Posts filed under 'Author News'
We continue our Stenhouse author notebook series with Ralph Fletcher. Here is what he said about his notebook habit, which has been going on for quite a bit, as you can see from one of his notebook covers:
“When I visit schools I tell students that my most important book is a book that has never been and never will be published–my writer’s notebook. This is the book that feeds all my other books. I use my notebook in many different ways: to collect odd bits of flotsam and jetsam, to play with language, to react, muse, daydream, collect seed ideas, maybe take a stab at new poem. My notebook is a low-pressure, high-comfort place where I can find my stride as a writer.”
February 29th, 2012
“The impulse to write things down is a peculiarly compulsive one, inexplicable to those who do not share it, useful only accidentally, only secondarily, in the way that any compulsion tries to justify itself. (Joan Didion)
What’s in your notebook? What does it look like?
For the next few weeks we’ll be taking a peek into the writing habits of Stenhouse authors who have graciously agreed to give us a glimpse into their notebooks. We invite you to share pictures of your notebooks as well — just visit our Facebook page and upload a photo with a brief comment about why and how you keep a notebook. We’ll select a few entries randomly to receive a free Stenhouse book.
We’ll start off our series with the notebook of Stenhouse editor Bill Varner. I noticed it on a pile of papers on his desk and asked him to take a quick photo and share his thoughts about keeping a notebook. Here is what he said:
“I’ve had a notebook off and on for many years. Mostly off. I used to scoff at paying for anything other than a cheap spiral bound notebook, but this black Moleskine is worth the price. It makes me want to write in it. What do I write? Mostly stray lines, a metaphor that pops into my head, an interesting quote, words that I just find fascinating, especially verbs.”
February 28th, 2012
Worldwide at least 793 million people remain illiterate.
Imagine a world where everyone can read…
This year Stenhouse will join LitWorld along with other organizations, publishers, schools, and teachers, to celebrate World Read Aloud Day on March 7. We have an exciting lineup of Stenhouse authors reading from their children’s books right here on the Stenhouse blog: Jennifer Jacobson, Ralph Fletcher, Carolyn Coman, and Georgia Heard.
LitWorld founded World Read Aloud Day in March 2010 as an awareness day advocating for literacy as a right that belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another. By raising our voices together on this day, we show the world’s children that we support their future: that they have the right to read, to write, and to share their words to change the world.
How will you celebrate World Read Aloud Day? Here are some ideas:
EDUCATE
Read aloud with loved ones or new friends and talk together about the importance of global literacy, marking this as a special day of reading! Visit the LitWorld website for recommendations, worksheets, read-alouds, videos and other resources to help guide and inspire you.
ADVOCATE
Spread the word about World Read Aloud Day and the Global Literacy Movement to your friends and followers or host an event in your area to rally around this urgent cause. Help us reach more than one million participants, joining forces and reading together in honor of this day.
INNOVATE
Share World Read Aloud Day with friends across the globe by using video chat and tuning into LitWorld’s special live webcasts. When you register for World Read Aloud Day at litworld.org, let us know if you would like us to match you up with a special guest reader!
Check back here on March 7 to hear our authors read and to share your stories of how reading has changed your life.
February 22nd, 2012
Here are some more smiling Stenhouse authors signing their books at last week’s Reading Recovery conference in Ohio.
Tony Stead with a fan
Katie Keier (right) and Pat Johnson
Peter Johnston signs a copy of his new book Opening Minds for Katie Keier.
Stenhouse authors Kassia Omohundro Wedekind also got in line to get her copy signed.
February 13th, 2012
Gardening rather than agriculture is the analogy for education.
—Lawrence Stenhouse
For many years, teachers have criticized education research for not being relevant to their needs, or for being written in a way that fails to connect with classroom practice. Teacher research—an extension of everyday teacher inquiry and reflective practice—starts with a pressing question or problem, and the solution can produce immediate benefits in the classroom.
Thoroughly revised and expanded, the second edition of Living the Questions takes you step-by-step through designing and implementing research projects that inform instruction. Presenting a variety of rich examples of real projects from teachers across the country, Ruth Shagoury and Brenda Power help you hone your inquiry skills and better understand your students, while developing your own community of researchers.
The new edition incorporates new technologies for conducting research, analysis, and sharing/networking; offers more short examples from a greater diversity of teacher-researchers; and provides many more research designs.
Living the Questions will inspire you to take the leap into a rewarding and fulfilling process of discovery. Preview the entire text online!
January 23rd, 2012
We just posted our exciting lineup of new books and videos for spring 2012! Several of these books are already available to order, the rest will be arriving in our warehouse soon.
I See What You Mean: Visual Literacy K-8 (Second Edition)
Steve Moline
$25.00
Now available!
What Are you Thinking? Conferring in Reader’s Workshop (DVD)
Patrick Allen
$295.00
Now available!
