Kate Narita: Children's Book Author - PODCAST

Kate Narita: Children's Book Author

Chalk & Ink: Season 2; Episode 30

1/21/2022

Interview with Authors and Educational Consultants,
Jeff Anderson and Whitney La Rocca

This episode is all about community building and becoming successful writers. Jeff and Whitney talk about how their strengths complement one another, how focusing on students’ success breeds more student success, and the importance of getting the first draft on paper.

Not only do Jeff and Whitney talk about how collaborating with one another has made them better writers, the dynamic duo also talk about the power of revising with their editor. They want students to know that they have a team of people who help them improve their writing just like students when they work with one another and their teacher to raise the level of their writing in writers workshop.

This discussion led me to wax on about the power of Chris Barton's new book, How to Make a Book (About My Dog) which shows kids how many people it takes to make a book.

Whitney and Jeff mentioned two specific books they think should be in elementary classrooms, a slew of authors, and great sites to check out other people's recommendations. Here goes!

Whitney gushed over the beauty of Love by Matt de la Pena and Jeff called Steve Sheinkin the Adam McKay (Don't Look Up) of children's literature and specifically mentioned Steve's book King George: What Was His Problem? I gave a shout out to Lincoln's Grave Robbers.

In addition, Whitney and Jeff listed the following authors: Jerry Craft, Alan Gratz, Sharon Draper, and Katherine Paterson.

I'm so grateful to Whitney for mentioning Nerdy Book Club and The Brown Bookshelf because they are resources everyone should be aware of.

Finally, we gave a shout out to author Melissa Stewart for bringing us all together.

Leave a comment below to enter to win a copy of Patterns of Power or Patterns of Wonder and many thanks to Stenhouse Publishers for their generosity.

Happy listening!

Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 29

1/6/2022

Interview with Author and Educator, Erin Dealey

The honest and positive, Erin Dealey, talks about how picture books are like theater, finding moments of magic in student writing, and following our dreams. Let’s get started.

When Erin realized picture books are like theater, she had a breakthrough moment in her writing. While reading to her daughter, she thought about how picture books have to be auditorily pleasing because you want people to read them aloud. This simile lead to other connections. In theater, you want people to come back after intermission which mirrors the importance of a page turn. Finally, in riveting theater, there's plenty of action to go along with the dialogue. So, she made sure action packed every page of her manuscripts.

Moments of Magic led to a breakthrough in her teaching. She started a creative writing class in her high school. Instead of focusing on what was wrong with her students' writing during conferences, she started looking for moments of magic in their work. When she found a particularly juicy sentence, she jotted it down and stuck it on her classroom's Moments of Magic bulletin board. Bonus: no need to decorate for Back-to-School Night. This breakthrough moment inspired me so much I created a Moments of Magic bulletin board in my classroom. Now, I just need to get some student samples up there!

Finally, Erin talked about how as teachers we give lip service to the phrase, "follow your dreams." We tell our kids and our students to follow their dreams, yet we don't follow our own. So, she encourages listeners to lead by example and commit to their writing practice and actively pursue their own dreams.

During this episode, we talked about several of Erin's titles. After Erin wrote a holiday skit for her students to avoid talking about Christmas, she realized it would make a fantastic picture book, Deck the Walls. Our discussion led to a fantastic discussion in my classroom about authors' tones. We talked about the warm fuzzy feeling in Snow Globe Wishes, the laugh out loud humor in Peter Easter Frog, and it's a new year so of course we talked about Dear Earth... From Your Friends in Room 5.

Erin thinks every elementary library should have the following titles:

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

This is Erin's favorite read aloud and she uses the title to teach writing as well.

Efren Divided by Ernesto Cisneros

This is the 2021 Pura Belpre Award winner and Ernesto's new book Falling Short comes out in March. Listen to the Chalk + Ink interview with Ernesto here.

Operation Frog Effect by Sarah Scheerger

Like Locomotion, this is a great novel to study for voice as well because it's told in eight different voices, including one in a graphic novel format. Listen to the Chalk + Ink interview with Sarah here.

Home for a While by Lauren Kerstein

This picture book features a child in foster care who doesn't want to unpack or open up. I haven't read it but it sounds like it might pair well with Kate DiCamillo's The Tiger Rising. Erin thinks it's a great windows and mirrors book to have in the classroom.

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael Lopez

Old Enough to Save the Planet by Loll Kirby

It features twelve young activists from around the world who are speaking out against climate change and it pairs well with Erin's Dear Earth... From Your Friends in Room 5.

The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher by Harry and Rosemary Wong

Erin's daughter, a second grade teacher, recommends this title for classroom teachers. I read this title back in the nineties, and I still use some of the systems the Wongs mention in their text. The underlying structure the systems provide allow for a lot of student choice in my classroom.

