Writing – Page 9 – Unleashing Readers

Young Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer by Lisa Pliscou

July 27, 2015May 7, 2015 by Ricki

Young Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer
Author: Lisa Pliscou
Illustrator: Massimo Mongiardo
Published: April 20, 2015 by Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing

GoodReads Summary: What was Jane Austen like as a child? What were her formative influences and experiences, her challenges and obstacles, that together set her on the path toward becoming a writer?

Drawing upon a wide array of sources, including Austen’s own books and correspondence, Lisa Pliscou has created a “speculative biography” that, along with 20 charming black-and-white illustrations, offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of young Jane Austen. Also included is a richly detailed, annotated version of the narrative and an overview of Austen’s life, legacy, and the era in which she lived, as well as a timeline of her key childhood events.

Young Jane Austen is sure to intrigue anyone interested in Jane Austen, in writing and the creative process, and in the triumph of the artistic spirit.

Review: I enjoy the way this book is formatted. The first half (or so) tells the story of Jane Austen as she grows up—before she became a writer. It gives a strong historical background of the expectations (or lack of expectations) for women at the time. While much isn’t known about Jane’s early life, the author does an excellent job creatively interpreting events with what we do know. The next section is an annotated version that reveals the author’s decisions for the text, and the last portion discusses Jane Austen’s later life as a writer. Readers will be inspired to take on some of Austen’s novels after reading this book. The beautiful paper and illustrations of this book made me wish that more books were creatively printed. I felt as if I was reading a text from the time period of Austen’s life, which made me feel warm and fuzzy.

Please note: I tagged this book as historical nonfiction and narrative nonfiction because it bridges both genres. It is a creative nonfiction, and the later portions of the book are more informational. These kinds of books make genre-sorting seem a bit silly.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This text begs for readers to conduct research. They could delve into Jane’s novels to connect her life details with her works. They might also research more about the time period or another favorite author’s early life. The annotated section is particularly interesting to me. I would love to have my students annotate a text looking for the author’s purpose.

Discussion Questions: How was your life different from Jane Austen’s life? How do the expectations for females impact Jane?; What adjectives would you use to describe Jane? Why?; How does the format of the book enhance your reading? Do you know any other books like this?

We Flagged:

I couldn’t help but share how beautiful the inside of this book is. Image taken from: www.goodreads.com.

Recommended For:

Review and Author’s Guest Post!: “Josh, Harrison & Dad’s Excellent Adventure” by Henry L. Herz, Author of Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes

March 27, 2015 by Kellee

Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes
Authors: Henry, Josh, and Harrison Herz
Illustrator: Abigail Larson
Published February 7th, 2015 by Pelican Publishing Company

Goodreads Summary: Enter an enchanted land of mythical creatures where manticores reign and ogres roar-a land of mystery and fright. A unique twist on traditional rhymes of everyone’s youth, “Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes” presents a more sinister approach to these childhood classics, and yet the sing-song nature of the poems renders them playful and jovial at the same time. Little Witch Muffet is not frightened by a silly, little spider; she simply adds him to her stew!

Rotten zombies, giants, dwarves, and goblins mingle with werewolves, centaurs, and fauns. Follow along the skeleton stepping stones, scale up a palisade, claw at the window of a tasty child and bake him into a pumpkin shell. Monsters cook up delicious elvish pie, too! Every kid who has an eensy weensy bit of sense wants a pet with feathers white as snow, who flies like an eagle and bleats like a goat-a hippogriff, of course!

Six forest sprites with four times as many pixies escape from a loaf of bread atop the elaborate table of the fey queen; her feast has flown away! If you enjoy mischief and have a penchant for the morbidly hilarious, the Herzs’ rhymes will satisfy your mythological curiosities.

Larson’s illustrations give new life to these ancient figures, and her artistic style employs the bold lines and colorful movement of an action-packed comic book. The author also includes a “bestiary” with information about the book’s legendary creatures, which hail from Scotland, Germany, Italy, Persia, Haiti, and Scandinavia.

Kellee’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Really like the creativity of mashing monster/mythology and nursery rhymes. A great intro to all things traditional lit and fantasy in a rhyming, fun way. I especially liked that the creatures hail from a variety of places and that the author included an appendix that includes information about each of them. I think this book would be a great way to introduce mythology as well as give students an opportunity to make their own parody of a nursery rhyme using a creature.

