Susan Kusel is the librarian at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, Virginia, the children's book buyer and selector for [words] bookstore in Maplewood, New Jersey, and the owner of Dream On Books, a children's book consulting company.  She has been a children's librarian at Arlington Public Library, a children's bookseller for Politics and Prose and Child's Play, and worked for the Imagination Stage theater company. She was a member of the 2015 Caldecott Medal selection committee. 


Curious about the pic? Susan says, "After the committee has read the hundreds of books, each one of us only gets seven nominations. To be discussed and considered on the table, the book must be formally nominated. So, as you can imagine, a lot of thought goes into selecting the nominations. During the actual discussion meetings, our nominated books arrived in an enormous steamer trunk. Right after we selected the winners, it felt like a good idea at the time to get in the empty trunk myself. Once I did, committee members started handing me our winning and honor books. There wasn't enough room to put them all in my hands, so I proudly held Beekle, and the committee arranged the honor books behind me in the trunk."

ES: Welcome to The Corner, Susan! And congratulations on your service on the 2015 Caldecott Award Committee! 

A lot of the American Library Association award process is a closely guarded secret. However, what can you tell us about the judging process? 

SK: Delighted to be here! Thanks so much for inviting me. 

Being on the Caldecott committee was a phenomenal experience for me. It had always been one of my lifetime goals to get on the committee, but I still can’t believe that it actually came true.
 
Yes, the ALA award process does indeed have a lot of secrecy attached to it but I’m happy to share as much as I can. In general, I can’t tell you anything that the committee decided on or discussed as a group, but I can give you my personal opinions. 
 
I read several hundred books over the past year. Some were sent by publishers and arrived on my doorstep. Others were found by committee members in libraries, bookstores, and publisher catalogs, etc. 
 
ES: Ha – you never know what that humble person next to you in line at the library might be checking out that book for…it could be to find the next ALA award winner!!! I can just picture it…

Now, some folks point out the wording of the award is ambiguous in that it states the "most distinguished American Picture Book" rather than purely an award for illustration. However, the oversimplified "street" interpretation of the ALA awards is that the Newbery is for content of longer works (especially middle grade), while the Caldecott is for illustration of shorter works (like picture books). Can you clarify the committee's views on this? How much does (prose) content versus purely illustration play into the Caldecott Award?
 
SK: Speaking of expected book lengths reminds me of the 2008 awards. I was working at a toy and bookstore at the time, and I remember very proudly showing the winners to my boss right after the press conference. I was proud because I had guessed they might win and pre-ordered them, which meant they were actually in our store at the time of the announcement. I held up the 533 page copy of The Invention of Hugo Cabret and said “This is Caldecott winner” and then I held up the 96 page copy of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! and said “This is the Newbery winner.” He stared at me for a while, then at the books, and then told me I must have gotten it wrong.
 
It’s funny, but I don’t really think about the awards in terms of the length of the books.
 
But, if I had to have an oversimplified definition for myself, it would be that the Caldecott is for illustration and the Newbery is for words. 
 
For me, it’s all about the criteria, which is something I referred to constantly, which was in front of me every time I read a book and during the entire discussion process, and which can be found by clicking here.

As you said, the criteria says "The Medal shall be awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published by an American publisher in the United States in English during the preceding year.” 
 
How does the text play into it? Take a look at this line from the criteria:

"The committee is to make its decision primarily on the illustration, but other components of a book are to be considered especially when they make a book less effective as a children’s picture book. Such other components might include the written text, the overall design of the book, etc.” 
 
ES: Thank you for clearing that up! I love the visual impact of your myth-busting on book length when you hold up the two award winners for 2008 as a comparison point.

SK: You should see the looks I get when I show people one of our honor winners from this year, This One Summer, which is 320 pages. They are always surprised that a longer book is eligible.

ES: What is your thought process as you read a book for award consideration? How do you take notes?
 
SK: Everyone’s note taking process is different, but personally, I was a hardcore computer person. I used a fantastic database called Readerware that was able to find all the details of each books once I had entered the ISBN (International Standard Book Number). It also helped me a great deal later on when I needed to refer back to books I had read months earlier.
 
I know that each book takes the illustrator, author and publishing house many years to come to fruition, and I felt that every single book deserved my complete attention and respect. Some I had already seen, but I did my best to ignore that and look at them with fresh eyes. Obviously I read each book to myself and took notes, but I also read them to my own kids and with many groups of children at different age levels. I read them again and again over the course of several months and took additional notes to gain new perspectives.
 
ES: It’s fascinating to me that you read these out to kids as well. That must have provided you with very good feedback on whether it was truly engaging for the target audience.

SK: Yes, kids give you a wonderful perspective. For example, I’ve noticed that younger kids spot the trick ending in one of our honor books Sam and Dave Dig a Hole almost every time, while older kids and adults tend to miss it. And, I think everyone should read that book aloud to children. It’s a very different experience than reading it to yourself. 

ES: It must truly be a heart breaker at the end as you narrow down the top contenders to just the few that will actually win (or be granted honors)! 

SK: On every award committee I’ve been on, you go off and read all the books by yourself over a long period of time in relative isolation. You come across the books that you are sure will be the ones- that are so obviously wonderful to you that you are convinced they must have stood out to everyone. And every time you enter the room, the computer chat or the e-mail discussion, you find that isn’t the case. We’re all unique people with different perspectives and we all find different books to be the best ones. It’s always a bit jarring and takes time to adjust to the rest of the committee’s opinions. But, I also think it’s important not to go in with your mind made up and to listen to the discussion. So, yes, there were a few books that made me sad when they left the table, but I was also introduced to books that other people thought were wonderful and was able to hear their perspectives.
 
ES: How does the committee work at this point? What factors do you all take into consideration?

SK: It’s important to know that once a book is removed from the table it can never be put back into consideration. The committee narrows the field until they reach the ballot. There may be one ballot or multiple ballots. The number of ballots a committee uses to determine a winner is secret. The criteria I mentioned earlier is crucial- to make sure each book in contention meets that. 
 
