How I Came to Be...

How I Came to Be a Writer

Published by:

Written by: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

It is always interesting to read about how and why an author writes, and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's How I Came to Be a Writer is no exception.  Naylor takes a very interesting approach to explaining how she got to be the person that she was at age 54, focusing on her autobiographical past and her writing processes in the past and present. I really connected to Naylor's experience as a passionate young writer who never dreamed that she could make a career out of writing because it was just too much fun.  I felt this way about working with children throughout most of my high school and early college careers and often told friends and family that even though I was "good with children," I never wanted to be a teacher because it wouldn't be a real job...well, look at me now.  One semester of graduate school down (almost) and I'm halfway towards having my masters in elementary education.  Isn't it funny how that happens?

The personal stories told by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor in this autobiographical novel really made me connect to her as a person instead of just a world famous writer.  The images that she included from her childhood helped set the personal tone of this novel and helped me connect to her story on a deeper level.  Though this text was written for young adult readers, its message transcends age and can be appreciated and understood by even the most sophisticated adults.  There is a four-part interview of Naylor available through YouTube that really supplements this text. The first part can be accessed by clicking here.  Unfortunately, the parts are not in order on the YouTube playlist, so you have to click around in order to see the interview segments in order.

I hate to admit it, but I have never read Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Newbery Award winning book Shiloh.  Though this may be considered a literary crime by some book connoisseurs, I think that reading Naylor's autobiography before reading her work will give me a unique perspective.  Shiloh is such an iconic story that it is often difficult to separate Naylor, the person, from Naylor, the author of Shiloh.  I haven't had time to test this theory yet, but when I do, I'll let you know how it goes.

Make a Difference

Eleanor Roosevelt; People Who Made a Difference

Published by: Newbridge Educational Publishing

Written by: Don McLeese

This simple paperback book introduces students to one of the United States of America's leading first ladies: Eleanor Roosevelt.  Though she is specifically addressed in the Virginia SOLs for first grade, Eleanor Roosevelt is a famous American who can and should be studied at all levels.  This book simplifies her life works into twenty-four easy to decipher pages; however, it is only a jumping off point.  There are countless websites, books, and recorded video that focus on her early life, her marriage to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and her philanthropic expeditions; however, it is difficult to find a strong, condensed version that is appropriate for younger students.  

The People Who Make a Difference series from Newbridge Publishing has a wide range of biographical texts designed for students in grades 1-3.  These books focus on famous Americans that can be studied at any grade level and all feature a simple table of contents, glossary of important and unfamiliar terms, an index, recommendations for further reading, and websites to visit.  One of the sites listed at the end of the book is particularly useful for those who are interested in learning more about inspirational women (http://www.greatwomen.org).  Another useful resource that I found while searching the internet is this four-minute video that summarizes the life of Eleanor Roosevelt (http://www.5min.com/Video/Eleanor-Roosevelt-Biography-119820641). The site itself is very interesting and a good classroom find.  Some of it's videos are not appropriate for classroom use and must be previewed before they are shown to a class; however, it is incredibly practical to have access to video resources that are limited in length to five minutes or less.