McKissack Book: Black Hands, White Sails

originally posted March 3, 2009

bestsellers

originally posted September 12, 2008

According to Barnes&Noble.com, these are their 10 top selling books authored by Patricia C. McKissack:

What is your favorite on the list?

Filed in Books ·Tags: Amistad, Barnes & Noble, Books, Dark-Thirty, Negro Leagues, Patricia McKissack, Soujourner Truth

Author’s Visit Learning Objectives

originally posted December 6, 2007

Filed in Videoconferences ·Tags: Learning Objectives, videoconference, writing workshop

Children’s/YA

1.   You Are My Little Cupcake by Amy E. Sklansky
2.   The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3.   The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
4.   Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss
5.   Who is Coming? by Patricia McKissack
6.   My Daddy and Me by Amy E. Sklansky
7.   Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama
8.   Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
9.   Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
10.  Ana’s Story by Jenna Bush

Clone Codes, The #2: Cyborg tells the story of Houston, a cyborg in the year 2130, and how he is considered less than human. Co-written with her husband Fred and her son John, “The Clone Codes sci-fi adventure trilogy continues with this [second] book that blends a futuristic society with pivotal moments in world history.”

Both Clone Codes books will be discussed in Pat’s upcoming Science Fiction-Creative Writing three-part videoconference series. (See previous posts). To register for any of Patricia McKissack’s interactive K-12 videoconferences, contact Cooperating School Districts.

The goal of the project is to introduce students to the process that authors use to write and illustrate a book and to engage them in writing activities themselves that mirror this process.

At the end of the project students will be able to:

• Use brainstorming and invention techniques to come up with ideas for writing.
• Use a journal to record their observations of places, people, and lists of facts from which they draw to write stories.
• Discriminate between different types of audiences.
• Create a science fiction story line.
• Understand character development and create their own characters.
• Understand descriptive techniques in writing and write descriptive paragraphs.
• Create multiple drafts of their work and share them through peer editing.
• Analyze their writing and that of other students.
• Share their work through email with the authors and with each other.
• Evaluate the writing of others and give constructive feedback.
• Revise their writing to conform to the correct standards of English.

To register, contact Rebecca Morrison at Cooperating School Districts by April 1, 2011.

… maybe not so much, right? If you want to read more about Mrs. McKissack’s interactive, engaging distance learning programs, click here.

Mrs. McKissack connected to 5 schools today via videoconference to talk about ber book, The All-I’ll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll

Patricia McKissack welcomed schools from Canada, Tennessee and Louisiana today during her story hour videoconference on The All-I’ll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll. She said it was a delightful group of students from across North America- in addition to talking about the story, they discussed their regions. At West Haven Elementary in Alberta, Canada, it was negative ten degrees- but a warm up for them! The kids in Louisiana from the Tangipahoa School District were experiencing temps in the 40s, and the students at East Side Elementary in Shelbyville, Tennessee, like us in St. Louis, had mid-20s and light snow.

This spring is the Creative Writing-Science Fiction workshop.
Dates and times (always central) for this three-part series are:
4 p.m. on 4/13 – teacher meeting
11 a.m. on 4/27 – student meeting I
11 a.m. on 5/11 – student meeting II

In a series of three videoconferences, Mrs. McKissack customizes for any grade level and any part of the writing process. In the first videoconference, the author meets with the teachers to discuss the goals of the author visit and the science fiction book she will be presenting, The Clone Codes.

In the first videoconference with students, Mrs. McKissack introduces herself and gives a brief biographical background including how she came to be a writer. Then, she goes into a lesson, which could focus on brainstorming, revision, or any other area that the teachers have agreed upon. Time is left for questions and answers from the students. The author then makes a science fiction writing assignment to the students. When they get back together in the last videoconference, she gives them feedback about their writing.

These one hour programs are for middle school and high school students, and will be available upon request. During the videoconference, Pat will talk with students on the ins-and-outs of writing either historical fiction or science fiction. Where does the writer start? What kind of brainstorming techniques does she find most useful? How does Pat research for her books? These questions, plus more, will be discussed between author and students.

This videoconference is $200* for New Links to New Learning members and $250* for nonmembers.

* Register for 2011 dates before December 23rd and receive 20% off your program!

Click here to register.