ES: Oooo – all the secrecy :)

What are some of your favorite features of this year's winner/honors?

SK: I love the fact that they are diverse. Diverse in all ways. The creators of the books come from all different backgrounds but the books themselves are diverse too. For example, I think it’s wonderful that we have a book with only short phrases and vibrant puppets (Viva Frida) along with a lengthy graphic novel done only in one color (This One Summer.).
 
ES: As a Hispanic author myself, it certainly is encouraging to see such a diverse lineup for the committee’s ultimate selection! What surprised you the most about this process?

SK: So many things. 
 
I had always heard how amazing the actual discussions were, and they were even more incredible than I had imagined. It was a privilege and honor to be able to discuss books at such a high level with such intelligent people who had read and analyzed each book so carefully. I walked away feeling I had fourteen new friends for life. The bonding that happened over the course of this process was far more than I ever would have expected.
 
I was also surprised how many people have heard of the Caldecott Medal. Whenever I was asked why I was reading pictures books in my doctor’s office, or a restaurant or why I was busy every single weekend all year long, everyone always knew what that gold seal meant. I was suddenly treated like a celebrity, even if they had no connection to the children’s book world.
 
I was surprised at how proud my family was of me. I don’t think you could have a conversation with my mother that lasted longer than three sentences without finding out that her daughter was on the Caldecott committee, even if you had started that conversation as a complete stranger or had come to fix the plumbing. The same holds true for my father, husband, kids, and really, anyone that’s ever met me. It was very humbling.
 
I was surprised at the emotion I felt at the press conference. By the time they announced the Caldecott Medal, which is always second to last, I could barely contain myself, I felt so nervous. What was everyone going to think? I gripped the committee members on either side of me as the announcement was made and felt like I was about to jump out of an airplane. When we were asked to stand, which we did proudly while wearing yellow construction paper Beekle crowns, there were tears in my eyes. The moment only lasted a few seconds but it seemed to go on for at least an hour. I was relieved to see everyone in the crowd smiling and waving back at us. The best part was that my family was in the audience too, and I could see them waving at me.
 
I was surprised at the emotion I felt during the phone calls when we called the winner and honor recipients. You can see part of the calls by clicking here. There is absolutely nothing like hearing the moment where someone’s life changes- and you get to be a small part of that.

I was surprised how honored I was to place our book on my bookshelf when I got home. I own every single Caldecott Medal winner, from 1938 to 2014… all 76 of them. And that moment when I put the 2015 winner on that shelf and made it officially 77 books was really quite something. I looked down the row and could see Make Way for Ducklings and Where the Wild Things Are. I felt such a thrill that Beekle was now a part of that group and I was a small part of that medal. 
 
ES: What a lovely sense of community and of family standing behind you in pride as you played a key role in one of the most important literary awards in the country. Now…after it’s all said and done…would you do it again?

SK: In a minute! But, once you’ve been on the Caldecott committee, there’s actually a four year waiting period before being on the Caldecott again or being on other award committees like the Newbery. I think I need that time to recover!

ES: Thank you again for taking the time to stop by The Corner, Susan, and sharing your insights and experiences with us! For those of you interested in seeing the full line-up of Caldecott winners, click here.

Readers, please know I will be taking a hiatus from the blog next month as I’m getting married! Thanks, and see you soon after…

Julie Keisman Miller is an English teacher at Lake Braddock Secondary School. In her previous life she worked in book publishing, both on staff and as a consultant for educational publishers such as Oxford University Press, CQ Press, and Alexander Street Press. She also has written on and off for trade journals, including Publishers Weekly, and writes humor essays that have yet to be published. She lived in Manhattan for many years and loves the city beyond measure. However, her current home in Reston, Virginia is nice, too, because it was here that she started teaching – not to mention her never-dull life with husband, son, daughter, father, and two goofy cats!

ES: Welcome to The Corner, Julie. We are going to make this interview a bit longer than our norm here because you have so many experiences to offer from all perspectives – writer, publisher, AND teacher! 

So, diving right into our first question: you have this miraculous project you complete with middle schoolers - you get them to produce a first draft of a novel in 1 month! Many adults find this a challenge, and most of us find kids tearing their hair out when assigned a simple 5 paragraph essay. Your secret is something called....NanoWriMo! Can you start by telling us what this is?

JM: NaNoWriMo is a project that coincides with National Novel Writing Month in November of each year. Its headquarters is a website that challenges adults and kids to write a novel in one month. The kid site is the more developed one - it provides a whole curriculum for teaching fiction elements in October, in prep for writing in November. For adults, the word goal is 50,000; for students, they set their own goals, then check in each week with their teacher to see what percentage they've finished. NaNoWriMo provides professional-looking posters and stickers and buttons to teachers (you can get these for free if you strategize a bit). 

Once November starts, the website really kicks up the energy with interviews with other writers and published authors. The interviews provide tips for success such as helping kids stay on task - to "just write" and "put away their inner editor."  There are blogs and a place to set up an online classroom where students can chat with each other or with other classes around the world. These help build excitement among the students, but the biggest incentive is the goals that they set for themselves. They love seeing their progress, and it's incredibly instructive to them to have to revise their word count goals mid-way through the project if they discover they've been too ambitious.

At the end of the month, students who've finished get online kudos from the NaNo staff and can get two bound copies of their novels printed by Amazon. This is also cool for the students.

ES: That is so wonderful! There is surely something humans find beguiling about achieving the impossible…since it gets so many kids who otherwise dread writing to be excited about writing a novel! 

Perhaps the first question on everyone's mind is: In the Twittering Age of rampant ADHD, how do you get kids motivated - and committed - to sit and write for so long at a time and for so long every day?

