Friday Finds - City of Bones, Writing Time and Twi-me

My Friday Finds this week include another new series that I've discovered.  I've been working on a set of lessons that revolve around free choice literature circles.  Instead of the students reading one book, I want them to embrace an author, and use their lit circle as an author study.  I find that helping students recognize how an author develops, it helps them understand their own writing a bit more.  I'm loving City of Bones and the Mortal Instruments series.  First, you can get the entire series at the public library, but if you purchase it from amazon in paperback it's not terribly pricey.  Following is a link where you can purchase the paperbacks for $16.66.  (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass) 

If students like the series, the prequel series Infernal Devices looks promising.  Since it's a newer series it is not available in paperback, but the first book, Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1), can be found at your local library.

I have seriously been struggling to find writing time.  Between my husband's physical therapy, and the normal distractions that living in a house bring, I've had to resort to locking myself away on a deserted island.   Well, ok not really a deserted island, but at least getting out of the house away from distractions.

Yesterday, I took a drive away from the house and to Lake Houston.  About an hour from my home, the lake provided a quiet place to sit and think.  It's funny, as a writing teacher we wonder why kids struggle to find inspiration while sitting in a small room filled with distractions.  It came to me that we should provide students with occasional wonderful experiences that allow them to write without the stuffiness of the classroom surrounding them.  While we can't all take our kids to the lake, we could possibly take them to quiet places like the library or even some small outdoor area around our school.  Changing the environment, giving kids something unique to add to their writing tool bag is always a good idea.  One word of wisdom, wait 'till it is cooler.  It was seriously hot yesterday!

If you love to use Twitter, the you must check out this cool Twitter Me maker.  It reads your tweets and it sizes up your personality in a graphic.  I'd love to have kids do this in a classroom.  Use the "tweets" they create for a fictional character and come up with a Twitter-character!  What fun!

Here is mine ...



Enjoy your weekend!

Doris