The Creativity Project by Colby Sharp

This has phenomenenal writing prompts written by kid lit creators that you can use in your classroom.

Planet Ocean by Patricia Newman and Annie Crawley

I love this title and have it in my classroom. It has QR codes that feature stunning ocean footage from underwater photographer Annie Crawley.

Erin could have gone on naming titles forever but we stopped there.

Erin generously donated one of her fabulous books to a podcast listener, a picture book critique, and a 30-minute Skype visit to a podcast supporter. There are several ways to enter: 1) Tweet or retweet this episode and be sure to tag me and Erin, 2) Write a comment below, 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, January 14th. The winner will be announced on Friday, January 21st, on the podcast as well as on Twitter and on our Facebook page.

Does hearing about all of Erin Dealey’s giveaways make you feel generous, too? Please leave a review wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews are a gift for me and for others because reviews help people discover this podcast.

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.

Happy listening!

Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 28

12/16/2021

Interview with Author and Educator, Zetta Elliott

This episode is full of heart. Zetta Elliott talks about how magic is for everyone, questions why some books aren’t reviewed, and shares a simple and flexible way to outline a novel that you can try yourself and/or share with your students.

Zetta's written many fabulous books. The ones we discuss in the interview are her Dragons in a Bag series, Say Her Name and the Caldecott Honor winner, A Place Inside of Me.

We talk about how the Dragons in a Bag series celebrates and includes groups of people who have often been omitted from fantasy narratives. In addition, Zetta illuminates urban settings, like abandoned factories, that are rarely if ever mentioned in a genre that elevates secret gardens and rural landscapes.

Say Her Name is an exquisite collection of poems that according to Jacqueline Woodson, "is a tribute to Black Women, in verse." While discussing "For Saundra," by Nikki Giovanni, which is included in Say Her Name, we examine the stereotypical assumption that cities don't make good subject matter for poetry, while trees do.

Finally, we chat about A Place Inside of Me. Zetta explains she changed the order of some stanzas in the poem to make more of a narrative arc. She questions why some books are reviewed while others are not.

If you're interested in winning one of Zetta's fantastic books, be sure to listen to the end of the episode to find out how to enter the giveaway.

Zetta thinks every upper grade classroom should have a copy of Ann Clare LeZotte's Show Me a Sign, which is a tension-filled, adventurous, historical fiction novel, which looks at how society discriminated against deaf people in the 1800's. I totally agree that this book should be in every classroom. I wish I would have mentioned A Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly, which examines some of the challenges that deaf children face today.

Happy listening and happy holidays! Feeling generous? Give Chalk + Ink a holiday gift and leave a positive review wherever you listen to your podcasts.

See you in the new year!

Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 27

12/2/2021

Interview with Elementary Librarian and Author,
Marcie Flinchum Atkins

The regimented and reflective, Marcie Flinchum Atkins, shares organizational tips to help listeners make the most out of every marvelous writing moment life has to offer, gives listeners a great revision tip that will raise works-in-progress to the next level, and explains how to incorporate different brainstorming techniques into your writer's workshop.

I've never met someone as organized as Marcie Flinchum Atkins. Not only is she organized, but she breaks her writing process, filing system, and goal setting routine into simple steps that listeners can follow. I can't wait to try out more of her tips.

The reason I chose the word, "more," instead of "some," is because I already tried one of Marcie's tips, and the exercise did indeed raise my current picture book in progress to another level. I couldn't believe how much I changed my manuscript as a result of holding my picture book dummy up as if I were reading it to my class twelve different times over the course of a week. True magic.

During the pandemic, Marcie enrolled in Becca Syme's Better-Faster Writing Academy. Marcie figured out her top five strengths, and now she leans into those processes to make the most out of her writing time.

Marcie has a ton of recommendations below, but before you read those, I want to say you need to have a copy of Marcie's book Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature in your hand as the energy level rises in your classroom this month. This title will help teachers and students slow down, take a deep breath, and appreciate the small treasures in our stunning world.

Since Marcie is an elementary librarian, she often reads titles ten-to-twelve times a week. Three titles that she enjoys reading over and over again are: Oh No! by Candace Fleming, Horrible Bear by Ame Dykeman and Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dykeman.

Marcie believes every elementary library should have the following books:

This Poem Is a Nest by Irene Latham
The author wrote a lengthy poem with four different parts. Then, she wrote 100 found poems inspired by her original poem. I'm not familiar with this book but I love Irene Latham and Charles Water's Dictionary for a Better World which we also talk about during the episode.

Watercress by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin
This book highlights a Chinese American family who stops their car to pick watercress along the side of the road. The book highlights the complex feelings of shame and joy surrounding cultural heritage. It's a great book for teaching personal narrative or memoir, and I believe it will be a 2022 ALA award winner.