JM: I think the fact that this is all student-driven really gets them going. They pick their own topics and their own word count goals. It's all on them and they love the ability to set their own goals. They challenge each other by watching each others' word counts grow on the goal-tracking posters I put outside in the hall. I think they also feel like they're "getting away with" something in that this isn't structured lesson time. But of course they are applying all the fiction skills they've learned--they're just doing it in a way that seems real and relevant to them--writing their own stories.

ES: Student-driven is definitely a huge factor in classroom success! I just switched to a very open, student-driven classroom model and the kids are loving it. 

What are the brainstorming and outlining tools that you encourage the kids to use before their drafting - or is it just grab that pencil and write?!

JM: NaNoWriMo provides a workbook that leads students through the brainstorming process. The lessons start out asking students to write down novels they love and ones that they hate and write book talks about them. Then they rough out their topic and characters, practice dialog and setting, even watch a TV show to get a sense of how supporting characters can contribute to the plot arc, etc. I think what helps most is the personification of all their insecurities and fears as the "inner editor." They each draw this creature, then put him away, physically--in folder or pencil case or some such--so that they are free to create and not worry about the mistakes that might happen. 

ES: Oh my goodness, I absolutely LOVE the idea of creating a physical inner editor and then tucking that lil munster away! 

What about your revision process with them? And do you find kids are more interested in revising a novel - something so few of them ever dreamed they were capable of producing?

JM: This is the hard part - the real work is in revising. This year is my first year doing the project with my 7th graders, and because of scheduling problems/fitting in all the curriculum I've had trouble getting back to the editing as regularly as I'd like. That said, whenever we revisit the novel, I hear "yay"s and "oh great - cool" from the students. 

I had the students pull out excerpts to work on - there is no time to edit their whole novels. I also broke up the editing process into chunks (I used to work in book publishing, so I know the process pretty well). I had the students work with partners and switch roles between author and editor, critiquing each other's novels using Google docs. (I did the whole project on Google, but it can also be done on paper.)  They started with content editing, using questions such as: “Does the plot move forward logically?”  “Have you told the reader your protagonists' name?” “Is the setting described enough for the reader to "see" where the action is happening?” And so on. 

Then we did research, picking a topic from their novels that they want to know more about so as to make their stories more authentic. 

Finally, we do copy editing - the nitty gritty of punctuation and grammar. All through this, I'm teaching the curriculum related to the part of the editing we're working on: expository essays for the research, grammar lessons during the grammar editing, etc.

ES: It’s fabulous how you tuck the regular English lessons into their beloved individual projects. And they are so lucky to have someone who worked in publishing to help them!!

What are some of your favorite reactions from the kids about this project? 

JM: Here is some feedback from different kids:

“[My favorite part…] was experiencing the rush of writing a novel in 30 days.” 

“I really enjoyed creating characters that were all different from each other. It was fun to make their personalities original and make their lives change in miraculous ways.”

“I just made my font bigger then smaller to trick myself into typing.” 

“Before I changed my goal, the project as a whole was quite daunting and it felt like no matter what I did, I would never finish, but I just HAD to.” 

“The most fun part about this project for me was seeing how much my story changed from my original idea as I went along.”

“If you set a goal, you can always change it, don’t be afraid to set a crazy goal, because it will motivate you, and if you can’t reach it, you can always lower it to a more reasonable one.  I set my goal but then didn’t use my time wisely so my goal became too hard for me so I lowered it.”

“I think I'm best at writing dialog, because I daydream a lot, so making up fake conversations that sound real come pretty naturally to me. For example, when I wasn't too sure what to write next, I decided to add some dialog, so I stood up and acted it out with myself to see what I would say naturally, and then changing it up a bit to fit the character that was talking.”

“My favorite part of this project was meeting my characters.”

ES: You’ve certainly inspired many kids! It must be a great satisfaction to you at the end of every day.

As it turns out, your mother, Robin Hathaway, was a writer with many children's fans! What was her method of drafting? Did this influence you in any way in terms of your teaching?

JM: My mom is with me in spirit in the classroom every day that I teach, and especially during the novel project. She was a writer, but also knew so much about English and American literature. Growing up with her influence, and my dad for history, was like living out a humanities course every day, but without the boring lectures. ;)  

My mom didn't get published until she was 60, so her motto when speaking to fledgling authors (and seasoned ones) was "never give up!"  I tell this to my kids and use it throughout their writing adventure, because there are definitely moments when they get discouraged or tired or scattered in their thought processes, and just want to stop. I also try to channel her knowledge of authors past and present to tell the kids stories about them and expand their literary knowledge while entertaining them too.

That doesn't really answer your question, though. Mom always said that she wasn’t an "outliner."  She just wrote her draft, then outlined from what she’d put down. She often said that the characters in the novel took on a life of their own and she was just there to see them through their adventure. I know a lot of writers say this, and I think it's because they really do experience this. Some of my students have said this too. I love when they do, because that tells me that they are really "in the moment" with their novel - creating and connecting with their characters.

ES: As a writer, it is also one of my favorite moments – seeing people and situations spring to life on their own between your fingers and the blank page!

You were in educational publishing until just 2 years ago - any advice for our nonfiction authors reading this?

JM: I spent most of my years on the marketing end, so I would say the harsh reality is that most authors have to know how to promote themselves, and this must start even before their book has been accepted for publication! Being online is important nowadays: a blog, a twitter account, having a "presence" among the audience the author is trying to reach. 

Also, research your industry, go to conferences in the field you're writing about, get to know "names" in the industry, maybe even get them to give you a positive quote to include with the query letter or to post on your website. These are all good ideas to separate yourself from the pack. Research the publishers, too, because different houses specialize in different types of books, of course. If your book is about spirituality, for instance, do a search on Amazon for similar books, find some quality titles, then see who published them. It's a good way to target your publication quest. 

Also, of course, never give up!!!

ES: Wow, Julie, thank you for giving us so much of your time and sharing such great advice from your wide-ranging experiences!

To contact Julie by email, click here.

