The TeachingBooks Blog
My newest book, Son (Houghton, 2012), which creates a quartet from what had been The Giver (Houghton, 1993) trilogy, began as the continuation of Gabe’s story from those books. So many readers, over the years, had written to ask what happened to the baby? Was he okay? Did he grow up and thrive?
I knew that turning math workouts into life-or-death challenges was the way to engage young readers. Plus I had an ideal sounding board in the form of my boy-girl twins, one of whom loves math and the other who is the bookworm (I won’t say which is which).
I am deeply moved by the fact that we are nature, that we are stardust and I wanted my new book, You Are Stardust (Owlkids, 2012), to have a lyrical, celebratory, and poetic feel. Yet, finding that voice was difficult.
The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy recognize the importance of reading across all content areas, on all grade levels. In this month’s column we highlight the contributions of award-winning scientists—and science authors. Share these videos, audio recordings, book trailers, and other resources to invigorate classroom instruction and conversations while introducing a variety of texts, formats, and perspectives.
After completing my book The Race to Save the Lord God Bird (Farrar, 2004), I wanted to write about another animal in danger of extinction, but one for which there was more hope. My friend Charles Duncan, an ornithologist and conservationist, suggested several creatures, but none seemed the perfect choice.
Books are often inspired by moments of magic. I will never forget an encounter I had with Granny, the one-hundred-year-old matriarch of the clan of endangered orcas that lives in Pacific Northwest waters. I was on a whale-watching boat when Granny swam alongside, raised her head above water and looked directly into my eyes for several moments.
Poetry forces me to be brief. All the facts and figures won’t fit in my verses, so I choose only those details that are most meaningful to me. My hope is that the uncrowded page will invite both reluctant and passionate readers.
I’d never written anything quite like Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses. It is, after all, a collection of fairy tales. And what’s a seventy-two year old man doing fooling around with fairy tales?
As a YA author, I’ve written from the perspective of a guardian angel, a were-opossum, and even a pesky human or two. But the “character” who was hardest to connect with was my own teen self.
In this month's post, we highlight some useful thematic booklists from a variety of professional sources. Please note that the TeachingBooks.net display of the instructional materials and websites has changed. We've added cover images; information on each title can be tapped by rolling over the pictures. We hope you'll agree that our snazzy new design is reminiscent of library displays, and that it's easier to find materials that meet your needs.
A new book or project always starts with an idea. My participation in I.C. Springman’s More (Houghton, 2012) actually began in 1995 with an idea I had for a story about a crow that collects too much stuff, builds multiple nests in a tree, and ultimately feels worn down by the sheer number of objects he has to curate. But the tale was way too long and hopelessly preachy. I don’t like message-forward books, and although I had a suite of sketches I was eager to turn into finished paintings, I never got around to submitting them. Over the years I went back, searching for a better way to tell the story, but I couldn’t find a way in.
Authors are used to pretty standard questions during interviews, but I thought this one was fascinating: What did you struggle with during the writing of The Galahad Legacy?