Mechanics & Literature: October 2022
This month’s Quill is all about Art! Infuse your child’s day with a burst of color and a dash of design as you explore familiar concepts from a fresh new angle!
And October’s Dart, Arrow, and Boomerang selections inspire dynamic discussions. Use these stories to dig deep and examine topical issues while you explore:
- writing,
- mechanics,
- and literary devices together!
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In this Quill, we’ll get wordy with as we read artwork through shapes, see art styles come to life through a thematic art study, tell a new story through art edits, bring silent subjects to life with captions, tickle our imaginations with tessellations and tangrams, and play with scale and proportion!
NOTE: You can use any art-themed picture books you have in your stacks or find at your library.
Some Suggestions:
- A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
- The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon: The True Story of Alan Bean by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Sean Rubin
- Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist by Julie Leung, illustrated by Chris Sasaki
- Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts
- I Spy Shapes in Art and other books by Lucy Micklethwait
- Art Lab for Kids by Susan Schwake (activity book)
Get the Quill.
Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliot
You won’t believe what happens if you a let a dragon out of a bag and feed it sweet treats.
It’s time to “let the cat out of the bag.” We’re about to “spill the beans!” You guessed it, this month’s Literary Device is the idiom!
We’ll also:
- investigate writer’s craft,
- poke around some prepositions,
- assemble question marks for a game of Twenty Questions,
- unpack the power of a particular prefix,
- inject excitement into our writing with interjections (oh boy!),
- eyeball the em dash, and so much more!
Get the Dart.
Explore the American Revolution from a fresh new perspective!
The Literary Device is imagery. Explore the wondrous ways words paint pictures that we see, smell, hear, taste, and touch!
We’ll also:
- dabble in dialogue punctuation,
- step back in time to highlight historical context,
- explore our interest in possessive adjectives,
- count on an opportunity to discuss writing numbers,
- wait for it—entertain the em dash,
- show you dazzling descriptive verbs, and so much more!
Get the Arrow.
The Shape of Thunder by Jasmine Warga
This powerful novel affirms the ways deep friendships provide strength to help us navigate the most difficult of times.
In this Boomerang, we’ll:
- examine epistolary writing down to the letter,
- consider characterization and ponder point of view,
- dissect dialogue,
- spice things up with specific details,
- tackle titles,
- notice the narrative arc and the emotional arc, and much more!
Get the Boomerang.
For ages 15-18, check out the Slingshot.
