Tag Archives: Authors

Authors Authors Everywhere

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We are thrilled to have not one, not two, not three, but FOUR amazing and incredible authors joining us in May. I’ll hold off talking about our ‘One-Day-Special’ with Margi Preus in this post and focus on the three talented folk delighting us for a whole week from May 11th-May 15th.

The authors joining us are: Drumroll Please…

David-Schwartz-2anf35s-1 copy Candace-Fleming1-29wsbds copy Eric-Rohmann-2izjjin copy

David M. Schwartz

Candace Fleming

Eric Rohmann

It will be a busy, productive and enriching week for our young people having access to so many opportunities for growth; not to mention that it is also our China Alive week. We have many of the author’s books for sale, which is a great chance to get an autographed copy for your child or as a gift.

Here are the Books for Sale, they are available in the Elementary Library.

Kid Lit Blog Hop

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I’m excited to be co-hosting the amazing, the wonderful, the incredible Kid Lit Blog Hop for the very first time!!! It’s the 47th time this all inclusive event occurred so you can imagine I felt like I’d been living under a rock when I discovered it for the first time two months ago… around Hop no. 43 I believe…

So if you’re a newby like me… get ready to enjoy discovering some new blogs, some wonderful, creative and literate blogs, that may just give you your next read-a-loud, library display, gift idea or reading strategy. For those of your returning… be gentle… it’s my first time.

Soooooo

Welcome to the 47th Kid Lit Blog Hop where we continue to develop a dynamic and engaged community of children’s books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists. So, you are always more than welcome to join us by popping in a post and hopping around to meet some of your fellow Kid Lit bloggers and authors!

We are pleased to be formally welcoming Stanley & Katrina, pawthors of the newly released The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals (Stanley & Katrina Book 2) , as permanent hosts on the Hop. Also, a big welcome to our co-host this week, Kimbra, the blogger behind The Barefoot Librarian. Woo Hoo everyone… that’s ME!

Happy Hopping everyone and enjoy the Hop!

Kid Lit Blog Hop

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Kid Lit Blog Hop Rules *Please Read*

1. We ask that you kindly follow your hosts. You can follow us any way you choose (Email, GFC, Twitter, Facebook, G+, Pinterest, etc.), but we’ve added our preferences below. If you could just give us a quick “follow” or “like” that would be much appreciated! Make sure to leave us a message if you are following us (i.e., on Twitter or Facebook or on our websites) and we will be sure to follow you back. Thanks! 🙂

Hostesses:

Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews Facebook * Twitter

Jaymie @ Snacks for Max Twitter * Facebook

Katie @ Youth Literature Reviews Twitter * Facebook

Julie Grasso, Author/ Blogger Twitter * Facebook

Cheryl Carpinello, Author / Blogger Twitter * Facebook

Reshama @ Stacking Books Twitter * Facebook

Stacie @ BeachBoundBooks Twitter * Facebook

Mia @ Pragmatic Mom Twitter * Facebook

Lina @ Best 4 Future: Bringing Up Baby Bilingual Twitter * Facebook

Stanley & Katrina, Pawthors Twitter * Facebook

Co-Host:

Kimbra @ The Barefoot Librarian Twitter * Google+

 2. Link up any Kid Lit related post. This can be a link to a children’s book review, a discussion about children’s literature/literacy, or a post on a recently-read children’s book or one that you love from your childhood.

* Don’t link directly to your blog, it must be a specific post.*

* For Authors, we prefer you to link to your blog if you have one. Please link unique posts each time ~ no repeats please. *

* Make sure you include an image relevant to the POST (e.g., book cover), not your blog button or photo of yourself.*

* Feel free to link more than one post.*

3. Please visit AT LEAST the TWO LINKS directly ahead of your own and leave them some love in the form of a comment. We are trying to build a community of bloggers, readers, parents, authors, and others who are as passionate about children’s literature as we are so please CONNECT and follow any or all of the blogs that interest you!

4. If you like, grab the button above and put it somewhere on your blog, preferably the post you’re linking up. If you’d prefer, you can just add a text link back to this Hop so that others can find it and check out all these great book links!

5. It would really help us get the word out about the Kid Lit Blog Hop if you would be so kind as to tweet, share, and spread the word about the Hop!

