Teachers and Librarians,
I know your time is valuable, and so I am creating this index so you can see my resources for you on one page.
Teachers, if you can’t access youtube, try teachertube.
Teachers and Librarians,
If you’re looking something that you don’t see, please email me with your idea. I’d also like to post any resources that you’ve developed related to my books that you’d like to share. Please contact me at: info@maryamato.com.
Helpful Hint: If you’re looking for resources on a particular book, the best way to find them is to put the title of that book in my website’s search bar (top right) and it will show you all the resources for that book, including references made to that book in my writing blog.
How-to (Write) Handouts
Tips for Keeping a Writer’s Notebook
Tips for Parents to Encourage Creative Writing
Tips for How to Become a Writer
Bookmarks:
Please Write in This Book bookmark
“Write” poem by Mary Amato bookmark
Display Materials:
You can use these to create author centers, bulletin boards, or posters.
High Resolution Display Images (book covers and portrait shot)
Mary Amato’s childhood diaries and notebooks
Book Discussion Guides/Activity Suggestions:
Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook; Poetry Activities
Please Write in This Book; Interview with Illustrator Eric Brace
The Naked Mole-Rat Letters; Song from The Naked-Mole Rat Letters
Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life: The Riot Brothers Tell All
Drooling and Dangerous: The Riot Brothers Return
Stinky and Successful: The Riot Brothers Never Stop
Take the Mummy and Run: The Riot Brothers are on a Roll
Revision Examples to use in the Classroom
From: Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life: The Riot Brothers Tell All
From: Invisible Lines
From: The Naked Mole-Rat Letters
From: Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook
Reader’s Theater Scripts
Vocabulary Lists:
Vocabulary List for Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook
Videos:
Note: If you can’t access youtube in your classroom, see the teachertube link for each video that is posted with the entry.
Editing and Publishing Process (shows the editing and publishing process for Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook)
How to Hear a Character’s Voice (gives four tips for writing to hear your character’s voice)
Writing Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook (explains how one character took over story; shows writer’s notebook in use)
Writing Invisible Lines (shows writing process, including webs, drafts, and revisions for Invisible Lines)
Answers About The Naked Mole Rat Letters
A Message for Kids (about turning off TV)
Mary Amato Books Slideshow (slideshow of all book covers)
How to Make a Dutch Baby (from Riot Brothers)
Mushrooms on Display (shows images of mushrooms that inspired Invisible Lines)
Stinky and Successful Acceptance Speech
Podcasts:
Further Activities:
Poetry Writing Activities (from Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook)
Mushroom Sculpture (art idea related to Invisible Lines)
How to Make a Spore Print (science/art activity related to Invisible Lines)
How to Go on a Mushroom Foray (science activity related to Invisible Lines)
Mushroom Recipes (related to Invisible Lines)
Dutch Baby Recipe
See also Writing Blog for entries about the writing process.
Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook
By Mary Amato
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:
During skype sessions–virtual visits that connect me to students via computer webcams–the teacher or librarian in charge often arranges a chair in front of the school computer’s webcam and calls up students to sit in the chair one by one to ask me questions. It’s always fun for me to see each child’s face appear on my screen.
Imagine my surprise when, during a skype session with 4th-6th grade students at Grande Reserve Elementary School in Yorkville, IL, a grown-up suddenly appeared on my screen.
“Wow, you’re a big kid,” I said, and all the students laughed.
“I’m the principal,” Sylvia Torto said with a delighted smile. She had a question for me about what my favorite books were, and then she excitedly shared the title of one of her favorite books, urging me to find it and gobble it up.
What a fantastic moment: A principal was taking time out of her busy day to join in the conversation and express a genuine love for reading. That’s a role model every school needs.
Principal Torto’s suggested book? Nancy and Plum by Betty MacDonald. Luckily for me, she put a copy in the mail along with a thank you for the session. I loved it.