Line Lifts - A Great Strategy Still

Hey, Mr. Allen, listen to this… 

I love this line, listen…

Close your eyes for a minute.  Ready?  Listen to these words… 

Wow, Mr. Allen, listen…

     My students and I have been paying close attention to some of the fantastic lines we are noticing as readers.  We’re knee-deep in a study of how wise readers ask questions to better understand, remember, extend meaning, and make readers experiences memorable (Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop, p. 28).  As writers, we’re honing in on exquisite lines to nudge our writing work—a parallel notebook study of  “What does a wise writer do to nudge his/her writing?"  (One of the strategies we're playing around with is "lifting a line" to coax our own writing.  A strategy I first learned from Linda Reif and have loved since.)

 Questions abound!

     In Write from the Start, Donald Graves reminds us, "Whenever there's a connection made between old knowledge and new knowledge, that's where the new growth is.  Those are the green shoots out of the old stock, the shoots that will bear fruit.  But it takes a fair amount of pruning to get new growth.  The dead wood comes when children pay attention to what they think the teacher wants instead of what, in fact, they see."

     So as writers were working toward the "shoots that will bear fruit."  Helping see that we have a lot to learn from mentors.  A lot of young writers these days seem "prompt-bound" or "Is this good? bound" or "I don't know what to write-bound."  They've been stifled by outside forces of programs and perfection... of skill and drill types of writing.

     But if I can encourage my students to develop a sense of agency as writers... to open their notebooks and start writing from a great line that they've discovered, they'll have one more authentic tool to help them develop independence during those times when writing ideas aren't coming easy.  Giving them a chance to break chains that are, sadly, already cramping their young writing lives.  To encourage purpose.  To encourage play.  To encourage risk.  To encourage thought.  To encourage putting pencil to paper.

     I've shown them my own notebook with the lines I've borrowed... lines that are waiting for me when I'm stuck or need a jumping off point.  

  Helen Frost - Salt

"Fireflies light up the edge of the dark forest."

"Our fire will keep us warm inside while we tell winter stories."

Kate Banks - Max's Words

"I'm going to collect words."

"When Max put his words together, he had thoughts."

Ruth Ayres - Celebrating Writers:  From Possibilities Through Publication

"Sometimes leaving things unsaid is more difficult than knowing what to say."

"Sometimes rejoicing is quiet.  It's a nod of encouragement."

Barbara O'Connor - How to Steal a Dog

"I closed the notebook and watched the moths flutter around the streetlight outside the window.' 

"I pushed my face against the screen and peered inside.  My stomach did a flip-flop."

Gary Paulsen - Brian's Hunt

"A perfect day among many perfect days and the last thought he had before slipping into sleep was that he was in exactly the right spot at exactly the right time in his life."

Gari Meacham - Watershed Moments

"A true watershed isn't to be hoarded; rather, it is to be shared, to spread it's gift of insight from our life to the lives of those around us."

     So what?  Now I have a notebook nudge.  Parts that can lead to wholes.  If I'm sitting with my notebook, facing a blank page, I have some great lines from some of my favorite writers that might just lead me into a piece of my own.  Not stolen.  Just borrowed.  Lines that spark a memory.  Lines that encourage me to write.  Just a little "tidbit" borrowed from a mentor that invites me to move words across a blank page.  A tool for a specific time for a specific purpose that fits into the "big picture" of being a writer.  Practice.

     It's a simple strategy that can serve as a guide to more complex pieces, more personal pieces.  Teach.  Model.  Empower.  

Hey, Mr. Allen, listen to this… 

I love this line, listen…

Close your eyes for a minute.  Ready?  Listen to these words… 

Wow, Mr. Allen, listen…

Let the pruning begin...