One thing that makes this book special is that Henry Herz wrote this book with his two sons. I am happy to share with you a post about their collaboration:

Josh, Harrison, and Dad’s Excellent Adventure

The astute observer will notice that there are three author credits for Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes. That’s because my young sons were involved in its creation. This is the tale of how two boys became traditionally published authors.

A few years ago (in a galaxy far away), I wanted to share my love of fantasy with my young sons. They were too little for watching most of the fantasy and sci-fi movie classics, and there are only so many good fantasy books available for that age range. Struck by inspiration one day, I came up with a way to share the joy of entering the magical realms of fantasy. I would write a fantasy book for them.

What I did not anticipate was that my boys would give me feedback on the story. They devised some of the character (Nimpentoad) and creature (Neebel) names and made plot line suggestions. And who better to help make the story appealing to kids than other kids? So, the goal of interesting my sons in fantasy transformed into also encouraging them to write.

Originally, I only shared the story of Nimpentoad with family, for their own enjoyment. I had no thoughts of having the book published. But one day, my sister-in-law suggested that I consider publication because she felt the story was much better than many of the books she was seeing for her similarly-aged kids. I thought about it for a while, and decided to give it a try.

The first step was to find the right artist. Once again, my sons were involved, this time in providing art direction. We would explain in words what each illustration should contain. Collaborating remotely via email and DropBox, our artist would give us a rough sketch, and we would provide feedback on details and color palette. Nimpentoad came to life, while my boys added another dimension to their experience.

Given the amount of time that had passed, as well as the anticipated challenges with finding an agent or publisher willing to take a chance on an unproven writer, we decided to indie-publish. The response to Nimpentoad was encouraging, and we subsequently indie-published Twignibble (an easy reader about a mechanically-inclined sloth, who travels the world helping his endangered animal friends), and How the Rhino Got His Skin (an updated picture book version of Rudyard Kipling’s classic).

We’ve done book readings and signings at schools, libraries, museums, farmer’s markets, book fairs, and bookstores. My boys are now experienced sales professionals! They know how to handle themselves with new people, and easily sell more books than I do.

Like any good author, I am committed to honing my craft. I belong to critique groups, participate in Tara Lazar’s annual Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) event, and took a picture book writing class at UCSD. Part of the class curriculum was to draft some picture book manuscripts. Kids love monsters and I love monsters (being a big kid myself), and so the idea for Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes was born.

As with our other collaborations, I drafted the book, and then had my sons review it. Then it went through my critique group and more revisions. I subsequently attended the Orange County Editor’s Day event hosted by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes won best picture book. After that, it was time to query agents and editors. Happily, several editors expressed interest. We chose Pelican Publishing, and the rest is history.

Writing rhyming picture books is very challenging (see why at http://wp.me/p31Xf4-K0). I jokingly encourage newbie writers to visit www.DontDoRhyme.com (not a real website). The irony is not lost on me that my debut traditionally published picture book is in rhyme. My only excuse is that I didn’t have to invent the meter, I just had to twist the words to fit the existing meter.

If you want to interest your kids in mythological creatures, or fantasy literature in general, give Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes a look. Just take care – Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes is a gateway book to The Lightning Thief and, eventually, to The Lord of the Rings.

Learn more about Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes at http://www.birchtreepub.com/mgnr.htm.

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Henry L. Herz for providing a copy for review and for the guest post!**

Author Guest Post!: “A Love for Reading Begets Passionate Writing” by Jake Marcionette, Author of Just Jake

March 22, 2015 by Kellee

Jake Marcionette was 12-years-old, he decided he wanted to write middle grade fiction for kids, by a kid, from a kid’s perspective. It’s been over two years since he signed with a literary agent, landed a book deal with Grosset and Dunlap (Penguin USA) and then saw Just Jake #1 make the New York Times Best Sellers list.

Today, he does a lot of motivational speaking to elementary and middle school kids.

Jake OOTM

His message is simple: He’s no different than you but, success, in anything, is predicated on hard work, relentless determination and doing what you love. Here are a few video clips of him speaking:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6eVgLIdYmo
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqqTSJjHHy4

Today, we have Jake here at Unleashing Readers to share how he got to where he is now.

A Love for Reading Begets Passionate Writing

You can say I’m a big proponent of literacy. But I think a lot of people forget there are two components to the literacy equation: reading AND writing. I’m passionate about the latter but understand the critical importance of the former.

Let’s face it; reading is the glory boy of literacy. Reading is fawned over, hyped…it even has its own catch phrase “Reading is FUNdamental.” How do you compete with that? The answer is you don’t. Because reading is the cornerstone on which all learning and education rests and without it, future Shakespeares are unlikely to emerge.

