KATE NARITA: CHILDREN'S AUTHOR
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Chalk + Ink: 50th Episode Call to Action

7/15/2022

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Happy Summer Everyone!

You’re probably thinking, wait a minute! It’s not August 26th yet! Why is there a new episode of Chalk + Ink in my feed? Has Kate completely lost track of time?

No, I haven’t. I know it’s mid-July and the next school year is still very far away. But, I’m already thinking about Chalk + Ink’s 50th episode, which will be released on January 30, 2023. 

To celebrate this accomplishment, we are going to take a look at how previous episodes have affected listeners. 

Has Chalk + Ink improved your teaching?

What about your writing?

Would you be willing to share your experience with other Chalk + Ink listeners?

If so, please fill out this form by September 15th. I will get back to you by September 30th and let you know whether or not I'll be able to feature you and your experience. 

I can’t wait to hear from you! 

Now it’s time to return to reading that book, writing that story, or savoring the sunshine as you swim in the sea. 

See you on August 26th!

Take care,
Kate


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Family fun on the Fourth of July
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Chalk + Ink: Season Two Finale; Episode 39

5/27/2022

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It’s the season two finale. That means it’s time to give everyone a jumpstart on their summer writing. I’ve compiled the top ten writing tips from this season’s guests to help get listeners psyched up for a creative, productive summer. 
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This episode embodies the reason this podcast exists. You count. You matter. Your creativity counts. Your happiness matters. It’s time to pour all the energy you channel into teaching during the school year into your creative process. Whether you are a budding or a blooming writer, these tips will help you deepen your creative practice.
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You’re probably thinking, wait a minute! Didn’t you just say to channel all my classroom energy into my writing? Yes, I did. But the truth is I’m teaching till June 21st. So, while I’d like to make a 100% shift, I can’t right now. But I can follow in Carole Boston Weatherford, Kate Messner, and Jyoti Rajan Gopal’s shoes and strengthen my craft by writing alongside my students. This tip starts at 52 seconds.
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So you’re feeling energized from writing alongside your students. Now, it’s time to fuel the fire by working in an invigorating space. Michael Leali, René Colato Laínez,  Whitney LaRocca and Jeff Anderson talk about where they get their best work done. This tip starts at 5 minutes and 27 seconds.
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So you’ve soaked up your students’ energy, you’ve further energized yourself by writing in a new space, and you’re ready to start a new project. Where do you find ideas? In notebooks. Don’t panic, if you have never kept a notebook, Whitney LaRocca will tell you an easy way to get started. If you’re an advanced writer, don’t skip this tip, because Loree Griffin Burns does notebooks like nobody else. This tip starts at 10 minutes.
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Now that you have all these amazing ideas in your notebooks, you’re ready to try one out. Try something different and instead of drafting your picture book manuscript on the computer, draft it in a dummy. April Jones Prince tells listeners how to create a dummy and shares how she uses them to draft. Then, Marcie Flinchum Atkins explains how to use dummies to see whether or not your manuscript will pass muster with school librarians. This tip starts at 15 minutes and 1 second.
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Dummies work great for picture books. But how do you plot out chapter books or novels? Zetta Elliott shares a loose way to outline novels and Ruhksanna Guidroz explains how to create a plot grid to make sure all plot threads are present throughout the book. This tip starts at 18 minutes and 21 seconds.
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It’s funny because tip number five for our Season One Finale was “Find Your Voice.” Zetta Elliott and Veera Hiranandani both talk about how to find voice in their episodes this season. But this tip is about how to make your voice stronger. Listen to Michael Leali and Veera Hiranandani describe how they chose certain points of view to lessen the emotional distance between the reader and their characters. Then, follow Lisa Stringfellow’s advice and be mindful of your word choice and sentence length so that you create a consistent, authentic voice. This tip starts at 23 minutes and 48 seconds.

