1. Finding the main idea: Authors talk about reading and writing

2. R. L. Stine

3. What did R.L. Stine call the little things he wrote?
magazines
How old was he when he started writing?
Nine years old
On what did he write these?
On an old typewriter

4. Fear?

5. What did R. L. Stine do with his bike and why
What did R.L. Stine do with his bike and why? Tossed it in the garage as fast as he could. How does his fear as a child help him as an author of scary books? He remembers what made him scared. He remembers what it was like to be a child.

6. SAFE?!?

7. Katherine Paterson

8. Role models in her books?

9. Naming a character

10. What are two things you learned about the character Gilly Hopkins from the previous clips?
She is NOT a role model.
She lies, cheats, steals and makes fun of handicapped people.
Gilly has a lot of hurt inside her.
Katherine Paterson had the name Gilly Hopkins long before she created the character in the book.

11. Listen and write down some reasons why Paterson wrote the book, Bridge to Terabithia.

12. Topic sentence
Katherine Paterson wrote the book, Bridge to Terabithia because ______________________ ______________________________________.

13. Possible topic sentences might end with something like:
…her son had just had a friend die and she wanted to try and make sense of it. …due to a loss, she felt the need to write a book about a child who dies. …she needed to process the loss of her son’s friend.

14. Avi

15. What symptoms did Avi have as a young reader?
How do you turn this statement into a topic sentence?
What DETAILS would you add to other sentences?

16. Your topic sentences, read aloud.
Awesome!
Excellent!!
Way to go for it.
You’ve got some good stuff there.

17. Watch this clip. Jot down some notes
Watch this clip. Jot down some notes. Then, with a partner, list some qualities of a kid reader.

18. What things did Avi say make “kid readers?”
Let’s hear from you and your partner…
You rock
He did say that. Do you agree?
You got THAT right!

19. Walter Dean Myers

20. Reading is like…

21. Listen to these clips and choose one to write a topic sentence on:

22. What clip did you choose…?
The urban experience
Books were my friends
Inner city kids