Memoirs of a Goldfish

"With a whoosh, and a splash, and a clank, and a plunge," we were suddenly laughing out loud at Memoirs of a Goldfish!  
     A group of fourth graders gathered at my feet, we devoured this delightful book by Devin Scillian.  I pulled it out of the "new books" that our media specialist had just unpacked (he's always adding to our collection), but I didn't know how much my students would like it.  
     Our post-reading conversation revolved around "point of view" to "perspective" to "wishes and dreams" to "It's about friendship" to "I could write something like this" to "This reminds me a little of Finding Nemo" to "I have to read this to my brother!" to "I can't wait to get the 'App.'" (Yes, there's even an App on iTunes for this book).  
     This books tells the tale of a goldfish and the seemingly mundane life he lives in his bowl.  First page... "Day One... I swam around my bowl."  
     After that day, his "memoirs" become more complex as new company joins his quiet little bowl (including Rhoda and Clark the guppies, Mr. Bubbles the deep sea fella, and Mervin the snail... among others).  The goldfish eventually can't stand it and exclaims, "I want my bowl back!"  
     Tim Bowers, the illustrator, captured the story beautifully.  We spent just as much time looking at the illustrations as we did reading the text... priceless.  The look in the goldfish's eyes are amazing!
          I read it for read aloud right before spring break and had to read it twice!  This book is, well, "heavenly!"

The Eyes Have It!

 From Conferring the Keystone of Reader's Workshop, p. 67

• You know him… he often sits in the back of the group during read aloud.  Usually listening, drawing quietly in his notebook.

• You know him… he came from a school where reading was all about prizes, speed, and tests.  His reading was “accelerated” to the point that his purpose was strictly to read for points.

• You know him… he’s rarely been nudged to “think deeply about concepts of great import.” (Keene). 

• You know him… he’s not quite developed a sense of “self” as a reader—let alone a sense of purpose.

• You know him… he is complacent, but not engaged.  Endurance and stamina seemly foreign words.

The first day he enters the classroom with wide eyes and wonder… books everywhere, rituals and routines lending themselves to ownership, readers talking to one another with authenticity and respect.   There are no worksheets, no fill-in-the-blank forms, no corporate-controlled road maps, no computer comprehension tests.  Readers read a wide variety of text… mostly self-chosen.  Strategy instruction is the norm.  Reader’s roles are defined through collaborative decision-making.  “What are you thinking?” ruminates from reader to reader.  A deer in the headlights?  Perhaps.

But you know it’s just a matter of time before he catches on… puts away books that better serve as hand weights (strong biceps, weak minds).  You know it’s just a matter of time before he starts using his notebook to record authentic responses to reading experiences.  You know it’s just a matter of time before his voice floats on “the sea of talk” during crafting lessons.  You know it’s just a matter of time before he realizes that he has important things to say in a classroom where real readers work together to raise the bar of purpose and passion.  You know that eventually your reading conferences will be "deep, not surface."  You know “Where choice lives, understanding prospers!”  And you wait… and watch… and nudge… time moves on...

Then one day, he brings you a book and says, “You have to read this book to the class, Mr. Allen!”  You close your eyes, look down, and you’re surprised to see him holding Edward’s Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan.  “Remember when you read Word After Word After Word.  This is by the same author.  It’s the BEST book I’ve ever read…”

“Why is it the best book?  Tell me about that...”

“Trust me, Mr. Allen.  Just read it.”  So I do.

Have you read it?  To be honest, I hadn’t; one of the few Patricia MacLachlan books I hadn't read.  But I'm so glad I (we) did.  Patricia MacLachlan has created in Edward’s Eyes (click to listen to her interview) a moving portrait of Edward and his family.  Edward lives in the kind of family that we all want to live in... full of respect and love.  His brother Jake narrates this text and takes us on a journey that begins and ends with Edward.  Our first thoughts?  To be honest, we were confused, but then... we were awestruck.

Thus began my classroom's journey into Patricia MacLachlan.  Sarah, Plain and Tall began flying off the shelves (as did the sequels).  Once I Ate a Pie had students laughing and crying during reader's workshop.  Through Grandpa's Eyes caused them to reflect on their own grandparents.  What You Know First started incredible notebook entries about "beginnings."  Baby! stretched readers in new directions... as did Arthur for the Very First Time and The Facts and Fictions of Minnie Pratt.  Waiting lists began appearing on title pages.  And who started the exploration? 

