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Interview with RISD Instructor and Children's Book Author, April Jones Prince
The creative and supportive April Jones Prince talks about how we write to create a connection with others, how when she gets stuck as a writer she thinks of the encouraging comments she uses to support her students and how she wants to empower everyone to see themselves as readers and writers.
Together with Judy Sue Goodwin Sturges, April teaches Picture and Word at Rhode Island School of Design. When she feels stuck as a writer, she reminds herself of the encouraging comments she uses to support her students to move past the blank page. She remembers that only she can tell a story in a specific way and that every picture book has a question and an answer that hits the reader in the heart. To support her instruction, April uses a myriad of picture books and Ann Whitford Paul's, Writing Picture Books. April's newest book, You Are a Reader!/You Are a Writer! is an incredible work of art that should be in every elementary classroom because it emphasizes the fact that every person is a reader and a writer. On the blog Teachers Books Readers, I list ten reasons why every classroom needs this book. For the sake of brevity, I'll only list reason number here. The world needs your students' voices and this gem will teach your students how to put their hearts on the page. During our discussion, April talks about how she' s learned to put passion on the page whether she's writing nonfiction or fiction. She gives a shout out to Melissa Stewart's fabulous book Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep because it highlights fifty nonfiction authors and how they mine their passions, personalities, beliefs and experiences to create engaging texts. She also reminds listeners that kids love Melissa's book Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs because it hits readers in the heart. Before I list the titles April thinks every classroom should have, we also spent some time discussing an activity that revolves around April's title Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing. The book is the true story of how P.T. Barnum and his elephants helped convince people that it was safe to use the Brooklyn Bridge. When April visits classrooms, she brings in various circus items. The students work together to write descriptive paragraphs about one of the items and based on their descriptions, the other students have to guess if the item is hay for the elephants, or the tophat, or the clown shoe. April thinks every classroom should have these two titles: 1) Teammates by Peter Golenbock Teammates focuses on the relationship between Jackie Robinson, who April thinks is the most amazing human being ever and his teammate Peewee Reese. April loves how this book celebrates Jackie Robinson's incredible bravery and fortitude as he desegregated professional baseball and shows readers how to be an ally. Be sure to check out April's early reader about Jackie. 2) Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family's Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh This book highlights the many different layers of discrimination in our society in an accessible way for readers of all ages. Duncan's titles are part of the 2021 Global Read Aloud. I'm planning on reading this title to my class and through the event I hope to provide my students a chance to discuss the text with other readers in different places. April Jones Prince generously donated a signed copy of You Are a Reader! /You Are a Writer! to a lucky podcast listener. There are several ways to enter: 1) Tweet or retweet this episode and be sure to tag me and April, 2) Go to www.katenarita.com/podcast and make a comment on this episode’s post, 3) Make a comment about the episode on our Chalk + Ink Facebook page; and 4) Become a Chalk + Ink Patreon supporter. Patreon supporters are automatically entered into each giveaway. Each one of these actions is the equivalent of one entry which means people could have up to four entries for each giveaway. In order to enter the giveaway, these actions must be completed by midnight on Friday, October 15th. The winner will be announced on Friday, October 22nd, on the podcast as well as on Twitter and on our Facebook page. I have a favor to ask, if you enjoy this podcast, please leave a positive review wherever you listen to your podcasts. That will help other listeners find us. Finally, I want to give a shout out to Sarah Brannen for Chalk + Ink’s podcast art. Sarah’s latest book, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, earned a starred review from Kirkus. Here's the homework for October 22nd: Join the 2021 Global Read Aloud. Happy listening!
