Category Archives: Teaching Guides
SOMAN CHAINANI AND ELLEN OH, AUTHOR PALS
Posted by Molly | May 14, 2013 | No Comments
It’s such fun to see our authors supporting other authors– what a generous and smart crew of talented folks writing books for children! An example: Ellen Oh, author of this winter’s fantasy YA-debut PROPHECY, interviews Soman Chainani, author of the just published middle grade debut, SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, on The Enchanted Inkpot today.
Both of these authors are the kind of accomplished, multi-talented people that make us feel a little inadequate (but in a good way, we swear!)– they’re total movers and shakers, and, you heard it here first, doing big things. Also, they both have terribly snazzy websites and gorgeous author photos!
A little bit more about each of their books…
PROPHECY, by Ellen Oh
She’s the demon slayer.
She’s the most feared girl in the whole Kingdom.
And now she’s on the run.
Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope…
Murdered kings, traitors, and a demon invasion sends Kira on the run with the young prince, who may be the true heir to the Dragon King’s throne, destined to reunite the seven kingdoms. But without the lost treasures, there will be nothing left to reunite. With only the guidance of a cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.
Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first in a three book series.
- Marie Lu, author of the LEGEND trilogy, raved of PROPHECY, “What an adventure! I fell in love with the lush, richly woven world of PROPHECY. Kira is truly a force to be reckoned with. When I finished my journey with her, all I wanted was more. Spectacular!”
- Watch the trailer for PROPHECY here.
THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, by Soman Chainani
The School for Good and Evil series unleashes a dazzling new fantasy world, one in which ordinary boys and girls are trained to be perfect heroes or perfect villains. Book One subverts the assumed roles of our indelible heroines, when witch-girl Agatha is “mistakenly” sent to the School for Good, and wannabe-princess Sophie to the School for Evil. As rivalries bloom and jealousy sets in, Agatha and Sophie discover that these fates may not be a mistake, after all…
- Gregory Maguire, author of WICKED, had this to say about THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL: “Invention in overdrive, indulging in a gnarly smackdown of folklore conventions, THE SCHOOL OF GOOD AND EVIL is a comedic education by a writer primed to shoot to the head of the class.”
- And Entertainment Weekly said this: “If I could bewitch you all to read it, I would.”
- Download the discussion guide here.
- And watch the AMAZING trailer here!
Tags: adventure > ellen oh > fairy tales > fantasy > korean mythology > middle grade > prophecy > school for good and evil > soman chainani > trilogy > tween > YA > young adult
TAKE ME TO TLA
Posted by Molly | April 17, 2013 | No Comments
Next week we’re exhibiting at one of our very favorite conferences of the year (shh, don’t tell anybody!)– the Texas Library Association Annual Conference. If you’ll be there too, we’d love to meet you! We’re HarperCollins Children’s Books Booth #2232, and we have so many fun things to give you! Galleys, discussion guides, reading kits, smiles, stories– you name it, we’ve got it.
We also have some very very stellar authors at panels and signing in the Author Signing Aisles. Check it out!
THURSDAY, APRIL 25TH:
11—12 Peter Lerangis
AISLE: 3
11—12 Chris Rylander
AISLE: 2
11—12:30 Jon Klassen
AISLE: 6
12—1 Bob Shea
AISLE 12
1—2 Patrick Carman
AISLE: 9
1—2 Kelley Armstrong
AISLE: 7
2—3 Kiersten White
AISLE: 11
2—3 Melissa Marr
AISLE: 10
3—4 Tera Lynn Childs
AISLE 11
3:30—4:30 Amy Krouse Rosenthal
AISLE: 3
FRIDAY, APRIL 26TH:
10:30—11:30 Seymour Simon
AISLE: 5
2—3 Jarrett Krosocszka
AISLE: 9
3—4 Jennifer Archer
AISLE: 4
We can’t wait! And none of us have ever been to Fort Worth before, so if you have any recommendations, let us know! See y’all soon.
Tags: librarians > Texas > texas libraries > TLA
SEE YOU IN SAN ANTONIO, IRA!
Posted by Molly | April 16, 2013 | No Comments
Later this week we’re heading down to one of our very favorite states, Texas, with some star authors, to exhibit at the International Reading Association Annual Conference.