Jeff Baron, a popular guest speaker at elementary and middle schools, is the author of I REPRESENT SEAN ROSEN and SEAN ROSEN IS NOT FOR SALE, published by Greenwillow/HarperCollins. He is also an award-winning playwright whose plays have been produced in 23 languages in 45 countries. He has written for prime time TV series on all the major U.S. broadcast networks, and has written and produced for Nickelodeon.

ES: Thanks for stopping by The Corner today, Jeff! 

There are already an impressive number of articles and interviews of you out there, providing your thoughts on everything from how to get boys to read to your groundbreaking work with Ardsley Middle School to, of course, Everything Sean Rosen! (Readers who are interested in checking these out can find links at the bottom of this interview.) 

In the interest of keeping it fresh, we’re going to take a new angle today. Since many of our readers here are authors, or teachers who are teaching writing skills, let’s focus on the craft of writing.

In Robert McKee’s STORY, a book on screenwriting, he points out it’s a terrific waste of money to have an actor knock on a door and have the person he’s expecting to see open the door. In other words, as moviegoers – and as readers – we thrive on the unexpected. Can you tell us about one or two particular scenes in the Rosen books that benefited from the revision process in terms of adding an unexpected twist?

JB: Surprises have always been part of my work, and luckily for me, they are more likely to come when I'm writing than when I'm revising. My characters spontaneously do or say something I had never even thought about, or else someone I wasn't expecting to see suddenly shows up.

In I REPRESENT SEAN ROSEN, after 13-year old Sean can't get a Hollywood agent or manager, he comes up with the idea of inventing a manager and getting him an email address. Before I started writing, I knew this was going to happen, but I didn't know anything else about Sean's manager. Sean comes up with a name while looking in his fridge for a snack - "Dan Welch", from Dannon yogurt and Welch's grape juice. 
On seanrosen.com, Sean posts: "For all business questions, contact Dan Welch", with a link to the Dan Welch Management email address. 

Sean comes home from school a few days later, and finds this:

Hey, Dan Welch!

Its me, Dan Welch. No, your not looking in the mirror. I'm another guy named Dan Welch. How do you like having our name? I like it fine. I've had it for 44 years now.

I came across you today when I was googling myself. You ever do that? I'm kinda addicted to it. Its mostly my ebay stuff that comes up, but there's a whole bunch of other Dan Welches out there. This was the first time I saw you.

I'm in business 6 years now. Collectibles. You name it, I got it. Check out my website: UNameItIGotIt.com Are you a collector? I got everything. Sports, beany babies, franklin mint, hummels, unicorns, barbys, everything. Tell me what your looking for and I'll get it for you.

Collectibles Dan Welch, who I didn't know about until Sean got this email, keeps popping up throughout the books, inserting himself into Sean's business.

When I was revising the first book, my editor (and publisher) Virginia Duncan at Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins reminded me that in life, a lot of things happen that interrupt the rhythm of things. We get a text message or an email, and immediately, our minds go somewhere else. She thought that the book would benefit from more of those changes in rhythm, and I found that note very helpful. 

Soon afterward, I was in the auditorium reading a chapter to 160 seventh graders, who seemed like they were totally caught up in it. Suddenly, a voice came on the loud speaker summoning one of the boys in the room to the principal's office. The seventh grade went crazy, and I had to wait until he left, wait until everyone stopped speculating about what he did, then go back a sentence or two.

It was a little annoying, but mostly funny. And I realized I could use it. At several key moments in Sean Rosen Is Not for Sale, Sean gets called to the principal's office. Then, in the climax of the book, he gets called away from the seventh grade class trip campfire. It's funny and suspenseful each time, but the last time is the best - a real game-changer for Sean and his Hollywood quest.

ES: So true!! As a teacher, I always feel like announcements come on at the worst time or that some kid gets whisked away for early dismissal right when things were getting hairy for him! 

You mentioned in your interview with Dennis Abrams from PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES that working in Hollywood and TV has sometimes been frustrating. However, are there any skills you believe transferred particularly well to the craft of writing for children?

JB: In screenwriting, you learn to tell stories efficiently for the mass public, ideally without sacrificing intelligence or emotional honesty. My style is naturally simple and clear, so despite the fact that Sean interacts with many adults (some of whom don't know he's a kid), and even though the ideas and situations in the books are quite complex, the language is always accessible. Or if it's not ("bidding war", "the big cheese", "deconstruct"), Sean has to look it up, and then you find out what it means, too. I've had a lot of parents and teachers tell me that their reluctant readers like Sean Rosen. 

One thing that scared me about writing fiction was writing in third person. So I didn't. Sean Rosen narrates his story in the books, which is like writing a long monologue. The books also include transcripts of conversations Sean has or hears, and excerpts of movies and TV scripts that he writes, so I'm able to tell parts of the story in a format that's familiar to me, but possibly new to readers.

In the Sean Rosen books, characters and places are almost never physically described. This is a technique I developed writing my original plays and screenplays. You don't know which actors will be playing the roles, so you focus on personalities and the distinctive ways people speak, and you let the reader fill in the rest. Hardly anyone notices the absence of description in the Sean Rosen books, but I think it adds to the reading experience by making it a bit more interactive.

ES: That’s fascinating – what a different perspective on writing and the communication of a creative idea! 
Sooo now the dreaded “R” word…Raymond Chandler said, “Throw up into your typewriter every morning. Clean up every noon.” What is your revision process…and how do you survive it?

JB: When I'm writing, I try not to edit as I go. I force myself to keep moving forward, knowing I will come back and fiddle with it later. I write my first drafts by hand, then I usually begin the next day by typing up what I wrote. I do a little bit of revising as I type, though I save the written drafts, in case I want to check my original impulse, which I regularly do. I don't re-read and edit until I'm done, or stuck. Then I read what I have out loud, which is very helpful to me. Hearing it, even though it's me reading it, is the closest I can get to being inside a reader's head. I can tell if something is moving along the way it should or whether it's getting bogged down in words. I trained in journalism and film and video production, and I love the editing process.

