Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The Photography of Bruce Davidson (3/20/25)



"They danced down the streets like dingledodies, and I shambled after as I’ve been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop..."

- Jack Kerouac, "On The Road"

In class, we discussed Kerouac's use of the word "mad" as it refers to the people in life who seize life and choose to live it fully - completely - madly.

The photography of Bruce Davidson is stark and displays the vibrant youth culture of the late 1950s - just as the young people in this country were beginning to become restless and ready to shrug off the values of their parents.

For you next writing assignment, choose one of these photos and tell me who these people are.

Where are they going?
What are they doing?
What are their names?
Where do they come from?

Fill in the details that are missing....
Photo 1



Photo 2



Photo 3



Photo 4

Friday, March 14, 2025

The Plot Pitch (3/14/25)

Here is what to expect in the coming days…

You will be working on your proposals for your children's books.
When your proposals are complete, its time to start thinking about your “pitch”.


You will now begin to outline the most basic elements of the book you intend to pitch. However, you can take this a step further.

We are going to focus on developing the characteristics of effective plots, characterization, and illustrations (as appropriate).

During today’s class, I would encourage you to collaborate and share your ideas as you develop them. During this time, I will be circulating to answer any questions you might have. I will also be available to provide feedback if you have anything you want me to read.

Remember – the basic plot of a children’s book is no different than any other work of fiction. The only difference is the audience and their reading level. You still have to have the basic elements of an effective plot.


Those elements are:

Exposition (beginning) – Rising Action – Climax (middle) – Falling Action – Resolution (end)

Without these elements, your plot will not really help a child improve their reading comprehension skills.

If you would like, you can use the following online tutorial. It basically offers a visual for your plot diagram. It also offers tips to developing that plot if you find yourself struggling to find that elusive passage that will bring your story to a successful resolution.

http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/plot-diagram/


In the days ahead, you will be storyboarding your ideas.

Then, its time to get down to the business of writing your stories.

Great Examples of Illustrations (3/14/25)

Several members of the class of 2012 created various storyboards for their books. Of course, these are only a few examples. These are good ones.

If you click on each image, you can see a bigger picture of it.

Check it out.

The following illustrations were done by Melissa Mutter. As you can see, two different artists drew pictures of the cat named Miles.











"Marshall's Misadventures" was drawn by Maura. She did her own illustrations.


As you can see Jacob Fagliano drew something that is very similar to Curious George.


Bella Wattles was another talented illustrator who wrote a book called "Finding Fresco."


Brandi Spering wrote a story about Amos that was actually very good.


Finally, Rachel Purdom wrote a great story called The Sea Robot. It was awesome. It reminded me a lot of The Iron Giant.

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

The Picture Prompt (2/26/25)

Using the five pictures below, choose a number and write a short (about one page) treatment that features a title, a character(s) with a name and some conflict(s) that the character can solve him/herself. Keep the story to one page in length. Can you do it?

1


2



3


4



5

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Little Red Cap by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (2/18/25)