As kids, we all have stories that need to be told. Our crazy thoughts, wild dreams, and creative interpretations reflect our individualism and personal journeys. I know there’s an inner author inside every kid but without first discovering the love of reading, the joys of putting pen to paper (or fingers to a keyboard) will be elusive.

So what about those students who have yet to discover the limitless world of reading? Are they precluded from becoming the next Patterson? Most likely YES but it doesn’t have to be that way. Perhaps all they’re looking for is the FUNNY!

As shocking as it may sound, I was once “that kid” who didn’t enjoy reading. Although I was indeed writing a lot at a young age, my writing didn’t turn the corner to “Passion Town” until I found books I didn’t want to put down. Thank you, Mr. Kinney!

I can personally attest that not every kid wants to read about gossiping mean girls, vampires, or books that encompass serious, teachable moments recommended by well-intentioned adults. A lot of kids just want to laugh.

When I discovered the not so nice Greg Heffley, his abusive older brother Rodrick, and gullible Rowley I went from a reluctant reader to a voracious consumer of books overnight. It was the spark that ignited the creative fire that had eluded me. I knew immediately that was the kind of real story I wanted to tell. And considering there weren’t many books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid (still aren’t) my focus became to put forth a comical, middle grade fiction series about school and life from a kid’s perspective.

Today, as the published author of the Just Jake series and a New York Times Bestseller, I’m provided with an incredibly rewarding platform. Being a firm believer that every kid can achieve greatness, I love visiting schools and getting everyone psyched up about life, finding your passion and putting in the hard work that it takes to be better every day. But the best part is when I hear from another kid that they now want to write their own book.

It being March and National Reading Month, I think it’s appropriate to keep in mind all the “reluctant readers” in your life and try to find the right spark to ignite their interest in the printed word. I’m no different than many other kids out there but without opportunity, potential is rarely discovered.

And if you’re looking for that one series that accurately (and hilariously) captures elementary/middle school life in a highly relatable context, perfect for grades 3rd-8th, Just Jake #1 might by the ticket. Forgive me! March is also the month of my shameless self-promotion as Just Jake #2: Dog Eat Dog‘s publication date is March 31st. Oh man…sorry! There I go again.

For all the teachers out there, you’ll be interested to know we’ve partnered with BigIQKids.com to create some awesome (and free) interactive learning lessons based on Just Jake #1 in the form of spelling and vocabulary lists and quizzes found here: http://bigiqkids.com/SpellingVocabulary/justjake.html

And, a very cool reading comprehension quiz with built-in game rewards found here:
http://www.bigiqkids.com/games/ReadingRewardGamePage.php

Thank you Unleashing Readers (Kellee and Ricki) for this incredible opportunity. You guys rock! And if you’re interested in more information about me please visit www.JustJake.com . Lastly, I hope everyone can follow me on Twitter @Jake Marcionette!!!!!

Thank you Jake! You are such an inspiration!

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Author Guest Post!: “Beyond Setting: A Couple of Thoughts and Some Fun Writing Prompts” by Tricia Springstubb, Author of Moonpenny Island

February 1, 2015 by Kellee

Beyond Setting: A Couple of Thoughts and Some Fun Writing Prompts

Setting: the time and place where the story happens. Yawn. Compared to characters and plot, setting can be a snoozefest. What happens next? That’s what most readers, young or old, want to know.

But here’s what genius writer Katherine Paterson has to say on the subject: “Setting for me is not a background against which a story is played out, but the very stuff with which the story is woven. The characters will not determine the setting, but the setting to a great extent will determine both what they will be like and how they will act.”

Think of “Bridge to Terabithia” and you’ll immediately understand what she means. Could that miraculous, heart-wrenching story be set anywhere but the kingdom Jess and Leslie create together? Not only is that place enchanted, it’s secret, a spot where they feel all-powerful and safe from the real world–which of course makes the book’s tragedy all the more devastating.

Setting can be a catalyst. It can make things happen. Stanley Yelnats gets sent to Camp Green Lake where, instead of a lovely lake, he finds a desert full of strange holes, and the die is cast. (“Holes”, by Louis Sachar). Ditto what happens when Brian Robeson’s plane goes down not on the edge of a corn field, but in the middle of the Canadian wilderness (“Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen).

Full confession: sense of place is all important in my work. “What Happened on Fox Street” pivots on how much Mo Wren loves her home. Everything she treasures is there–her friends, her secret hide-out, her fox-quest and her memories of her mother. The discovery that her adored father means to move away makes her furious and sets the rest of the story in motion.

