Skyping with Geary Elementary

Yes, that's me on the wall, both the child me (from many years ago) and the current me. I use three screens: Keynote for the slideshow, Skype so I can see the students, and Photo Booth so they can see me. Some issues doing it this way, like I don't know WHERE to look, but it works quite well.

Skyping with Geary Elementary

Thanks for skyping, Geary Elementary. "Story starters"below.

Thanks for the fun Skype chat on Wednesday, Geary Elementary.  It was good "seeing" you!


Have any of you started your own Scribbles and Scraps file yet?  It can be a file folder, an envelope, a box...anything you want.  You can name your file "My Great Idea File" or "Scribbles and Scraps" or "Story Seeds" or make up your own name.  It's a great place to keep story ideas that may someday become wonderful stories.


In my writing funshops, I enjoy sharing story ideas with students.  Story seeds, I sometimes call them.  Below are a few.  See what fun stories you can come up with from these story seeds.

1) Some time ago I visited the Galapagos Islands, a group of volcanic islands off the coast of Ecuador in South America.  On the Galapagos, you find strange and unusual animals. Some, like the marine iguana and the Galapagos tortoise, are found nowhere else on earth.

One of my favorite animals on the Galapagos Islands is the blue-footed booby. 

In this photo he appears to be amazed by his own feet!

They are pretty amazing. Bright blue. 

This one photo is enough to begin the storytelling process. 

What if he didn’t like his blue feet?  Can you tell that story?

Or what if he loved his blue feet so much, 

he became vain and boastful.  Can you tell that story?

This blue-footed booby is your first story seed.

2) Here's your second story seed:

Look at the baby sea lion in the picture below.

He appears a bit lost.

Thankfully he knows how to read signposts!

I wonder where he’s going.  

What could you write about this?  

Is the sea-lion lost or on an adventure?  

Where do you think he's going?  To find his mother?  To find a friend?  To go for a swim in the ocean? To hide from a Galapagos monster?  Yikes!

If you want to stay closer to home :-), you might like to write about a pet of your own or a pet that belongs to a friend.  Remember how I asked during our Skype chat how many of you had pets or knew a pet?  Remember how I told you pets are a good place to get ideas for stories?  

You might have a great story about your pet to write.  Fantastic! But I'd also like you to consider the third story seed below.

3) Write two letters.  

In the first you are writing a letter to your pet.  Just a few paragraphs.  It might start like this: 

Dear Twinkie, Since you’re a cat and can’t come to school, I’m going to tell you what it’s like around here.

In the second letter your pet is writing to you about things that are happening at home.   Just a few paragraphs.

Dear Sally, Since I’m a cat and you’re not, I think you should know why I scratched up your bean bag chair last night…

There you have it, Geary Elementary Story Magicians.  Three story seeds to lead you into three stories.  Have fun!

Thanks for skyping, Geary Elementary. "Story starters"below.

Skyping through the fall and winter, in my cozy home

Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with Mary Beth Hudek and her delightful 2nd grade class.  They attend Madison Elementary in Middletown, Ohio.  I told them a bit about my picture books, answered the students' great questions, and showed them my garden and office (By moving the monitor.  Mary Beth, don't tell about the accident I had while moving it!  Actually, I spilled my tea, but the students checked out the garden while I cleaned up and soon we were on track again.)  Note to self:  No tea on my desk while skyping, even if I do have a bad cough.

One of the students took photos of the event, which you'll see below.  Great pics!  The students were reading and thinking about their questions in the two last photos.  They were most insightful.

Thanks for a wonderful visit across the miles!

Skyping through the fall and winter, in my cozy home

Skype visit makes Read Aloud West Virginia statewide news

In June 2011, I chatted with second, third, and fourth graders in a rural part of West Virginia via Skype.  Tina Riley, Technology Integration Specialist extraordinaire for Roane County Schools, had worked a year on the project, researching 16 authors.  I was the lucky author she selected to skype with and we had a grand time.  

In September, Tina contacted me again by e-mail, with the subject heading "News...better than I imagined". 

One of the teachers at Reedy Elementary is also part of the Read Aloud committee for West Virginia.  She contacted the state director about our Skype visit.  The next thing Tina knew the visit had made statewide news.  You can read the entire story at http://www.readaloudwestvirginia.org/RoaneSkype.php.  I'll also post it below.

