Try these poetry writing activities based on Mr. Crew’s lessons in Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook by Mary Amato

Metaphor Poem

When Kip doesn’t understand how to create a metaphor, Destiny says, “Thinks of candy…then think of something else that’s really fun, like a party. Then squash the two things together: Candy is a party in my mouth.” (p. 16) Choose a subject for a poem (a noun is easiest), and then try to write a metaphor poem about the subject.

Riddle Poem

Pretend that you are something else and try writing a riddle poem, like Edgar does when he writes his pencil poem (p. 48) and his nose poem (p. 52). It doesn’t have to rhyme. You might start with “I am…” but don’t reveal exactly who you are so that your classmates can guess when you read it aloud.

Rhythmic Poem

Think of a rhythm in your head (such as Da Dum Da Dum Da Dum) and try writing a poem with that rhythm (p. 78).

Confessional Poem

Imagine that you are a thief and you have stolen something. Write a poem, confessing your crime.

Parody

A parody is a literary work in which the style of another author is imitated for comic effect. Choose one of the poems that the thief leaves (p. 3, p. 66, p. 98, and p.199) and find the original, famous poem upon which Mary Amato based her parody. Then, choose a famous poem or song and try writing your own parody.

Graphic Design Activity:

Mr. Crew loves poetry and drinks Tennyson Tea. Create a 3-D box for Tennyson Tea that uses both poetic words and images to entice the customer to buy it.

To Discuss:
1. Edgar spies on his classmates in an effort to solve the mystery, and in the process he learns something important about each one. Specifically, he reads: Destiny’s poem about the willow tree; Taz’s article about osteosarcoma; and Patrick’s poems about his parents’ divorce. Do you think Edgar should have read these items? What did he learn about his classmates?

2. On page 59, Edgar wonders if everybody has a secret sadness, what do you think?

3. Why do you think Mr. Crew likes his students to have a moment of silence before they start to write?

4. Describe Edgar’s weakness and strengths.

5. Authors often deliberately repeat images or details in a book. For example, Edgar says that giving up would be like handing Patrick a big bowl of victory with whipped cream on top (p. 20) Later, after he writes his “Inside ” poem, Edgar helps himself to a big bowl of ice cream with whipped cream on top (p.95). Why do you think Mary Amato chose to do this? Dogs are another repeated image throughout the book. Discuss where and how dogs are mentioned or appear in the book. Why do you think Amato chose to have Edgar wish he could have a dog?

6. In the first part of the book, Edgar doesn’t like poetry, is embarrassed that his parents are clowns, believes that Destiny and Taz are always happy, and says that he hates Patrick several times. Describe how and why Edgar’s feelings about topics change by the end of the book.

7. See Mary Amato’s revision example and discuss how and why she revised.
Bonus Mystery:
Many of the characters in Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook are named after famous people. See if you can figure out who the following characters are named after.
Edgar’s art teacher, Ms. Cassatt:
Edgar’s music teacher, Ms. Schubert:
Edgar’s science teacher, Ms. Herschel:
Henri’s band director, Mr. Copland:

How to Write a Funny Poem by Mary Amato

Vocabulary List

Directions: Fill in the definitions for the following terms.

Professional (p.3)

Nonchalant (p.20)

Forensics (p.30)

Cosmetics (p.32)

Seizure (p.39)

Tread (p.41)

Damaging (p.45)

Sleuthing (p.46)

Neglecting (p.50)

Verified (p.67)

Spectrum (p.68)

Doorjamb (p.94)

Flourish (p.99)

Alibi (p.116)

Precision (117)

Bonus

Using the context of Mary Amato’s book, come up with definitions for the following neologisms (made-up words):

Luminiferous (p.33)

Slobberjaws (p.79)

Create your own neologism and its definition:

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

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

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

1. In which Riot Brother book does Slobber, the pet rat, first appear?
2. One of the chapters in the third book is called “Slobber and Frank.” Who is Frank?
3. On April Fools Day, where does Orville first hide Slobber?
4. In the same chapter, when Lydia Riot finds Slobber, what does she do?
5. At the end of the story, the boys find a hiding place for Slobber that makes their mom scream. Where do they hide him?
6. 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.”
7. In Take the Mummy and Run: The Riot Brothers are on a Roll, the boys put Slobber in a bucket labeled ____ _____.
8. In “The Riot Brothers Solve a Mystery” Orville throws Slobber at a _____ who turns out to be a ___.
9. What is the real Slobber made of?
10. According to Amelia, if the boys miss Slobber, what should they do?

Slobber Trivia Game Answers

1. In Stinky and Successful: The Riot Brothers Never Stop (Book 3)
2. Frank is Wilbur’s pet eyeball.
3. Orville hides Slobber in his mom’s desk drawer.
4. 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.
5. The boys hide Slobber under their mom’s pillow.
6. “Just remember, slobber is what goes on top of a pillow and Slobber is what goes under a pillow.”
7. In Take the Mummy and Run: The Riot Brothers are on a Roll, the boys put Slobber in a bucket labeled free candy.
8. In The Riot Brothers Solve a Mystery, Orville throws Slobber at a _____ who turns out to be a ___.
9. The real Slobber is made of rubber.
10. If the boys miss Slobber, they should chew gum really fast so that they slobber.