Not me.  I merely listened and nudged. 

This is just ONE of many student-created waiting lists...

"Have you noticed that Patricia MacLachlan writes a lot about movement?  Think about it... in Painting the Wind she wrote about painting the wind... movement, in Edward's Eyes she wrote about the movement of a knuckle ball!"

"I love how she writes about the sea and the prairie and the sea and the prairie!  She writes about what she knows... there's a connection between all her books."

"Edward's Eyes began with Edward and ended with Edward.  I didn't get at first, but I read it again after we read it... it's about new beginnings!"

"She writes about hope."

"She writes about family." 

"There's always a sense of 'song' in her books... I think mostly because of the way she writes with rhythm." 

"I love her words.  And I love when she throws me a zinger... and I have to think!"

• • • • • • 

You know him... 

He's the one who know belongs to a community of readers! 

The "eyes" have it...

Fantastic Flying Books

I love this book.  It fascinates me.  It piques my curiosity.  It makes me wonder.  It makes me ponder.  The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (click to see more) is brilliant!  It's charming.  (As is the Academy Award winning film.)

     When you read a book that opens like this...

Morris Lessmore loved words.

He loved stories.

He loved books.

His life was a book of his own writing, one orderly page

after another.  He would open it every morning and write

of his joys and sorrows, of all that he knew

and everything that he hoped for.

     When I read it to my students last week (as part of our study of how "Wise Readers Monitor for Meaning"), we all decided that those very words were worth tucking into our hearts and minds... to make them available when we need inspiration as readers and writers.  My friend, Linda, summed it up this way, "I think the 'wow' was... Everyone's story matters.  Just sayin'!"  She right.

     Read the book to your students.  Then if you have a chance, buy the short film on iTunes.  Watch it.  Show it to your students.  Then ask them, "So what do you think?"  You'll be amazed by their answers!  William Joyce more than deserved the accolades and awards for this brilliant piece of work.  One of my students say, "It's really about heaven, I think... it's about growing old and letting go..."  Story matters.

     This is a run, don't walk, kind of book!  This is a get-to-your-favorite-independent-bookstore-and-buy-it kind of book!  This is a book that should be in your classroom and on your coffee table.  It's generational.  It's a metaphor for life--especially if you love books, love reading, love words.  Thank you, William Joyce, for sharing your brilliance.

And so our story ends as it began...

...with the opening of a book!

A Peaceful Start to the Year...

peace.

it does not mean to be in a place

where there is no noise, trouble

or hard work.  it means to be in

the midst of those things and still

be calm in your heart.

Unknown

On a canvas bag sent to me by my friend Mimi

 

     I started my school year out somewhat differently this year.  Oh... we've had the usual conversations about workshop structures, rituals and routines, the gradual release of responsibility, learning with a spirit of endurance.  And, our conversations have been grand and thoughtful.  But I've added a new twist.  My friend, Dana, nudged my thinking in a different direction (great colleagues have a way of nudging and stretching our thinking, don't they?).

     Dana and I decided that we wanted a "peace-filled" beginning to our school year (she's in Casper, Wyoming and I'm here).  And, after talking a bit (okay, more than a bit), we both decided that it would be a great way to start the year... to build on the concept of "peace" and to incorporate peacefulness into our reader's and writer's workshops throughout the school year.  Together, we did a search of our classroom libraries (and bookstores) to find just the right literature to launch our discussions with children. 

     Within the buzz and bustle of my classroom of 31 fourth graders, I knew I had to bring a sense of slowness and calm, patience and peace, lingering and depth to our work together.  And, what better way to do it than through making careful decisions about some of the texts we're using for think alouds, shared readings, and writing launches?  We've delved into some sophistication along the way so far... comparing, critiquing, commenting.  What a grand way to start the year!  Combined with "peaceful" music, low lighting, and a quiet tone... it's been, well, peace-filled.

     Having an overarching feeling of "peace" has added a new dimension to our classroom environment.  My students and I have enjoyed exploring the concept into our discussions, our notebooks, and our classroom routines.  And with "peace" comes a sense of rigor and quiet reflection that is both contagious and awe-inspiring.