Now Tina is arranging for three more West Virginia schools to Skype with me, this time with an honorarium and organized activities at each school.  She's also had contact with a college that's interested in learning more about Skype visits with educators and authors.

Congratulations to Tina Riley, a special person and tireless educator and all the educators involved in connecting students with authors and illustrators.  May the Skyping continue on.

Here's the wonderful news that was shared with all of West Virginia:

Roane students Skype with author Marsha Arnold

On one of the last days of the 2010 - 2011 school year, Reedy Elementary School’s second, third, and fourth graders hustled into Mrs. Hall’s fourth grade classroom to quickly find a seat.  Using web cameras and Skype at promptly 12:30, students dialed to begin traveling across the USA via the computer.  On the opposite coast in California, it was 9:30 in the morning and author Marsha Diane Arnold clicked on the phone icon as the computerized phone ring sounded in her home.  Students were thrilled to see a split screen come into view as they said hello to Ms. Arnold while at the same time being able to watch themselves!

Thanks to Roane County Schools’ Technology Integration Specialist, Tina Riley,  and the Read Aloud WV committee, Reedy Elementary School students were able to spend a twenty minute visit being able to talk with published children’s author, Marsha Diane Arnold.  After a quick discussion of the difference in the weather in both places (it was sunny in West Virginia) and a view of the rain in Ms. Arnold’s back yard, the group moved on to the reasons Ms. Arnold became a writer.  Ms. Arnold shared her “idea file”, where “jumbles of scribbles and scraps (napkins, envelopes, and check deposit slips to name a few) live”.  Ms. Arnold explained how to capture ideas while encouraging students to begin their own idea file. 

Ms. Arnold spend another part of their visit showing the process of creating a book by demonstrating how a story and it’s illustration evolve from those jumbles of scribbles and scraps.  She emphasized the rewriting process, showing samples of her own rewrites and explained illustration changes from early sketches to the final picture. It certainly gave the students something to think about as they were finally able to stand and one by one ask their questions of Ms. Arnold. From why did you decide to become an author to where did you get the idea to write the book, Roar of the Snore, to how many children do you have, Reedy Elementary students spend the last ten minutes sharing with Ms. Arnold.  As the twenty minutes rolled to an end, the students said their good byes and waved to Ms. Arnold. 

The “Skype An Author Network” virtual tour between Reedy Elementary School and Ms. Arnold was used as an pilot with the hopes to bring it to the other three county elementary schools in the next school year.  After spending almost an entire year  viewing the different authors, Tina Riley, Roane County Schools’ Technology Integration Specialist approached the Read Aloud WV committee for help to make this pilot happen.   Read Aloud WV Roane County Coordinator, Meg Goffreda offers this advice to other schools wishing to give it a try.   “ After had the experience of a virtual visit with an author and having authors visit our school, the discussion and interaction between the author and the students whether in person or on a screen is so very much the same. Once students understand how the technology works and we all know how quickly they are able to adapt, they’re more than happy to carry on the conversation as if the author is right there in the room with them.  It was an awesome experience that I would encourage other schools to try. Mrs. Riley’s many talents as our school system’s TIS enabled her to find the website, Skype An Author Network, and be able to set the entire project up for our school.  The site alone has thousands of authors who are willing to skype with libraries and schools across the country. While most of the time is a cost involved, some of the authors will provide the service giving twenty minutes for free.  Marsha Arnold was one of those special authors and due to her skyping with just one of our county schools, we’re hoping to bring her back for more than the free twenty minutes to do the same of the other Roane County elementary schools.  Most published authors have web sites so picking a book and then contacting the author to skype with your class is another option to look into.  Skyping is so simple.  All the directions for needed materials, how to set, and skyping the other party are all right there on the Skype An Author website.   Roane County Schools is so fortunate to have the many talents of our TIS, Tina Riley.  We would never have been one of the first school systems in the state of West Virginia to use the Skype An Author (Skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com).  Our Read Aloud committee is excited to see what she shares with us next year!”

Skype visit makes Read Aloud West Virginia statewide news

150 Best Ks Books, THE BRAVEST OF US ALL goes digital, Kansas sesquicentennial and Book Festival

Dorothy Gale, Amelia Earhart, and Marsha Diane Arnold.  What do we have in common? We're all from Kansas!  Today Kansas is celebrating some of its "children" and stories at the Kansas Book Festival in Topeka.

