It’s Family Stories Month. Meet Joan Y. Edwards, An Author Who Has Been Telling Stories Since She Was a Child

“It’s Family Stories Month.  Meet Joan Y. Edwards, An Author Who Has Been Telling Stories Since She Was a Child” by Linda Martin Andersen

“A Writer’s Playground”–A place to find wordplay, writing, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart.

Today, we have a guest who likes to tell and write stories.  Many are about her family .  This is the month to do it because…

It’s Family Stories Month.

Join me in providing a warm welcome for Joan Y. Edwards.

*Applause.*

Joan, tell us about your storytelling and writing…

Family is very important to me. In looking through my stories, almost all of them relate to an experience I had with my family.

Courtesy of Kids Shots Portraits

Larry, the Terrifying Turkey

Aunt Sophie’s Biscuits

The Day I Turned My Brother, Butch, into a Monkey

Mack and Mazie, Loggerheads forever (beach experience with family)

Miss Mary’s Beautiful Garden (neighbor)

Joan’s Elder Care Guide (my mother)

Just Like Sissy

The Day Daddy Saved Me from an Untimely Death.

Against the Odds (about family, not my family, but could have been)

Immigrant Heart (about family, not my family, but could have been)

Why is that? I can’t totally explain it. But, I’ll tell you how it all began.

One day when I was five years old, I made up a story about a little duck named Flip Flap Floodle. He has a new flute and wants to go play his flute for Grandma. His mother warns him about the dangers of Mr. Fox. Flip proclaims, “My song will keep me safe.”

Not at all charmed by Flip’s song, Mr. Fox swallows him in one gulp. When Flip’s mother finds Mr. Fox in the woods, she hears a familiar muffled sound coming from inside the Fox’s belly. She bops the fox with her pocketbook and sprinkles pepper on his nose. The fox sneezes out Flip Flap Floodle still playing on his flute. Flip plays his song for Grandma and becomes a big star, just like Mr. Chicken said he would. The moral to this story: Never Give Up even if it seems you’re inside a fox’s belly.

In 1945, we had a thick book of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. It didn’t have pictures. There were no picture books back then or none in our household. I only heard stories. I didn’t realize that people could write them down and get them published. I was familiar with newspapers. Their articles weren’t fairy tales. I loved the little Golden Books, but there were only two or three of them. When I was in fourth grade, I got a library card and checked out books like Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott; Heidi by Johanna Spyri; The Bobbsey Twins written by various authors under the pen name of Laura Lee Hope.

When I studied to be a teacher, I learned about picture books for children. Since then there are oodles and caboodles of picture books for children. These books fill whole sections of libraries across America. What is one of your favorite picture books? (leave a comment)

In 1967 when I was expecting my first child, Lorrie, I thought it would be neat to get Flip Flap Floodle published as a picture book, like the Golden Books. I thought it would be even more fun to have it in the school library and the county library for them and others to check out.

For five years traditional publishers said, “No.” I self published it in 2004. Flip Flap Floodle is available in paperback and as an ebook for Kindle and Nook.  Check here:

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Flip-Flap-Floodle-Joan-Edwards/dp/1594572852/

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/flip-flap-floodle?r=1

Telling stories at home is a fun thing to do. Tell stories to your dolls, your toys, your Star Wars figures, and your Bob the Builder figures. Tell stories on the way to school. When it’s time to share at school, tell a story you made up. Don’t copy someone else. Tell or write your own story.

I’ll bet you tell your friends, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, and uncles fun things that happen to you. You also tell them things that scared the socks off you. When creating stories, add a little fiction to the truth.

Here’s one of mine:  One time Mother had a turkey. She loved him. He hated my older sister, Judy and me. He flogged us whenever we went outside. I wrote “Larry the Terrifying Turkey” in memory of that story…part fiction and part true. That turkey scared me. That fear stayed with me a very long time.

Another story, “Just like Sissy” is about how my sister, Judy went to school in first grade and I didn’t get to go. I was downtrodden. My best friend was nowhere around and I missed her. I bought hot dogs at a drugstore down the street, took them to her class and expected to enter her classroom and sit beside her. That didn’t happen. They took the hot dogs and closed the door.

