I Have a Bad Feeling About This Blog Tour and Guest Post by Author, Jeff Strand

I Have a Bad Feeling About This

by Jeff Strand

Sourcebook Fire (March 1, 2014)

Description from Publisher:  Everything 16-year-old Henry was dreading about survival camp turns out to be true--or even worse. The only thing to help get him through is his equally unathletic best friend Randy and the discovery of a girls’ music camp just down the path. But they’ll soon have a lot more than obnoxious “drill counselors” and too many push-ups to worry about. The owner of Strongwoods Survival Camp has taken out some loans with very dangerous men to keep himself afloat, and when a trio of them show up to collect, things go bad. Very bad. With a camp now full of armed killers, survival now has a whole new meaning for the campers. 

Kid Lit Frenzy would like to welcome author, Jeff Strand to the blog. Thank you Jeff for sharing about your experience with your first school visit.  

"They're all going to be half-asleep for the first couple of classes," I'd been warned. "So don't take it personally."

I wasn't going to take it personally. I could relate. When I was a high school student, there was nothing in the world worse than having to get up in the morning. I was so tired every morning that I couldn't even summon the energy to put edible items into a bag, and so I never had anything for lunch. ("Couldn't you have made your lunch the night before?" you're probably asking. I guess I could have. The thought did occur to me every single day at lunchtime. Instead, I went with the plan of being ravenously hungry all afternoon, and then coming home and gobbling down the stuff I should have brought for lunch.)

Anyway, I was there for the Great American Teach-In, where I would speak to seven English classes in a row about the life of being an author. Because I was there to inspire young minds, I vowed not to burst into tears at any point during my talk. I dressed nicely, to help perpetuate the myth that authors can afford nice clothes. I went in fully prepared, because even though I hoped to mostly fill the time with Q&A, I had to be ready in case there were no Q's to A.

And...the warning had been correct. The students were as zombie-like for the first couple of classes as I had been in my high school years. I was tempted to walk around with a cattle prod zapping people, but I'd left all of my cattle prods at home, and I figured that as a teenager I'd have been disinclined to buy books by an author who'd given me an intense electric shock.

Fortunately, I had this information going in, so I knew not to ARGH they hate me I'm boring them it's like I'm trying to teach them algebra first thing in the morning and I'm going to have to do this seven times and during at least one of them I WILL burst into tears despite my promise not to do so, and the teacher will report me as a Really Tedious Author and I'll never be invited to speak at a school again!

"That's how it always is," the teacher assured me, as a waterfall of flop-sweat cascaded down my forehead. "The next classes will be more alert."

Teachers had lied to me in the past ("Algebra has lots of uses in everyday life!") but in this case, it was the truth. The next batches of students remained upright, and asked questions, and laughed at my jokes. The teacher also laughed at my jokes, although by the sixth or seventh time she'd heard them I think she was just being polite.

What I mostly took from this experience was the wonderful discovery that, if you're having lunch with a bunch of teachers in the teacher's lounge, they use the F-word. A lot. I'm not saying that all teachers make frequent use of the F-word when the students aren't around, but these teachers did, and there was no evidence that it was a rare occurrence, and it was the greatest thing ever.

Did I personally inspire 175 (25 x 7) students to become authors? Not necessarily. Did they all rush home and share tales of the amazing Famous Writer who shared his life experience with them? Dunno. But they MIGHT have, in my mind, and ultimately that's what matters.

After hearing about Jeff's experience with his first school visit I had to ask “What was your favorite question from the day?” 

Jeff's response: My favorite question was “How much does school help you become a writer?” Obviously, with the teacher sitting right there, it was very important to give the correct answer! I explained that even though writers have editors, it is absolutely essential to learn grammar and all of the other writing basics, or you’ll never make it past the submission stage to get an editor. The teacher seemed to approve of this answer.

Thanks Jeff for stopping by and sharing your experiences.  And if you are reading this, check out a copy of Jeff's book at your local public library or pick up a copy at your favorite independent bookstore.

About the Author: JEFF STRAND is a three-time nominee for the Bram Stoker Award, and both of his YA books, A Bad Day for VooDoo and I Have a Bad Feeling About This are both Junior Library Guild Picks. Jeff lives in Tampa, Florida, and would last approximately three seconds in a true survival situation. But he's okay with that, because he mostly just types stuff in a safe bear-free environment. jeffstrand.com  You can also follow him on twitter: @jeffstrand

Slice of Life - Confident Readers - #sol14

Slice of Life is hosted by Two Writing Teachers on Tuesdays.  For the month of March, we are posting a slice daily.
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For the past several months, I have thought about the characteristics of confident, aware readers.  Is it something innately unique to these readers or can teachers and parents foster it? I know many of my Nerdy Book Club friends foster this regularly in their students, but how do I share those tips most effectively with teachers who may just be starting on this journey?