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Interview with College Professor and Scientist, Loree Griffin BurnsThe flexible and observant Loree Griffin Burns talks about how teaching has forced her to dissect her writing process as well as her product which has made her a better writer, how as a teacher she’s embracing the writing process instead of leaning on students’ products and how sometimes the labels we assign to ourselves hold us back from finding out who we really are. Loree teaches undergraduate as well as graduate students. In her undergraduate class, she teaches a memoir unit and she reads Birds of a Feather: Bowerbirds and Me by Susan L. Roth to her class. In addition to being a stunning piece of art, Birds of a Feather: Bowerbirds and Me is a cross between nonfiction and memoir. After Loree reads the book to her class, she challenges them to write a memoir that reveals who they are by comparing themselves to an animal. Another one of the picture books Loree uses when teaching memoir is Watercress by Andrea Wang, illustrated byJason Chin. I have been wanting to read this book for a long time, and talking to Loree made me realize I can't wait any longer! We also talked in depth about two of Loree's fabulous books: You're Invited to a Moth Ball and Citizen Scientists. You're Invited to a Moth Ball: A Nighttime Insect Celebration invites readers to join Loree at her house as she welcomes moths of all different colors and sizes to her yard in central Massachusetts. Even better, the book gives readers the information they need to have a moth ball in their own neighborhoods. We also delve into Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard. I love that this book gives examples of how to engage with the natural world during all four seasons, not just during warm weather. Before we move onto the books Loree thinks should be in every classroom, I want to give a shout out to two of Loree's other titles that my students gravitate toward each year: Tracking Trash and Hive Detectives. I highly recommend both titles for students who are interested in preventing plastic pollution or protecting honey bees. It totally thrilled me when I asked Loree which books she felt should be in every classroom because she mentioned two ofJeanine Atkins' titles: Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science and its companion title Grasping Mysteries: Girls Who Loved Math. Although these books are shelved in fiction because they're written in first person poems, each book is a collection of biographies. Finding Wonders features Maria Merian, Mary Anning and Maria Mitchell. Grasping Mysteries also features scientists but Jeanine highlights how math shaped their work. Luckily, I have Finding Wonders in my classroom but I'll have to purchase Grasping Mysteries because I have two girls in my class this year who are obsessed with space and this collection features two astronomers. Can't wait! Loree shared that the book that has impacted her the most over the past couple of years is Rex Ogle's Free Lunch. This book is a memoir about Rex's very difficult childhood and Loree wishes this book would have been around when she was a child. In 2020, Free Lunch won the YALSA's Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction award. An author who is bringing Loree a tremendous amount of joy is poet and professor, Ross Gay. Loree highly recommends The Book of Delights and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude. Both of these titles will be on my holiday wishlist. If you'd like to win a signed copy of You're Invited to a Moth Ball, take one or more of these actions: 1) Tweet or retweet this episode and be sure to tag me and Loree, 2) Make a comment below on the episode’s post, 3) Make a comment about the episode on our Chalk + Ink Facebook page; and 4) Become a Chalk + Ink Patreon supporter. Patreon supporters are automatically entered into each giveaway. Each one of these actions is the equivalent of one entry which means people could have up to four entries for each giveaway. In order to enter the giveaway, these actions must be completed by midnight on Friday, October first. The winner will be announced on Friday, October 8th, on the podcast as well as on Twitter and on our Facebook page. Congrats to last episode's giveaway winner, Sharon Abra Hannen! Sharon, you won a picture book manuscript critique from Carole Boston Weatherford. Yahoo! Here's the homework for October 8th: Read YOU ARE A READER!/YOU ARE A WRITER! written by April Jones Prince and illustrated by Christine Davenier. Happy listening! 
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Interview with College Professor and Poet, Carole Boston Weatherford
The multi-talented and transcendent Carole Boston Weatherford talks about how she scaffolds her English class assignments to meet the needs of all learners, how she channeled Billie Holiday’s voice while writing Becoming Billie Holiday which led to other masterful books such as Birmingham, 1963 and Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement, and that the author and teacher’s influence extends far beyond a single reader turning a page or the students sitting in front of us.
