 20, 2012

is at Simply Science.

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Literary Links

Book Bloggers Convention officially comes under the BEA Umbrella (event now *before* BEA, not *after*)

Barnes & Noble Stores Will Not Stock Books Published By Amazon via @GalleyCat
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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Great Books

Picture Book of the Day

Prairie Storms
by Darcy Pattison (Author) and Kathleen Rietz (Illustrator)

Booktalk: See a year on the prairie. (Did you know that ground hogs live on the prairie, too? Tomorrow is their big day!)

Snippet:
The hibernating groundhog stirs,
awakes. It unplugs the door to its den
and peers out. Soft billows of fog blot
out the sun.

BONUS! See the video and download the ground hog coloring page

[youtube=http://youtu.be/uaUirE0ed6Y]

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Chapter Book of the Day

Attack of the Shark-Headed Zombie
by Bill Doyle (Author) and Scott Altman (Illustrator)
112 pages

Booktalk: After Keats and Henry lose their bikes, they need money—fast. So the help-wanted ad at the supermarket seems ideal for them. All they have to do is weed Hallway House’s garden, find some lightbulbs in the attic, sweep the garage . . . and battle a shark-headed zombie. That last job is a joke…isn’t it?

Snippet: “Shark-headed zombie?” Henry said.

“Extra wand?” said Keats.

Henry laughed, and then Keats did, too.

BONUS! See the video!

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

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5 MORE Great Books About Valentines

Big Heart!: A Valentine’s Day Tale
by Joan Holub (Author) and Will Terry (Illustrator)
The ant class makes a big Valentine. Who is it for? Pre-Level 1 easy reader

Melvin’s Valentine
by Jon Scieszka (Author), David Shannon (Illustrator), Loren Long (Illustrator) and David Gordon (Illustrator)
Who gave Melvin a Valentine? Level 1 easy reader

No Valentines for Katie
by Fran Manushkin (Author) and Tammie Lyon (Illustrator)
Uh-oh! No one gave Katie Woo a Valentine. Easy reader with chapters

Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat (Author) and Marc Simont (Illustrator)
Who gave Sludge the dog a Valentine? Easy reader.

Valentine’s Day in Vicarstown
by Rev. W. Awdry (Author)
What will Thomas do about Valentine’s Day when the blizzard comes? Easy reader
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Literary Links

New Stats: Kids Find E-Books ‘Fun And Cool,’ But Teens Are Still Reluctant

Pinterest Tips for Writers (via @GalleyCat)
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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Toco Toucans

My Book of the Week

Toco Toucans by Anastasia Suen
A National Science Teacher’s Association Recommended book

Toco toucans have a surprising way of protecting themselves from predators. These birds have multicolored feathers and big, reddish-orange beaks that should make them easy to spot—or so you would think. The brilliant colors actually provide the perfect camouflage among the bright foliage of the tropical rain forest. The toucans can stay safe by hiding in plain sight!

  • Copyright: 2010
  • Dewey: 598
  • Guided Reading level: I
  • ATOS Level: 4
  • Lexile level: 900
  • Recovery Reading Level: 16
  • Hardcover and hosted e-book: 24 pages
  • Publisher: Bearport

Book Activities:

Print this simple crossword puzzle – or solve it online.

See and hear toucans in the wild and at the San Diego Zoo.

Hear more toucan sounds.

Use these simple science lessons.

Color the toucan from abcteach.

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Picture Book of the Day

Hans My Hedgehog: A Tale from the Brothers Grimm
by Kate Coombs (Adapter), Brothers Grimm (Author), John Nickle (Illustrator)

Booktalk: This retelling of the classic Grimm’s tale, paired with lush, detailed illustrations, reminds us of the power of music, the importance of belonging, and the transformative effect of love.

Snippet:

The couple so longed for a child
that one day the man cried,
“I want a son even if he’s half a hedgehog!”

Th next spring the farmer’s wife gave birth
to a child who was exactly that–
a boy from the waist down
and a hedgehog from the waist up.

For the final stop on the Hans blog tour, Kate Coomb answers just 3 questions…

Q. When did you start writing?

A. I wrote plays and stories and poems as a child. I remember writing a Nancy Drew knockoff in about 4th grade for school (a long short story), and I recall being very proud of myself for writing a sonnet in middle school. In my grade school plays, I would cast myself as the Glorious Queen and my little sister as the Quiet Servant Girl. As a teen and in college, I mostly wrote poetry.

Q. Describe your writing process.

A. I brainstorm until I come up with an idea that appeals to me. If it’s for a picture book, I just start writing. This usually tells me whether the idea will work out. If it continues to seem promising, I revisit the story every day or so for weeks, playing with the manuscript and its possibilities. If the story works, I fine-tune it over and over. At times I step away for a week or two and come back to the story with fresh eyes.

For a middle grade novel, I brainstorm, as well, and pick an idea. Then I write several pages of story development notes, often questions and answers, e.g., “If they don’t catch the dragon, why not?” I also write random scenes that pop into my head–especially a scene that will come near the end of the book and show the direction I’ll be heading throughout. After a few days or weeks of this, I simply start writing with chapter one and go in order (unless a later scene makes itself known along the way, which does happen).