It's an especially wonderful festival as this is also the year Kansas is commemorating its sesquicentennial.  The Kansas State Library selected 150 "Best" Kansas Books in celebration of 150 years, so this adds a glow to the festival, especially in my eyes as two of my books made the list.  Thank you Kansas librarians.

My parents' family, grandparents' family, and great-grandparents' family spent many years farming and surviving on the Kansas plains.  They knew dust storms, tornadoes, crop failures, and tornadoes.

Both of my books were inspired by my Kansas roots. Prancing, Dancing Lily, the story of a cow who doesn't fit in with the herd, was inspired by my father's Ayrshire dairy herd.

Helping my father feed an Ayrshire calf on "the farm".

The Bravest of Us All was inspired by my Grandmother Krehbiel's storm cellar, which she and her family used not only for root vegetables and laying hens, but to seek shelter from storms and tornadoes.

Check behind my father and that chicken to see my grandmother's storm cellar.

Illustrator Brad Sneed and I are delighted The Bravest of Us All is now available in digital form.  You can find the digital storybook "app" for the iPad and the iPhone on  iTunes.  Enjoy the story, all about tornadoes, sisters, family, fear, and courage.

Find the Kansas Book Festival at: The Kansas Historical Society, 6425 SE 6th Avenue, Topeka, Ks from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., today, September 24th.

150 Best Ks Books, THE BRAVEST OF US ALL goes digital, Kansas sesquicentennial and Book Festival

What would you like to know?

So far this year, I've been booked at two conferences - as a speaker for the California Reading Association in November (http://www.californiareads.org/) and as a speaker/teacher/consultant at David Greenberg's amazing week long Oregon Coast Workshop (http://www.occbww.com/) next July.  I would love my readers input!


For CRA, I'll mostly be talking with educators.  My talk will be about the honorable and dishonorable in children's literature.  I plan to talk about my and other authors' work and about the changes in the publishing world.  What would you as an educator like to hear about?


My presentation and workshop in Oregon will be mostly for aspiring writers.  I'll be talking about writing picture books, but haven't decided on the specific themes yet.  It will be mostly nuts and bolts plus, I hope, lots of fun.  What do you as an aspiring writer want to hear about?



Thanks for taking part in my little survey!


I like to think of my first book, HEART OF A TIGER, as perhaps my most "honorable" book.

What would you like to know?

Delightful morning Skyping with Kindergarteners in South Carolina

What better way to start the morning than Skyping with happy, enthusiastic kindergarteners.  So glad you enjoy my books.  Thanks to Mrs. Bean, the other teachers at Stella Maris School, and of course, the delightful kindergarteners.  Happy Reading!  (Photos to follow soon.)

Delightful morning Skyping with Kindergarteners in South Carolina

So glad ROAR OF A SNORE makes you smile, Maya

I just received the most gracious email from the Smedley family in Tennessee.  It's mail like this that keeps me inspired to continue writing for our precious children.  Thank you Bryon, Celeste, and sweet Maya for letting me share this with my Story Magician readers.

Just wanted to let you know that my daughter Maya (just shy of 2 1/2 years old) LOVES Roar of a Snore.  I have been required to read this to her every night at bedtime for over 100 nights straight. Needless to say, I have the story memorized.  She now reads about a third of the book to me when I insert carefully placed pauses in the dialog. Thank you for making my daughter so happy.

That last sentence is glowing inside my heart.

So glad ROAR OF A SNORE makes you smile, Maya

NEW INTERACTIVE BOOK FOR THE BRAVEST OF US ALL

What happened here?

Where is everyone going?

And why are Velma Jean and Ruby Jane so scared?

Find out when you download my new interactive storybook.  THE BRAVEST OF US ALL book went out of print earlier this year, but it's nowavailable to fans in digital form.  Recently selected by the Kansas State Library as one of 150 "Best" Kansas books, I'm happy to have this available to educators and students.  I know some of are doing play of the story for the KS sesquicentennial.  Thank you!  Download at iTunes for just $2.99 or follow this link, http://www.myblackdogbooks.com/marsha-diane-arnold/bravest.