In addition to channeling, Carole talks about how authors and illustrators create heart projects for one another. During this part of the discussion, Carole talks about Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre illustrated by Floyd Cooper and Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library illustrated by Eric Velasquez. We dive into Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom. Originally, Carole had written this text as a picture book. Then, two amazing picture book biographies debuted about Henry Brown which were both illustrated by artists Carole had previously collaborated with, Henry's Freedom Box illustrated by Kadir Nelson and Freedom Song illustrated by Sean Quails. So, she rewrote the manuscript for older readers and created a masterpiece that is not only an ode to Henry Brown but whose structure highlights the confinement of slavery and the box Henry Brown travelled in to mail himself to freedom. We also talked about these other amazing books Carole has written: Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins Jazz Baby The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer You Can Fly: The Tuskegee Airmen Beauty Mark Conjures an Icon: A Verse Novel of Marilyn Monroe Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul During the episode, Carole talks about how two books by Jacqueline Woodson, The Other Side and Coming on Home Soon influenced her own writing. Carole believes every classroom should have the following books: 1) Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson This is a biography in verse about botanist and professor George Washington Carver. 2) The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra: The Sound of Joy is Enlightening by Chris Raschka This biography marks the centennial of this jazz great's birth. 3) What Can You Do with a Voice Like That?: The Story of the Remarkable Congresswoman Barbara Jordan written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Ekua Holmes If you live near Boston, be sure to check out the MFA's exhibit featuring Ekua Holmes' work. 4) William Still and his Freedom Stories: Father of the Underground Railroad by Don Tate The father of the underground railroad kept meticulous records which helped reunite families after the emancipation. 5) Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Phillip Freelon by Kelly Starling Lyons This late architect from North Carolina headed up the creation of the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington DC. 6) Shirley Chisholm Dared: The Story of the first Black Woman in Congress by Alicia D. Williams Listen here to Chalk + Ink's interview with Alicia. This episode’s giveaway is amazing. It’s a picture book manuscript from Carole Boston Weatherford. There are several ways to enter: 1) Tweet or retweet this episode and be sure to tag me and Carole, 2) Make a comment below on this post, 3) Make a comment about the episode on our Chalk + Ink Facebook page; and 4) Become a Chalk + Ink Patreon supporter. Patreon supporters are automatically entered into each giveaway. Each one of these actions is the equivalent of one entry which means people can have up to four entries for each giveaway. In order to enter the giveaway, these actions must be completed by midnight on Friday, September seventeenth. The winner will be announced on Friday, September 24th, on the podcast as well as on Twitter and on our Facebook page. I have a favor to ask, if you enjoy this podcast, please leave a positive review wherever you listen to your podcasts. That will help other listeners find us. Finally, I want to give a shout out to Sarah Brannen for Chalk + Ink’s podcast art. If you want to make the most out of these last few summer weeks, be sure to check out Sarah’s A Perfect Day for some summertime fun. Happy listening!
Welcome back to Chalk + Ink: The Podcast for Teachers Who Write and Writers Who Teach. I'm your host Kate Narita, author of 100 Bugs! A Counting Book and fourth grade teacher.