ES: Interesting how so many folks in every corner of the industry – be they authors, editors, or agents, for picture books all the way up to novels, all recommend reading out loud as part of the revision process. 

Lastly, a question in a slightly different vein: you (along with Mr. McIntosh and Ms. Brindise from Ardsley MS) gave a fabulous presentation at the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) conference this past November on the benefits of an extended partnership between author and school as opposed to a parachute (one-time) visit. In creating a kind of residency program with Ardsley, you have worked closely with teachers to help students blossom into their unique writing capabilities. Since many authors and schools may be unable to create similar programs in terms of its depth and scope, do you have any suggestions for some kind of a compromise between the ideal – what you do with Ardsley – and the current popular format of parachute visits? 

JB: Thanks for the kind words. The program we do at Ardsley is incredibly ambitious - every student does in-depth research, develops a character, creates a story, and writes and performs it, all in a few weeks. It takes a giant commitment from the English faculty and from me. 

Most of my other school visits are more typical one-day-only presentations, though this year I'll be experimenting with a hybrid. I'll work with teachers and/or school librarians to come up with a creative project that students can accomplish over the course of a week or so. I'll provide specific exercises and tips, and I may make a Skype appearance or two before the culminating day, when I come to the school and the students present what they've come up with. 

I give them professional feedback publicly, so that everyone can see the standards by which I evaluate my own creative work, which is often different from what they learn from their teachers. I talk about what grabs me about their story, where I was confused, and where they lost me. Always in a positive way, of course.

ES: Well Ardsley is incredibly lucky to have you! Thanks for stopping by The Corner today, and good luck with your next adventures!

To go to Jeff’s website, click here. For teacher resources on the Sean Rosen books, click here.

Jason Augustowski (Mr. A.) teaches seventh grade language arts, is the executive director of drama, and the co-director of chamber and show choir at Belmont Ridge Middle School. Augustowski has an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction under Dr. Sara Kajder. His work with the drama and the chamber and show choirs has garnered six national awards including "Best Overall Musical,” eleven nominations, and numerous other awards. He has also presented for the past four years at the annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

Today, Jason will share the daring and forward-thinking classroom model he created and implemented. His approach rests upon two main pillars: choice and autonomy. If you’re an educator or an active parent looking to better structure your weekend/summer family activities and “lessons,” read on to find out how to make your learning environment an unforgettable one.

ES: Thanks for stopping by The Corner today, Jason! Why don’t you start with a summary of what you like to call “the curriculum menu.”

JA: Hi Eugenia. Thanks for interviewing me. In sum, here’s how my classroom works, and it requires a class that is non-sequential, meaning it’s only for subjects (and parents!) who don’t need the concepts to be learned in a certain order.

In a traditional classroom, everyone covers X units in Y time, the whole class at the same time. What’s different about my class is that the kids get to pick the order in which they go through the units, and they get to pace themselves. The units are still tied to the state standards, so they’re covering everything they need to learn. There’s a binder for each unit (subdivided into the multiple parts of each unit), with notes on the basic concepts and vocabulary. Each part of the unit has a very simple assignment to show me that they learned it (in teacher-speak, a formative).

Then comes the exciting part. The kids get to pick their own project for that unit that shows me they learned all the different parts of that unit (in teacher-speak, a summative). So if the kid loves to sing and they want to compose and perform a song that demonstrates understanding of all the major concepts in that unit, they get the chance to do that. If the student loves to act, they can write their own screenplay and record their “mini-movie.” As long as their project clearly demonstrates that they understand the major concepts of that unit (or the standards and substrands, as teachers would call it), the sky is the limit on their creativity.

ES: Wow! I mean one of the things I love about this approach is that the kids are truly motivated to take ownership of their learning. Since they are choosing their own projects, they are invested in making sure they create a polished final product they can be proud of.

JA: Exactly. Another big part of making this work, though, is the independence and trust I place in them. For example, I got rid of all our desks and chairs because the kids said they preferred to get their work done on couches and bean bags. So parents donated the furniture, and we were up and rolling! The important thing here is, much like adults, if you’re getting your work done and abiding by certain very basic rules, you can do whatever you want. The focus is on learning, not on following rules and procedures just to follow them. I mean really, there are lots of adults out there who focus better on their work when they’re listening to their favorite radio station, so why shouldn’t our kids be able to listen to their ipods while they get their work done?

ES: So for a parent who wants to implement this to give their families some kind of structured but fun learning environment on weekends and summers, what might you recommend?

JA: Well, let’s say your kid is having a hard time with grammar. You pull together some worksheets that explain a basic rule and gives them a few practice sentences to try it out on. You check it, make sure they get the basic concept. That’s what we teachers call a formative, and in my classroom, it’s their “pass” to being able to create their final project. Once they’ve collected their “passes” for that unit (whatever grammar rules the teacher told you your child struggles with), then they can create a project that allows them to apply the lessons they've learned to a more real-world environment. 

So let’s say your child has also been struggling in science – maybe with memorizing eras of the earth’s development. They can pull both units together into one project by creating dioramas of each stage in the earth’s development, and the plaque on the shoebox that explains its contents can incorporate the grammar rules they learned about!

ES: I never had a grammar lesson that ended with such a fun project! Now I’m wondering – what about behavioral issues? How do you control the fact that you’ve got sometimes up to 5 or 6 different units going on all over the room? And what about those couple of kids who just aren’t motivated to buy into this?

JA: Great question. I actually run a mini-military in my classroom. Even though we play it as a game, we are honoring the fact that the military has a system by which respect and effort are duly rewarded. 

Let me back up and talk grades for a second. Sometimes I’ve got kids who did the minimum in order to show me they understood a unit, and other times I’ve got kids who are killing themselves producing this amazing project, and it breaks my heart that they both end up with the same grade because I’m grading to the standard. I can’t – and I won’t – grade “effort.” 

