Tool # 29: Foreshadow dramatic events and powerful conclusions.

. . .Plant important clues early.

Today I am featuring another chapter tidbit from Roy Peter Clark's book,
"Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies For Every Writer," published by Little, Brown and Company. You can find a copy here.

Not long ago, I saw a movie that reminded me of the power of foreshadowing. Clues planted early in the story offers what a dictionary definition describes as "vague advance indications" of important future events.

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, terrible events are reversed at the end when Hermione reveals to Harry her ability to travel back in time by means of a charm she wears around her neck, a time turner. On first viewing, the plot twist comes as a surprise. Watching the film a second time, I notice how often the director makes reference to time, especially in visual images of huge pendulums and giant clockworks.
For novels and movies, it may require several readings or viewings to appreciate all the effects of foreshadowing. . .

In dramatic literature, this technique inherits the name Chekov's Gun. In a letter he penned in 1889, Russian playwright Aton Chekhov wrote: "One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it."


Hmmmmmmm. . . definitely food for thought!

Now, try one of Roy's Workshop activities:

• Until now, you may not have noticed the technique of foreshadowing in movies, fiction and dramatic literature. Now that you have a name for it, look for examples.

Do you use foreshadowing in your writing??

William Penn: Founder of Pennsylvania

Welcome to another Perfect Picture Book Friday!!  Today I am featuring a non-fiction book based on a famous man who was part of the founding of America. . .

Author: Steven Kroll
Illustrator: Ronald Himler
Publisher: Holiday House
Date: 2000

Ages: 10 and up

Themes: Colonial Period, Biography, United States History, Quakers, Pennsylvania

Source

Jacket Flap: "William Penn was born to a life of privilege at a time when Great Britain was torn by civil war and religious strife. As a young man, he was inspired by Quaker ideas about conscience and equality. Soon these controversial ideas became the focus of his life. . ."

First Lines: "Born to a life of privilege, William Penn chose dissent instead. In a turbulent time, when breaking from the established Church of England could mean imprisonment and even death, William became a Quaker."

Why I Like This Book: I have never heard the entire story of the life of William Penn, so this was a good review for me. It is well done, but more factual, rather than creative or dramatic. So I would recommend this book for Junior High aged readers and above. Nice to read historic events without being bogged down by unnecessary details.

Here are some links to more information and activities relating to this topic:

*Info on Penn's estate in, of course, Pennsylvania, HERE!

*Video summary of Penn's life, HERE.

*Find a simpler biography of Penn for the younger crowd, HERE.

*Stories about Quaker life, HERE.

And, for more great book ideas, categorized by subject for use by teachers, librarians, and parents, see Susanna Hill's Perfect Picture Book list...truly an amazing resource!

Tool #28 Put odd and interesting things next to each other.

. . .Help the reader learn from contrast.

Today, I am featuring another chapter from Roy Peter Clark's book,"Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies For Every Writer," published by Little, Brown and Company. You can find a copy here.

Ironic juxtaposition is the fancy term for what happens when two disparate things are placed side by side, each commenting on the other.

Consider this introduction to the Philadelphia Inquirer's story of the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island:

4:07 a.m. March 28, 1979

Two pumps fail. Nine seconds later, 69 boron rods smash down into the hot core of unit two, a nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island. The rods work. Fission in the reactor stops.

But it is already too late.

What will become America's worst commercial nuclear disaster has begun.

What follows is a catalog of terrible truths that officials will learn, along with harrowing details: "Nuclear workers playing Frisbee outside a plant gate because they were locked out but not warned of the radiation beaming from the plant's walls." The suspense that builds from those first short sentences reaches a peak when the failed nuclear reactor produces radiation that bombards workers playing Frisbee. Radiation meets Frisbee. Surprising juxtaposition. 

And now, take a tool from Roy's WORKSHOP, and put it to use:

-Feature photographers often see startling visual details in juxtaposition: a street person wearing a corsage, a massive sumo wrestler holding a tiny child. Keep your eyes open for such visual images and imagine how you would represent them in your writing.

Have you ever noticed ironic juxtaposition in a modern art piece?

Stay tuned next time for Tool #29: Foreshadow dramatic events and powerful conclusions.

PPBF: Houdini

. . . World's Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King

Welcome again to Perfect Picture Book Fridays, where we review picture books which we deem worthy of mention.  This concept was created by Susanna Hill, and is a helpful resource for librarians, teachers and parents.  For a list of all books reviewed so far, along with activities to complement them, click here.

Author: Kathleen Krull
Illustrator: Eric Velasquez
Publisher: Walker and Company
Date: 2005


Genre: Juvenile Biography
Ages: 6-10

Themes: Houdini, magicians, escape artists, perseverance

Front Flap: "He made himself a living legend and became the most famous name in magic. But Harry Houdini, like his acts, was fascinating and mysterious. As a child, he was often on the edge of homelessness, so he would charge crowds to watch him perform tricks he knew no one else could do. After leaving home to seem his fortune, Houdini mastered every form of magic available--card tricks, juggling, illusions--and traveled the world over to make a name for himself. . ."

First Lines: "Watch Houdini thump and pound at a steel can meant to hold milk. His assistants pour twenty pails of water into the can. They handcuff him, then help him inside. He shrinks, he curls, he takes a big gulp of air. . ."