Will you be in San Antonio too? If so, come visit us at HarperCollins Children’s Books Booth #3451! We’re going to be giving out oodles of galleys, teaching guides, bookmarks, and other materials– with lots aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
Here’s where you can find our authors:
SATURDAY, April 20th
2:00–3:00PM, JANE O’CONNOR, Anderson’s Booth #1003
SUNDAY, April 21st
1:00–2:00PM, WALTER DEAN MYERS, HarperCollins Children’s Books Booth #3451
1:00–2:00PM, JON SCIESZKA, Anderson’s Booth #1003
2:00–3:00PM, SEYMOUR SIMON, HarperCollins Children’s Books Booth #3451
MONDAY, April 22nd
MO WILLEMS IRA Closing Keynote:
“A Hippopotamus Wouldn’t Fit on the Page and Other Reasons that Mo Willems Writes About Pigeons”
Convention Center Exhibit Hall D
Book signing immediately following
12:00–1:00PM, MICHAEL HALL, HarperCollins Children’s Books Booth #3451
Come by our booth and say hello!
Tags: conference > international rea > IRA > reading association
CELEBRATING WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, BRAVE GIRL BY MICHELLE MARKEL
Posted by Molly | March 29, 2013 | No Comments
As Women’s History Month draws to a close, we wanted to be sure that you haven’t missed BRAVE GIRL: CLARA AND THE SHIRTWAIST MAKERS’ STRIKE OF 1909 by Michelle Markel and illustrated by Melissa Sweet.
BRAVE GIRL tells the story of Clara Lemlich, a young immigrant girl who led the biggest strike of women workers in U.S. history. The book has received four (!) starred reviews and big praise in the New York Times Book Review, in which they say: “Many schoolchildren today learn about the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire, but they don’t often learn about what precipitated the disaster. Markel’s sympathetic, fact-filled and moving story of a garment worker with gumption rounds out the lesson.” And we completely agree with their compliments for Melissa Sweet’s artwork: “With her distinctive mixed-media collages, she may have surpassed herself here. And with an inspiration like Lemlich — smart, ambitious, gutsy — it’s easy to see why.”
There are so many terrific topics, themes, and curricular tie-ins in this fantastic picture book. We created an educator guide aligned to the Common Core designed to help you start the discussion, available here.
And starting next week… April is Poetry Month!
AND NOW, A WORD FROM FROM CHRIS CRUTCHER!
Posted by Robin | March 29, 2013 | No Comments
We love listening to Chris Crutcher. He always has the most interesting things to say. Luckily his new novel, PERIOD 8, is full of things to talk about!
Watch Chris Crutcher discuss the truth and when to tell it, what it means to live a good life, and PERIOD 8. Make sure you stick around until the end for a special message to teachers and librarians!
Download the PERIOD 8 discussion guide and get talking . . .
Tags: banned books > bullying > Chris Crutcher > Deadline > Period 8 > suspense > thriller > YA
DROP EVERYTHING AND READ!
Posted by Robin | March 13, 2013 | 3 Comments
No matter what you have planned for Friday, April 12, get ready to DROP EVERYTHING AND READ! April 12 is Beverly Cleary’s birthday and National D.E.A.R Day, and we’ve got just the thing to help you celebrate: classroom activities for the RAMONA books. They’re aligned to the Common Core State Standards, AND they contain fun suggestions and writing prompts to get your students’ creativity flowing.
Look out for the new Ramona Quimby Journal, jam-packed with writing and drawing prompts, quizzes, puzzles, and stickers galore!
Also, keep an eye out for the newly-updated Ramona books with fantastic new cover art and black-and-white interior illustrations!
Visit www.dropeverythingandread.com for more activities, videos, ideas for your D.E.A.R. Day celebration, and much more.
Happy D.E.A.R. Day to you!
Tags: Beverly Cleary > classroom activities > common core > D.E.A.R. Day > middle grade > Ramona Quimby > teaching guides
GUEST POST: GEARING UP FOR POETRY MONTH WITH STORYTIME KATIE AND STARDINES
Posted by Robin | March 5, 2013 | No Comments
Getting ready for Poetry Month? We’ve got some brilliant activities for Jack Prelutsky and Carin Berger’s STARDINES SWIM HIGH ACROSS THE SKY, brought to you by picture book and flannelboard maven Storytime Katie. With Jack Prelutsky’s signature sense of humor and Carin Berger’s stunning collage, shadowbox, and diorama illustrations, this fantastic new poetry collection can be paired with SCRANIMALS and BEHOLD THE BOLD UMBRELLAPHANT or used on its own for a rollicking Poetry Month celebration.
Many thanks to Katie for these great activities, and happy (almost) Poetry Month to all!
From Storytime Katie:
In STARDINES SWIM HIGH ACROSS THE SKY, Jack Prelutsky and Carin Berger team up to create an unforgettable recording of sixteen brand-new species unseen by humans before! To celebrate this amazing new book from Greenwillow Books, readers are invited to try their hands at these activities.