My personal experience with this started with my niece (well I call her my niece) who just turned 13 years old. I have been reading with her since she was a baby.  At the beginning of first grade, she could read Cam Jansen mysteries and by the end of first grade she had moved onto Nancy Drew.  After a long car trip, she came home and asked if I knew how Cam Jansen and Nancy Drew were alike. I smiled and asked her to tell me what she was thinking about.  She quickly rattled off several similarities.  I was curious and flipped the question. So, how were they different?  It took her a little time to think about it but she was spot on with her responses.  I loved watching her develop a passion for reading. 

At the end of 2nd grade, I gave her Among the Hidden by Margaret Haddix Peterson.  She read the book and then we went out for frozen yogurt for a two person book club.  This was only the first of many books we would discuss over a cup of frozen goodness. If you were wondering if Among the Hidden was too advanced for a barely 8 year old, I wondered that too.  However, when I asked her if she got the whole "two children rule", she made a comparison to China's one child law.  She also could discuss the class system in the book and make connections beyond the book.  I loved when she recently wrote Peterson saying that Among the Hidden was the book that turned her into a reader. I can also see how her current love for adventure and dystopian novels originated with that first novel.

Over the years, we went on to share books, attend author events, and discuss what we are reading.  I love getting a text from her when she finds a line in a book and just has to share.  I chuckled when she finished The Hunger Games and frantically texted me looking for Catching Fire.  And smiled when she created an instagram page (or whatever it is called) around The Book Thief book & movie.

Last year, she fell in love with Gareth Hind's graphic novel of The Odyssey.  I think she literally read it 20 times.  I tossed her the copy of Hind's Beowulf graphic novel just to see what she would do.  She returned it to me with the comment that "she just wasn't ready for it yet".  I was excited that she was able to know what she was or wasn't ready for. Recently, she read Gris Grimly's graphic novel of Frankenstein, and I wouldn't be surprised if she picked up the original Frankenstein at some point. She had clearly become a confident and aware reader. I noticed this again recently when she read Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  I was curious what she thought especially since I know she isn't that thrilled about all that "romantic stuff" yet.  She told me she liked the book and then indicated she just skipped "those scenes".  I smiled.  I was definitely proud of her. She knows herself as a reader.

Today, I met a first grader who reminded me of my niece.  She could tell me what she liked to read.  Not only was her reading level commensurate with her comprehension level but she could verbally and in writing discuss what she read. I found myself writing down book recommendations for her and watching as she put them in a safe place to take home to mom.  Sadly, I will not be able to follow her reading journey, but I do hope there will be those around her that will share book recs and go out for a frozen yogurt to talk about a book and continue to support her reading journey.

How are you encouraging and supporting confident, aware readers? Love to hear your stories.

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Women's History Month - Celebrating Florence Nightingale & Eleanor Prentiss

Thank you everyone for signing up for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.  It is going to be an amazing year of sharing nonfiction books with one another.

To celebrate Women's History Month, I will be sharing different books about women over the next several Wednesdays.  In today's post, I look at Florence Nightingale and Eleanor Prentiss.  Though they were contemporaries of one another, their paths would not have crossed.  Florence lived in England and traveled primarily in Europe.  Eleanor grew up in Massachusetts and spent years learning to navigate a schooner, which eventually led her to sail from New York City to San Francisco in record-breaking time.

Both of these women are remarkable in their dogged-pursuit of the things they loved, which at the time were careers that women did not typically pursue, especially for Eleanor. As for Florence, yes, there were female nurses in her time, but her skill and knowledge led her to develop systems and practices that would influence nursing and patient care for years.

If you are looking for picture book biographies on these amazing women to be used in classroom or school libraries, I would definitely recommend the following books.

Florence Nightingale by Demi (Henry Holt & Co, February 4, 2014) - I have not read or seen many picture book biographies on Florence Nightingale so I was curious about this one. Demi has created a biography on Florence Nightingale and her early years and what influenced her to pursue nursing and the conditions of hospitals and patient care as a career and life-long mission.  Despite suffering from ill-health for much of her adult life, Nightingale never allowed it to detour her mission and focus.  Her influence was so great that it is felt today with the work of the International Red Cross.  