This is the first episode of Chalk + Ink’s second season. It’s also a new season in my life. My youngest son left for college last week which makes my husband and me official empty nesters. To keep myself from bursting into tears throughout the quiet days, I have been pouring energy into this kickoff episode. We ended season one with a compilation of top ten writing tips for a creative summer and we’re going to start season two off with top ten writers’ workshop tips to help you set your students up for creative success throughout the year. Making this episode has made me so psyched to go back to school. Let’s get started. Tip Number Ten: Plan for Success If you’ve been listening to this podcast, you know I like to get started or jump right in. I’m that way in school, too. But when I rush the planning process in writer’s workshop, I end up with a bunch of students staring at an empty page or students who get off to a great start and then get stalled in the creative process. Listen to how third grade teacher and author, Hannah Stark, sets her students up for writing success from day one. Tip Number Nine: Go Green So thanks to Hannah Stark and tip number ten your students are all planned out for narrative success. Let’s get real. No matter how much time you and your students invest in prewriting, sometimes kids don’t want to write narrative, informational or opinion texts. Sometimes kids just want to write to have fun. Listen to how novelist and third grade teacher, Jody Little, incorporates greenbelt writing into her classroom once a week. Tip Number Eight: Idea Boxes So how do we inspire the joy of writing all day every day, not just during greenbelt writing blocks? Give students idea boxes and a stack of index cards at the beginning of the year. Encourage students to jot down an idea whenever it comes to them and add it to their box (even if it’s during math or science-gasp!). This technique will help students understand that writers are always open to ideas no matter what they’re doing. Listen to how author and second grade teacher, Katrina Moore, uses an idea box to spark her own creativity and encourages other aspiring authors to do the same. Tip Number Seven: Marvelous Multiple Intelligences You’ve incorporated the joy of writing into your writer’s workshop and implemented lots of activities to grow ideas, but some students are still stuck. Why? Because if we forget to stimulate multiple intelligences and simply want kids to sit and write, they’ll freeze up. Listen to how the 2020 Newbery honoree and artist in residence, Alicia D. Williams, uses vocal orchestras and teamwork activities to get students’ creativity moving and grooving. Tip Number Six: Wonderful Word Choice Words are flowing thanks to all of our prewriting activities, but if we see, hear or read another sentence that starts with “I went,” one more time, we may cry. I don’t know about you, but I’ve done enough crying this week. In order to avoid tears during writer’s workshop, create word lists with your students throughout the year. Listen to how middle grade instructor and author, Michelle Schaub, immerses her students in rich vocabulary and encourages them not only to use the words in their writing and speech but to be on the lookout for wonderful words in their environment as well. If you like talking about the wonder of words, be sure to listen to April Jones Prince’s episode which will publish October 8th. Tip Number Five: Poetry Power Your students have a rich vocabulary, now what? Put the five paragraph essays aside and incorporate some poetry. Take a tip from Michelle Schaub and start with a collective poem to build students’ confidence. Then, follow librarian Jolene Gutierrez’s advice and take your workshop outside to help students incorporate sensory details. Finally, remind them poetry is fun because you don’t have to follow the rules. If poetry is your jam, be sure to listen to Chalk + Ink’s interview with Carole Boston Weatherford on September 10th. Her picture books embody the power of poetry. Tip Number Four: Emphasize Empathy Currently, there’s a lot of pressure to integrate social emotional learning into the classroom. One way we can add more social emotional learning into our days is by incorporating it into our writer’s workshop. Librarian Cathy Breisacher uses pictures as prompts. She asks questions that require students to infer the subject’s feelings. School counselor and author Sarah Scheerger shows a graphic-novel style page from her middle school novel Operation Frog Effect and asks students to write that same scene from a different perspective. Tip Number Three: Editing Excellence In the past, I’ve done partner editing when students have a complete draft. While it’s been effective in some ways, it presents some problems. The first challenge is it takes some students a long time to finish a draft which means they may wait weeks to get student feedback. The second challenge is that some students wait for friends to finish before they edit because they want to work with a specific person. Listen to how author and educational consultant, Angela Shante, streamlines the peer editing process by incorporating ten minutes of daily editing with fixed student groups. Tip Number Two: Authentic Audiences Writing is a form of communication and students will be