For Riot Brother fans…
In Stinky and Successful: The Riot Brothers Never Stop , Lydia Riot makes Wilbur and Orville a dutch baby for breakfast. “What’s a dutch baby?” you ask. Watch the video to find out.
After writing Invisible Lines, I became enchanted with mushrooms. My friends began to send me images of mushrooms. Here’s a mushroom craft idea. Software developer and game designer Zach Barth, in Bellevue, WA, realized that screws resemble mushrooms and created this whimsical sculpture.
First find some large screws and paint them however you like. Although it may scratch off, Barth suggests using standard, hobby-grade acrylic paint. Next, find a fallen tree branch, thick enough to hold the “mushrooms” you’ve made. If the branch is too long, you can use it as an opportunity to give an impromptu and safe lesson on woodworking. Ask very young children to “work” alongside you with their pretend tools, but if your kids are old enough, you may want to teach them how to use real tools safely. Saw off the ends to make your branch the size you want. Then, drill a hole for each “mushroom.” You can still buy simple, hand-held manual drills, which are great for projects with kids. When my kids were young, I’d have them put their hands on top of mine, so that they could “help.” –Mary Amato
In Invisible Lines, Trevor Musgrove makes a spore print. If you’d like to try it, read on.
Mushrooms release spores, which are tiny, round, reproductive bodies, which you can literally “capture” in a print. Take a mushroom and gently remove the stem—you don’t want to damage the mushroom, but you do want to make sure the thin veil of flesh covering the gills is open so that the gills are exposed. Put the mushroom gill-side down on a piece of paper and cover with a glass. Wait 24 hours, lift off the glass, and carefully pick up the mushroom. You should see the spores released in a pattern.
Spore Print from MAW Fair
If the spores are white, you won’t see them on white paper and should try placing a new mushroom on a piece of black paper. Some people make spore prints on half black/half white paper to cover either possibility.
Grocery store mushrooms do not work well because they aren’t fresh. Your best bet is to pick a mushroom in the wild, one in which the veil has already begun to open or has opened. You should wash your hands after handling the mushroom, but don’t worry about toxicity exposure…mushrooms that are poisonous to eat are okay to handle with appropriate caution.
If you want to keep your print, make sure to spray it with fixative.
Some people are allergic to mushroom spores, so be appropriately cautious and don’t sniff the spores. –Mary Amato
Hidden Superfood: Some people believe that mushrooms have little nutritional value. Wrong. Mushrooms are good for you. They contain protein, fiber, essential amino acids, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, ascorbic acid and Vitamin D. Mushrooms produce strong antioxidants, antibiotics, and antiviral compounds. Scientists are studying their medicinal compounds to cure cancers and small pox, to treat diabetes, obesity, immune disorders and more. See Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World by Paul Stamets.
Cook Before Eating: Make sure you thoroughly cook your mushrooms. White button mushrooms are commonly eaten raw in salads, but many mushrooms will cause digestive problems if eaten raw.
Mushroom Hunting:
Once you start looking for mushrooms, you will start to see them growing on trees, near trees, under leaves, near creeks, in median strips, on your front lawn, and even in the big city. Different mushrooms pop up at different times of the year. Especially after a good soak. Poisonous species can look remarkably similar to edible types, so don’t eat anything unless you are foraging with a mycologist. Join your local mycological association toHidden Superfood: Some people believe that mushrooms have little nutritional value. Wrong. Mushrooms are good for you. They contain protein, fiber, essential amino acids, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, ascorbic acid and Vitamin D. Mushrooms produce strong antioxidants, antibiotics, and antiviral compounds. Scientists are studying their medicinal compounds to cure cancers and small pox, to treat diabetes, obesity, immune disorders and more. See Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World by Paul Stamets.
Cook Before Eating: Make sure you thoroughly cook your mushrooms. White button mushrooms are commonly eaten raw in salads, but many mushrooms will cause digestive problems if eaten raw.
Mushroom Hunting:
Once you start looking for mushrooms, you will start to see them growing on trees, near trees, under leaves, near creeks, in median strips, on your front lawn, and even in the big city. Different mushrooms pop up at different times of the year. Especially after a good soak. Poisonous species can look remarkably similar to edible types, so don’t eat anything unless you are foraging with a mycologist. Join your local mycological association to find experts who can teach you how to identify mushrooms.
find experts who can teach you how to identify mushrooms.
In my book, Invisible Lines, Trevor’s science class goes outside for a mushroom “foray.” Looking for mushrooms is kind of like going on a natural treasure hunt. You don’t have to be in the wild. Mushrooms grow everywhere, even in New York City!
Photo by Jim Kuhn
Mushroom Hunting:
Once you start looking for mushrooms, you will start to see them growing on trees, near trees, under leaves, near creeks, in median strips, on your front lawn, etc. Different mushrooms pop up at different times of the year. Especially after a good soak.