My best writing time is early in the morning, but I have been known to write on scraps of paper while in line at the post office. Sometimes I get an idea while I’m driving and pull over to write it down.

Q. Tell us about your latest book.

A. Retelling Hans My Hedgehog was actually illustrator John Nickle’s idea. It’s a less well-known Grimms’ fairy tale for a reason: the original is darker than some of the other tales and has a few narrative troubles. My goal, of course, was to keep the spirit and overall plot of the original while brightening the tale and smoothing out those bumps. Basically, Hans My Hedgehog is the story of a boy who is born a human from the waist down and a hedgehog from the waist up. He learns to play the fiddle and herd pigs, but the village boys and girls shun him. Riding on a rooster, Hans takes his pigs and goes off to live in the woods. There his music and magic grow, and Hans helps two kings in exchange for two promises. The question is, will a princess marry a youth who is half hedgehog?

Plus I have another book coming out in March, a collection of ocean poems called Water Sings Blue. This spring is a pretty happy time for me!

Thanks for stopping by, Kate! I look forward to seeing the new book in March…

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Chapter Book of the Day

The Silence of Murder
by Dandi Daley Mackall (Author)
336 pages

Booktalk: Seventeen-year-old Hope Long’s life revolves around her brother Jeremy. So when Jeremy is accused of killing the town’s beloved baseball coach, Hope’s world begins to unravel. Everyone is convinced Jeremy did it, and since he hasn’t spoken a word in 9 years, he’s unable to defend himself. Their lawyer instructs Hope to convince the jury that Jeremy is insane, but all her life Hope has known that Jeremy’s just different than other people—better, even. As she works to prove his innocence—joined by her best friend T.J. and the sheriff’s son, Chase—Hope uncovers secrets about the murder, the townspeople, her family, and herself. She knows her brother isn’t the murderer. But as she comes closer to the truth, she’s terrified to find out who is.

Snippet: The first time Jeremy heard God sing, we were in the old Ford, rocking back and forth with the wind. Snow pounded at the window to get inside, where it wasn’t much better than out there. I guess he was nine. I was seven, but I’ve always felt like the older sister, even though Jeremy was bigger.

I snuggled closer under his arm while we waited for Rita. She made us call her ‘Rita’ and not ‘Mom’ or ‘Mommy’ or ‘Mother,’ and that was fine with Jeremy and me. Pretty much anything that was fine with Jeremy was fine with me.

We’d been in the backseat long enough for frost to make a curtain on the car windshield and for Rita’s half-drunk paper cup of coffee to ice some in its holder up front.

Jeremy had grown so still that I thought he might be asleep, or half frozen, either one being better than the teeth-chattering bone-chilling I had going on.

Then came the sound.

*This book is a Young Adult Edgar Nominee!
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Literary Links

The February writing workshops begin online tomorrow!

Marc Aronson booktalks his forthcoming book at Nonfiction Book Blast.

Jane Yolen Announces A New Grant For Mid-List Authors (via @leewind)

[youtube=http://youtu.be/aUWvew8_Tsk]
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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Nonfiction Monday

Picture Book of the Day

Polar Bears
by Mark Newman (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: Explore the world of the polar bear on land and under water with wildlife photographer Mark Newman.

Snippet:
Polar bears are not really white.
Despite what they look like and what most people think, polar bears are black, not white. Under all that warm thick fur, their skin is totally dark.
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Chapter Book of the Day

Sky Sailors: True Stories of the Balloon Era
by David L. Bristow (Author)
144 pages

Booktalk: For more than a century before airplanes, people explored the sky in balloons. From 1783 to the early 1900s, aeronauts flew into storms, crossed large bodies of water, sailed over enemy armies, and soared to deadly altitudes.

Snippet: Strange creatures lurk in the dark corners of the world, and sometimes they come out to get you. Countless stories tell it that way. On August 27, 1783, the villagers of Gonesse, France, saw the stories come true.
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Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Wendie’s Wanderings

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January 2012 Carnival Of Children’s Literature

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Children’s Book Genres Workshop

A children’s book isn’t just one kind of book – there are 6 very different children’s book genres. Each genre meets the needs of a different stage of childhood. How are books for the stages of childhood structured? What story layers do the books have? What promises do they make?

In the Children’s Book Genres Workshop you will begin at the beginning with a child’s everyday world (realistic fiction) as you read 3 books for each stage of childhood and look beneath the surface to see how each children’s book genre is put together.

The next Children’s Book Genres Workshop begins on February 1st. This online workshop does not have a physical meeting place or classroom hours. You will have 8 weeks to complete the 6 lessons in this online workshop. Turn your lessons in as you complete them, the next day…or on the due date two weeks later.

After you discover the genre that is right for you, take the Intensive Picture Book Workshop, the Children’s Literacy Workshop (for Writers), the Children’s Chapter Books Workshop or the Children’s Novels Workshop and begin writing your own children’s book!

The February workshop dates are February 1-March 14, 2012.

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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.