Talking in Animal

I begin by reading from my picture book The Cat Who Liked Potato Soup. We look closely at the illustrations to discover how a picture book tells a story in two languages: pictures and words. With older readers, I share my chapter book, Talking in Animal. Both books are about ways friendships are made, and we compare the two genres, picture book and chapter book.

We talk about another meaning of talking in animal, that it was by devising the story of the language of animals that my character, Siobhan, could face her problem. Creating the story gives her power.

We talk about the language of writing: revision; point of view; setting; dialogue; characters; the shape of a story. I lead students in interactive steps to create a character and leave them with the beginning of a story to write.

Sharing Folktales: A Literacy Project

A story program for children or families that features tales from the home countries of America's new immigrants. Participants are invited to share stories, proverbs or sayings to contribute to a collaborative story. Ideal for family programs to build literacy skills for all ages. Click here for a full description of the program. The fee is negotiable for this program as I am taking it on the road visiting many adult learning centers and libraries in New England.

Children of War

A presentation on stories of children and teens who have grown up in countries at war and based on articles I wrote for School Library Journal. For teens and adults, I also draw from my novels If the Tiger and Flower Shadows about the impact of war in Southeast Asia. Facts of wars are in newspaper articles, but through these stories and oral histories participants gain a personal understanding of history and current events. I adapt the presentation for children, teens, or teachers and librarians. I contribute part of the fee for this program to Catholic Charities of Maine, the agency that resettles refugees in Maine.