Why I like this book: I have always been fascinated with Houdini, even as a child. I remember watching a movie back in the 70's about his life and work. Not only does it chronicle his progress, but tells about all his famous tricks and feats. The back of the book holds a bibliography, and a list of films about his life.

Links:

Find the used book here


Interesting website about the Houdini museum here


Fourth grade unit on Houdini found here

Have you, too, been fascinated with Houdini's performances?

Tool # 27: Reveal traits of character.

Show character-istics through scenes, details, and dialogue.

After over a month's hiatus, I am featuring another chapter from Roy Peter Clark's book,"Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies For Every Writer," published by Little, Brown and Company. You can find a copy here.

A story in USA Today described a teenage surfer in Hawaii who lost her arm in a shark attack. It began like this:

Bethany Hamilton has always been a compassionate child. But since the 14-year-old Hawaiian surfing sensation lost her left arm in a shark attack on Halloween, her compassion has deepened.

This opening fell flat, I think, because of the adjective "compassionate". Too often, writers turn abstractions into adjectives to define character.

A little later, Roy goes on to say:

The reader who encounters character adjectives screams silently for examples, for evidence: "Don't just tell me, Ms. Writer, that Super Surfer Girl is compassionate. Show me." And, to her credit, she does.

Jill Lieberman describes how Bethany Hamilton, from her hospital bed, "tearfully insisted" that the fifteen-hundred-pound tiger shark that attacked her "not be harmed.". . .

And in December, Hamilton touched more hearts when, on a media tour of New York City, she suddenly removed her ski jacket and gave it to a homeless girl sitting on a subway grate in Times Square. Wearing only a tank top, Hamilton then cancelled a shopping spree, saying she already has too many things.

Now I see. That girl really is compassionate.

Put your new tool to work in Roy's WORKSHOP:

Sit with a notebook ready in a public place: a mall, a cafeteria, a sports stadium. Watch people's behavior, appearance, and speech. Write down the character adjectives that come to mind: obnoxious, affectionate, caring, confused. Now write down the specific details that led you to those conclusions.

Do you enjoy people watching?  Where is your favorite spot?

PPBF: Young Mozart

Now that the A to Z Blogging Challenge is finished, it's now back to PPBF!

Welcome again to Perfect Picture Book Fridays, where we review picture books which we deem worthy of mention.  This concept was created by Susanna Hill, and is a helpful resource for librarians, teachers and parents.  For a list of all books reviewed so far, along with activities to complement them, click here.

Source

Author/Illustrator: Rachel Isadora
Publisher: Viking (The Penguin Group)
Date: 1997

Ages: 5-9

Themes: musicians, Mozart, gifted children

Front Flap: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart learned to write music before he could write words. By the age of five, he had taught himself to play the violin, and soon he was playing before the crowned heads of Europe. By the time Wolfgang was seven, he could compose music while he played it, and by the age of twenty-one, after touring for many years through Europe, he had completed almost three hundred works. He was the greatest composer of his time, and many believe the greatest who ever lived.

First Lines: Wolfgang climbed up onto the chair in front of the clavier. He was too small to reach the keys, so he had to kneel. Nannerl, Wolfgang's older sister, listened as little three-year-old Wolfgang tried to play the piece she had just finished. When a note sounded right, Wolfgang laughed. But when a note sounded wrong, he burst out crying.

Why I like this book: Isadora has told the story of Mozart's childhood in a simple but engaging way, so that even younger listeners/readers can enjoy it.  Her colorful illustrations reflect European life centuries ago, but the scenes are ones any child can relate to.

Here are some links to complement "Young Mozart":

For younger children here, and here.

For older children here.


Enjoy a bit of "A Little Night Music"  here:

PPBF: Not So Very Long Ago

...Life in a small country village

Finally, after over a month's hiatus, I am ready to resume Perfect Picture Book Fridays . . . yeah!  So, here we go:

Source

Author and Illustrator: Philippe Fix
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
Date: 1987

Ages: 6-10

Themes: European Village, Country living, 19th century

First paragraph: "Not so very long ago, peddlers roamed the countryside for months at a stretch. In summer and winter, rain and snow, they went from town to town, selling their wares throughout their usual districts. They also passed messages from family to family along the route, the way postmen now deliver letters.

Jacket flap: ". . . With loving and accurate attention, Philippe Fix has recreated the setting of a rural European town about a hundred years ago, introducing more than twenty different artisans and tradespeople. He explores the village through text and art by following two children, a brother and a sister, while they attend school, run errands and shop for their mother, and visit their grandparents' farm.

Why I like this book: The illustrations are incredible. What detail! It takes some time to take in all the little scenes on its pages. The story itself is engaging, as it tells the reader all about life in the European countryside, from a boy and girls point of view. Anyone who loves European history and culture will love this book, and children will be fascinated with the different way folks lived in that day.  I liked it so much, that I bought a used copy for myself as a resource as I write historic non-fiction!



Although I could not find anything specific pertaining to Europe, here are some 19th Century Museum websites for photos and more information:


Historic Village

Conner Prairie

Genesee Country Village and Museum

And, for more great book ideas, categorized by subject for use by teachers, librarians, and parents, see Susanna Hill's Perfect Picture Book list...truly an amazing resource!