1. Create Your Own Animal. In STARDINES, Jack Prelutsky creates animals by combining two words with at least one similar syllable. For example, a panda who plans becomes a planda. Plan + Panda = Planda. Try making your own animal! If you get stuck, you can try using two of the words in the following lists:
Panda: Fan, Land, Sand, Stand
Buffalo: Fluff, Muff, Stuff, Tough
Butterfly: Blue, Flew, Mutt, Nut
Make sure to write out the definition of your new animal. (For example, a Bluetterfly is a butterfly who only lands on blue flowers!)
2. I Spy. In Carin Berger’s collage illustrations, she includes a lot of details to demonstrate each animal’s environment and personality. Can you find all fifteen items listed below in the pictures throughout STARDINES?
Items to find: Apron, Broom, Cactus, Clock, Feather, Fork, Guitar, Mushroom, Pretzel, Red Shoes, Rocks, Sailboat, Spoon, Tuba, Umbrella
3. Collage Art. Make your own collage using a variety of paper, found objects, and creativity. You can use whatever can be glued down on a piece of paper, as long as you have permission to use it! Try using milk caps, cardboard boxes, and newspaper to make a truly Earth-friendly recycled craft.
4. Animal Discoveries. While the creatures in STARDINES may not be real, new animal species are discovered regularly in our world. Do some research about when your favorite animal was discovered and find out who was responsible for the discovery. Write a poem about how your favorite animal was discovered—be imaginative!
Tags: blogers > blogs > Carin Berger > collage > Jack Prelutsky > librarians > picture books > poetry > Poetry Month > storytime
CHOCK FULL O’ RESOURCES
Posted by Molly | December 13, 2012 | No Comments
And just for fun, Molly’s holiday wreath!
Just a very quick post today to point out the terrific downloadable materials you can access here at The PageTurn. See the RESOURCES tab on the top right? Click there to access the section of our blog that houses lots of totally free, easy downloadables (like discussion guides, teacher’s guides, activities and kits) for picture books, middle grade, and teen. We just updated the page with a bunch of great new stuff (teaching guides for NEVER FALL DOWN, ONE CRAZY SUMMER, INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN, PANDEMONIUM, to name a few), so check it out, download and share the good news!
Tags: discussion guides > downloadables > guides > kidlit > resources > teaching guides
VEGAS-BOUND: HCCB AT NCTE
Posted by Molly | November 12, 2012 | 2 Comments
Interesting fact: not even one of us on the School & Library Marketing team here at HarperCollins Children’s Books has ever been to Las Vegas. Honestly, I think we were all a little afraid… but later this week everything will change, as we fly off to the desert for NCTE– the annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of English. Duty calls!
Though we’re a little disappointed that Cher isn’t performing during our visit, we’re feeling very lucky to have an honestly amazing roster of authors attending with us. Please swing by our booth (#520/522) for the following author signings!
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16th:
1:00–1:30pm, CJ Hill
4:00–5:00pm, Aprilynne Pike (signing galleys of LIFE AFTER THEFT!)
5:00–5:30pm, RJ Anderson
5:30–6:00pm, Holly Cupala
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17th:
9:00–10:00am, Terry Trueman
10:00–11:00am, Chris Crutcher (pick up a galley of PERIOD 8!)
1:00–2:00pm, David Gill (snag a galley of SHADOW ON THE SUN!)
2:00–3:00pm, Rita Williams-Garcia (grab a galley of P.S. BE ELEVEN, the follow up to ONE CRAZY SUMMER)
3:00–4:00pm, Emily Jenkins
4:00–5:00pm, Jon Scieszka
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18th:
9:00–10:00am, Patricia McCormick
10:00–11:00am, Thanhha Lai
11:00am–12:00pm, Rae Carson
Make sure to come by our booth for hot-off-the-presses middle grade and YA galleys, posters, discussion and teacher’s guides, bookmarks, delightful conversation, and more! We would love to meet you and talk books, so please don’t be shy. I mean, look how nice and friendly we are!
Tags: conferences > kidlit > mglit > NCTE > teachers > yalit
A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, REPULSIVE RESOURCES
Posted by Molly | October 23, 2012 | No Comments
When it comes to Lemony Snicket and A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, you should probably STAY AWAY from the below video and totally free, downloadable resources. If you know what’s good for you, that is. If you just can’t resist, then…
Watch Lemony Snicket read THE BAD BEGINNING on film… sort of…
And view this in-depth interview with Lemony Snicket in partnership with TeachingBooks.Net!
And finally, check out 20 FREE, FEARSOME, DOUBTLESSLY DUBIOUS DOWNLOADS, including trivia, discussion questions, mazes, codes, word searches, and more, that you should probably just AVOID COMPLETELY:
Don’t say we didn’t try to warn you!
Tags: downloadables > free > Lemony Snicket > series of unfortunate events > snicket > SUE
BOOK OF THE WEEK