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Maybe you’ve made dummies, plot grids, played with point of view and something still isn’t working. Try interviewing someone. It works for nonfiction and fiction. First we’ll hear from Kristen Nordstrom, the prize-winning author of Mimic Makers, and then we’ll hear from Tina Athaide, the award-winning author of Orange for the Sunsets. Here’s Kristen. This tip starts at 30 minutes and 1 second.
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Maybe you’re thinking whoa… I’m at the beginning of my writing career. I’m nowhere near the stage where I’m going to write a novel. That’s fine. Everyone is on a different path and at a different stage of their journey. Pernille Ripp is an accomplished public speaker and an author and she started by blogging, openly and honestly, about her classroom practice. This tip starts at 34 minutes and 5 seconds.

Maybe you’re thinking, I’m not teaching over the summer, so how can I blog about it? Why not blog openly and honestly about your writing process? Why not share with others how writing is about progress, not perfection? Why not talk about the mistakes you made to make it easier for the people who have yet to begin their writing journey?

If you’re not interested in publicly sharing about your writing or teaching process or if it feels like too much to commit to blogging by yourself on a regular basis, then join a group blog or create your own group blog. In addition to producing Chalk + Ink, I blog for Teachers/Books/Readers. We’re a group of classroom teachers who blog about our students’ responses to recently published books. We’re looking for new bloggers. So, if you’re a classroom teacher and you’re interested, please reach out to me.

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Stop putting yourself into boxes that hold you back. Laurel Paula Jackson didn’t think she could be a concert pianist and write. Loree Griffin Burns didn’t think she could be a science writer and write about her personal life.  Tina Athaide thought she could only call herself a writer if she were putting words on a page every day. This tip starts at 36 minutes and 30 seconds.
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Life is too short to put ourselves into boxes. It’s time to tear down the walls and see what awaits us. And if you’re super brave, combine this tip with tip number three, and blog about the busting out!

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You’re a writer and a reader, so you know that the beginning holds the end. This season’s writing tips started with writing alongside our students and it’s ending with following the advice we give our students and leading them by example. Listen to April Jones Prince and Erin Dealey. Then, if you’re still reluctant to get started because you feel as though you need someone’s permission to put pen to paper or your fingers to the keyboard, listen to what Pernille Ripp has to say and get ready to write. This tip starts at 44 minutes and 16 seconds.

There are so many more invaluable writing tips in each episode of season two. 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 26th, 2022 with the top ten teaching tips from the second season to get us psyched up for the 2022/2023 school year.


Before we wrap up season two, I want to give another shout out to you. I started off this episode talking about how important you are, and I’m going to circle back to that same message because it’s true. I’m so honored to be on this journey with you. Chalk + Ink has over 2,000 downloads, has listeners in 6 continents, 26 countries and 479 towns and cities. Thank you so much for listening.​

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Hey, before you go, I have a favor to ask. Chalk + Ink has one review on Apple. One is a whole lot less than 2,000. When you have one of those long, slow, summer moments, please take a minute to leave a positive review. Help spread Chalk + Ink joy.

Have you read
Melissa Stewart and Sarah Brannen’s Summertime Sleepers yet? If not, why not? It’s the perfect book to help you enjoy summer’s slower pace. Plus, you’ll be supporting Sarah, who does our podcast art.

​Happy writing and happy listening!

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Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 38

5/13/2022

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Interview with Author and Educator, Jyoti Rajan Gopal

The creative and flexible, Jyoti Rajan Gopal, talks about the power of changing one word in a manuscript, exploring various storytelling modalities, and the magic of making a manuscript sound like music.

The picture books that live in our hearts embody a feeling. It's fascinating to listen to Jyoti explain how she captured the sentiment of being caught between two cultures in her debut, American Desi, simply by changing the word "this" to  "which." Sometimes revision means a complete overhaul. Other times, it means digging deep, figuring out why your heart is in your creation, and making sure each word mirrors that emotion.

Jyoti taught kindergarten for years, and she's passionate about storytelling. She informs listeners that writing is so much more than pencils, crayons, and papers. What we're all trying to do is tell a story, and students do that in various ways whether it be while building with blocks or playing with one another during unstructured moments inside and outside of the classroom.

Music has the power to transform not only our feelings, but our writing as well. Although Jyoti doesn't normally listen to music while writing, one day she put some music on while revising and magic happened. All of the sudden, she knew the manuscript had to sound like music and the right words flowed from her fingertips.