In “Mo Wren Lost and Found”, Mo has had to move away after all. Here the setting reflects and enhances her feelings of confusion and lonesomeness. “East 213^th . Their new street didn’t even have a name. Just a number. That was only the beginning of how different it was. Being a dead end, where Fox Street began and where it stopped were perfectly clear. Once Upon a Time and The End. But if East 213^th was a story, it’d say To be continued…with those three dots that mean anything might happen.”

My newest book, “Moonpenny Island”, is about how living on a small lump of limestone surrounded by water is paradise for some, prison for others. The very stuff of the story!

I always encourage young writers to think about setting. Think, I tell them, how important place is to “Harry Potter”, “Percy Jackson” or “The Giver”. Think how much you love stepping into a story’s new, amazing and compelling world. Experiencing a great setting is the closest we can come to teleportation. When you’re a writer, you have the power to build a world!

Below are some writing exercises to help kids understand the power of setting–and have fun too!

Take a familiar story and set it in another place or time. What if Little Red Riding Hood lived in New York City? How would the plot change if Cinderella was set in the present day?
Without naming it, describe some place you know as fully as you can. Use all five senses. Trade descriptions with someone else, and use each other’s place as the setting for a new story.
Draw a map of an imaginary place. Go wild! Use it as the setting for a story.
Describe the room you’re in right now. Just the facts please. Messy classroom desks, windows onto the street, one kid asleep in the corner.
Now describe the room through the eyes of a fictional character. A shy, nervous new kid entering for the first time. An ant on the floor. A girl with a crush on the boy sitting next to her. An alien whose saucer has just landed outside. (It’s up to you. Remember, when you’re a writer, you’re the boss of your story!) Will they all see the same setting? How will past experiences and present feelings influence the way each of them perceives the room?

Tricia Springstubb is a frequent speaker in schools and libraries. When she can’t get there in person, she enjoys doing Skype visits. Her new middle grade novel, “Moonpenny Island”, publishes with HarperCollins on February 10. “Cody and the Fountain of Happiness”, the first book in her new series for readers ages 7-10, publishes with Candlewick in April.

Tricia lives and writes in good old Cleveland. You can learn more about her and her books at triciaspringstubb.com

Moonpenny Island Summary: Moonpenny is a tiny island in a great lake. When the summer people leave and the ferries stop running, just the tried-and-true islanders are left behind. Flor and her best, her perfect friend, Sylvie, are the only eleven-year-olds for miles and miles—and Flor couldn’t be happier.

But come the end of summer, unthinkable things begin to happen. Sylvie is suddenly, mysteriously whisked away to school on the mainland. Flor’s mother leaves to take care of Flor’s sick grandmother and doesn’t come back. Her big sister has a secret, and Flor fears it’s a dangerous one.

Meanwhile, a geologist and his peculiar daughter arrive to excavate prehistoric trilobites, one of the first creatures to develop sight. Soon Flor is helping them. As her own ability to see her life on this little lump of limestone evolves, she faces truths about those she loves—and about herself—she never imagined.

Tricia Springstubb tells a warm and deeply affecting story about what it means to see, and why the biggest feat of all may be seeing through someone else’s eyes.

Cody and the Fountain of Happiness Summary: For whimsical Cody, many things are beautiful, especially ants who say hello by rubbing feelers. But nothing is as beautiful as the first day of summer vacation, and Cody doesn’t want to waste one minute of it. Meanwhile, teenage brother Wyatt is moping over a girl, Mom is stressed about her new job as Head of Shoes, Dad is off hauling chairs in his long-distance truck, and even camp has been closed for the summer. What to do? Just when all seems lost, Cody bumps into a neighborhood boy named Spencer who is looking for a runaway cat. With a new friend and a soon-to-be-found cat, Cody is on her way to the fountain of happiness.

Thank you so much to Tricia for being our special guest this Sunday!

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YALSA Morris Finalists’ Blog Hop: Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

May 2, 2015January 29, 2015 by Kellee

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces
Author: Isabel Quintero
Published October 14th, 2014 by Cinco Puntos Press

Goodreads Summary: For all the gorditas, flaquitas, and in-between girls trying to make their space in the world. Don’t worry, you got this.

Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year in high school in her diary: college applications, Cindy’s pregnancy, Sebastian’s coming out, the cute boys, her father’s meth habit, and the food she craves. And best of all, the poetry that helps forge her identity.

