Table Of ContentDOCUMENT RESUME
ED 398 530
CS 012 545
AUTHOR
McClure, Amy A., Ed.; Kristo, Janice V., Ed.
TITLE
Books That Invite Talk, Wonder, and Play.
INSTITUTION
National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana,
Ill.
REPORT NO
ISBN-0-8141-0370-7
PUB DATE
96
NOTE
340p.
AVAILABLE FROM
National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W.
Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096 (Stock No. 03707:
$14.95 members, $19.95 nonmembers).
PUB TYPE
Collected Works
General
(020)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC14 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
*Authors; *Childrens Literature; Elementary
Education; *Language Arts; *Language Usage; Language
Variation; Literary Genres; Nonfiction; Novels;
Picture Books; Poetry; Recreational Reading; Thematic
Approach; *Writing Processes
IDENTIFIERS
*Expressive Writing; Reading Speaking Relationship;
Response to Literature; *Trade Books
ABSTRACT
Focusing on children's books identified as "notable"
for their rich use of language, this book presents
essays that
discuss literary genres and literary Language, responding to the
language of Notable Books, and developing an, appreciation for
language diversity. The book also presents brief essays by well-known
children's authors regarding their writing.
processes. The notable
works of children's literature discussed in the book
were identified
over a 10-year period by the Notable Children's Trade Books in the
Language Arts Committee of the Children's Literature Assembly,
a
special interest group of the National Council of Teachers of
English. After an introductory essay ("Wordcrafting: What Makes
a
Book Notable in the Language Arts?" by Susan Lehr), chapters in the
book are (1) "Picture Books: Language That Sparks the Mind and Fuels
the Imagination" (Janice V. Kristo and Linda Leonard Lame); (2)
"Poetic Texts and Poetic Language" (Amy A. McClure);
(3) "The
Language of Facts: Using Nonfiction Books to Support Language Growth"
(Sylvia M. Vardell);
(4) "Notable Novels in the Classroom: Helping
Students to Increase Their Knowledge of Language and Literature"
(Christine Doyle Francis);
(5) "Language Use through Drama" (Anthony
L. Manna);
(6) "Language of the Storyteller" (Inga Kromann-Kelly);
and (7) "Connecting Writing, Talk, and Literature" (Yvonne
Siu-Runyan); (8) "How to Do Things with Words: Trickster
Stories,
Multicultural Awareness, and Language Arts" (Jon C. Stott);
(9)
"Diversity in Language: Using Notable African American Children's
Literature in the Classroom" (Deborah Thompson); (10) "International
Books and the Language Arts" (Carl M. Tomlinson); and (11) "Linking
Literature and Language Use through Thematic Units" (Barbara
Chatton
and Susan Hepler). The book concludes with essays written by 38
authors of Notable Books (including Avi, Eve Bunting, Paula Fox,
Patricia Lauber, Gary Paulsen, and Jerry Spinelli) that reflect
on
their own processes of writing and the decisions they make about
such
matters as wording, style, and the use of dialect. A bibliography of
approximately 300 Notable Books is attached. (RS)
.USadrrAME,'"
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iiThis document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality.
Points of view or opinions stated in this
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
nfirc.rtiat'
Books That Invite Talk,
Wonder, and Play
3
NCTE Editorial Board: Colette Daiute, Hazel Davis, Bobbi Fisher, Keith
Gilyard, Brenda Greene, Gail Hawisher, Ronald Jobe, Richard Luckert, Karen
Smith, chair, ex officio, Mario Welshons, ex officio
Books That Invite
Talk, Wonder,
and Play
Edited by
Amy A. McClure
Ohio Wesleyan University
Janice V. Kristo
University of Maine
National Council of Teachers of English
1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096
5
Permissions acknowledgments appear on pages 333-35.
Manuscript Editor: Jane M. Curran
Production Editor: Rona S. Smith
Cover Design: Victoria Martin Pohlmann
Interior Design: Doug Burnett
NCTE Stock Number: 03707-3050
© 1996 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America. Copyrights to chapters by Ashley
Bryan, Nancy White Carlstrom, James Howe, Shirley Hughes, Patricia
Lauber, Katherine Paterson, Gary Paulsen, Marilyn Singer, and Jane Yolen
remain with the authors thereof. Used by permission.