     I thought I'd share some favorite texts I've found with you.  I have used several and plan to use several more throughout the year... as we step "gently out" into our year together, I can't wait to find more!  Helen Frost's wonderful poem (and picture book) "Step Gently Out" has become our theme for this year.  And we all need a little gentleness is our classroom worlds, don't we?  Here you go:

A favorite find!  A wonderful mentor text for writing biographies... breathtaking!

A simple text that creates a grand message!  Talk.  Peace.  Two words that should be on our lips as we work together daily...

This book is definitely for a more mature group of children, but what a grand book to empower children to become peacemakers.  A bit "controversial," but worth having on the list!  Beautifully written narrative text.

Joanne Ryder... need I say more?  Okay, how about Norman Gorbaty.  Enough said!

The photographs are endearing and the text is a tribute to a peaceful existence.

The creator of dynamite now has the most important prize in all the world named after him... the Nobel Prize.  Amazing!  Look at the cover... it is absolutely brilliant!  I love this book and I was amazed by Alfred Lobel's story.

The photographs are lovely... and the text takes the reader through a day of peace.

I love the illustrations by Stephanie Carter.  And Jane Baskwill's words can't help but create a peaceful tone.  If peace is a promise... a wonderful repeating line!

Lee Bennett Hopkins compiled this wonderful collection of poetry from some of our favorite poets.  And, Chris Soentpiet's illustrations are masterful (look for the face of the girl from Something Beautiful on the cover).

Our "theme" book for the year... We're stepping gently out into a year of exploring and learning.  This is a beautiful book by Helen Frost.  Combined with Rick Lieder's photos... stunning!  Check out this Vimeo!  I've blogged about this book before and it's a read and read again addition to our "peace" bag this year!

 

The Story of Charlotte's Web

I remember years ago when my friend Cheryl shared a photograph of E.B. White with me from her classroom calendar.  Famous writers writing in their favorite "writing spots" filled each month's pages, black and white photographs coupled with a quote by the featured author.  E.B. White sitting alone at a typewriter at a plain oak table in his barn was one of the images.  It was poignant.
      I've always loved E.B. White's writing.  It's charming.  It's simple.  It's often poignant.  And, sometimes strange subject matter aside, his writing is just brilliant.  And, like most of you, I think Charlotte's Web is his most endearing piece of work.  His description of the barn is, by all accounts, the most delicious, detailed, and delectable text I think I've ever read (of course, it helps that I spent summer's exploring the nooks and crannies of my sister's barn)!  I shudder when I read it!*
     When I was at The Tattered Cover a few weeks ago, The Story of Charlotte's Web caught my eye... perhaps because of the simplicity of the cover which includes the picture of E.B. White as a child.  It made it into my shopping basket.  And, I'm so glad it did!
     Michael Sims has paid humble homage to White in this book.  E.B. White, shy and unassuming, makes for delightful subject matter.  Sims explores White's life, his writing, and his connection to nature with depth and candor.  He spends most of the book exploring Charlotte's Web from both the point of view of a writer and a philosopher.  Michael Sims writes about White with utmost respect.  
     I love that White describes himself as a "writing fool" as a child and I think my students will love to hear that.  In today's program-oriented climate, I worry sometimes that we're not nurturing our students to become "writing fools" as much as we are nudging them into the realms of "foolish writing!"  Sometimes it takes a detailed account of a writer's life to remind us what that life can and should look like... full of words, poetry, essay, exploration, research, and writing!  Sometimes we have to be reminded of what a writer is... and, in turn, help define for our students what power writing brings to their young lives (and ourselves perhaps)!
  NPR did a wonderful story on this book.  Why not take a read and a listen!  "It's not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both" (White, 1952, p. 184).  In this case, both White and Sims are tremendous writers!

*White's description is a great cousin text to the beginning pages of The Winter Room by Gary Paulsen.