My stories go on and on. Your stories do, too. You may not have even thought about your stories as part of a fictional story, a picture book or chapter book in the library or bookstore. However, I am here to tell you that it’s possible. You can do it.

Write your stories in a notebook. A bound composition book is best.  Pages from spiral composition books come loose. I recommend that you use a pen, because it writes darker and is easier to read later on.  When your parents ask what you’d like for your birthday or Christmas, you know the answer: A bound composition book and a pen or pencil to inspire you to tell your stories which make you smile.

When you’ve experienced part of your story first-hand, you probably care more about it. It makes a difference – either good or bad for you.

I love the books that show the extreme opposites of things, like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz: http://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Terrible-Horrible-Good-Very/dp/0689711735

Another one is Fortunately by Remy Charlip: http://www.amazon.com/Fortunately-Remy-Charlip/dp/0689716605/

Followed by That’s Good! That’s Bad! by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by David Catrow: http://www.amazon.com/Thats-Good-Bad-Owlet-Book/dp/0805029540

Circle Stories are fun to tell over and over again.  Here is an example:  “If you give a mouse a cookie”by Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrations by Felicia Bond. http://www.amazon.com/You-Give-Mouse-Cookie-Give/dp/0060245867

My story “Mack and Mazie, Loggerheads Forever” is a circle story. It’s about two loggerhead turtles love for each other. Two sailors save the turtles and then the turtles save the sailors. Loggerheads are a part of our family. They are part of nature. Nature is a part of us.

As you can see, family is a big part of my life. Friends are also an important part of my life. Therefore, family and friends are part of my stories. What you care about the most will find its way into your stories.

Readers, please leave your story idea in the COMMENT section below.  Joan Y. Edwards and all the other visitors at “A Writer’s Playground” look forward to reading your stories or story ideas.

Let’s let Joan know how much we appreciate her coming.  Storytellers deserve a group hug.  Ready?

*Ummmmh*

How about it, Joan?  Can you feel the love?  We hope so!  Thank you so much for telling about your storytelling and writing.  Please come again!

Copyright © 2012 Linda Martin Andersen

Meet a Pilot Who is Also a Children’s Author. Mike Downs, the Spotlight’s on You for Aviation History Month

“Meet a Pilot Who is Also a  Children’s Author.  Mike Downs, the Spotlight’s on You for Aviation History Month”

Copyright 2012 Mike Downs

“A Writer’s Playground”–A place to find wordplay, writing, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart.

It’s Aviation History Month.  And joining us today to recognize this special month is Mike Downs–pilot, author, juggler, and unicyclist.  What a fun guy!  Please give him a round of applause and your best airplane noise.

Copyright 2012 Mike Downs

*Applause.  Thrum, Thrummm, Thrummmm. Thumpity, Thump. Rrr-Rowrrr. Click. Ding. Whirrr.*

Mike Downs, please tell us a little about yourself.

I am a person who loves to try everything! I am a pilot, I write books, I practice martial arts, I own a dance studio, and I travel and learn about different cultures. I also think it’s important to learn other fun skills, so I taught myself to juggle, ride a unicyle and surf.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?  How did that work out for you?

As long ago as I can remember, I always wanted to be a pilot. This really became a passion when I was about 12 years old.  I was hiking with the Boy Scouts and saw a glider fly overhead. I was definitely hooked. I found out the gliders were owned by the Hawaii Civil Air Patrol (yes, I grew up in Hawaii), and I joined the C.A.P. when I turned 14. I started flying gliders at age 15. From there I went on to attend the Air Force Academy, then became a Fighter Pilot and now an Airline Pilot.     

The Noisy Airplane Ride by Mike Downs and David Gordon is a picture book about sounds heard on a flight.  

http://tinyurl.com/ashdcbz

Which came first—Mike, the author or Mike, the pilot?  Tell about it.

Mike the pilot, came first. In fact, I never considered doing any writing until I was in my late thirties. At that time, I tried to write a novel in my “down time” as a pilot. Hah. It was horrible. I couldn’t get motivated to do any editing. That’s not a great formula for getting a manuscript to publication. It wasn’t until I was 39, with two young children, that I came up with the idea of writing a riddle book. It happened because I would come up with silly rhyming riddles for my kids. When I went to the store to find a book of rhyming riddles, there weren’t any, so I wrote one. It was published as PIG GIGGLES AND RABBIT RHYMES, by Chronicle Books.