What's In Your Pocket?: Collecting Nature's Treasures by Heather L. Montgomery
Montgomery highlights various scientists and childhood treasures they found in the natural world and then gives readers a window into the work they've done as an adult. Many people rave about this book. I have to check it out.

Shaking Things Up: Fourteen Women Who Changed the World by Susan Hood
This book features fourteen different styles of poems about fourteen females who changed the world and each poem is illustrated by a different female illustrator. I concur that this title is a must have!

Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge by Ray Anthony Shepard
This book has a beautiful cadence and it's about Ona Judge's daring escape as an enslaved person from George Washington.

Someone Builds the Dream by Lisa Wheeler and illustrated by Loren Long
So many different people build the infrastructure in our country, yet we rarely take the time to honor their contributions to our society. This book honors the construction workers, electricians, architects and many others who create structures that make our world a better place.

13 Ways to Eat a Fly by Sue Heavenrich
Talk about a brilliant nonfiction book! This book packs rhyme, math, science and most of all fun into 32-pages.

When the Schools Shut Down: A Young Girl's Story of Virginia's "Lost Generation" and the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education Decision by Yolanda Gladden and Dr. Tamara Pizzoli
During the spring of 2020, we experienced a shut down. Some of us didn't attend school for months while for others it was a whole year. But back in 1954, the schools in Farmville, Virginia shut down for five years rather than integrate. This book publishes in January of 2022, and will be a fantastic addition to schools' historical fiction collections.

Whew! Marcie came prepared with so many books. But hey, after listening to the episode, I wouldn't expect anything less from her.

To find out how to win a signed copy of one of Marcie's books, stay tuned to the end of the episode.

Happy listening!

Chalk + Ink; Season 2, Episode 26

11/18/2021

Interview with STEAM Teacher and Author,
Kristen Nordstrom

The responsive and inventive, Kristen Nordstrom, talks about learning from “lean-in” moments in teaching, how writing a sentence on a page is an act of bravery, and how the secret to getting started on the writing journey is to let yourself be imperfect.

Throughout her twenty-five year career, STEAM educator, Kristen Nordstrom, has taken the time to talk with her students to find out what kindles their passion for nonfiction. Her students have shared that they love animals and they love learning about the world they live in. Kristen's students know that the nonfiction section in the library is not boring but the part of the library where they can find answers to their questions and quench their curiosity.

During this episode, we talk about how educators who are interested in getting to know their students better as readers should check out Pernille Ripp's book, Passionate Readers, and how educators who are interested in learning more about why it's so important to have a wide variety of nonfiction texts in their classroom should grab a copy of Melissa Stewart and Marlene Correia's 5 Kinds of Nonfiction.

In addition to sharing a myriad of ways to engage students in the classroom, Kristen talks about how her breakthrough moment in writing came while she was crafting her incredible book, Mimic Makers: Biomimcry Inventors Inspired by Nature. She had done loads of research but her book was missing that special spark. It turns out, she needed to reach out to each and every one of the scientists who she was studying in order to raise her work to the next level. Digging deep, she found the inner bravery she needed to contact them and the result is a work of art that inspires readers to take a closer look at the world around them.

Kristen thinks every elementary classroom should have the book Crossings by Katy Duffield and I couldn't agree more. I've had this book in my classroom for two years and each year it has engaged a student who has been unengaged in reading until they find this poetic, inspiring book in their hands.

At Kristen's school, they've built a project based learning curriculum around Crossings. They're proposing a design for an animal crossing in their own community and bringing in people who build and design animal crossings as well.

There is so much to unpack in this episode and Kristen is offering a free thirty-minute Skype classroom visit to a lucky listener. Details on how to enter are embedded in the episode.

Happy listening!

Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 25

11/5/2021

Interview with Author and Teacher, Tina Athaide

The persistent and innovative Tina Athaide talks about how she learned something new each time editors rejected her novel, Orange for the Sunsets, how teaching first grade started her publication journey, and the importance of having diversity in critique groups.

If you've been writing for a while and are feeling discouraged, this is the episode for you. Tina tells listeners editors rejected Orange for the Sunsets thirty times. She also explains how once she stopped judging herself by how many words she wrote a day and started thinking of brainstorming while walking or reading picture books as part of the writing process, her productivity increased.

Tina recommends that classrooms have the following books:

Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz. This novel takes place in Burma and Bangladesh. It's written in verse which Tina loves because her students devour verse novels quickly. I'm reading this book and loving it. Rukhsanna is a surfer and her passion for the water shines through on every page.