Photo by Ivan Amato
Looking over some mushroom identification guidebooks can be a great way to familiarize yourself with what might be out there.
Poisonous species can look remarkably similar to edible types, so don’t eat anything unless you are foraging with a mycologist. Join your local mycological association to find experts who can teach you how to identify mushrooms.–Mary Amato
Kids at Barrington Elementary School in Ohio acted out scenes from the Riot Brother books and posted them as a slide-show on their school website. What a great way to encourage reading, improvisation, and playwriting! Students can improvise or write short plays, based on scenes from their favorite books, and act them out.
A Riot Brother rule: If you draw a mustache, do not use permanent ink!
According to Wilbur Riot, there is nothing quite so frightening as your mom chasing after you with kissy lips!
Can you flare your nostrils and raise one eyebrow? These are essential Riot Brother skills.
The Riot Brothers' Secret of life is to make something exciting happen everyday.
Wilbur and Orville Riot give annoying lessons at school to earn money! Do NOT try this at your school!
If you laugh while your brother is drinking milk, and milk comes out his nose, that is a Snarf Attack!
Slobber Trivia Game Questions (From Stinky and Successful and Take the Mummy and Run)
- In which Riot Brother book does Slobber, the pet rat, first appear?
- One of the chapters in the third book is called “Slobber and Frank.” Who is Frank?
- On April Fools Day, where does Orville first hide Slobber?
- In the same chapter, when Lydia Riot finds Slobber, what does she do?
- At the end of the story, the boys find a hiding place for Slobber that makes their mom scream. Where do they hide him?
- Fill in the blanks of this famous Riot Brother saying about Slobber that Wilbur says at the end of the April Fools story: “Just remember, slobber is what goes __ ___ of a pillow and Slobber is what goes _____ a pillow.”
- In Take the Mummy and Run: The Riot Brothers are on a Roll, the boys put Slobber in a bucket labeled ____ _____.
- In “The Riot Brothers Solve a Mystery” Orville throws Slobber at a _____ who turns out to be a ___.
- What is the real Slobber made of?
- According to Amelia, if the boys miss Slobber, what should they do?
Slobber Trivia Game Answers
- In Stinky and Successful: The Riot Brothers Never Stop (Book 3)
- Frank is Wilbur’s pet eyeball.
- Orville hides Slobber in his mom’s desk drawer.
- Lydia Riot doesn’t scream when she finds Slobber in her pencil drawer. She calmly says, “Actually I believe that Slobber ate all my pencils.
- The boys hide Slobber under their mom’s pillow.
- “Just remember, slobber is what goes on top of a pillow and Slobber is what goes under a pillow.”
- In Take the Mummy and Run: The Riot Brothers are on a Roll, the boys put Slobber in a bucket labeled free candy.
- In The Riot Brothers Solve a Mystery, Orville throws Slobber at a _____ who turns out to be a ___.
- The real Slobber is made of rubber.
- If the boys miss Slobber, they should chew gum really fast so that they slobber.
Trevor Musgrove, my character, learned a lot about mushrooms in Invisible Lines. To write this book I did a lot of research and became fascinated with mushrooms. I also began adding edible mushrooms to my grocery list. Here are some of my favorite recipes and some more information. –Mary Amato
Mushroom Burgers for One
- Preheat a toaster oven to 400° F.
- Chop and sauté mushrooms (one large portabella or a half-dozen small button mushrooms) in olive oil. Let them cool slightly.
- Meanwhile in a bowl, beat an egg and add ¼ cup of breadcrumbs and any seasonings you like. Add the mushrooms to the egg mixture, add 2 oz of crumbled feta cheese and mix. Form this mix into two patties.
- Place the patties on a well-oiled baking pan. Bake them in the toaster oven for 10 minutes and then flip and bake for 7 more minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and a splash of hot sauce!
Stuffed Caps
Coat mushroom caps (you can use any type of edible mushroom. I prefer baby bellas) with olive oil & stuff with goat cheese. Season w/sea salt & your favorite herb. Bake on well greased (use olive oil) baking pan at 375 for fifteen minutes or until tender.
Mushroom and Pumpkin Soup
Saute your favorite type of edible mushroom and onions in olive oil. Add 1 t. curry powder and 1 T flour (or potato starch), stir in 2/3 can of pumpkin, add 28 ounces of any type broth. Cook for 30 minutes. Add 1 cup of milk (do not boil). At the very end, you can also add the following optional garnishes: chopped cilantro, chopped spinach, croutons. Delicious!
Shiitake Pasta
While you’re boiling up your favorite noodles, sauté some shiitake mushrooms in olive oil until they are thoroughly cooked. Add other veggies if you want. When the noodles are done, toss the shrooms with the pasta and add goat cheese. Stir until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce. Easy and yummy.