No One But You

Tomorrow I go back to school.  As usual, I'm pondering the new year a lot.  My mind has been racing for the last week!  I still have about 100 things to do... and a short time to do it.  It seems as if summer just started.  Tomorrow I have a ton of work to do!
      To relax a bit today, I spent the afternoon at one of our local independent bookstores, The Tattered Cover.  It's always such a treat to spend the afternoon shopping with your children, perusing the shelves.  My youngest son and daughter went with me!  We had a great time drinking coffee (and hot chocolate), perusing, and chatting about books.  My son came with us and then I dropped him downtown to join his friends at Tha Myx (His youth group joins them periodically for service events).  It was a great afternoon.*
     My daughter and I found ourselves in the children's department for nearly two hours... just long enough to fill two bags with books.  My son hung out in the music section...
     No One But You by Douglas Wood is one of the books that made it into my overflowing basket.  There was something provocative about the book... from the the cover illustration to the narrative text to the last line, I was hooked.  I was looking for a book to start out the year with... (last year it was Necks Out For Adventure by Timothy Basil Ering.  We used it as our "theme" for the year... rereading it several times and asking "How are we sticking our necks out right now?").
     This book ends, "And no one – no one in all the wide world but you - can feel the feelings in your heart, knowing that someone loves you…and saying words only your lips can say; 'I love you, too.' No one but you."  It's a perfect sentiment, "No One But You!"  As I read through the book, I realized that it's going to be our "go to" book this year.  I'm reading it the first week as we talk about ownership, exploration, and growth.  Who's in charge? "No one but you..."
     I think it's the perfect book to start out the year (thanks again, Candlewick Press for publishing such great books).  I love the text (even though it's not school specific) and the illustrations are amazing.  I can't wait to share it with my students!  

- - - - - - - - 

Thanks for the gift certificate... you know who you are!  It was a special treat even though it's taken me this long to get there!

I'll be blogging a bit about some of my other finds!  Stay tuned.   

The Junkyard Wonders.

I found Patricia Polacco's latest book The Junkyard Wonders last Sunday while perusing the bookstore.  I'm such a creature of habit when it comes to shopping at the bookstore... a cup of coffee is a must, I search the "new releases" display,  I check my favorite authors to see if there are any new titles I have missed, then I look at which titles are facing out (and wonder why so many celebrities think they can write), and finally I thumb through the remaining titles until I find a book or two that intrigue me.  I take my five or ten titles and I plop in the most comfy spot I can to make my choices.  The Junkyard Wonders made it in to my bag this week.
     This book is classic Polacco... rich story telling, beautiful illustrations, wonderful words, schema-rich story line.  I love when I read through one of Polacco's books and say, "Can this be true?"  And, then at the end of the read she includes a small snippet of how the idea developed from her experiences.  Patricia Polacco is a master at taking a slice of life and growing it into a complex, rich, and engaging story.
     In The Junkyard Wonders, the main character Trish discovers that her new classroom is known as "The Junkyard," the classroom for students with special needs.  In fact, she moves to live with her grandparents so she won't have to be singled out because of her learning difficulties and is crushed when she discovers that despite the move she's placed in a "special" classroom.  What she discovers is that all the students in Mrs. Peterson's room have unique gifts and special talents.  I love Mrs. Peterson, she's innovative, quirky, and wise... and not once do we hear about her intervention checklist.  She teaches with "tears" and laughter and insight... not with "tiers" and checklists and data points and plot graphs and paperwork and progress monitoring... her response to intervention is to know her children and to challenge their intellect (oops, a little sermonizing).  Trish and her classmates realize that Mrs. Peterson recognizes their unique abilities and strengths as they grow together as a community of learners.
     The Junkyard Wonders celebrates children and their distinctive gifts.  Mrs. Peterson helps each child find wonder in learning and discovery in their own questions.  She divides the students into tribes and melts the entire group together.  They make a visit to a local junkyard searching for ideas for science fair projects.  Each student collects things that interests him or her.  They refurbish old model airplane and hope to fly it from the school's roof.  Of course, their plan is challenged, but in the end... well, let's just say the ending is symbolic.  The message is so apropos for today's educational climate!
     I am so appreciative of Patricia Polacco's sincerity, voice, candor, and insight.  I can't wait to hear her speak at our annual Colorado reading convention in February.  In this book, she's once again used her own experiences as a learner to nudge us to think deeply about our own teaching.  Perhaps it's time to bring out our inner "Mrs. Peterson" and take a closer look at some of the things we're being asked to do as educators that just don't quite mesh with the needs of our students, eh?  I wonder if we're encouraging the "Trishes" in our classrooms...