most likely to engage in writing, whether it’s narrative, informational or opinion if they’re writing for authentic audiences. Listen to how these three educators and authors suggest creating authentic audiences for their students. In this section, we’ll hear Melissa Stewart talk about classroom blogs, Ernesto Cisneros talk about bookmark recommendations and elementary librarian and author, Lisa Rogers enlists students to decide whether or not their school library collection should or should not include titles that have been banned by some libraries and schools. Tip Number One: Lit Libraries Finally, if we want students to write, they have to see themselves as authors. Second grade teacher and author Katrina Moore talks about what happens when students don’t see themselves reflected in the classroom library. Cathy Breisacher talks about incorporating students’ books into the school library collection. Thanks so much for listening to the Chalk + Ink Season Opener. We have some new features this year. At the end of every episode, I’ll be assigning optional homework. Before September 10th, be sure to read Carole Boston Weatherford’s Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre illustrated by Floyd Cooper and The Roots of Rap illustrated by James Morrison. Do you have to read these books ahead of time? Of course not, it’s optional. But you’ll probably get more out of the episode if you’re familiar with Carole’s work. The next feature is tons of fun. Each episode will include a giveaway. This episode’s giveaway is a signed copy of 100 Bugs! from me. There are several ways to enter: 1) Tweet or retweet this episode and be sure to tag me and at least one of the featured authors as well, 2) Make a comment on this post, 3) Make a comment about the episode on our Chalk + Ink Facebook page; and 4) Become a Chalk + Ink Patreon supporter. Patreon supporters are automatically entered into each giveaway. Each one of these actions is the equivalent of one entry which means people could have up to four entries for each giveaway. In order to enter the giveaway, these actions must be completed by midnight on Friday, September third. The winner will be announced on Friday, September 10th, on the podcast as well as on Twitter and on our Facebook page. I have a favor to ask, if you enjoy this podcast, please leave a positive review wherever you listen to your podcasts. That will help other listeners find us. Finally, I want to give a shout out to Sarah Brannen for Chalk + Ink’s podcast art. If you want to make the most out of these last few summer weeks, be sure to check out Sarah’s A Perfect Day for some summertime fun. I look forward to chatting with you again on September 10th. Until then, best of luck with the beginning of the school year. Top Ten Summer Writing Tips
Welcome back to Chalk + Ink: The Podcast for Teachers Who Write and Writers Who Teach. I’m your host Kate Narita, author of 100 Bugs! A Counting Book and fourth grade teacher.
Believe it or not, the school year is wrapping up. For teachers who write and writers who teach that means more time to write. To celebrate the end of Chalk + Ink’s first season, I’ve compiled the top ten writing tips from the first season’s collaborators to help get listeners psyched up for a creative, productive summer. I know this has been a particularly exhausting year and for some people, preparing for a summer of writing may not seem like a restorative practice. But for me and for you, a summer of writing is probably exactly what you need otherwise you wouldn’t be listening to this podcast. This episode embodies the reason this podcast exists. You count. You matter. Your creativity counts. Your happiness matters. Put every thought of the classroom, whether it was physical, virtual or some mind-bending combination aside, and dive deep into your creative self. Whether you are a budding or a blooming writer, these tips will help you deepen your creative practice. Let’s get started! Tip Number Ten: Set Your Summer Goals Now. Don’t wait a second longer. If single parent, third grade teacher and author, Hannah Stark, can find time to plan for success, you can, too. Tip Number Nine: Get Current. People say if you want to write, you have to read. But what exactly does that mean? How many books and what should you look for? Librarian Lisa Rogers explains how it’s done. Tip Number Eight: Learn the Craft Moves. If you’re not sure what goals to set or what part of craft to focus on this summer, educate yourself. For picture book tips, check out Rob Sanders' blog Picture This. Want to know more about the craft of nonfiction, study Melissa Stewart’s blog, Celebrate Science. Maybe you want to deepen your poetry skills, peruse Michelle Schaub’s blog Poetry Boost. Don’t just visit these sites once. That’s not what I’m talking about. Commit to reading one entry a day to deepen your knowledge. Tip Number Seven: Strengthen Your Word Choice: Michelle Schaub quotes Mark Twain, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter--it is the difference between the lightning bug and lightning.” Michelle explains how to find the just right word. Tip Number Six: Know Your Characters: Two outstanding novelists, third grade teacher Jody Little, and instructional aide and Newbery honoree, Alicia D. Williams, let their characters take the