Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Behind the Books: Wow!
Monday, April 28, 2014
Deadliest Animals: Text Features
Text features are a key component of the National
Geographic Readers. They help to break up the main text and keep the pages
vibrant and visually dynamic.
Level 3 readers include:
--a table of contents
--seven jokes
--five Weird But True facts
--a couple of repeating sidebars
--a 10 Cool Things spread
--eleven glossary terms
--an index
--a table of contents
--seven jokes
--five Weird But True facts
--a couple of repeating sidebars
--a 10 Cool Things spread
--eleven glossary terms
--an index
Not all Level 3 titles have subheads, but we did use them
throughout Deadliest
Animals. It helps readers to digest the information and keep track of the book’s overarching hierarchy.
Animals. It helps readers to digest the information and keep track of the book’s overarching hierarchy.
Each book has a
different, topic-appropriate name for the glossary terms. In Deadliest Animals, I initially used the
phrase “Word Bites,” but along the way, we decided to use “Deadly Definitions.”
This book ended up
having two kinds of repeating sidebars. There are five Death Toll sidebars and four
Toxic Tidbits sidebars evenly spaced throughout the book.
There are also three
Surprise boxes on pp. 8-9 and three Snake boxes on pp. 22-23. The idea is to
have lots of different elements, but for them to fall into a few definable
categories. This approach gives a sense of continuity to the overall
presentation. It may seem random, but it’s all carefully orchestrated.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Behind the Books: A Place for Butterflies
When
A Place for Butterflies—my very first
picture book—came out in 2006, I was over the moon. But I never could have
imagined how well it would be received by award committees or how popular it
would become with young readers. And
over time, it spawned a series that includes six books.
But
as times have changed, so has the plight of some of the butterflies in the
book. For some, the situation has improved. For others, unfortunately, it has
declined.
By
the middle of 2013, my publisher and I were concerned that the book was beginning
to seem outdated. At first, I thought the book would go out of print, but then
my publisher offered a fantastic solution—a second edition. The art and design would
stay the same, but I would have a chance to revise the text. That way young
readers could get the most up-to-date information.
I’m
very happy to announce that the new edition of A Place for Butterflies is now available. I’ve also updated the
educational materials that go with the book to address changes in education, so
the new Teachers Guide is aligned to both The Common Core standards and the Next
Generation Science Standards. Teachers can also download a song and lots of
related activities to do with their students. So in the end, everyone wins.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Deadliest Animals: Building a Book, Part 2
In The Art of Information Writing, Colleen
Cruz and Lucy Calkins say:
“The challenge when
teaching information writing is to teach children to generate ideas, align them
with facts, and weave both facts and ideas together into a text.”
Instead of the metaphor of weaving, I like to compare
nonfiction writing to the process of putting together the pieces of a puzzle or
constructing a building.
The puzzle pieces are my chunks. They are like building blocks of
different sizes and shapes. I play around with them, moving them here and there
until they fit together in a way that is clear and logical.
During this process,
I usually end up combining some chunks. And I break apart other chunks into
smaller pieces. My goal is to create sections and subsections that are parallel
and roughly equal in length. When nonfiction writing is well organized, it’s
easier for readers to hold the information in their mind and make sense of it
as they move from page to page.
Transitions are like
glue. They are like the mortar that holds the building blocks together. In The Art of Information Writing, Colleen
Cruz and Lucy Calkins say:
“Writing is like
constructing a paper chain—each piece must connect logically to the piece that
comes before it. One way to accomplish this is with transitional words.”
Transitional words
and phrases and sentences maintain a book’s flow. They are the tool I use to
move readers from one idea to the next.
Transitions are
important, but I try not to fall in love with them. Why? Because I have to be
ready and willing to toss them out and try again during the revision process.
If an editor doesn’t buy into the structure I’ve chosen for a book, I’ll have
to rip apart the manuscript, rearrange the chunks, and craft completely
different transitions to tie everything together. Sometimes this is a really
hard process. Sometimes I mourn darling transitions that I’m forced to kill.