Interested in co-hosting the Kid Lit Blog Hop? If you’ve joined us before, you are welcome to join us again! Please email renee @ motherdaughterbookreviews (dot) com and put Co-Hosting Blog Hop in the subject line.

Happy Hopping!


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Giddy Up!

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The wonderful The Tale of a Dark Horse is about to gallop into our library ridden by the one and only Sarah Brennan!

We managed to secure Sarah during her flying visit to Shanghai for the Shanghai International Literary Festival which ends on March 21st. Sarah will be presenting to our Elementary Students on Wednesday March 19th and I’m especially excited about her session with fourth grade on Nailing the Narrative Curve.

“Writing Workshops: Grades 4 to 6- I also provide colourful and interactive workshops for upper primary children on How to Write A Riveting Story, Nailing the Narrative Curve, An Introduction to Poetry, Books are a Brain’s Best Friend, How to Become a Great Writer and Publishing a Picture Book from Brilliant Idea to Final Product.”

The Tale of A Dark Horse is available for sale, as are all of Sarah’s other books, for 80 rmb starting Monday in the ES Library.

 

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What is a Children’s Poet Lolly-Pop anyway?

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Is what a second grader asked me yesterday… moments after her classmate asked if Kenn Nesbitt is bothered by the paparazzi… (how do 7 year olds know about Paparazzi? Lady Gaga is educating the world)

I met Kenn last night, and even for a lolly pop, he’s pretty sweet.

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/children/poet-laureate is the place to succinctly explain to your students what a poet laureate actually is.

What is a Children’s Poet Laureate?
Awarded by the Poetry Foundation for a two-year tenure, the children’s poet laureate aims to raise awareness that children have a natural receptivity to poetry and are its most appreciative audience, especially when poems are written specifically for them.

We’re really excited about the week to come, with not one, but four great poets on our campus. Welcome to not only Kenn, but Sara Holbrook and Michael Salinger and Anis Mojgani as our poet for High School.

Stay tuned for World Read Aloud Day (March 5th) and our Annual Books to Eat Competition coming up right after our poets leave.

 

 

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Free Pizza

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Do you like pizza?

Do you like books?

Do you like meeting famous, wonderful, clever authors?

YES? Then return any overdue books as soon as possible and if YOUR class has ALL of their overdue items returned FIRST  YOUR WHOLE CLASS will get to have a FREE pizza lunch with our visiting author Kenn Nesbitt during his visit; 24th-28th of February.

Your time… starts… NOW!

 

Tally Ho

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It’s kind of annoying that I didn’t do THIS blog post first, instead of this one… so if you care, read the earlier one first!

I’ve just finished tallying the 4th and 5th grade votes for the Newbery and Caldecott… which was a little challenging, and many ballots were incorrect in one way or another. Let’s just say it’s been a learning curve for me, and the students, and I can’t wait to do it all again next year; a little differently!

I started this year by saying the kids would win if they could correctly guess the Newbery AND Caldecott Medal (not honor) and soon realised this was out of the reach of many students so modified the rules for the lower ES. It would have been better to have some sort of grand prize for anyone who could guess both, some bonus prizes for kids who could guess medals and honours, but overall, I should have just blitzed with the Caldecott’s across the board instead of getting kids to guess both; it’s been pretty tough.

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I will be so excited if I actually CAN give away any giant hershey’s kisses, and I have plenty of regular ones too.

So here are the books the 4th and 5th graders thought would win the Newbery.

1 vote for Jinx, The Center of Everything and A Tangle of Knots

2 votes for Penny and her Marble and The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp

3 votes for The Water Castle, Rump, P.S. Be Eleven and Flora and Ulysses

4 votes for Zebra Forest (which I loved) Doll Bones, The Real Boy, The Year of Billy Miller (which I didn’t love) and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library which Mrs Rekate and Mrs Lau loved and I haven’t read yet.

7 votes for Navigating Early which is brilliant, but I wonder if they will give the award to Clare Vanderpool again after winning so recently with Moon over Manifest in 2011.

9 votes for my favourite so far (and I am running out of time!) Counting by 7’s…

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Check this post to see how the Upper Elementary cast their Caldecott votes…

 

 

Want to win a prize???

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Greetings thrill-seekers

Do you like winning competitions? Do you like books? Would you like to enter a competition?

How about poetry? Are you any good at writing poems, and what about poems about Christmas?

Did you enjoy Sarah Brennan’s recent visit and her wonderful poetry?