lead. Tip Number Five: Find Your Voice. Rob Sanders, Jen Swanson and Hannah Stark all have something to say about voice. Tip Number Four: Be vulnerable. Don’t shy away from topics that are tough for you to write about. Teacher educator and STEM author Melissa Stewart talks about finding the courage to write one of her most well-loved books, Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes and Stinkers. Tip Number Three: Write In Your Underwear. Not literally, but figuratively. Pura Belpre Award Winner Ernesto Cisneros talks about how his debut award-winning novel Efren Divided emerged when he started focusing on writing a story that was true to himself and what he wanted to read as a kid instead of worrying about publication. Tip Number Two: Find the Heart Before You Start. Second grade teacher and author Katrina Moore explains how finding the heart before she starts has transformed her writing career. Tip Number One: Decide You Have a Story Someone Needs to Hear. Newbery Honoree Alicia D. Williams, author of Genesis Begins Again and Jump At The Sun, explains that the key isn’t deciding that you have a story to tell but deciding you have a story someone needs to hear. Don’t let nothing stop you Chalk + Ink listeners. You got this! There are so many more invaluable writing tips in each episode of season one. I hope you’ll listen to each interview and take advantage of the invaluable knowledge each creator shared. Chalk + Ink will be back on August 27th with the top ten teaching tips from the first season to get us psyched up for the 2021/2022 school year. Before I say goodbye and begin what I hope will be my most creative summer yet, I do have a favor to ask. If you enjoy listening to this show, if it’s given you ideas to take back to the classroom or tips to improve your own creative process, please leave a positive review on Stitcher, I-tunes, Google or wherever you download your podcasts. Positive reviews will help other listeners find us. Finally, I want to give a shout out to author/illustratorSarah Brannen for creating the art for Chalk + Ink. Sarah’s newest book that she illustrated, Summertime Sleepers is now available at your local bookstore. As for me, estivation is not part of my summer plan but digging deep into my heart is. I look forward to chatting again on August 27th. Until then, happy writing! Interview with Newbery Honoree and Instructional Assistant, Alicia D. Williams
Welcome back to Chalk + Ink: The Podcast for Teachers Who Write and Writers Who Teach. Meet Alicia D. Williams, Newbery Honoree and instructional aide. Alicia is the author of the Newbery Honor novel Genesis Begins Again and Jump at the Sun, a picture book biography about Zora Neale Hurston.
During this episode, the vivacious and courageous Alicia D. Williams tackles tough topics such as the importance of diversifying the academic canon so that all children see reflections of themselves in the classroom, why children as young as five years old believe they don't belong because of their brown skin and how colorism has existed for generations yet it's not discussed or acknowledged. In fact, when Alicia was in graduate school, one professor told her she couldn't write a novel about colorism. Luckily, Alicia sought out another professor's opinion. The second professor assured Alicia that her novel was well done and that the only reason why the first professor had told Alicia not to write Genesis Begins Again was because the topic hit too close to the bone. The novel's dedication reads, "For every person who has ever felt they weren't good enough. You were. And always will be," which is why every child should have access to this book. Who hasn't felt lesser than at some point in their life? Of course life isn't always a struggle. There are countless joyous moments and many of them are expressed through art which is one of the reasons why Alicia wants young readers to learn about Zora Neale Hurston. Jump at the Sun is tons of fun and will give readers a peek at one of the important writers of the Harlem Renaissance. Alicia gives great tips on how classroom teachers can spark creativity before beginning writer's workshop. One idea she talks about is splitting the class up into various groups to form a vocal orchestra. Teachers can show four different pictures of instruments and ask each group to mimic the sound of a different instrument. Then all four sounds can come together in a pre writer's workshop jam. Asking students to engage in a creative exercise before sitting down to write will help them not freeze up when it's time to put pencil to paper. According to Alicia, every classroom should have a copy of Renee Watson's Harlem's Little Blackbird, a picture book biography about singer and dancer, Florence Mills, another important member of the Harlem Renaissance. We also gave shout outs to Renee Watson's Some Places More Than Others and Ways to Make Sunshine and Jonah Winter's Lillian's Right to Vote. Happy listening! Interview with Author and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Sarah Lynn Scheerger
Welcome back to Chalk + Ink: The Podcast for Teachers Who Write and Writers Who Teach. Meet licensed clinical social worker and children's author, Sarah Lynn Scheerger. Sarah is the author of eight books, from picture books to young adult novels.