Little Red Cap Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Once upon a time there was a sweet little girl. Everyone who saw her liked her, but most of all her grandmother, who did not know what to give the child next. Once she gave her a little cap made of red velvet. Because it suited her so well, and she wanted to wear it all the time, she came to be known as Little Red Cap. One day her mother said to her, "Come Little Red Cap. Here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine. Take them to your grandmother. She is sick and weak, and they will do her well. Mind your manners and give her my greetings. Behave yourself on the way, and do not leave the path, or you might fall down and break the glass, and then there will be nothing for your grandmother. And when you enter her parlor, don't forget to say 'Good morning,' and don't peer into all the corners first." "I'll do everything just right," said Little Red Cap, shaking her mother's hand. The grandmother lived out in the woods, a half hour from the village. When Little Red Cap entered the woods a wolf came up to her. She did not know what a wicked animal he was, and was not afraid of him. "Good day to you, Little Red Cap." "Thank you, wolf." "Where are you going so early, Little Red Cap?" "To grandmother's." "And what are you carrying under your apron?" "Grandmother is sick and weak, and I am taking her some cake and wine. We baked yesterday, and they should be good for her and give her strength." "Little Red Cap, just where does your grandmother live?" "Her house is good quarter hour from here in the woods, under the three large oak trees. There's a hedge of hazel bushes there. You must know the place," said Little Red Cap. The wolf thought to himself, "Now that sweet young thing is a tasty bite for me. She will taste even better than the old woman. You must be sly, and you can catch them both." He walked along a little while with Little Red Cap, then he said, "Little Red Cap, just look at the beautiful flowers that are all around us. Why don't you go and take a look? And I don't believe you can hear how beautifully the birds are singing. You are walking along as though you were on your way to school. It is very beautiful in the woods." Little Red Cap opened her eyes and when she saw the sunbeams dancing to and fro through the trees and how the ground was covered with beautiful flowers, she thought, "If a take a fresh bouquet to grandmother, she will be very pleased. Anyway, it is still early, and I'll be home on time." And she ran off the path into the woods looking for flowers. Each time she picked one she thought that she could see an even more beautiful one a little way off, and she ran after it, going further and further into the woods. But the wolf ran straight to the grandmother's house and knocked on the door. "Who's there?" "Little Red Cap. I'm bringing you some cake and wine. Open the door." "Just press the latch," called out the grandmother. "I'm too weak to get up." The wolf pressed the latch, and the door opened. He stepped inside, went straight to the grandmother's bed, and ate her up. Then he put on her clothes, put her cap on his head, got into her bed, and pulled the curtains shut. Little Red Cap had run after the flowers. After she had gathered so many that she could not carry any more, she remembered her grandmother, and then continued on her way to her house. She found, to her surprise, that the door was open. She walked into the parlor, and everything looked so strange that she thought, "Oh, my God, why am I so afraid? I usually like it at grandmother's." She called out, "Good morning!" but received no answer. Then she went to the bed and pulled back the curtains. Grandmother was lying there with her cap pulled down over her face and looking very strange. "Oh, grandmother, what big ears you have!" "All the better to hear you with." "Oh, grandmother, what big eyes you have!" "All the better to see you with." "Oh, grandmother, what big hands you have!" "All the better to grab you with!" "Oh, grandmother, what a horribly big mouth you have!" "All the better to eat you with!" The wolf had scarcely finished speaking when he jumped from the bed with a single leap and ate up poor Little Red Cap. As soon as the wolf had satisfied his desires, he climbed back into bed, fell asleep, and began to snore very loudly. A huntsman was just passing by. He thought, "The old woman is snoring so loudly. You had better see if something is wrong with her." He stepped into the parlor, and when he approached the bed, he saw the wolf lying there. "So here I find you, you old sinner," he said. "I have been hunting for you a long time." He was about to aim his rifle when it occurred to him that the wolf might have eaten the grandmother, and that she still might be rescued. So instead of shooting, he took a pair of scissors and began to cut open the wolf's belly. After a few cuts he saw the red cap shining through., and after a few more cuts the girl jumped out, crying, "Oh, I was so frightened! It was so dark inside the wolf's body!" And then the grandmother came out as well, alive but hardly able to breathe. Then Little Red Cap fetched some large stones. She filled the wolf's body with them, and when he woke up and tried to run away, the stones were so heavy that he immediately fell down dead. The three of them were happy. The huntsman skinned the wolf and went home with the pelt. The grandmother ate the cake and drank the wine that Little Red Cap had brought. And Little Red Cap thought, "As long as I live, I will never leave the path and run off into the woods by myself if mother tells me not to." They also tell how Little Red Cap was taking some baked things to her grandmother another time, when another wolf spoke to her and wanted her to leave the path. But Little Red Cap took care and went straight to grandmother's. She told her that she had seen the wolf, and that he had wished her a good day, but had stared at her in a wicked manner. "If we hadn't been on a public road, he would have eaten me up," she said. "Come," said the grandmother. "Let's lock the door, so he can't get in." Soon afterward the wolf knocked on the door and called out, "Open up, grandmother. It's Little Red Cap, and I'm bringing you some baked things." They remained silent, and did not open the door. Gray-Head crept around the house several times, and finally jumped onto the roof. He wanted to wait until Little Red Cap went home that evening, then follow her and eat her up in the darkness. But the grandmother saw what he was up to. There was a large stone trough in front of the house. "Fetch a bucket, Little Red Cap," she said to the child. "Yesterday I cooked some sausage. Carry the water that I boiled them with to the trough." Little Red Cap carried water until the large, large trough was clear full. The smell of sausage arose into the wolf's nose. He sniffed and looked down, stretching his neck so long that he could no longer hold himself, and he began to slide. He slid off the roof, fell into the trough, and drowned. And Little Red Cap returned home happily, and no one harmed her.