Stuffed Caps
Coat mushroom caps with olive oil & stuff with goat cheese. Season w/sea salt & your favorite herb. Bake on well greased (use olive oil) baking pan at 375 for fifteen minutes or until tender.
Mushroom and Pumpkin Soup
Saute mushrooms and onions in olive oil. Add 1 t. curry powder and 1 T flour (or potato starch), stir in 2/3 can of pumpkin, add 28 ounces of any type broth. Cook for 30 minutes. Add 1 cup of milk (do not boil). At the very end, you can also add the following optional garnishes: chopped cilantro, chopped spinach, croutons. Delicious!
Shiitake Pasta
While you’re boiling up your favorite noodles, sauté some shiitake mushrooms in olive oil until they are thoroughly cooked. Add other veggies if you want. When the noodles are done, toss the shrooms with the pasta and add goat cheese. Stir until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce. Easy and yummy.
More Information about Edible Mushrooms
Hidden Superfood: Some people believe that mushrooms have little nutritional value. Wrong. Mushrooms are good for you. They contain protein, fiber, essential amino acids, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, ascorbic acid and Vitamin D. Mushrooms produce strong antioxidants, antibiotics, and antiviral compounds. Scientists are studying their medicinal compounds to cure cancers and small pox, to treat diabetes, obesity, immune disorders and more. See Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World by Paul Stamets.
Cook Before Eating: Make sure you thoroughly cook your mushrooms. White button mushrooms are commonly eaten raw in salads, but many mushrooms will cause digestive problems if eaten raw.
Hidden Superfood: Some people believe that mushrooms have little nutritional value. Wrong. Mushrooms are good for you. They contain protein, fiber, essential amino acids, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, ascorbic acid and Vitamin D. Mushrooms produce strong antioxidants, antibiotics, and antiviral compounds. Scientists are studying their medicinal compounds to cure cancers and small pox, to treat diabetes, obesity, immune disorders and more. See Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World by Paul Stamets.
Cook Before Eating: Make sure you thoroughly cook your mushrooms. White button mushrooms are commonly eaten raw in salads, but many mushrooms will cause digestive problems if eaten raw.
Create a time and place for writing. Children will want to write if you make it a fun activity to do together. “Let’s write a story!”
Use my WOW story technique to get started. See What is a WOW Story below.
Accept your child’s ideas. Your child may create a character/story you don’t like. Be open, and your child will want to keep writing.
Allow your child to dictate to you. Be a scribe, not an editor. Use your child’s words.
Allow mistakes if your child is writing. The goal is to increase creative fluency. Save the grammar and spelling lessons for later.
Ask questions if your child gets stuck. What is the story about? What does your main character want?
Talk it through one sentence at a time. If your child has trouble organizing or keeping track of thoughts, ask him/her to tell the story aloud one sentence at a time. Write down one sentence at a time. Model enthusiasm by writing your own creative stories and poems.
Create venues for sharing writing. Have a “literary reading” when Grandma comes over, send poems and stories as gifts, help your child submit work to local venues.
What is a WOW story?
WOW is an acronym that I created to help kids remember a simple story structure.
- The story has a main character who Wants something. This is the beginning of the story.
- There is an Obstacle that gets in the way of the main character. This is the middle of the story.
- The main character either Wins or loses. This is the end of the story.
How to make up WOW stories
- Choose a main character. This can be a person, an animal, or even an object: for example, a boy, a grandmother, a soccer star, a sock, or a paintbrush!
- Decide what the main character wants. What might a paintbrush want? Some paint to play with? To belong to a famous artist? Try unexpected ideas. A grandmother might want to ride a motorcycle!
- Decide what will get in the way of the main character’s desire. Brainstorm lots of obstacles and decide which one is the most fun or engaging. Obstacles can be simple. A rabbit wants to eat grass on a hillside, but a tiger lives on that hillside. The tiger is the obstacle. A boy wants a new bike, but his father says no. His father is the obstacle. Obstacles can also be emotions. What if a girl wants to ice skate, but she is afraid that she’ll fall down? Fear is her obstacle.
- Decide how/if the main character will “win or lose.” Does your main character get what he or she wants in the end? How?
Write or perform WOW stories
Write or dictate your story: Write your stories on paper. Or make a book by folding pages and stapling them together. If your child hasn’t learned how to write yet, ask him or her to tell you the story and write it down word for word.
Act your story out: For reluctant writers, try acting out the story first. After you have brainstormed the basics for a specific WOW story using the steps above, act out the story. Choose a narrator who will tell the story and provide cues for the actors. This can be the job of the parent or a child. The narrator should be very clear and say “The End” so that everyone knows when the story is over. After acting out stories, the child may be more interested in writing them down.
Copyright © 2004 by Mary Amato. Permission granted to copy for educational use.