Jyoti thinks all elementary classrooms should have the following authors' books:

Carole Boston Weatherford-Listen to Carole's Chalk + Ink interview.

Kelly Starling Lyons

Kyle Lukoff

Leah Henderson


Matt de la Peña

Nonieqa Ramos

Rob Sanders-Listen to Rob's Chalk + Ink interview.

Supriya Kelkar

Finally, this episode is dedicated to my beloved hound, Buck. When Jyoti and I recorded this episode, he was still alive. But he was struggling and in the room where I record. Since I knew we had very little time together and because it was difficult for him to move, I let him stay. He was quiet until the end of the episode, when he barked. Normally, I would edit that sound out; however, I couldn't do it. I couldn't cut out his voice. So, you may want to turn down your sound around an hour and five minutes.
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As always, happy listening!
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Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 37

4/28/2022

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Interview with Author and Educator, Kate Messner

The prolific and versatile, Kate Messner, talks about what happens when we share our writing process with our students, inviting our students to help us make our writing stronger, and taking and making time to prioritize our writing. 

Kate differentiates between writing exemplars for our students and writing alongside our students. When we write alongside our students, it's powerful for our students because they see all writers revise and struggle to master the craft. But it's not just powerful for our students, it's powerful for us as educators to feel like beginners again. When we remember "what it feels like to have the ground not so steady beneath our feet," it makes us much more empathetic educators.

One of the great benefits of simultaneously writing and teaching, is that our students can help improve our writing. Kate talks about having her students read her manuscripts and using different colors to mark boring or confusing parts. And hey, let's face it. Students get antsy during the spring months. So, now's the time to break out our writing and provide them with some new reading material.

Almost every guest talks about taking and making time to write. Kate takes it up another level. She tells us about the power of carving time out to write and then sharing our intentions with our family members. Not only will sharing our intentions with others, make it more likely that the writing time will actually happen, but it also shows our kids how it's important to set goals and communicate our needs to others.

We talk about a ton of Kate's books during this episode including but not limited to: History Smashers, Ranger in Time, The Next President, Fergus and Zeke, Breakout, Real Revision and my current favorite, 59 Reasons to Write. 59 Reasons to Write is filled with exercises that I'm using as a write another draft of my middle grade novel and Kate and her guests' tips are making my writing stronger.

Kate recommends the following writers and their work for upper elementary classrooms:

Tracey Baptiste: We started off talking about her wonderful Jumbies series, which were also part of Pernille Ripp's Global Read Aloud this year. Then, Kate talks about how Tracey wrote African Icons: Ten People Who Shaped History because she became tired of her kids always bringing home information about the same Civil Rights Era icons. In African Icons, Baptiste showcases African history before the enslavement of black people began, a history that is not only often hidden, but intentionally erased.

Anne Ursu: Kate loves The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy because it's a fantastic fantasy with a feminist theme. I don't know this title but I'm thinking it would be a fantastic addition to my classroom collection.

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich: Operation Sisterhood looks like a super fun summer read. I'm definitely putting this one on my summer reading list.

Linda Urban: Linda's new book is Almost There and Almost Not, which Jennifer Laughran talks about on this episode of Literaticast and Michelle Knott talks about it here on her blog, Mrs. Knott's Book Nook. Jennifer Laughran and her guest talk about Almost There and Almost Not being a great gift for young readers in people's lives and Michelle Knott talks about the title being short and easily accessible for upper elementary readers. All I'm going to say about it is that it has a ghost dog. Does anything more need to be said? I don't think so. My summer reading list keeps getting longer and longer!

Kate and I also talk about Linda's humorous voice. Kate mentioned Linda's previous titles: Hound Dog True, A Crooked Kind of Perfect and The Center of Everything. I want to give a shout out to Milo Speck, Accidental Agent because I absolutely love that title and my students do as well.

Sign up for my monthly newsletter if you'd like to be notified when new episodes release.

Happy listening!
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Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 36

4/14/2022

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​Interview with Debut Author and High School ELA Teacher,

Michael Leali

The warm and inclusive, Michael Leali, talks about the danger of gendering books, how we miss out on the now when we try to “make up” for lost learning time due to the pandemic, and how readers rise to challenges.