What Every Middle School Teacher Needs to Know About Reading Tests (From Someone Who Has Written Them)
Charles Fuhrken
$24.00
Now available!
Living the Questions: A Guide for Teacher-Researchers (Second Edition)
Ruth Shagoury and Brenda Miller Power
$28.50
Now available!
Small Steps, Big Changes: Eight Essential Practices for Transforming Schools Through Mathematics
Chris Confer and Marco Ramirez
$21.00
Available in March
Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives
Peter Johnston
$14.00
Now available!
Beyond the Five-Paragraph Essay
Kimberly Hill Campbell and Kristi Latimer
$22.50
Available in April
How Can I Support You? Strategies for Effective Writing Conferences (DVD)
Mark Overmeyer
$99.00
Available in February
January 20th, 2012
We mentioned earlier on this blog that Lynne Dorfman and Rose Cappelli, authors of Mentor Texts and Nonfiction Mentor Texts started a new blog and website recently. Lynne and Rose wanted to personally welcome Stenhouse readers to their new venture, so here is a brief message from them:
Setting up a website and blog was something we have wanted to do for a long time. We have met so many wonderful teachers in the past few years that have come to our conference presentations or workshops in schools and who asked for ways to keep in touch with us. So, with a little help from colleague Kate Tiedeken, we have taken the dive into technology.
At the heart of Mentor Texts with Lynne and Rose (www.mentortextswithlynneandrose.com) is our blog. Each of us has a separate blog space where we can share our thinking on a variety of topics and let readers in on our current personal and professional experiences. We hope this space will help us dialogue with teachers to share ideas and reflections.
Two of the most popular features of our books, the Your Turn lessons and the Treasure Chest of Books, are also a part of our site. In Books Too Good to Miss we will be reviewing new books we come across and discussing how they might be used for writing or reading lessons. Of course, new books (and even some old ones we look at with new eyes) lead to new writing lessons that we will share with our readers as well. From time to time we will also review professional books on the teaching of writing or reading.
From time to time we will also give readers a glimpse into our writing notebooks – memories that are sparked, writing we are trying out, thinking we are engaging in or reflecting on. Hopefully, our writing will spark an idea or thought that our readers can write from or try out themselves.
We hope you will visit our site to gain practical tips for writing workshop and be encouraged to write in your own notebooks. Teachers of writers are teachers who write. Please join us in our conversations!
January 19th, 2012
- Lynne Dorfman and Rose Cappelli, authors of Mentor Texts and Nonfiction Mentor Texts, used their winter vacation wisely and set up a new website and blog. At Mentor Texts with Lynne & Rose you can find information about their books, upcoming presentations, a link to their blog, and a peek inside their writer’s notebook.
- If you are an EdWeek Book Club member, you probably already received information about the upcoming book club discussion of Kelly Gallagher’s new title, Write Like This. Here is some information about the book and details of the discussion. It’s not too late to sign up!
- Are you a book nerd? It’s OK! We all are! So check out this new blog started by Donalyn Miller, book whisperer extraordinaire, along with teachers Colby Sharp and Cindy Minnich. But the blog includes contributions from many, many like-minded readers, teachers, writers — all book nerds, just like you!
- If you have a bit of a notebook obsession — collecting them, writing in them, smelling their pages — head over to Ruth Ayres’ blog Ruth Ayres Writes where you can watch a fun video she put together of all of her notebooks. (Ruth is the coauthor of Day by Day.) What does your notebook look like? Did you start a new one with the new year?
January 10th, 2012
Sage Carnahan’s first grade classroom at Askew Elementary in Houston, Texas, was abuzz with activity last week — and not just because of his lively students. Debbie Diller was shooting her new math work stations video, due out mid-2012. The kids were especially fascinated by all of the recording equipment, especially the huge boom mike and camera stands. On the last day of shooting, the students spent some time drawing what was going on in their classroom.
One of the students, first grader Lesly, seemed intrigued by the camera stand and spent quite some time taking in all of its details:
Here is the final result:
Another student was taken with the red and black striped sweater worn by James, the sound engineer:
December 12th, 2011
We always love to travel to conferences because we get to see you, our readers, and we get to see our authors. We all enjoy putting faces to names after corresponding by e-mail for months during the book production process. So here are a few pictures from our booth and from a little party where we all got to mingle authors, staff, and future authors.
Stenhouse editor Bill Varner with Liz Hale
Cris Tovani (left) chats with a fan at the Stenhouse booth
Jeff Anderson (back) and Terry Thompson with the newest member of the Stenhouse team, Jill Cooley
Jeff Anderson signs his new book at the booth
Kelly Gallagher and Gail Boushey have some fun at the party
The Sisters have a serious discussion with Ruth Ayres (back right) and Stacey Shubitz.
November 22nd, 2011
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