If the answer to at least half of these questions is YES, then have I got a deal for YOU!

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Check out Sarah Brennan’s blog and get cracking students… the deadline for Sarah’s latest poetry competition is Friday January 17th. While you’re there, have a peek at Sarah’s recent trip to SAS and see if you spot anyone familiar…

Pamela Duncan Edwards is visiting SAS

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We are excited to be welcoming our final visiting author for the school year; Pamela Duncan Edwards is arriving in Shanghai on Monday night, and will be visiting with Pudong Elementary students from Wednesday the 17th-Friday the 19th of April. She will be giving two large presentations to the K-1st graders and 2nd-3rd graders, as well as a workshop in every single Pre-K-3rd grade class. Shanghai American School students are very fortunate to have published authors come in and share their experiences and stories with them. At SAS we believe ALL students have stories to tell, and by seeing people who have successfully told theirs, it gives us people to look up to, and to aspire to.

Here is what Pamela will be doing at different grade levels with the students.

Kindergarten

WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF TWO STORIES ARE ‘OPPOSITE’ FROM ONE ANOTHER?

The author will introduce and discuss the concept of opposites.  She will read two books and discuss the differences in these books.  She will then read a third book and discuss with the children what is the genre of the book and why.

Books: ‘ROAR: A NOISY COUNTING BOOK;  WHILE THE WORLD IS SLEEPING

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First Grade

CAT RHYMES WITH HAT: NOW FANCY THAT!

LESSON OBJECTIVE:  Students will experience, discuss and create using rhyming text

Students will listen to two short rhyming books.  They will discuss the importance of rhyme and whether they think rhyme was useful in telling these stories and why.  The children will divide into either groups or work individually and be given a prepared sheet of paper on which they will be asked to create four sets of simple rhyming words – ‘bat – cat’ for example.  They will then write a short piece incorporating these words.  They will share their ideas.

Books:  MISS POLLY HAS A DOLLY;  WARTHOGS IN THE KITCHEN

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Second Grade

WHAT ON EARTH IS ONOMATOPOEIA?

LESSON OBJECTIVE:  Students will experience, discuss and create a story using onomatopoeia.

Students will listen to an onomatopoeia story.  They will discuss the importance of onomatopoeia and identify the ‘sound words’ in the story.  They will discuss how using these words affected the story.  They will create their own four ‘sound words’ on an Outside-Inside’ book and will then create their own stories using these words.  They will share and discuss their ideas and stories.

Book: SLOP GOES THE SOUP

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Third Grade

STORIES ARE JUST STORIES. THEY DON’T HAVE ANY RELEVANCE TO MY LIFE.  OR DO THEY?

LESSON OBJECTIVE:  Students will experience and discuss how a book might have extraneous connections.  They will create a story using this idea.

The author will read THE OLD HOUSE.  She will discuss with the students how, in their eyes, this story might connect to themselves, the world, or to the text of one of the author’s other books.  They will create a piece of writing on a theme assigned by the author.

Book: THE OLD HOUSE

Screen Shot 2013-04-11 at 8.26.12 AMAdditionally, a dozen of Pam’s books will be for sale, all paperbacks for 50 rmb, and hardbacks for 100 rmb, including these popular titles…

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Three more sleeps…

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…yes, correct, there ARE three more sleeps ’til Spring Break, but it is more than Spring Break I am excited about this week.

There are just three sleeps until our third visiting author visit for the school year. Ji-li Jiang, acclaimed author of Red Scarf Girl, will be presenting to our 4th grade students at 8.30 am, and our 5th grade students at 10.45 am.

Ji-li is flat out this week speaking at other international schools across Shanghai including Concordia, Dulwich, Western International School and Suzhou Singapore International School, as well as at Puxi campus tomorrow. She will be sharing slides and stories with us, as well as taking us through the stories of Red Scarf Girl (5th grade) and The Magical Monkey King: Mischief in Heaven (4th grade).

The students may have the opportunity to purchase Ms. Jiang’s books, as I know she was trying to bring some copies of books that are hard to get here, like Red Scarf Girl. The books will cost 50 rmb and I recommend you leaving the money with Ms. Stella, Ms. Joji or I as soon as possible as whatever she has with her will most likely sell out quickly.

We also have Red Scarf Girl on our kindles, ipads and as an audiobook on the ipods too.

red scarf

Like I said… three more sleeps…