Author Bio: Isabel Quintero is a library technician in the Inland Empire. She is also the events coordinator for Orange Monkey and helps edit the poetry journal Tin Cannon. Gabi is her debut novel.

Kellee’s Review: What I found in this book was a book of truth. While I normally find a book that has so many topics in it to be cumbersome (just some of the topics hit were: pregnancy, abortion, meth, family, religion, ethnicity, school, homosexuality, sex, death, poetry, college, rape, and gender expectations), I felt that Gabi was just truthful. Her story was just a story full of real life which just happens to be messy. I enjoyed the unique format, the diversity (not just race/ethnicity, but lbgt, body size, class, ELL, etc.), and the amazing cast of characters. Gabi’s voice rang true throughout, and even got stronger as she became more independent within the story. Well done.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Parts of Gabi’s story could easily be pulled out to be a mentor text for many different literary elements; however, I feel like one of the best ways it could be used is to have students emulate Gabi’s writing. For example, Gabi writes letters to her father sharing how she really feels. Students could write to someone sharing something with them that they are keeping from them. You could also use Gabi’s magazine and poetry the same way. Gabi’s writing is very raw, and I think that students will definitely connect with it.

Discussion Questions: Gabi makes a choice towards the end of the book that makes Cindy be upset with Gabi. Do you agree with what Gabi did?; Gabi’s mother is very protective of her. Why do you think she is so hard on Gabi?; Gabi deals with body issues throughout the book. How do you think our society affects how she pictures herself?; Sebastian and Cindy’s parents are both disappointed in their kids for different reasons and deal differently with their disappointment. Do you agree with how they treat their children?

We Flagged: “My brother is fifteen. He knows many things. He knows how to make a pipe out of an apple, and he knows how to make beautiful murals on public property. He likes wresting and biking and skateboarding but doesn’t like school because school doesn’t understand kids like us. My brother–the brat, the crybaby, the quite one, the brown one, Mami’s favorite: where will he go? I ask myself the question over and over. Y no se. I don’t know where he will go, but I hope wherever it is it’s better than here.” (p. 94)

Read This If You Loved: Yaqui Delgado Wants To Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina, Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott, What Can(t) Wait by Ashley Hope Perez, Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia MacCall, Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding

Recommended For:

Make sure to stop by Cinco Puntos Press blog to see the other stops on the tour!

**A special thank you to Jessica Powers at Cinco Puntos Press for organizing this blog hop!**

A Christmas Wish for Corduroy by B.G. Hennessy

January 2, 2015December 24, 2014 by Kellee

A Christmas Wish for Corduroy
Author: B.G. Hennessy
Based on the characters created by Don Freeman
Illustrator: Jody Wheeler
Published October 21st, 2014 by Viking Juvenile

Goodreads Summary: Before he met Lisa, Corduroy was just a little bear in the toy department of a big store, waiting for somebody to take him home.

It’s almost Christmas and Corduroy wishes he could be a child’s holiday gift—but he’s a plain bear, and nobody seems to notice him. He sets out across the store to ask Santa Claus for help, but he can’t visit without wearing a special outfit! After stopping to try on hats, boots, and even baby clothes, Corduroy finally arrives at the North Pole. Can Santa help Corduroy find a new home in time for Christmas?

With warm humor and classic art, A Christmas Wish for Corduroy takes readers back to the beginning and shows how Corduroy became the beloved bear we know today. This is a heartwarming story about the power of hope, perseverance, and friendship–an important addition to any Corduroy collection.

My Review: This prequel to Corduroy is a perfect Christmas story. It takes the Corduroy story and added a perfect amount of holiday flare. In the story you learn how Corduroy gets his famous overalls and how he gets his famous name. There are even some quite funny parts. I really enjoyed reading it to Trent. The colorful photos really held his attention, and he especially loved his new Corduroy stuffed animal (he held him through the whole reading and was even giving him kisses!). I know that this will become a book we read every year.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Primarily, this book will be a wonderful read aloud; however, after reading, it would be fun to have students write their own stories of how Corduroy got his name and overalls (or they could write a prequel to a different picture book classic).

Discussion Questions: Do you think Santa helped Corduroy get his wish?; If you were the clerk, how would you think that Corduroy got to Santa’s chair?; If you were in the toy store, which toy would you have chosen?