The best move I made in my writing career was to attend an SCBWI weekend event right after I began writing. This probably cut off years of toil by learning what not to do. Also, I heard the mantra, “write what you know,” so I eventually came up with the idea and format for THE NOISY AIRPLANE RIDE, Tricycle Press.

Although THE NOISY AIRPLANE RIDE is a kids’ book, it’s also written for adults. Most people have no idea what the strange noises are that an airplane makes. This book follows a young boy through a typical flight and explains all the noises. It’s written to comfort both children and adults.

You See a Circus, I see… by Mike Downs and Anik McGrory is a picture book about circus performers and real people.

http://www.charlesbridge.com/searchproducts.cfm     

Mike, you shared with me that you are a juggler and a unicyclist.  Which came first?  Why did you decide to write a circus book?

One day my older brother told me he could teach me to juggle in 10 minutes…and he did! Even though it took much more practice to get good at it. But it was great fun. I eventually decided I should also learn how to ride a unicycle (somehow they seemed to go together). YIKES! Learning to ride the unicycle was quite a challenge. But these had nothing to do with my circus book.

In fact, my circus book is my favorite type of story. It’s about looking at things from a different perspective. In the case of YOU SEE A CIRCUS, I SEE…, the story is not really about the circus. The story is about how different people can look at the exact same thing, but see something completely different.

Pig Giggles and Rabbit Rhymes by Mike Downs and David Sheldon is another fun book.  Lots of kids like to read riddle and joke books.  They also like to read rhyming word books.  You combined the two and created riddles that rhyme.  Very clever.

http://tinyurl.com/b6zch94   

Thank you. Rhyming riddles are great fun, and writing them is simple. The trick is to start with the answer. Here’s how:

A Step-by-Step Method of Writing Rhyming Riddle:

1. Come up with two silly rhyming words. This is the ANSWER!

            example: Bear Chair

2. Figure out another way to say Bear and Chair

            example: Bear – a furry creature, a Panda, a Grizzly

            example: Chair – a seat, bench, lounger, Lazy Boy, something you sit in

3. Form a question using the definitions in step 2.

            example: What does a Grizzly sit in?

            answer: a BEAR CHAIR

That’s it!

Thanks for sharing the way to write a rhyming riddle.  Sounds like fun!  Would you like to share what you’re currently writing about?

My current “favorite” manuscript is HOW DO YOU MEASURE? It’s about viewing the world in completely different ways. Here’s a stanza:

How do you measure the sound of a snowfall? In decibels? 

or

Do you measure a snow by its whispering hush,

The blanket it lays, the splatter of slush.

The crunch of a footstep in powdery white,

Or whooshes of snowballs and cheers of delight.

In this manuscript, I talk about the scientific measure, and then show different ways that various things might be measured.

Mike, this is lovely.  It’s scientific poetry. I hope it is in readers hands soon.

Do you ever get teased by airline employees about writing children’s books?  Do they have a nickname for you like “The Rhyming Pilot?” 

Ha. Not really. In fact, the people at work who know I’m a writer are very supportive. I’ve also met other airline employees who are writers, which is great. But if you want to come up with a new nickname for me, feel free:)

Have you ever written a message in the air (skywriting)?  Can you explain how it is done?

I’ve never actually done any skywriting though I’ve seen some. There are  two ways to do it. One is to have a single airplane with a smoke generator. The pilot flies above the audience twisting through the air as he writes a message. The other way is to put five airplanes in a line- abreast formation (side-by-side). They fly straight and level while a computer controls the smoke generator behind each one of them. You really have to see a video of this to understand it. Try googling “dot matrix sky writing.”

http://blogs.howstuffworks.com/2010/10/20/how-skywriting-works-putting-words-in-the-sky/

What picture books would you recommend for children who want to learn about aviation history?  What aviation titles for older readers would you recommend?

