Things I Love Thursday

I love getting letters and drawing from students.

Here are a few I recently received.

Notice Owen on top of the motorhome saying, "Swear swear." This one came with a letter that said, "My favorite part was when Popeye and Elvis were spitting and swearing into the ditch because when Mrs. M read that part, I burst out into laughter because I did not expect it to happen."

This one was signed by Hudson, Jack and Luke and included, "P.S. Hudson is one of seven rowdy kids."

And of course I love this one because she says, "It is the best book in the world!"

 

Two Things on Tuesday

Thing One

Viola is coming to Owen. She is gonna blow there minds. Viola is mean.

Thing Two

Isn't this an awesome way to thank an author after a visit?

Click here to see

Fourth Grade Writing

Check out this piece of writing from a fourth grade writing workshop I recently taught.

The students were writing paragraphs that show setting (instead of telling the setting).

This one was the back of a crowded school bus on a rainy day.

She ran through puddles and splashed onto the first step of the bus. When she made it to the back, she flopped onto a seat and pulled off her soggy hat.

"I didn't expect it to rain today," she muttered. 

Her friend tromped onto the bus and plopped down next to her. The bus was starting to fill up. The air smelled like wet rubber from the kids' rain boots.

"I can't wait until I can get off!" she said to her friend.

Two Things on Tuesday

Thing One

Dear Barbara O'Connor:

How are you? I’m doing good. Your book The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis was so good. Sometimes it was sad and sometimes happy. 

I really enjoyed your book. 

Thank you for writing it to me. 

 

Thing Two

Popeye, Starletta and Elvis

Fourth Grade Writing

Check out this writing from a FOURTH GRADE writing workshop

The assignment was to write a paragraph showing a setting. 

This one is summer at the beach.

Carly shut her eyes and let a light breeze whistle past her ears, caressing her lightly. She picked up a beautiful conch shell, then listened to the unique song it sang when she pressed it to her ear. She felt the yellow-white sand grind beneach her feet as she stepped lightly across the beach.

She looked at the beautiful white-capped waves. The smell of the salty, clear-blue water wafted into her nose as she rushed into the ocean. Oh, how the cold water lapped against her ankles! Beautiful refractions threaded across the bottom of the sea like a constantly shifting spider web.

Fourth grade!!!

Dear Barbara O'Connor

Dear Barbara O'Connor:

Thank you for all the things you do for me and people all around the world. 

You are welcome.

Love, Barbara 

It's Not Thursday

...but here's something I love: I love getting fan mail. What author doesn't?

And then there are letters like THIS:


Dear Barbara O'Connor:

I liked the book The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis. It was really cool how you made it sound like you were actually in South Carolina. 

I also liked how you used words like drip, drip, drip. It made me feel like I could really hear that in my heart. 

I liked how you made your book come alive. I also liked how you used vocabulary words and I liked how you told us what they meant so we weren't curious, but wondering is good.

I hope I read more of your books and people that read it like it as much as I like it.

Your biggest fan ever, 
P  

Things I Love Thursday

I love getting letters like this from kids:

It was fun to meet you in person and it felt good that we got similar reading and writing report card grades. 

Also, it felt really good you called me an author during our library meeting. My mom was proud. If I become an author, I'll come to my old schools to inspire future authors, too.

Dear Barbara O'Connor

Dear Barbara O'Connor:

I like to read books about animals and monsters. I like the book How to Steal a Dog because the kids are funny. 

I do have a wish. I wish you would have put a couple of monsters in it.

Dear Barbara O'Connor

Dear Barbara O'Connor:

One last thing: If Popeye's Uncle Dooley shot Popeye in the eye, his eye would fall out, wouldn't it?

Dear Barbara O'Connor

Dear Barbara O'Connor:

You’re very good at first impressions. 

I like your ideas and I think you are very neat and organized. 

Things I Love Thursday

What's not to love about kids who write letters like these:

• You're the best author in the universe. P.S. You made my whole year
• You are the best writer in the world.
• Thank you so much for writing Popeye and Elvis. It is my favorite book of all time and always will be.

I love kids!

Things I Love Thursday

I love receiving letters like this:

Hello (: My name's Autumn. I'm thirteen years old and live in North Carolina.  I just wanted to tell you that your book "How to Steal a Dog" is the best book ever!! I read it last year in sixth grade and was inspired. 

I've been writing for a while now and I absolutely love it. The details and plot of that book is amazing. I love the relationship of her and her brother. When she takes the dog and goes to the old house and when her, her brother and her mother  are living in the car having trouble, I could really relate and picture the setting in my mind. 

I just wanted to say thank you :)

Dear Barbara O'Connor

Dear Barbara O'Connor:

I liked when Georgina told Toby to shut up. I liked when Carmela cried her lungs out.

Dear Barbara O'Connor

I received a great letter from a class recently who had thought up titles for the chapters in The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester.

I think this is such a clever idea because it gets the students thinking about the essence of the chapter, its content, and how to interest the reader without giving too much away.

They were also quite creative and humorous and captured the tone of the book.

Here is a sampling:

Chapter 3     Trouble
Chapter 4     Take That Viola! Rocket!
Chapter 6     Doofus
Chapter 9     Niggle Remover
Chapter 13   Niggle, Now Punch
Chapter 15   Won't You Die, Viola
Chapter 16   We Need a Frog Medic
Chapter 25   Mission Killing Stumps Complete
Chapter 26   Underwater Romance
Chapter 40   Oh Man, I Hate Sad Parts

Dear Barbara O'Connor

Received from a fan:

Beautiful and graceful
Adoring and helpful
Reading means a lot
Breathtaking words
A lot of hard work
Really a good person who not only cares about herself but the whole entire world
A lot of great books and effort put into them so they sound great

Aren't kids great??!!  

I LOVE 'em!!! 
(And I do care about the whole entire world.) 

    

Fantastic diorama

Check out this wonderful diorama of a scene from The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester.

It was made by Daniel, a 4th grade student from Jupiter, Florida.

The scene is one in which Owen and Viola get the submarine into Graham Pond and find Tooley (the bullfrog).  The diorama is below the water surface.

I love all the details and how he managed to make it look underwater with the duck and the water lily floating on top.

Thank you, Daniel!

Things I Love Thursday

I love seeing kids reading my books.

Dear Barbara O'Connor

Dear Barbara O'Connor:

For my school summer project, I read How to Steal a Dog. The book was interesting and gloomy. 

It was a nice book the way you made it doomed in the beginning then in the end you made a joyful story.

Things I Love Thursday

I love kids!

I was in the library at a school last year that had a display of art by the kindergarten students. Each child wrote something that he/she was good at.

This one was my favorite.

Translation = I am good at readin'!

(Don't you LOVE that face?)