NEW INTERACTIVE BOOK FOR THE BRAVEST OF US ALL

Skyping through the summer - with Martin Luther King Family Outreach Center and more

This summer, I've been busy skyping with libraries, summer camps, and more.  It was a surprise that there were so many wanting me to skype during the summer, but I loved it.  These photos show one special day with Martin Luther King Family Outreach Center in Spokane, Washington.  Each year, the center has a Summer Youth Academy for K-6, where children learn about writing and illustrating.  Each class also writes and illustrates a book of their own.

I first open Skype, then my Keynote presentation, and finally Photo Booth on my Mac.  Photo Booth allows the children to see myself, as well as the presentation, and I can see them through Skype.  My eyes probably look as if they are rolling all over the place...because they are (ha), but it seems to work quite well.

It was a delight being with the children and both Jeani Brickner, Children's Services Director, and Brittini Allen, Program Coordinator, were lovely to work with.  Check out their great work at www.mlkspokane.org

Skyping through the summer - with Martin Luther King Family Outreach Center and more

Goodbye! We will miss you! - Love those words

As highlighted in the school district's webpage:

Sparked by training received as a result of winning a grant through the Professional School Library System at PNW BOCES, library media specialist Susan McCormack worked with the BV PTA enrichment coordinator Mrs. Andrea O’Malley to make this first virtual author visit a reality.

Throughout the month of May, students in kindergarten and first grade spent their library class listening to books by author Marsha Diane Arnold.  They learned about her life as a child growing up on a farm in Kansas and about the redwood forest that inspires her in her current home in northern California.  Students connected to the curriculum as they discussed life in rural communities as compared to urban and suburban ones.  Through the use of satellite images, students got a sense of the space and isolation between the great farms of the Midwest Great Plains states compared to the homes spread throughout the communities of Buchanan, Verplanck and the lower Hudson Valley.  Students began to make connections between how life experiences inform fiction writing.  They learned about tornadoes and bravery while listening to Mrs. Arnold’s story:  The Bravest of Us All.  They heard how stories based on farm life and animals can be fictionalized and infused with humor in:  Roar of and Snore and Prancing, Dancing Lily.  Students prepared questions for the author ranging from how she gets ideas for her stories, to how she chooses an illustrator to more personal questions such as does she have any pets?

Using web cameras and Skype, students visited with author Marsha Diane Arnold via computer screen split in three:  the author, themselves on camera and the author’s presentation.  At the end of her presentation, the kindergarten students called out, “Goodbye, we will miss you!” as the author, Ms. Arnold, signed off.  Thanks to the tremendous support of the BV PTA, we hope to make virtual author visits a regular annual occurrence.

Goodbye! We will miss you! - Love those words

First Skype Author Ever at Buchanan-Verplanck students

When Andrea O'Malley asked if I'd consider being the "First Skype Author Ever at Buchanan-Verplanck", I responded, "Absolutely."  I love talking across the miles, from California to New York.

Andrea and Susan McCormack did a wonderful job putting together the "happening".  We had such fun, but not enough time to answer the many questions.  So I'm answering more of them here.

First, I want to share with everyone that many questions about my books and me can be found at www.marshadianearnold.com.  Secondly, I want to thank the great kindergarteners and first graders of Buchanan-Verplanck for a fun time.  Thanks so Andrea and Susan also.

One of the first questions I'm asked is "How do you choose an illustrator."  The students in New York wanted to know the same.


Most people think the author is the one who chooses their illustrator, but it's actually the editor.  The editor, who chooses your story to publish, also chooses the illustrator.  Editors are aware of the style of illustration they want for the book and they are aware of many illustrators around the world.


Other questions asked:

1) How do you get story ideas, like the one for Prancing, Dancing Lily?

An idea for a story may develop from something I hear or see or remember.  I often begin with a title and the title is often the name of a character.  My stories are usually character driven.  I enjoy getting to know my character and his/her personality helps me develop the plot.

Prancing, Dancing Lily was inspired by the cows I knew on my father’s Kansas dairy farm.  The book is dedicated to “my father, his Ayrshire dream, and all the cows at Highland Ayr dairy farm”.  Ayrshires, which originated in County Ayr, Scotland, aren’t a well-known breed, but they are beautiful, with a reddish-brown and white coat and horns that often reach over a foot in length. 

2)  How did you decide to be an author?

As a child, I loved to read, but I never thought about becoming an author until I was grown and had children of my own.  They and their friends were what inspired me to write.  You can read more about that under "About Me" on my website, www.marshadianearnold.com.

3) How old were you when you wrote your first book? 