If you are technically oriented, JANE’S ALL THE WORLDS AIRCRAFT has the most detailed specifications on all types of planes. Just interesting data. Any version of  I LEARNED ABOUT FLYING FROM THAT would be fun to read, too. These are collections of short stories about mistakes pilots have made, collections of short stories about mistakes pilots have made, and stories about mistakes pilots have made. 

 

What museums or locations would you recommend children visit to learn about aviation history?

If you ever have the chance, you must see the SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR and SPACE MUSEUM, in Washington, DC. Part of it is downtown, the NATIONAL MALL BUILDING, and another incredible part is near Dulles Airport, the UDVAR-HAZY CENTER. This center is huge, with over 200 aircraft and space objects. Just amazing!

The next time you have a day off from work, would you rather read, write a story, juggle, ride your unicycle, or something else?  Why?

So much to choose from! I try to mix it up and do something different so I don’t get bored. Lately I’ve been kayaking and mountain biking at the National Whitewater Training Center near Charlotte, NC. If you have any other ideas, let me know!

Thanks so much for joining us today, Mike Downs.  Keep your head in the clouds and your eyes in a book!

Readers, here’s your chance to leave a comment or share a rhyming riddle.  Thanks for coming.  Come again soon and bring a friend. Shop for a copies of Mike Downs books at online stores or at a local bookstore near you.

Copyright © 2012 Linda Martin Andersen

I-N-T-E-G-R-I-T-Y–Character Trait of November

“I-N-T-E-G-R-I-T-Y–Character Trait of November” by Linda Martin Andersen

 

 “A Writer’s Playground”

A place to find wordplay, writing, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart.

November–a month for more than talk about turkeys…

When I was an elementary School Counselor in Cumberland County, NC, students studied character traits each month. Now, I have found another way to spread the word about good character.  I volunteer once a month for story time at a home school bookstore in my area. Check it out at www.thepilgrimsjourney.com.  

This month, like the Cumberland County Schools in Fayetteville, NC, I presented the character trait of INTEGRITY.   It’s defined as “Doing the right thing even when no one is watching. 

At Story Time, I read The Empty Pot by Demi.  A discussion of honesty and integrity followed, along with an optional art activity.    I hope you’ll locate a copy of this book and share it with a special child in your life.  Consider planting a seed in a pot after the reading.  It will lead to  future discussions about Ping’s actions and personal examples of  integrity.

 

If you are interested in learning about other book titles by this author, visit this site:  http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Demi/707558/books

I’d love to hear ways you show integrity.  Please leave a comment below.  Thank you for joining us at “A Writer’s Playground.”  Come again soon and bring a friend.

Coming soon:  Two guests bloggers: One is a storyteller and author.  The other is a pilot and author. I hope you’ll meet them.

Copyright © 2012 Linda Martin Andersen

November 2012–Calendar Activities for Kids

“November 2012–Calendar Activities for Kids” by Linda Martin Andersen

“A Writer’s Playground”

A place to find wordplay, writing, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart.

 

 

Think:  What does the word “November” bring to mind?

Thanksgiving, Veteran’s Day, Election Day, Black Friday, Christmas shopping.  What else happens in November?  Choose one of the conversation starters below and leave a comment.

Special Days in November:

• Give Up Your Shoulds Day: 1 Listen for all the times you hear someone say “should” today.  Write down what is said.  Discuss why it might be a good idea to  give up “shoulds.”

• National Authors’ Day:  1  Interview each member of your family.  Ask their top three favorite authors.  Does anyone repeat a name?  Learn something new about at least one of these authors.

• Cookie Monster Day:  2  Make up a trivia sheet about Cookie Monster.  Quiz family or friends.  Who knew the most correct answers?  Make blue icing by mixing blue food coloring in white canned icing.  Spread on cookies for treats today. 

• Cliche Day:  3  Research cliches.  What is your favorite?  Finish these:  egg on my _____, don’t look a gift horse in the _____, passed with flying _____, eat _____(bird), mind your Ps and _____, chip on your______, chip off the old _______, and crocodile _______.