We Flagged: “One December afternoon, a toy bear in a big store was just waking up when he heard a mohter asking a boy, “Have you decided what you would like for Christmas yet?” The bear sat taller and perked up his ears. Maybe this boy wanted a bear! But the boy zipped right by him and pointed to a bright red, shiny fire engine. “I’m going to ask Santa for a fire truck with a big ladder and a bell!” the boy said. The bear watched sadly as the boy walked away.” (p. 1-3)

Read This If You Loved: Corduroy by Don Freeman, Christmas picture books

Recommended For:

Happy holidays to you and yours!!!

**Thank you to Penguin for providing a copy for review!**

Author Guest Post, Giveaway, and Blog Hop!: “How Research Transformed The Wolf Chronicles” by Dorothy Hearst, Author of The Wolf Chronicles

July 27, 2015December 12, 2014 by Kellee

Series Synopsis: Inspired by the theory that it was wolves, and later dogs, that made humans the dominant species on earth by teaching mankind to hunt cooperatively and form complex societies, The Wolf Chronicles begins 14,000 years ago with PROMISE OF THE WOLVES. It is engagingly told from the point of view of lovable Kaala—an outcast young wolf who has been charged with watching over humans in order to prevent them from losing touch with nature and thus destroying the world.

About the Author: Before the wolves barged in the door, demanding that their story be told, Dorothy Hearst was a senior editor at Jossey-Bass, where she published books for nonprofit, public, and social change leaders. She currently lives, writes, and plays with dogs in Berkeley, California.Spirit of the Wolves, the third and final title in the Wolf Chronicles, will be released December 2. For more information, and to download free CCSS-aligned discussion questions for all three novels, visit her website: dorothyhearst.com

“How Research Transformed The Wolf Chronicles”

When I got the idea to write novels about how the wolf became the dog from the wolf’s point of view, I knew that I had a lot of research ahead of me. And I balked. I’d never been any good at research.

But wolves can’t type, and they wanted their story told, so I hunkered down and got started.

It turned out that research was one of the best parts of the writing process. I snow-shoed in Yellowstone, chased huskies in the French Alps, spent hours in wonderful public and university libraries, and walked through a cave where someone had stood 14,000 years ago, painting a bison.

But what surprised me most was how research shaped my story. It profoundly changed The Wolf Chronicles in several ways:

It changed my wolves:

Like many people, I used to think that wolves were vicious animals that fought all the time and were very different from us. Books like Richard Busch’s Wolf Almanac showed me that wolves are actually highly social animals that rarely fight. Then I read up on prehistoric cultures, and learned that our ancestors and wolves lived surprisingly similar lives. This changed all the interactions between wolf and human characters, and made Kaala and her pack much more complex.

It deepened the story:

Early in my research, I learned about wolf-human coevolution, the theory that wolves and dogs may have greatly influenced our evolution. good lThen, Barry Lopez’s Of Wolves and Men showed me that wolves have long been emblematic of very different views of nature. This research made Kaala’s story more than the tale of a young wolf on a quest. It grew to be about our own connection to the natural world, and what that connection means for our future.

It gave me new characters:

While reading up on wolves, I learned that wolves and ravens often play together, so I decided to write just one scene with ravens in it. The raven Tlitoo decided he wanted a bigger part in the book, and became a major character. While on a trip to Yellowstone to watch wolves, I was awoken by a herd of elk bellowing outside my window. Ranor the elkryn marched into the story.

It gave me new scenes

Two scenes in the trilogy are drawn directly from the many documentaries and videos I watched. In Promise of the Wolves, Kaala and Ázzuen struggle to cross a great plain. This is from a video about wild dogs. The filmmakers actually rescued a pup who fell behind (I write about it here) which they weren’t supposed to do. A scene in which Kaala steals from sabre-toothed cat cub is based on a video of a young wolf playing with a young bear until Mama bear got annoyed.

In the end, research enriched The Wolf Chronicles in ways I never could have imagined. I am now a dedicated research devotee.

Some Classroom Applications:

I love the idea of the wolves making their way into classrooms. Here are some topics that lope through the books:

Animal biology and behavior (wolves, ravens, prey animals)
Ecology and the Environment
Life in prehistoric times
Wolf-Human coevolution—the controversial theory that wolves and dogs directly affected our evolution
Mythology: Norse myths, European folktales, Native American tradition as the basis for parts of the story.

The Educators page of my website also has some tools and guidelines for using The Wolf Chronicles in the classroom. You can read more about my research for The Wolf Chronicles at YAReviewNet.

Thanks so much to Unleashing Readers for hosting me!

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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**Thank you to Barbara from Blue Slip Media for asking us to participate in the blog tour!**