I'm what some call a late-bloomer.  My first book wasn't published until I was in my 40's.

4)  Where do you write your books?

Writing is a wonderful profession because you can write wherever you are.  But I prefer to write in my office, in my home, surrounded by the beautiful countryside.

5)  How many books have you written?

I've had 11 books published and hope to have many more.  This summer I'm working on a chapter book for all of you.

6)  Do you have any pets?

I adore animals and don't know what I'd do without some animals around.  I have three cats.  I've had German Shepherds and a Boxer, but have no dog at the moment.  I would love to have another dog soon.

First Skype Author Ever at Buchanan-Verplanck students

Judy Moody is my friend

Megan McDonald, author of the popular Judy Moody books, says that sometimes she thinks she is Judy Moody.  Thus the title of my post today.  This post is dedicated especially for all you kids who are big fans of Judy Moody, Stink, and the first Judy Moody movie, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer.

Last week I got an email from Megan inviting me to invite our old writers' group crowd to a weekend of Judy Moody festivities here in Sonoma County.  You see, we all heard the very first Judy Moody drafts when Megan was part of our writers' group.  So, the "old" writers' group met at Screamin' Mimi's Ice Cream Shop in Sebastopol for a little reunion, a little ice cream, a little book signing, and of course, to congratulate Megan on the opening of Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer.  We sampled two special Judy Moody ice cream flavors - Moody's Mud and Thrillalectric.  We even got to meet the delightful Jordana Beatty who portrays Judy Moody in the movie.

Awaiting the arrival of the real Judy Moody.

Myself and Teri Sloat waiting...

The REAL Judy Moody - Megan, who wrote it, and Jordana, who plays her.

Megan and Jordana

The once and always great Sebastopol Writers' Group -
Lisa Shulman, Me - Marsha Diane Arnold,
Megan McDonald, Jordana Beatty (No, not in the group...too young when it began.)
Teri Sloat, Matthew Gollub, Susan Meyers.
Missing in a bookstore somewhere - David Schwartz

Matthew Gollub and I sharing a special Judy Moody flavor - Thrillalectric.  Yum!

Judy Moody is my friend

Inaugural Technology Day at West Elementary School

I had a fabulous Skype visit on June 9th with West Elementary School in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Yes, that Plymouth - the historical"America's Hometown",  the site of the colony founded by the Pilgrims in 1620.

Amazing first grade teacher, Andy Young, invited me to be part of the annual school Read-A-Thon and their INAUGURAL Technology Day.  It's such fun to be part of something new that will be a continuing tradition for students.

Thank you Andy and West Elementary second graders.

Inaugural Technology Day at West Elementary School

Thanks to Fairfield and the Trinity Star Arts Council

Sometimes when I visit schools, the community goes above and beyond.  That's what Fairfield, Texas did this May when I spoke with the Elementary and Intermediate schools.  Authors are so lucky to be able to meet new friends all over the world and experience new things...all because they wrote a book.

It was the marvelous folks of the Trinity Star Arts Council who put these visits together.  The council is a non profit organization whose members are committed to the enrichment of Freestone county through the arts.

Below are a few photos of my friends Bev and John, a visit to an exotic animal ranch, and a celebratory BBQ at a beautiful Texas ranch.

Thanks for the memories, Trinity Star and Fairfield schools.

My dear friend & sweet hostess, Bev Awalt

Host John Awalt

Invited to a ranch full of exotic animals

The donkey who thinks he's a zebra

Miniature horses who think they are regular size horses!

Bev gets up close with a llama

Marsha and elk

Joy in flight

Amazing Rachel, educator extraordinaire

Texas longhorns

Heart of a Tiger cookies

Texas style hospitality and BBQ

Thanks to Fairfield and the Trinity Star Arts Council

Thank you West Virginia for the delightful Skype visit

Showing the Tiger's "heart".

Tina Riley is the energetic, enthusiastic Technology Integration Specialist for the Roane County Schools in West Virginia. She worked to make our June visit a reality and was so excited by the success of the event, she's planning more skype visits for next year.  Tina, students, and educators were attentive listeners and asked great questions.  Thanks for a great Skype visit and thanks for your wonderful thank you notes.

Skype with 2nd, 3rd, 4th graders - such great listeners.

Tina looks on as our Skype session begins.

Thank you West Virginia for the delightful Skype visit