But in the military, if you aren’t giving 200% and going the extra mile, you will not progress up the ranks. And that’s what happens in my class. Even though their actual grade in class is the same as the kid who did the minimum, students who go above and beyond on their projects are promoted up and up until they eventually become officers. At that point, they sit at a special desk in the middle of the room where they serve as experts who can be consulted with questions, other students who are of enlisted rank are required to salute the officers, and so on. And yes, that means my class stands and salutes an adult who enters the room. The kids love it, and it creates some serious class bonding.

ES: Amazing! Congratulations to you for going out on a limb and being the first at your school to try out such an innovative and student-centered learning experience. Belmont Ridge Middle School and Loudoun County are very lucky to have you! 

JA: Thanks for having me, and I welcome anyone out there who’s interested in learning more about this and/or implementing it in their classrooms to contact me by email.

ES: Thank you all – have a lovely holiday and a Happy New Year! 

If you would like to contact Jason, please email him at jason.augustowski@lcps.org. His twitter handle is @MisterAMisterA

Laura K. Zimmermann is a professor at Shenandoah University with 20 years of experience teaching child development, biopsychology, and the role of culture in shaping behavior and thought. While she’s published academic articles, she also writes for children. Laura’s work has been included in AppleSeeds,  Ask, and Nature Friend. She also has an upcoming article in Odyssey and just had one purchased by Highlights! She’s got a Thanksgiving myth-buster for us today, as well as tips for writers, librarians and parents – the whole shebang! So let’s get started…

ES: Welcome to The Corner, Laura! You just published an article about Thanksgiving....perfect timing for our interview! Any fascinating tidbits you'd like to share with our readers today?

LZ: Thank you for inviting me, Eugenia! We all know the story of the first Thanksgiving. It happened in 1621 when Pilgrims and Native Americans came together and shared a meal at the Plymouth colony. Or did it? Virginia, Texas, Maine, and Florida all claim to have had Thanksgiving celebrations before this time. 

So, what do you need to qualify as the “first” Thanksgiving? To me, the basics are an event focused on giving thanks and a meal shared with a local Native American tribe. Both of these occurred in St. Augustine, Florida in 1565, more than 50 years before English settlers set foot in Plymouth. Of course, the meal was likely different than the ones we have today. Historians believe that the Spanish settlers and their Timucua guests likely had hard sea biscuits and “cocido,” a stew made of garbanzo beans, salted pork, and garlic.

ES: Who woulda thunk it?! Plymouth, make way for a palm tree and sunshine Thanksgiving! I’m not so sure about that hard sea biscuit part, though…hehe. 
So you’ve obviously had numerous articles published – congratulations! Any advice for other authors on how to break into the mag industry?

LZ: My best advice is to read the magazines you want to submit to. They all have different styles. Reading them is the best way to get a feel for the kind of stories they publish. 

For nonfiction articles dig deep; don’t just stick to information that can easily be found online. Before I wrote the Thanksgiving article, I read 16th century accounts written by the settlers as well as articles by historians who studied this period. For other articles, I have interviewed scientists about their work on different topics like manatee hair - which is totally amazing, by the way! 

But above all else, make it fun. Get children excited about your topic so they want to learn more. Write what you love and your excitement will shine through.

ES: Great advice, and I love the last tip. As a teacher, I only have three rules for class, and the third one is to have fun while learning!

A question now to help our librarians - or parents - out there. Given your work as a professor, do you have any favorite picture books to recommend for those looking to help children deal with very difficult life experiences?

LZ: Absolutely! There are many good books that tackle difficult issues for children. Some of my favorites are:

SHYNESS: The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton

WORRY: Is A Worry Worrying You by Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz, illustrated by Marie Le Tourneau

BULLYING for young children: One by Kathryn Otoshi

DEATH of a parent: Scar by Charlotte Moundlic, illustrated by Olivier Tallec

WAR, as in a parent going to war: The Year of the Jungle by Susan Collins, illustrated by James Proimos.

ES: That’s a wonderful list. Certainly the issue of having parents at war is a very timely one for so many Americans right now, unfortunately.  

Any plans to utilize your extensive experience in psychology for your writing?

LZ: My upcoming article in Odyssey magazine is on brain plasticity in development, which is a topic I cover in many of my classes. It has been a lot of fun adapting the material for a tween/teen audience. 

At some point, I also hope to pull some picture book ideas from the research I have done with preschoolers over the years. I haven’t figured out how to do that yet, but with PiBoIdMo underway (the picture book writing challenge for authors), it’s the perfect time to start thinking about it!

ES: Thank you for a lovely interview, Laura, and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

To learn more about Laura go to laurakzimmermann.com. You can also find her on Twitter, Pinterest, and Linkedin.

Kitty Felde’s day job is covering Capitol Hill for a public radio station in southern California, KPCC. She’s won many awards, including Journalist of the Year - three times! She’s been published in numerous print publications, including “The Los Angeles Times” and “USA Today.” Kitty is also a playwright. Her courtroom drama about the Bosnian War, “A Patch of Earth,” won the Maxim Mazumdar New Play Competition, was produced around the world, and is included in a collection published by the University of Wisconsin Press. The Los Angeles theatre company Rogue Artists Ensemble commissioned her to adapt stories by Nikolai Gogol for the stage. The “Gogol Project” won the LA Drama Critics Circle Award. Kitty is currently at work on her second middle grade novel - a mystery set on Capitol Hill. 

ES: Welcome, Kitty! You have an impressive resume. And somehow, despite your successes as a journalist and playwright, you’ve found time to be an active volunteer. So before we jump into talking kidlit biz, tell us a little about your experiences with Heart of Los Angeles Youth (HOLA)…it sounds like a wonderful organization! 

KF: HOLA is a program for kids living in the poor neighborhoods just west of downtown Los Angeles. It's a dangerous, gang infested area. Many of the kids have older siblings who are gang members. One of the writers I worked with was in a wheelchair from a gang shooting. 

How I got hooked was through a roundabout connection. 52nd Street Project is a New York playwriting program started by Willie Reale. An actor pal of mine invited me to come help out with a similar program he was doing at HOLA. Zip forward a couple of years, and I was running it. 

We'd meet Saturday mornings for six weeks, learning the structure of plays and how to create character and conflict. Each kid would have his or her own adult mentor. Then, at the end of six weeks, we'd head off for a weekend retreat, usually at a youth hostel near the LA Harbor that used to be a military base. We'd trade off cooking and doing dishes, writing all day, playing basketball, hiking down to the lighthouse or the tide pools. At the end of the weekend, each kid would have written a 5-10 minute play. 

The acting troupe at HOLA - again, adults and kids - would perform the plays in front of standing-room only crowds.

The kids were amazing, writing about everything from talking fish to gangsters. One of my writers - all grown up - met her husband-to-be at my radio station.

I miss HOLA.

ES: What an inspiring story! And now you have set your sights on kidlit. What do you envision writing for children?

KF: I'd been a member of SCBWI years ago, but never felt "ready" to write a kids book. One of my plays, "The Luckiest Girl," is an original 'theatre for young audiences' piece. But I found that children’s theatres across the country are adapting kids’ books, not producing original work. So I turned "The Luckiest Girl" into a middle grade novel. I found an agent and I'm collecting rejections as we speak.

I had such a good time with "The Luckiest Girl," I started working on a second middle grade novel about Fina Mendoza, a little girl whose father is a Congressman from California who solves the mystery of "The Demon Cat of Capitol Hill." I'm on draft #5.
 
ES: I love that title! And mysteries are very popular now…where do you get your ideas??

KF: They seem to find me. "The Luckiest Girl" was inspired by my time in Holland, covering war crimes trials for public radio and discovering the Dutch version of Santa Claus - Sinterklaas - and his politically incorrect sidekick in blackface Zwarte Piet. I was shocked to discover that the Dutch saw nothing wrong with “Black Pete.” 

At the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the American judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald became my hero – and my model for Gran in “The Luckiest Girl.” Zwarte Piet was always a conundrum, she told me. She and a number of other African-American ex-pats agonized every December about whether to condemn or ignore the caricature. Over the past few months, media outlets around the world have reported on the uproar over Piet. UNESCO proposed putting him on their “naughty” list of human rights abuses. Yet a Dutch Facebook site praising Piet got a MILLION likes in one day! 

My newest book "The Demon Cat of Capitol Hill" was inspired by my own experience as a California kid looking at life in Washington as something strange and unusual. I get to capture all those little quirks I see and put them in my heroine Fina's mouth.

ES: I think it’s fabulous how you can bring your diverse life experiences and interests into your writing. What plays do you find you return to again and again, either for inspiration or for the pure joy of it?
 
KF: "The Importance of Being Earnest" always makes me laugh and "Death of a Salesman" devastates me - not just the tragedy of Willie Loman, but the sheer talent of Arthur Miller. I will never be able to write like that! 

But my passion is seeing NEW plays - particularly those by women playwrights. 

ES: Thank you for stopping by The Corner, Kitty, and best of luck in all your endeavors!

To visit Kitty Felde, click here!

Gail Wellock joins us at The Corner today for a chat about the award-winning program she spearheaded at the Chantilly Regional Branch of Fairfax County Public Libraries. “Kaleidoscope Storytime: Adaptive Programming for Children on the Autism Spectrum,” is a monthly storytime activity adapted for children on the autism spectrum and/or children with other developmental challenges.


One parent said, “We are regulars…The teacher even has a nameplate for him. My son is 23 months old but requires a walker for walking and is sensory sensitive. The other library activities are too overwhelming for him and he is miserable…This is the only activity we've found, paid or free, that works for him with his physical limitations, interest in age appropriate activities and sensitivities.”
 
ES: Gail, welcome to The Corner! You have founded such a beautiful program at the library – how did you come up with its unique and evocative name?

GW: While planning and researching sensory-enhanced storytimes I discovered the book The Kaleidoscope Kid by Elaine Marie Larson. I’m going to quote Larson’s book description, because I think it answers your question perfectly! “The Kaleidoscope Kid is written for children with Asperger Syndrome and high-functioning autism to remind them of their many special gifts. Children on the autism spectrum possess a kaleidoscope of intellectual strengths and unique personality traits. Their outlook and creative ways are as variable and colorful as the view through a kaleidoscope.”

ES: How true indeed – some of the moments I treasure most in my teaching career have been with special ed children who brought a unique view to the most ordinary of circumstances. Like the time I came back to work still hoarse from being sick, and one of my autistic students told me, “Don’t worry Ms. Sozzi, I’ll go to the end of the rainbow to get your voice back.” I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.

For our readers out there who are interested in creating a program like yours at their library or school – or even parents who are just looking for tips to create a more successful storytime session at home – what can you tell them about a typical Kaleidoscope session?

GW: Oh that would be wonderful! There is such a need for more programs like Kaleidoscope. 

First, a little about the support systems that help ensure a smooth storytime which can help anyone, be it an official program or simply storytime at home:

• Repetition and Rhyme are helpful in keeping our participants engaged and joyful…and also important to early literacy development!
• Children with autism are challenged by transitions and unexpected surprises. Therefore, we keep the same format for each program. This offers participants a space where they feel welcomed, safe, and comfortable. It also provides a way for parents to talk to the child about what to expect when they come to storytime.
• Based on what I just said, I want to point out it’s so important to adapt to the child…be prepared to go with the flow! Things may not happen as you expect.
• Some children need something to hold in their hands. They can often be calmed by having extra sensory experiences through touch and feel.  Include special items, such as koosh sensory balls, stuffed animals, small bean bags, and other stimulating objects they can hold while you are reading the book. By incorporating different sensory toys and experiences the child is engaged and re-engaged during the reading time.
• Use a variety of movements and sounds. Sing songs that include waving, clapping, stomping and swaying. We often “sing” books!
• The children can talk, sing, sit, stand, walk and move freely during the storytime activities. This reassuring environment gives the children a sense of security and a desire or willingness to return.
• The “agenda” for each storytime is always posted as a visual schedule on a large bulletin board in the storytime circle. Children with autism often need a picture to go along with a word.
• As we move between books and activities, the visual schedule is referred to and/or pointed to.
• We also ask and answer questions as a group. For example, in the book Pete the Cat, he steps in a pile of blueberries. So we ask, “What color are his shoes now?” and we all answer “Blue.” And so on. Group involvement keeps us engaged and connected as a whole.

A little now about the actual content and sequence:

• We plan for favorite books and a few new books each time. 
• We start with Hello Songs
• Welcome and Visual Schedule
• Our Name Song – each child is sung his/her name and a name plate is placed in front of him/her
• We actually always start with the same book, a favorite of the kids: Brown Brown Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin which we usually sing as a group
• Once they’ve settled in to the comfort of a favorite book, we introduce a new book
• Finger Play or Nursery Rhyme with boardbook for each child OR a movement activity
• The last book is always a Pete the Cat book – again, beginning and ending each session with the comfort of something familiar. One favorite is Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin. 
We have a large stuffed Pete the Cat that is brought around to each child for a hug or a “high-five” and “thanks for coming to storytime today”
• Good-Bye Songs
• Bubbles and Song: we always finish by blowing bubbles for each child & a ‘good-bye bubble song,” which always delights them


ES: Wow! Hopefully everyone – parent, teacher, librarian, and authors! – has walked away with a few new ideas on how to make storytime more accessible for these children. And perhaps someone out there will be inspired to create another version of Kaleidoscope at their library or school!

Any parting thoughts you’d like to share with us?

GW: Yes. The beauty of Kaleidoscope Storytime is that it serves the needs of the children and the parents. A successful program like this becomes a place for parents to connect with other parents, to seek and exchange information on other community resources.  Raising a child with special needs can sometimes be an isolating experience for families.  Our program offers a time for them to visit the library and socialize.

Our Kaleidoscope parents and caregivers are appreciative of the safe and welcoming environment that our program provides and the developmental growth that it helps to encourage.

ES: They are lucky to have you and the entire children’s section team at Chantilly Library – you all have designed an amazing set of children’s programs! Thank you for stopping by The Corner, Gail!

To find upcoming events at Chantilly Regional Library, click here.

Debra lives in the suburbs of Northern VA with her husband, three boys and two male cats - which is the complete opposite of her childhood when she lived on a farm in Wisconsin with her parents and eight sisters. In addition to writing magazine articles and picture books, Debra loves to read, garden and cook. She is also a member of SCBWI. To learn more about her, check out her website or follow her on Twitter - @ShumakerDebra.

ES: Welcome to The Corner, Deb! Could you share some of your favorite books with us...any title in particular inspire you?
DS: One of my favorite non-fiction authors is Barbara Kerley – “Those Rebels, John and Tom” and "What To Do About Alice" is the type of fun non-fiction I am aiming to write!  For fun rhyme, I tell everyone to read Kwame Alexander's "Acoustic Rooster."

ES: Those are some great starting points for parents hoping to get their children excited about non-fiction topics! How about some advice for writers now - you have had some success breaking into the magazine market. Any thoughts you’d like to share?

DS: My advice is: if it interests you, do it! When I took a children's writing course with the Institute of Children's Literature, they encouraged new writers to consider the magazine market as it can be easier to break into. Plus, there’s an active market for non-fiction articles. I decided to give it a try and discovered that research ROCKS. 

For example, in The Washington Post I read about a researcher who discovered that marine iguanas, a non-verbal species, actually "eavesdropped" on mockingbird calls to know when a hawk was nearby and they should flee for safety. I found the researcher's contact info, started corresponding with her, did some more research, and wrote an article. "Eavesdropping Iguanas" was published in the July/August 2011 issue of Spider. Since then, two other non-fiction articles I wrote for that course are under contract, and an article I wrote after the course is also under contract. They'll be appearing in Spider, Boys' Quest, and Fun for Kidz. 

ES: Congratulations! That’s wonderful news. Can you tell us about your writing process...and how you find time to write despite having three kids?!

DS: Great question! I'm a slow writer who jumps around from project to project. . . . and yes, with three boys 8, 10 and 11, it is hard to find time to write! Fortunately, so much of writing is not actually writing, but thinking. Most mornings I open up the latest manuscript I'm working on and do a quick read. Then throughout the day grab a few minutes here and there to jot stuff down. It's pretty surprising how a manuscript can come together in bits and pieces. I always have several manuscripts going at one time so if I get stuck on one, I have another one to attack. During the school year, I am certainly more productive. 

Two website "challenges" that have helped me with my picture book writing are Tara Lazar's PiBoIdMo and Julie Hedlund's 12x12. 

ES: That’s some serious inspiration for those of us who feel we don’t have time to write! What about folks who want a jump-start by attending a retreat? You recently attended one in Georgia…would you recommend it to others?

Before the Week of Writing Retreat in July, I had only been to SCBWI Conferences. Conferences are great, but if a writer has the time and funds to attend a retreat, I definitely recommend it. I can't speak for all retreats, but this retreat focused much more on the craft of writing than conferences seem to. Four agents, two editors and several published authors presented to just 33 attendees. The entire faculty was accessible, eating meals with us, providing critiques, and hanging out in the evenings. In the end, at least 7 or 8 attendees signed with agents from the retreat. It's already sold-out for next year!

ES: Well that's a ringing endorsement - next year's event sold out as soon as the current one is concluded. 

Thank you again for chatting with us at The Corner, Deb, and good luck in your publishing endeavors!

Visit Deb by clicking here.
Follow her on Twitter @ShumakerDebra