As Michael says in the soundbite above, "We gotta get beyond the binary... This idea that because you identify as a certain gender you won't connect with a book because it wasn't 'written for you or with you in mind,' is bananas to me." Less than a minute later he states, "Use books to feel safe and feel seen. But also to grow and to challenge what we know. And when we gender books, we place our readers in boxes. And we limit what is possible. And the beautiful thing about storytelling is that anything is possible."

Is anyone else covered in goosebumps?

We also talk about the pressure to "make up" for lost learning due to the pandemic. This idea that time can somehow be made up is putting unnecessary pressure on students and on teachers. In so doing, we're missing out on the now, the opportunity to learn and grow from where we actually are instead of some nebulous idea of where we should be. 

Finally, we talk about the amazing structure in Michael's book, 
The Civil War of Amos Abernathy. Half of the book takes place within one day while the other half of the book takes place over the course of a year. The book alternates back and forth between the different timelines. The storyline that takes place over the course of a year is epistolary while the storyline that takes place over the course of the day is first person present. Michael loves novels that play with structure and believes readers will rise to whatever challenges authors present to them.

We talk about a ton of different books during the podcast. Michael knew he wanted to be an author in elementary school when Debbie Dadey, the author of The Bailey School Kids, visited his school. Her title Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots inspired him to start writing.

We also talk about how we're filled with joy when our kids get excited about books in the classroom. I reminisced about a student getting excited about a book by Blue Balliet, but I blanked on the title, which is Out of the Wild Night, meanwhile his student fell in love with Elizabeth Acevedo's Clap When You Land and asked for other novels in verse. Michael passed on Poet X, also by Acevedo, Kwame Alexander's titles as well as Ellen Hopkins' work. 

Michael teaches ninth and tenth graders and he thinks that their needs are very similar to upper middle graders. So, he recommends the following titles for middle and high schoolers:

Wishing Upon the Same Stars by Jacquetta Nammar Feldman


Michael calls this title a gorgeous, middle grade, contemporary novel. The book explores a friendship between two girls, one an Arab American and one a first-generation Israeli American. I definitely want to buy this book for my classroom, and it seems like it would pair well with A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan.

The Real Riley Mayes by Rachel Elliott

Michael calls this book an incredible, joyous, queer graphic novel.

All That's Left in the World by  
Erik J. Brown

This is a post-apocalyptic male-on-male slow burn romance.

Revolution in our Time by Kekla Magoon

​This is a nonfiction title about the Black Panther Party. His students used it to understand the historical context of novels they were reading.

​Kiss and Tell by Adib Khorram

I have not read this title but Michael and I gushed about one of Adib's previous titles, Darius the Great Is Not Okay.

Want to prep for our next episode? The versatile and curious, Kate Messner, will be joining us on our next episode. Kate’s written so many wonderful books, it’s impossible to think about assigning only one. But, if you’re only going to read one title, the book that’s most fitting for this podcast is 59 Reasons to Write: Mini-Lessons, Prompts, and Inspiration for Teachers.

Thanks so much for reading. If you would like to be entered to win a signed copy of Michael's The Civil War of Amos Abernathy, please leave a comment below and fill out this form.
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Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 35

3/31/2022

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Interview with Director of Global Citizenship at Barefoot Books and Debut Author, Dr. Paula Laurel Jackson

The talented and tenacious, Dr. Paula Laurel Jackson, talks about the importance of quality over quantity, music as a universal first language, and global citizenship.

Laurel is a single-parent, with a full-time job, so she doesn't have a lot of free time. But she doesn't let that stop her from writing. Instead, she wakes at 4 AM every morning, meditates, writes morning pages, and then focuses on her creative writing for fifteen minutes. It doesn't sound like a lot of time, but because she's zoomed in on her work, she's found that somedays she's more productive in fifteen minutes than she was when she had hours to write.

As a former concert pianist, Laurel brings music into the classroom whenever she can. Sometimes, she asks students to tell her what story they think the music is telling and other times she works with students to create musicals that feature original music that she composes and lyrics that students write.