But I have to have faith that making these changes will ultimately result in a
stronger manuscript. And that is always my goal.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Friday Fun: Super Silly Science Jokes
Q: Why did the little pebble look so much like the big boulder?
A: It was a chip off the old block.
Q: What did the angry rock say to the sassy
soil?
A: Come on! You want a piece of me?
Q: Why does magma move in circles?
A: It doesn’t want to be square.
Q: What did Ruby’s grandmother tell her?
A: Sweetheart, you’re a real gem!
Q: How do mountains hear?
A: With mountaineers.
Looking for more super silly jokes about the
weather? Check out Mountains of Jokes
About Rocks, Minerals, and Soil.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Behind the Books: Teaching Tools for Writing Informational Text
Back in February, when
Feathers: Not Just for Flying was published,
I blogged about the book-related
resource that I created to go with it—a mini-lesson that consists of the book, a
video, and a worksheet.
Educators seem to
really like it, so I decided to create another one for Beneath the Sun. This time,
the mini-lesson focuses on Vivid
Verbs. You can download everything you need to get started from my website.
Please let me know
what you think.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Deadliest Animals: Building a Book, Part 1
In The Art of
Information Writing, the lesson on beginnings comes in the middle of the
book. Colleen Cruz and Lucy Calkins suggest that writers not worry about their
beginning at the start of the writing process. They recommend that writers just
dive in to whichever TOC section they feel most confident or excited about.
That process probably does work well for some writers,
but not for me. I have to start with the opening line and move forward
methodically section by section. No matter how long a book is, I always begin
with the first line each day. I re-read everything I’ve already written before
picking up where I left off the previous day.
That doesn’t mean the first beginning I write is the
final beginning. Sometimes it changes a lot. But I need a foundation before I
can build the rest of my book.
Most of the time, the beginning of a book establishes its
overall structure. For example, the idea that my readers will be surprised
about which animals are most deadly is the core of my structure. The cover and
the first spread present the attributes of lions that make them skillful
hunters. This is what the reader expects. But by the second spread, I’m
challenging the reader’s expectations. This piques his/her curiosity.
Then I offer three surprising examples, which sends
readers the message that this book is more than they bargained for. By now,
kids are hooked.
So then I backtrack a bit, satisfying kids that some of
the ideas they brought to the book were correct. Then I move on, sharing
example after example, with each one more fascinating and surprising than the
last.
The book works because I keep my promise to my readers.
Each section presents deadly animals that surprise and delight. All the while,
readers are wondering, “What’s the most deadly critter of all?” And when they
read the end of the book, the answer doesn’t disappoint.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Friday Fun: Gross Out!
You’ll never guess how wolves use urine. Give
up? They use it to communicate.
About once a week, a pack of wolves patrols
the edges of its territory. The lead wolf, called the alpha male, pees every
few hundred feet. The strong scent sends a message to other wolves: “Go away,
or you’ll be sorry.”
For
more gross facts about our animal neighbors, check out Animal Grossapedia. But
be sure not to read it right after lunch!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Behind the Books: Beneath the Sun
I’m delighted to announce that yesterday was the publication date for my new book, Beneath the Sun. It’s a summery companion title for my previous book Under the Snow.
Under the Snow
came out in September 2009, and a few weeks later, my editor suggested that I write a
companion title about how animals survive on the hottest days of the year. So why was the
book 5 years in the making?
Here's the story behind the story. I submitted the book
in April 2010. I heard back from my editor in December 2010, and we went
through a few rounds of revisions.
When
the manuscript was ready, it went to the illustrator. She submitted first
sketches in March 2011 and revised sketches in October 2011. Some final art
came in during March 2012, but then the illustrator had a family medical
emergency and wasn’t able to deliver the rest of the final art until the
beginning of October 2013.
After
that, things moved quickly and the publisher was able to send the final files
to the printer on Halloween. Most picture books take about 6 months to print,
and that brings us right up to yesterday’s publication date.
It
can be hard to wait so long for a book to take physical form, but I’m thrilled
to finally hold it in my hands. Here’s hoping kids like it as much as they like
Under the Snow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)