• Sandwich Day:  3  What is your favorite sandwich?  Is it made with loaf bread or a bun?  Is it toasted, with sesame seeds, or plain?  Write the steps for making your sandwich.  Let someone follow your directions.  Did it turn out correctly?

• Use Your Common Sense Day:  4  Give an example of using your common sense.  Have you ever heard someone say, “He has book learning but no common sense?”  What does that mean?

• Election Day:  6  How old must you be to vote in national elections in the United States?  What is absentee voting?  Who might use it?  Did your school have an election for students?  Does your school have Student Government or Class Officers?

• National Parents as Teachers Day:  8  Name something your parents have taught you to do.  Thank them for it today.  Is there something else you would like them to teach you, such as how to make cupcakes?  Ask if they can teach you this week.

• X-ray Day:  8  Have you ever had an x-ray?  Where you at the dentist, or the hospital?  Have you ever broken a bone?  Write a story that includes someone who has an x-ray.

• Domino Day:  9  Do you have any dominoes?  Have you ever lined them up and tapped one which began a chain reaction?  Try it again today.  Learn to play the game of dominoes if it is new to you.  Research other chain reactions. 

• International Tongue Twister Day:  11 Look for books listing tongue twisters.  Find someone who will try saying some of these with you.  Examples:

  “She sells seashells by the seashore.”

  “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”

• Origami Day:  11 Would you like to learn to fold paper and create origami objects?  Books contain instructions for making easy and difficult items such as jungle animals, ones under the sea, Christmas decorations, and others.

  Have you read any fiction books about origami?   Some suggestions include:  The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger and Lissy’s Friends (picture book) by Grace Lin. 

  

  Lissy’s Friends by Grace Lin. Used with permission

• Veterans Day:  11  How will you remember veteran’s today?  Will there be a parade in your town?  What other special events are scheduled?

• World Kindness Day:  11  Brainstorm ways to show kindness.  Underline the ones you’d like to have happen to you.  Choose one of these to do for someone else.

• Veteran’s Day (observed):  12  See November 11.

• National American Teddy Bear Day:  14  Do you have a teddy bear?  What is the bear wearing?  Do others have teddy bears in your house?  Write an adventure about the teddy bears in your house.  Do you know the origin of teddy bears?  Research and see.

• America Recycles Day:  15  Name products that can be recycled.  Research products that are made from recyclables.  Find a nonfiction book about recycling.  Tell someone something you learned.

• Great American Smokeout:  15  What is this day?  Research and see.  Create a poster that shows what this day stands for.  Where can you display it?

• Guinness World Record Day:  15  Research Guinness World Records.  What are three Guinness world records you’d like to read about?  What is the most unusual record you saw?  Tell someone about it. 

  

• I Love to Write Day:  15  What do you love to write?  Jokes, riddles, poems, short stories, letters?  Write one and give it to someone you love.

• Homemade Bread Day:  17  Name the types of homemade bread you’ve eaten.  Which is your favorite?  Have you ever made bread?  Was it baked in a loaf pan, a biscuit pan, or something else?  Name three or more of the ingredients.  Have you ever used a rolling pen?  Write the steps for baking bread or write a story about baking.

• National Unfriend Day:  17  Why would you unfriend someone?  Why is this day celebrated?  Where can you unfriend someone?  Would you like for someone to unfriend you?

• National Day of Play: 17  Name things you like to play.   Number these in order of most liked to least liked.  Which is number one?  Which is last?  Star the ones you play with friends.  Do you play more with others or alone?

• Mickey Mouse Day:  18  What facts do you know about Mickey Mouse?  Who is Minnie Mouse?  Where can you learn more about Mickey Mouse?  What is the Mickey Mouse Club?  Research about it.

• Push-button Phone Day:  18  When did phones begin to have push-buttons?  What was used before push-buttons?  What can you do to celebrate this day?  Look for photographs of old phones.

• Thanksgiving Day:  22  Read Thank You, Sarah:  The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson and illustrated by Matt Faulkner.

• Buy Nothing Day:  23-24  What does it mean to “window shop?”  Have you ever done it?  Research if you do not know the meaning of the expression.  What do you think about “Buy Nothing Day?”  Would you be pro (for) celebrating?  Why or why not?  Why do you think it is celebrated?