Since Laurel has lived in three different continents and several countries in those continents, global citizenship is a fundamental part of her identity. Although many schools claim to value global citizenship in their mission statements, she has found from her travels and her educational research that very few schools provide opportunities for students to develop their identities as global citizens.

While living in Germany, Laurel read Mama Panya's Pancakes: A Village Tale from Kenya by Mary and Rich Chamberlin. Inspired by the book's message about sharing, Laurel contacted Barefoot Books. Now, she's the Director of Global Citizenship at Barefoot Books, and she promotes books that nourish children's hearts and souls around the world.

Laurel recommends that elementary classrooms have the following books:

Nour's Secret Library by Wafa' Tarnowska

When Nour's city in Syria is bombed, she has to seek shelter underground where she builds a subterranean library. When Laurel discussed this book, it made me think of Digging for Words by Angela Burke Kunkel because it also features an unusual library created by an unusual librarian.

Love by Matt De la Pena

This is Laurel's daughter's favorite book. If you're looking for a warm hug, this is it.

We Are Grateful by Traci Sorrel

Laurel and her daughter moved to the United States from Germany in the fall of 2021. As part of their first Thanksgiving celebration, the delighted in reading We Are Grateful. One of the great aspects of this book is that it focuses on gratitude throughout the year.

Thanks so much for reading. If you would like to be entered to win a signed copy of Laurel's The Perfect Party, please leave a comment below and fill out this form.
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Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 34

3/17/2022

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Interview with Author and Educator, Rukhsanna Guidroz

The brave and reflective, Rukhsanna Guidroz, talks about the importance of bringing newspapers into classrooms, the power of a color-coded plot grid, and how engaging in social media can open up career doors.

When I interviewed Kristen Nordstrom, we talked about the power of newspapers in an early elementary classroom. On this episode, Rukhsanna Guidroz, talks about the power of newspapers in a high school English class in France. Not only did her mostly male students relate to the English football fans' shenanigans, after reading the paper her students almost felt as if they themselves had travelled to England.

When Rukhsanna reveals that using a color-coded plot grid led to a writing breakthrough, I dig deep. Rukhsanna lets the listeners in on a secret-it was her editor who taught her how to use a plot grid. Now, instead of being a pantser, Rukhsanna plots her whole novel out from the beginning to the end before she begins the writing process. This allows her to stay in the flow once she starts writing. Also, after she finishes drafting, she no longer has to engage in the painful process of unraveling plot threads because she's had a visual tool to make sure each plot thread is present throughout the novel.

If you're not involved in social media, Rukhsanna suggests you get busy and get yourself out there. Had it not been for #pitmad on Twitter, Rukhsanna wouldn't have published her debut book, Mina vs. the Monsoon. Before everyone emails me and tells me #pitmad just shuttered their doors, I know. But the truth of the matter is a myriad of writing opportunities are available on social media and one can't participate in them if one isn't on social media.

Rukhsanna thinks every upper elementary classroom should have the following two novels:

Unsettled by Reem Faruqi

Nurah, an immigrant who settles in Atlanta, Georgia, stays true to herself and finds her voice through swimming.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Like Rukhsanna's Samira Surfs, The Crossover is a novel in verse. It features basketball instead of surfing and it won the 2015 Newbery Medal.

Thanks so much for reading. If you would like to be entered to win a copy of Samira Surfs, please leave a comment below and fill out this form.

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Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 33

3/4/2022

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The talented and tenacious, Lisa Stringfellow, talks about the importance of setting goals and being accountable to ourselves, how word choice and sentence length determine voice, and why it makes sense to involve students in our professional writing journeys.

Lisa joined Inked Voices and participated in workshops that required her to submit pages for critique. She also learned that she needed a complete draft before she began to revise, which made her realize there is a difference between polishing and revising. Finally, for fun, Lisa used Pacemaker to help her track her progress.

In earlier drafts of A Comb of Wishes, Lisa received feedback that her voice was inconsistent-sometimes her character sounded like a middle grade character and sometimes her character sounded older. Lisa took a voice workshop with Linda Sue Park and learned that word choice and sentence length determined voice. This information helped her hone Kela's voice. She also talks about when The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill won the Newbery, she realized she could have a 300-year-old vengeful mermaid narrate part of her novel as well.