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani. In 2019, The Night Diary won the 2019 Newbery Honor-what else needs to be said? If you don't have this novel in your historical fiction collection, add it now.

Kid Sterling by Christine Welldon. Can't wait to dive into this historical fiction novel set in 1906 in New Orleans. Tina raves about the main character's passion for music and jazz and the cast of colorful characters. There's also historical background in the backmatter.

The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes. Percy Jackson fans will love this "contemporary adventure based on Maya mythology." Since the Mayan culture is now part of the fourth grade curriculum, I'm particularly excited to check out this title.

Drama by Raina Telgemeier. Drama passes from one student's hands to the next in my classroom. This book has no idea what it feels like to sit on a shelf. Tina copies a page from the book, whites out the speech bubbles, and asks students to fill in the dialogue. Then, they use the different responses to develop empathy for different points of view.

Here's the homework for our next episode. Read Mimic Makers: Biomimicry Inventors Inspired by Nature by Kristen Nordstrom. Also, if you live in New England, Kristen will be at the South Hadley Public Library on Saturday, November 20th at 1 P.M. She’ll be presenting Mimic Makers with two of the scientists featured in her book. Do you have to read Kristen’s book or go to her presentation? Of course not, it’s optional. But it is a chance to get one book signed by three different people which is pretty cool.

Page Street Publishing generously donated a copy of Meena’s Mindful Moment to a lucky podcast listener and Tina is donating a picture book critique as well as a critique of the first ten pages of a middle grade novel. There are several ways to enter: 1) Tweet or retweet this episode and be sure to tag me and April, 2) Write a comment below, 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, November 12th. The winner will be announced on Friday, November 19th, 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. At the time of this recording, Chalk + Ink only had two ratings on Apple Podcasts and I know one of those is mine. The other one is probably my mom’s. Come on now people! Please help other listeners find us by rating the podcast and leaving a positive review.

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.

Happy listening!

Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 24

10/21/2021

Banner design by Sarah Brannen and slide design by Jimena Catalina and Slides Carnival.

Interview with Seventh Grade ELA Teacher, Public Speaker and Author, Pernille Ripp

On today’s episode the flexible and innovative Pernille Ripp talks about how there is no such thing as a perfect teacher, how when she writes she strives to create from an authentic and honest place, and how as educators we need to prioritize conversations with students to make sure we don’t lose sight of the kids as we cross off items on our curriculum to-do lists.

Lots of people say, "Progress not perfection," but Pernille practices it every day in her classroom. She knows, "Change can literally happen any moment. It's just in how you interact with kids." And that's the truth. We don't need to wait for more resources, permission from admin, or the start of a new year to shift the energy in our classrooms. We just have to decide that the kids are more important than the curriculum and act accordingly.

During the episode we spent some time discussing Pernille's book, Passionate Readers. Pernille wisely advises teachers to make time for independent reading by taking a time inventory. If we figure out how we're spending our time in the classroom, we can cut out what we don't need and spend more time creating a compassionate, community of learners and implementing imperative literacy practices such as independent reading blocks.

Pernille started The Global Read Aloud which is happening right now in 2010. Here are her 2021 picks:

Picture Books: Anything by Duncan Tonatiuh. Pernille always learns about something or someone new when she reads his work and his art is stunning.

Chapter Books: Zetta Elliot's Dragons in a Bag. This early reader doesn't shy away from tough topics and does an incredible job developing character in one hundred pages. Ms. Elliott wanted to see black heroes in fantasy series, so she created one.

Early Middle Grade: The Jumbies Series by Tracey Baptiste. The perfect amount of creepy for young readers.

Upper Middle Grade: The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson. I'm late joining The Global Read Aloud but this is the title I'm going to read with my class. The publisher describes it as, "Narnia meets traditional Indigenous stories of the sky and constellations." I'm a huge Narnia fan and I have students this year who are obsessed with space. So, it seems like a great pick for us.

Young Adult: Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger. Get this author's books on your to-be read list. Her second title that debuts this fall, A Snake Falls to Earth, is on the National Book Awards longlist.

I’m donating a copy of Passionate Readers to a lucky podcast listener. There are several ways to enter: 1) Tweet or retweet this episode and be sure to tag me and Pernille, 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 29th. Wow! I can’t believe October is almost over. The winner will be announced on Friday, November 5th, 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.

Happy listening!

Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 23

10/8/2021

Banner design by Sarah Brannen and slide design by Jimena Catalina at Slides Carnival.

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!

Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 22

9/25/2021

Banner by Sarah Brannen and Slide Design by Jimena Catalina at Slides Carnival.

Interview with College Professor and Scientist, Loree Griffin Burns

The 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!

Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 21

9/10/2021

Banner by Sarah Brannen and Design by Jimena Catalina and Slides Carnival

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!