An Animal's Point of View

Today was an exciting day! The Newbery and Caldecott Medals for 2013 were announced by the American Library Association. 

These two awards are the highest honors a children's book can receive in the U.S. The Caldecott Medal is given to the artist of "the most distinguished American picture book for children." The Newbery goes to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." 

That's a lot of words to say that these awards are given to books that are great! 

This year the winner of the Caldecott Medal is This Is Not My Hat, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen. The Newbery went to Katherine Applegate for her middle-grade novel The One and Only Ivan.

What do these two books share, besides being great? They both tell their stories from an animal's point of view. 

In This Is Not My Hat, a small fish says, "This hat is not mine. I just stole it." The One and Only Ivan begins with the lines, "Hello. I am Ivan. I am a gorilla." 

Writing a story from an animal's point of view helps us understand and care about animals. How does a fish think? What does a gorilla wonder about? 

Try writing an "I" story from an animal's point of view. It could be a fish, a gorilla, a cat, a dog, or your favorite animal. Maybe it's a three-toed sloth or a yellow-spotted salamander. 

And don't forget to check out this year's Newbery and Caldecott Award winners!  

Dear Mr. President

Yesterday Barack Obama was inaugurated into office for his second term as President of the United States. If you could talk to the president, what would you ask him? Which issues would you like him to pay attention to? 

We may not be able to talk to the president, but we can write him a letter. Even if you don't send it, writing an actual paper letter is great writing practice. 

First, think about the most important thing you'd like to ask or tell the president. Write a rough draft on a separate piece of paper. Then ask an adult to check your grammar and spelling. When you're satisfied with your edited letter, copy it onto a clean piece of paper. Begin your letter with, "Dear Mr. President." 

If you decide to send your letter, here's the address:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Be sure to write the date on your letter, and include your name and address at the top if you'd like to receive a reply. 

You may also email the president through the White House website. www.whitehouse.gov. 

Writing a letter or email is a great way to let the president know what you think is important. Be respectful and thank the president for his time. Even if you're not old enough to vote, being part of a democracy means that every citizen--kids and adults--can voice their opinions to our leaders.

Have fun expressing yourself in a letter! 

Pretending

Isn't writing fiction all about pretending? So let's start out the New Year with a pretending writing prompt. 

Pretend you're this wooden chair. Convince someone to climb up on you.

Pretend you're a superhero. Challenge another superhero to give you her cape.  

Pretend you're a full wastebasket. Beg someone to empty you. 

Pretend you're a giraffe. Ask someone to take you trick or treating.

Pretend you're an airplane. Persuade the pilot to fly to Antarctica. 

Pretend you're a bowl of cereal. Talk someone into not eating you. 

What or who else can you pretend to be?