Teaching Ideas for Things Seen From Above

 

SURVIVING THE PANDEMIC ONE BOOK AT A TIME

True Confessions:  I didn't write the title of this blog post.  It was the slogan of a group of 4th and 5th grade readers in Traverse City, Michigan.  In March, I was the virtual author for their virtual Battle of the Books Grand Traverse competition.  An amazing SIXTY teams competed in this year's battle which was anything but typical.  Teams read nine novels.  They practiced virtually and competed on-screen in a battle that tested their knowledge of all of the novels...and their skills with the mute button! http://battleofthebooksgt.com/

Each team had a name -- and trust me, these were NOT ordinary names.  How about "Book, Line, and Sinker?" or "Where the Wild Books Are" or "Little Readers in the Big Books."  The kids had creative costumes and slogans.  And they created the big snow art designs you see below, inspired by my new novel, THINGS SEEN FROM ABOVE which was a battle book.

It was an epic experience for me and an epic example of the power of books. When I think about the things that have helped us get through the pandemic -- these are the moments and experiences that come to mind.  Enjoy these photos of book joy!