Not many educators can say they wrote their first draft of their novel with their students, but Lisa did. She and her students participated in NaNoWriMo. After students finish their word count at the end of the month, which translates loosely to 1,000 words per grade level, Lisa asks her students to write a query letter to an imaginary editor or agent. The query letter requires her students to write a succint summary as well as use their persuasive writing skills, which not only engages them in two standards but teaches them about the publishing world as well.

During the episode, Lisa talks about two different mentor programs: Author Mentor Match and Writing in the Margins (which unfortunately is no longer active). She also talks about how Kweli's Color of Children's Literature Conference humbled and honored her by awarding A Comb of Wishes the Kweli Color of Children’s Literature Manuscript Award in 2019 for the novel manuscript.  Lisa will be presenting at Kweli's Color of Children's Literature Conference as will former Chalk + Ink guest, Zetta Elliott.

Lisa also talks about two different teaching resources. Inspired by Ralph Fletcher's Live Writing and Jess Lifshitz's blog, Crawling Out of the Classroom, Lisa asks students to write letters to imaginary editors summarizing their writing and revision process for their work to help students build their metacognitive skills. 

According to Lisa, every elementary classroom should have the following books:

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia


This is the first book in a trilogy, and it highlights the social programs of the Black Panther Party, such as providing free meals to impoverished children. The main character, Delphine, is trying to understand her mother, and the choice her mother made to leave her and her sisters when they were young.

The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson

Like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Barren Grounds is a portal fantasy. Unlike The Chronicles of Narnia, the two main characters are Cree children who are in the care of the foster system. The book celebrates Cree traditional stories and takes a hard look at how the foster care system has disrupted and harmed indigenous cultures. During our discussion of The Barren Grounds, which I love, I added that Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac would be a good companion title to The Barren Grounds and Lisa suggested Christine Day's books, I Can Make This Promise and The Sea in Winter would also pair well with The Barren Grounds.

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

Both Lisa and I love this book because it's a mystery like The Westing Game, and it shines a spotlight on racism in a small Mississippi town and celebrates same-sex couples.


If you would like to enter to win a signed copy of A Comb of Wishes, please leave a comment below and fill out this form.

​Happy listening!



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Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 32

2/18/2022

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Interview with Salvadoran Author and Early Childhood Educator, Rene Colato Lainez

As I go about my day, I often forget about the fact that I have led a tremendously privileged life. My house never burnt down, I was never separated from my parents, and I didn’t walk across three borders to live in the United States. 

Today’s guest, 
René Colato Laínez,  has experienced all of those traumas, yet one would never know it from listening to his laughter and this joy-filled episode. We talk about the magic of cardboard castles, how books are portals into difficult discussions, and the creative power of libraries.

As teachers, if we want our students to love writing, they have to know we love writing. 
René  has celebrated writing throughout his teaching career. When he began teaching Spanish bilingual kindergarten, he needed bilingual books. So, he wrote some and used photos to illustrate his stories. In order to entice students to his writing center, he asked a video store (remember those) to give him their cardboard castle they used to display video tapes. He took the castle back to his classroom and tucked two tables inside of it. Kids argued over whose turn it was to sit inside the castle and write. 29 years later since his first day, René  is still teaching. Now, his students can choose to read one of his eighteen published bilingual titles.

René writes books that are portals into difficult discussions. If a parent gets deported, the parent who remains in the United States may choose to read From North to South/Del norte al sur to begin this difficult discussion. If a child walked across borders to enter the United States, they can find a mirror when reading My Shoes and I/Mis zapatos y yo. What about if a child doesn't understand why their parent has a green card that states their a resident alien? Does that mean their parent is an extraterrestrial? Mamά the Alien/Mamά la extraterrestre will clear up the confusion and make readers laugh out loud.

Are you stuck in a writing rut? During the summers, René spends three hours a day writing at the library. The silence nourishes him and being surrounded by thousands of creative titles inspires him. Plus, there's no pressure to do chores!