It is the policy of NCTE in its journals and other publications to provide a
forum for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the
teaching of English and the language arts. Publicity accorded to any par-
ticular point of view does not imply endorsement by the Executive Com-
mittee, the Board of Directors, or the membership at large, except in an-
nouncements of policy, where such endorsement is clearly specified.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Books that invite talk, wonder, and play / edited by Amy A. McClure,
Janice V. Kristo.
p.
cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-8141-0370-7 (pbk.)
1. Children's literature, AmericanHistory and criticismTheory,
2. Children's literatureAuthorship.
3. ChildrenBooks and
etc.
reading.
4. Language arts.
I. McClure, Amy A.
II. Kristo, Janice V.
PS490.B66 1996
810.9'9287dc20
95-52945
CIP
V
Contents
ix
A Note to the Reader
Wordcrafting: What Makes a Book Notable in the Language
Arts?
Susan Lehr
1
I. Literary Genres and Literary Language
1. Picture Books: Language That Sparks the Mind and
Fuels the Imagination
Janice V. Kristo and Linda Leonard Lamme
21
2. Poetic Texts and Poetic Language
44
Amy A. McClure
3. The Language of Facts: Using Nonfiction Books to
Support Language Growth
59
Sylvia M. Vardell
4. Notable Novels in the Classroom: Helping Students to
Increase Their Knowledge of Language and Literature
Christine Doyle Francis
78
II. Responding to the Language of Notable Books
5. Language Use through Drama
95
Anthony L. Manna
6. Language of the Storyteller
110
Inga Kromann-Kelly
7. Connecting Writing, Talk, and Literature
119
Yvonne Siu-Runyan
III. Developing an Appreciation for Language Diversity
8. How to Do Things with Words: Trickster Stories,
Multicultural Awareness, and Language Arts
143
Jon C. Stott
9. Diversity in Language: Using Notable African American
Children's Literature in the Classroom
155
Deborah Thompson
vi
Contents
10. International Books and the Language Arts
Carl M. Tomlinson
176
IV. Putting It All Together
11. Linking Literature and Language Use through Thematic
Units
Barbara Chatton and Susan Hepler
189
V. Authors' Voices: Perspectives of Notable Authors on
Wordcrafting
The Language of My Books
Aliki
209
The Hardest Part of Writing
Avi
213
Words That Make Music
Natalie Babbitt
215
Words, Words, Words!
Tom Birdseye
217
The Greatest Plaything in the World
Bill Brittain
219
The Sound of the Voice in the Printed Word
Ashley Bryan
222
The Power of Words
Eve Bunting
224
Imagination and Language
Ann Cameron
226
A Child Besotted with Words
Eleanor Cameron
231
Of Memory and Language That Sings with Young Children
Nancy White Caristrom
236
The Alchemy of Sound
Deborah Chandra
239
The Magic of Language
Eth Clifford
241
Finding Words That Ring True
Paula Fox
244
Contents
vii
Setting the Story Free
245
Mary Hoffman
Searching for the Voice
249
William H. Hooks
Starting with Celery; or, How to Toss a Verbal Salad
252
James Howe
Stories by Firelight
255
Shirley Hughes
On Writing Whale Song
257
Tony Johnston
The Surprises of Rime
259
X. J. Kennedy
Ships Sailed the Seas
262
Patricia Lauber
Voice, Form, Style, and Craft: An Afterword
264
Myra Cohn Livingston
and Pictures
Words, Words, Words .
.
.
268
Anita Lobel
The Wonderful World of Verbs
272
Joan Lowery Nixon
Revising Lyddie
274
Katherine Paterson
Dancing with Words
276
Gary Paulsen
Easy to Read, But Hard to Write
277
Peter and Connie Roop
Syllables and Songs: Making Words Sing
280
Diane Siebert
To Bop or Not to Bop: Writing Turtle in July
282
Marilyn Singer
The Way You Say a Thing
286
Jan Slepian
Intriguing Language: A Personal Point of View
288
Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Simple Simile
290
Jerry Spinelli
9
viii
Contents
Making Words Come Alive
Ann Turner
291
How Possum Came a-Knockin'
Nancy Van Laan
295
Voices and Choices; or, How Bosh's Wife and Three Angels
Dropped By for a Visit and Decided to Stay
Nancy Willard
297
Language in Books with a Multicultural and International
Focus: In Praise of the Language Gods
Karen Lynn Williams
299
Capturing Objects in Words
Valerie Worth
303
Literary Karaoke; or, Falling out of Love
Jane Yolen
306
Bibliography of Notable Books
309
Editors
325
Contributors
326
Credits
333
10