Oh, THAT Henry Cole

I was looking over a blog about A Nest for Celeste and in my mind, I was repeating, "Henry Cole... Henry Cole... Henry Cole..." and then I realized why his name sounded so familiar.  I went on a search in my home and classroom libraries and realized how many books I had that were illustrated by Cole.  Although he didn't write the text, some of the  books are sweet, some hilarious, some full of wonderful words, some poignant, some happy, some sad, some delightful... The best part, all are illustrated by Henry Cole, beautifully!

• On Meadowview Street is about a girl who goes about changing the fact that there is no view on her street (nor a meadow),  
• Some Smug Slug is a great read aloud and full of rich vocabulary,
• Little Bo is a bedtime favorite by Julie Edwards, 
• Trudy is a delightful story of a girl whose grandfather buys her a goat at the county fair and she ends up with a special surprise, 
• Chicken Butt is just plain hilarious and fun to read out loud, 
• The Rubber-Legged Ducky is about being unique and your own person (duck?), 
• BIG Chickens is a raucous read and fun to read with a friend.

Jackass! Who, me?

Yesterday as we were sorting paperwork at home, I found $150 worth of gift certificates to The Tattered Cover, our large local independent.  So, naturally I stopped in on my way home from the dentist's office.  I picked up a few gems (hurrah, more blog material)!

     The first was It's a Book by Lane Smith.  I love this book, written with Lane Smith's typical humor and tongue-in-cheek style.  Lane, a frequent collaborator with Jon Scieszka, has written a "book" taking a jab at the digital age.  Why?  "It's a book, Jackass!" (you'll understand this line when you read it).

     dix b%k md me *L*!  itz Lane's wA of sAyn datbux r impt.  We cnot 4gt hw gud it feels 2 hld a b%k n r hands.  evn W II d teknoloG w'v 2day!  itz hs statemnt of how impt holdN a b%k n yr h& S!  (See if you can transl8 this).

      The illustrations in this book are simple, subtle, and superb!  With just a twist of an eyebrow, a change in the corner of a smile, or by a nod and a tip of a hat, Lane captures such an important story taking a jab at today's technology.  The monkey, the mouse, and the "donkey" are developed as rich characters via simple dialogue and rich illustrations.  I can't wait to read it at my next gathering of teacher friends or at my next inservice... 

      It's among one of several gems I picked up yesterday... and the good news is, I still have $90 to spend.  Yesterday, I had two great finds... the gift certificates and this book!

More...

Gift #4 - The Greatest Story Never Told

The Greatest Story Never Told by Ray Negron is the fourth book I added to our classroom collection as a gift to my students.  I love finding picture books about sports and this is one of several of Negron's books about baseball.

     In this story, two boys named Skippy and Connor are visted by Batboy Ray, a retired batboy for the Yankees.  Skippy and Connor are both facing serious illness (one diabetes and one cancer) and do not like being roommates in the hospital. 

     Ray takes the boys "back in time" to meet Babe Ruth.  Then the Bambino introduces thems to Jackie Robinson playing on Ebbets Field.  Throughout the story they meet other baseball heroes Roberto Clemente, George Steinbrenner, and Chien-Ming Want.  

     This story of friendship and tolerance unfolds as the boys learn about overcoming racism and adversity.  It's the illustrations that hold this story together.  The interesting mix of characters in the story give students a nudge to investigate whether any of the relationships were authentic in real-life.  I could see this book as a way to begin "sorting fact from fiction."  Several of my students have already read it and are asking great questions about the story itself. 

Oh... and the best part about these gift books... I bought them at the corner drugstore in a bin marked "Four for $20"... can't beat that, eh?  Better than cupcakes any day!.