According to 
René,  every early elementary classroom should have the following titles:

The Empanadas that Abuela Made/Las empanadas que 
hacía la abuela by Diane Gonzales Bertrand

Estrellita Says Good-Bye to her Island/Estrellita se despide de su isla by Samuel Caraballo and Diane Gonzales Bertrand
Spanish bilingual titles are particularly important in René's classroom because his students' parents like to borrow books published in both languages.

Going Home, Coming Home (English and Vietnamese Edition) by Truong Tran

Waiting for Mama by Lee Tae-Jun
This title pairs well with Waiting for Papἀ/Esperando a Papἀ by René.

René's students also love this perennial classics such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and Mo Willem's titles such as Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and the Elephant and Piggy series.

​Happy listening!
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Chalk + Ink: Season 2; Episode 31

2/4/2022

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Interview With Creative Writing Instructor and Newbery Honor Winner, Veera Hiranandani

Before I get into today’s amazing interview with author and teacher, Veera Hiranandani, I want to give a shout out to all the Chalk + Ink guests who received 2022 ALA awards. Let’s start with Veera! Her book How to Find What You’re Not Looking For won the Sydney Taylor Book Award and the Jane Addams Peace Award. Congratulations are also in order for Alicia D. Williams. Her picture book Shirley Chisholm Dared: The Story of the First Black Woman in Congress won the Jane Addams Peace Award for Younger Children. I also want to congratulate Carole Boston Weatherford. Her book, Unspeakable, illustrated by Floyd Cooper, won a Caldecott Honor, a Sibert Honor, a Jane Addams Peace Award Honor, and the Coretta Scott King Book Author Award and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. Finally, I want to shower congratulations on Melissa Stewart and Sarah Brannen, the creator of the Chalk + Ink logo, for winning a Sibert Honor for their book Summertime Sleepers. Congratulations everyone! Thank you all for gifting us such wonderful books.

In this episode, the reflective and serene Veera Hiranadani, talks about the power of 15 minutes, the importance of respecting one another during the critique process, and how stories help us explore possible ways we can change.


The concept of 15 minutes a day changed my life twenty years ago, before I started writing on a daily basis. I had always struggled with cleaning. I thought since I didn't have enough time to do a "perfect" job, I wouldn't even start. You can imagine the cumulating disaster mounting in my house. Then, my friend told me about Fly Lady and the idea that if I spent 15 minutes a day cleaning it would make a huge difference. It did.

Now, I live my life in 15 minute chunks. My sons tease me about it, but the truth is it's a highly effective strategy for task completion. So, I was pretty thrilled when Veera explained in depth how it's possible to write a novel in 15 minutes a day. The truth is we all have 15 minutes a day. So, there's no longer any excuse not to write.

Veera also talks about how the main purpose of a critique group is to keep one another writing which is why it's so important to be positive and respectful during the critique process. This is an idea I've been exploring ever since last year when Sheri Dillard shared that her breakthrough moment in writing occurred when she focused on what she was doing well, instead of focusing on improving what she wasn't doing well. When Veera sees an aspect of a student's writing that could be improved, she says, "I wonder what would happen if...?" The world is full of limitless possibilities. What happens when we focus on what's possible, instead of what's impossible? Jeff Anderson, Whitney LaRocca and I also discussed this idea last episode as well if you want to continue exploring the power of the positive.

Finally, Veera eloquently discusses how we use stories to see possible avenues of change and how evolution happens for the characters in a book because we, as readers, are looking for a roadmap to help us evolve into the best human beings we can be.

During the episode, we talk about three craft books. 
1) Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi 

2) Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
3) Your First Page by Peter Selgin

Veera thinks every upper elementary and middle grade classroom should have the following two books:

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park. Linda wrote the book as a multicultural response to Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie series. Veera, who is biracial, connected with the biracial main character in the book.

Letters from Cuba by Ruth Behar. This book pairs well with Veera's The Night Diary. Letters from Cuba is also epistolary and it takes place less than ten years before The Night Diary. Veera also highly recommends Ruth's first novel, Lucky Broken Girl, which takes place in the 1960's like Veera's How to Find What You're Not Looking For. I'm excited to add both of Ruth's titles to my historical fiction collection.

If you would like to enter to win one of Veera's books, please leave a comment below and fill out this form.

Happy listening!
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