• National Day of Listening: 23.  Sometimes it is listed as Nov. 27.  Make a list of people you listen to.  Place a check beside the ones you listen to well.  Who could you listen to better?  How?

• Cyber Monday:  26  What is Cyber Monday?  How do people celebrate?  Why?

Special Weeks in November:

• American Education Week:  11-17  How is this week celebrated?  Have you ever made a school project for this week?  If so, what was it?  Where did you display it?  How is education in American different from other countries.  Where did you find your information?  What educational advantages do you have? 

  Do you know what this is?  How is it used?  How is it gathered?

  

  Fall 2012. Close up. Copyright Linda Andersen

  

  Fall 2012. Copyright Linda Andersen

• Geography Awareness Week:  11-17  Can you spell geography?  Here is a mnemonic device for spelling this word:

  G-George, E-eats, O-old,  G-gray,  R-rats, A-and, P-paints, H-houses, Y-Yellow.

  This memory device reminds me of Curious George and the man with the yellow hat.  The author of the Curious George series by H.A. Rey and Margaret Rey.  Find these locations on a world map or globe: Germany, France, and Massachusetts. 

  Name another book title this memory device reminds you of such as Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien.  Research places the author lived and locate them on a world map or globe. 

  Here are two more memory devices for spelling geography: 

  G-General, E-Eisenhower’s, O-oldest, G-girl, R-rode, A-A, P-pony, H-home, Y-yesterday. 

  G-George, E-Emerson’s O-old, G-grandmother, R-rode, A-a, P-pig, H-home, Y-yesterday. (Several different last names were listed with this one) 

  What other ones do you know?

• World Kindness Week:  12-18  Name an act of kindness for an animal.  Name an act of kindness for a younger child.  Name an act of kindness for an older neighbor.  Name an act of kindness for a friend.  Name an act of kindness for a parent.  How many of these can you do today?

• National Bible Week:  18-24  Do you have a Bible?  Do you have favorite Bible stories?  Do you know one with children?  Who could you tell this story?

• National Family Week:  18-24  What is something fun your family does together?  Our family has an annual hayride.  Tell about a fun outing you had with your family.  Look at a family photo album.  Find three of your favorite memories. 

   

November is…

• Aviation History Month  What facts stand out in aviation history? Develop an aviation history timeline.  If you could interview someone living or deceased, who would it be?  What books would you recommend to a friend about aviation?

• Family Stories Month  Share your favorite family stories.  Consider recording them or writing them down.  A night of stories by the fireplace or a campfire would make the event extra special.

• Military Family Appreciation Month  Do you know families who are military?  Are there children in the family?  Does your school have a club for children who have parents in the military?  Does the school have Military Appreciation events?  What do you do to make children in this family feel welcome?

• National Adoption Month  Have you  ever wondered if you were adopted?  Have you ever thought you’d like to adopt children?  Do you know adults who have traveled to other countries to adopt a child or children?  Do you know people who are adopted?  Have you ever read a book about a character who is adopted?  Was it fiction or nonfiction?  Look for books about adoption at the library.

• National Family Caregivers Month  What is a family caregiver?  What are some of the duties of a caregiver?  What are some ways a child can help care for others.  Look for books at the library.

• National Native American Heritage Month  Read books about Native Americans and Native American cultures.

• National Novel Writing Month  Some adults sign up for NaNoWriMo to write a novel in the month of November.  Maybe you could write a book review or report for your favorite book or write a paragraph about a favorite book character.  Make a list of your favorite books.  Ask a friend to suggest book titles. 

• National Peanut Butter Lovers Month  What is your favorite peanut butter food?  Do you know anyone allergic to peanuts?  Have you ever been in a classroom that was peanut-free?

*Thank you Brownie Locks.com for November celebration information.  For more November observances check out: 

http://www.brownielocks.com/november.html

Let’s talk:  Choose one or more of the conversation starters above and leave a comment.  Thank you for visiting “A Writer’s Playground.”  Please come again soon.  Bring a friend.

*Resources:  http//vertex42.com (calendar) and http://www.brownielocks.com/november.html(calendar observances)

Copyright © 2012 Linda Martin Andersen