In this episode, Sarah talks about how reading, writing and social emotional learning (SEL) are intertwined, how to take advantage of pockets of time (she has four children, in kindergarten through high school), and the importance of supporting students with different learning styles. One of my favorite aspects of this episode is that it feels like a warm hug, just like her picture book Mitzvah Pizza. I don't know about you, but a warm hug is just what I needed this week! Sarah's inspiration for her books comes from various places. We didn't talk about all of Sarah's books, but we did discuss the following titles: 1) Mitzvah Pizza I love this sweet, kind book that overflows with empathy! Sarah talks about how the inspiration from this book came when she was preparing to talk to students about empathy and discovered this Ellen Show episode. You can read about the real life pizzeria, Rosa's Fresh Pizza, that inspired Sarah's book here. 2) 1-2-3, Va-Va Vroom! A Counting Book Sarah's oldest son loved race cars but wasn't fond of learning his numbers to prepare for kindergarten. So, she came up with a super creative idea of pretending a pencil was a race car creating a figure-eight race track. Have fun reading this title! 3) Tip-Tap Pop This is a story of how a young girl uses tap dancing to communicate with her grandpa when his memory begins to fail him. This book would pair nicely with The Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros, Drawn Together by Minh Le and Katrina Moore's Grandpa Grumps. Listen to Chalk + Ink's interview with Katrina Moorehere. 4) Meet the Boulder Brothers: Mo and Jo Mo Willem's Elephant & Piggy books inspired Sarah to create this early chapter book. 5) Operation Frog Effect Sarah runs an intervention and prevention program in many sixth-grade classrooms. Many of the classrooms read Wonder by R. J. Palacio. As the classrooms read the book, the empathy in the classroom communities grew. Sarah knew she wanted to write a book that would have the same effect. Operation Frog Effect is also a tribute to Sarah's own innovative fourth grade teacher. 6) How to Live on the Edge Sarah has the BRCA gene mutation which increases her risk of contracting breast and ovarian cancer. Sometimes people with this gene mutation opt to have a masectomy. Sarah began thinking about how this is a very different decision for someone who is older and already had children versus someone who discovers they have the gene mutation as a teenager. This thought process led to the creation of Sarah's risk-taking character, Cayenne. Sarah recommends that all middle school classrooms have the following titles: 1) Efren Divided by Ernesto Cisneros This is Sarah's favorite book of the year. She thinks every school, every library and every home should have this title because Ernesto writes with such heart. Listen to Chalk + Ink's interview with Ernesto here. 2) Wonder byR.J. Palacio This is Sarah's all-time favorite multi-viewpoint book. She holds this book up as a gold standard. Sarah listed these last books and then asked me to talk about the titles I'd read. I talked about a few of them on the podcast, but I've read more than I talked about on the episode. My opionions are below. 3)A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee I love this book because it explores the inner courage individuals need to stand up to systemic injustices. 4) Everlasting Nora byMarie Miranda Cruz I haven't read this book but now it'll be in my "to be read" stack. 5) The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden For me, this book should be in every classroom because it takes a deep dive into poverty and emotional abuse. I'm super glad Sarah brought up this title because Ann Braden has a new book that releases in just a few days, The Flight of the Puffin (It's being compared to Wonder). So now I have another book to add to my stack! 6) Front Desk by Kelly Yang This is a Project Lit Book Club title like so many of the other books on this list. Our Project Lit Book Club at Center School read this title last year and it was a big hit. Also, there's a sequel which is great for kids who like to read series. 7) Any Book by Dusti Bowling I admit I have not read any of Dusti Bowling's books but I obviously need to get on that! 8) Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea This is another outstanding title and a fellow Massachusetts author. I need to buy another copy of this book because my first copy disappeared long ago from my classroom-that's what happens to the books the kids love. Happy listening! Interview with Middle Grade Science Teacher and
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