Author Profile

The author Judy Schachner writes childrens books. One is called Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones. The picture book entails a journey of Jones into dinosaur land and various other adventures.

A book called Boys are dogs, was written by Leslie Margolis. This book goes thru the journey of a different life than Annabelle knew. It goes from school, friends, boys, etc.

A childrens book called Splat the Cat was written by Rob Scotton. Splats journey thru the first day of school is told.

Chapter 9 Nonfiction

This chapter was full of surprising facts. When I thought of nonfiction I just thought of research typed materials. In actuality there are many types of nonfiction. Not only that, there are many aspects and elements to nonfiction that one may not initially consider. There are formats, styles, language usage, and even organization. One fact that was interesting to me was the use of analogies and metaphors in nonfiction to paint a mental image and resonate it in the mind. Nonfiction is categorized by form. They range from concept books to journals and reference books. Nonfiction is truly everywhere and we don't usually recognize it. Newspapers, cookbooks, etc, are all nonfiction writings we see often. The different ways to apply and organize nonfiction was also interesting to me.

Author Profile

Another interesting author that I have become familiar with over the years is Shel Silverstein. His work is truly one of a kind. His poetry is very unique and definitely unforgettable. My group and I have actually decided to incorporate him into our genre projects. His works have been and will continue to be admired for years to come.

Chapter 8- Samantha Lopez

Its been a while since I have leisurely read. I so wish I had more time for it though. There is nothing like getting lost in a good book. The most recent books I read were the Nora Roberts collection. She has an entire series on a fictional family called the Mcgregors. It consist of the entire family tree, from the grandparents lives down to the grandchildrens lives. It has a lot of romance so it may not appeal to all taste, but I like them. They portray the fantasy romance and ideal life, its a nice fantasy. The most recent I read was about the three granddaughters. One is a doctor, lawyer, and a real estate broker. The book follows their paths to finding true love and happiness. Yes its Corny, but entertaining!

Chapter 7

I was very surprised at the many aspects of picture books that we learned today. The fact that there are 32 pages is strange and news to me! lol I was so impressed by the illustrations in these books. They completely blew me away! The different colors, strategies, and techniques were amazing. Its neat how the art work in these books changes what the reader infers or gathers about the book. Its as though the illustrations tell a story of there own. Next time I read a picture book it will certainly not be the same for me.

Chapter 6

I really like learning about and reading traditional literature. I suppose this a a comfort zone because we all grew up on this type of literature. Its interesting how these texts serve a purpose beyond entertainment. They can explain the unknown, teach values, preserve significant events, and for many cultures, celebrate its heritage. Its so neat how each culture views different ideas and translate that into text. Even our geographic locations will vary the text we read and know. I though it was neat how each area tales there stories differently. Like how Asian cultural text is in cyclical organization. I realized that the story lines are so vague because it enables all readers to relate to the material, and doesn't set a definite time or place. This also leaves more room for imagination. Each readers can make up their own ideas as to when and where the events take place. These traditional stories can even teach morals or admirable behavior. They usually leave the reader feeling optimistic as "happily ever after" and we all can admire that!! lol Whats interesting is how the stories change as they are passed down over time. That happens in everyday life too. People tell a story, then it gets passes along to several people, by the end its completely different!! I really loved that idea about the traditional tale newspaper..hmmm..thats a really good idea..

Maya Angelou

Thank you so much Mrs.Pickett for showing us those clips, they were truly touching. I have been a huge fan of Maya Angelou for many years, and find her so inspiring. When she talks its like shes speaking poetry I just love to hear her talk!! She is an intelligent and motivating women. I particularly like when she talked about being a jack of all trades and a master at none. She said to master everything, or at least attempt to. Basically don't half fast anything we do in life. She makes me want to appreciate everyday we have hear on this earth. How she talked about that she loves living. That there is so much to do hear. What kind of legacy will we leave behind? The quote about nothing being alien to us because we are all humans. I love how she talks about the caged bird. You can just imagine how it would feel to be in the cage too. I loves how she talked about multicultural art, from all ethnicity's in the US, not just a selected few. She appreciates so much out of everything in life, I hope one day I can experience a glimpse of that.