One of my favorite lines in this book is at the end...

We remember Florence Nightingale today as the driving force behind improvements in nursing during her time and as a woman of extraordinary vision, who believed that no problem, however big it seemed, was ever too big for her to solve.

Dare the Wind: The Record-breaking Voyage of  Eleanor Prentiss and the Flying Cloud by Tracey Fern; Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, February 18, 2014) - Tracey Fern brings to life both Eleanor Prentiss and her love of the sea.  As I read through this picture book biography on Prentiss, I was caught up in the race she undertook from New York City around Cape Horn to San Francisco.  When her schooner ran into trouble, I was amazed at how she was able to navigate out of it. 

Two of my favorite lines in the book were...

Then Ellen remembered what her papa had taught her long ago: a true navigator must have the caution to read the sea, as well as the courage to dare the wind. 

There is no glory in second place, Ellen thought.  Now is the time for courage.

Look for both of these picture book biographies at your local independent bookstore or public library.

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews below:

Slice of Life - Listening to First Graders Read - #sol14

Slice of Life is hosted by Two Writing Teachers on Tuesdays.  For the month of March, we are posting a slice daily.
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I started and deleted 3 attempts to write this slice.  Sometimes I am hesitant to post my thoughts. However, I am really running out of time. So, my post is going to be short and sweet.

Sometimes, I get to take a step out of my busy schedule and spend some time with students.  and I very much miss the daily interactions with students. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to listen to six first grade students reading and responding to comprehension questions. On some level, I really love first graders,  They enjoy working with you 1:1 and they can be quite entertaining.  Additionally, if you have not worked with first graders, you may not realize how diverse they are in their ability to read.

As I listened to them read and talk about what they read, I realized just how diverse they were.  One student read beautifully with expression and more.  He said he was reading Harry Potter at home.  However, he really struggled to talk about or verbalize what he read.  Another student was not as strong or fluent an oral reader, but he was able to discuss what he read with great accuracy and understanding.  As I listened to him, I found myself impressed with how articulate he was and he was supposedly an English Language Learner. 

When I listened to another student, I had to refrain from laughing.  He had a tendency to skip the endmarks and pause at the end of the line. No wonder he said ugh when he read "tasted with your tongue a butterfly".  It really read "....tasted with your tongue. A butterfly...".  Another student whispered certain words, even when he said them correctly, since he did not confidently know the words. 

There were more examples from the day, but I just wanted to share a few of my highlights. If you have not read with a child lately, go find one and read.

Slice of Life - Clydesdales vs. Thoroughbreds - #sol14

Slice of Life is hosted by Two Writing Teachers on Tuesdays.  For the month of March, we are posting a slice daily.
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On Sunday, a friend of mine ran and finished the Los Angeles marathon.  This goal was apparently on her bucket list.  A little over ten years ago, another friend ran the L.A. marathon as well and has since run many more half marathons as a means of keeping fit.  A third friend and I were talking about these two friends and running.  We were proud of their accomplishments, especially since neither were gifted with a natural runner's body.  They trained hard to reach their goal and should certainly be proud of what they did and continue to do.  As we were talking, I joked that in some ways all four of us were created more for endurance than speed. Slow and steady not lightening fast. 

Sometimes though, I dream I was a thoroughbred. Agile, fast, sleek, spirited.

And then I wake-up and realize that I am a Clydesdale. Sturdy, broad, strong, steady.

Though one is not technically better than the other, just different, I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be a thoroughbred.  Work horses are very much needed. They have purpose and meaning. However, in my mind, we tend to take our work horses for granted.  Do we spend more time fussing over our thoroughbreds bestowing attention and prizes on them while assuming our work horses will always be there? Fast and sleek may win sprints and short distance races. Strong and sturdy can go the long haul.

There is an element of humor in this post, and the horse comparison can only be taken so far, and yet, the real life application is very present. Are there students or teachers that we take for granted because they are steady and dependable? We go to them when we need something done because of their work ethic but maybe overlook them at other times? Every student in our classes and every teacher or administrator on our staff need to be treated at times like they are as important as a prize winning thoroughbred horse.  There are times when we need the personality and spirit of a race horse to mix things up and to sprint towards that finish line. However, most growth and learning in individuals and classrooms comes over time and requires perseverance and strength.  And it is in those moments when I know I have worked slow and steady and with great strength that I have celebrated some of the greatest accomplishments of my students.

Well Clydesdales may not have the same pizzazz as a thoroughbred, they certainly get cute commercials: