Watch the trailer for a taste of author Victoria J. Coe's 5-Part Webinar Series for Grades 2-5 that enables students to dive deeply into the concepts of POV, perspective, and ...
Ever wonder about the dog on the Fenway and Hattie covers? He’s a professional model named Deke! Here’s your chance to “meet” him, find out how he broke into show business and what it’s like to be a canine celebrity! (And see for yourself what it’s like for an author to meet the cover model of her books!)
Join me and Deke on Tuesday, May 19th at 6:30pm (Eastern Time) for a virtual party via Zoom. We’ll be celebrating the paperback edition of Fenway and Hattie in the Wild and so much more.
Don’t worry - you won’t be on screen! You can watch and listen in the background or take part in the chat - and as always, there will be games and PRIZES! It might even be more fun than playtime at the Dog Park!
All you have to do is sign up in advance. Belmont Books, one of the Boston area’s fantastic independent book stores, is hosting this event. Visit the event web page for more information, to register, and/or to buy the book, or simply email Bemont Books and tell them you want to sign up.
Hope to “see” you there!
If you’re using Flipgrid to keep your classroom connected, children’s authors Elly Swartz & Victoria J. Coe are happy to share a fun program we whipped up just for you. Inspired by our youtube channel, Books in the Kitchen, Spice Up Reading encourages kids to read books for fun and recommend books to each other - through cooking!
Here’s the idea:
We’ve set up a Flipgrid topic for you to use with your students called “Tasty Books That We Have Read.” The students are invited to create a cooking demonstration video while talking about a book they’ve enjoyed. For example, they might make dog treats while talking about the latest DOG MAN book.
We’ve included all the resources your students will need, including: how to come up with an idea, how to talk about their book, and the logistics of demonstrating a recipe on camera. (We’ve also included a list of things they should NOT do!)
How to get started:
Click HERE to access the topic & resources on Flipgrid. Everything is posted in the Disco Library, a collection of pre-made topics for teachers to use. You can add our topic to a grid you already have or make a new one. To find out more about the Disco Library, check out this link.
Step 1:
From the link above, under “Select a Grid,” your grids will pop up. Choose the one you want to add “Tasty Books That We Have Read” to and click “ADD.”
Steps 2-4:
Keep our title or choose your own.
Change the recording time to ten minutes.
Use our prompt or edit as you please.
Step 5:
For “Topic Tip,” you might want to remind students of the time limit & encourage them to read the Do’s and Don’ts.
NOTE: When you click “ADD” in Step 1 above, this intro video for your students will be already part of your grid.
Showing the video here just as an FYI. Of course you can also delete it & add your own!
NOTE: When you click “ADD” in Step 1 above, this “Dos and Don’ts for Students” will already be added to your grid as an attachment.
Showing it here as an FYI
Step 6:
OPTIONAL: You can add other attachments if you’d like.
Step 7:
Review your TOPIC STATUS, VIDEO FEATURES, and FEEDBACK, and adjust as you wish.
Step 8:
When your topic is ready to share, click “Update” and GO!
Teachers, remember to use this in coordination with whatever school rules apply for technology use & student videos.
I’m so, so sad to have Spring 2020 school visits canceled, postponed, or up in the air. BUT I’m thrilled that so many schools, students, & families are continuing or starting to read FENWAY AND HATTIE as we all hunker down at home. Knowing that my little pup is putting smiles on people’s faces is an amazing feeling.
I’m happy to share that Penguin Young Readers - which owns the audio rights to all of my books - has issued a temporary open license for recording and posting read-aloud videos. For more information, click below.
Also, please check out the many free FENWAY AND HATTIE resources you can use to connect your community of readers - whether a whole school, class, or virtual book group.
Please feel free to reach out if you have questions or if there’s anything I can do to support you and your readers this Spring. Huge thanks to everyone. We’re all in this together!
