I know your time is valuable, and so I am creating this index so you can see my resources for you on one page.

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 Diary

Tips for Keeping a Writer’s Notebook

Tips for Parents to Encourage Creative Writing

Tips for How to Become a Writer

How to Write an Author

How to Write a Funny Poem

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)

Foreign Editions

Mary Amato’s childhood diaries and notebooks

Book Discussion Guides/Activity Suggestions:

Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook; Poetry Activities

Invisible Lines

Please Write in This Book; Interview with Illustrator Eric Brace

The Naked Mole-Rat Letters; Song from The Naked-Mole Rat Letters

The Word Eater

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

The Chicken of the Family

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:

Writing The Riot Brothers

Further Activities:

Poetry Writing Activities (from Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook)

How to Make Mini Books

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.

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:

When I do workshops on revision, I often share an example from a draft and a revision to illustrate how I work. At the request of teachers, I have created pdf pages that you can download and print (or project onto your classroom screen) to share with students.

Example of Editing and Revising The Naked Mole-Rat Letters

Example of Revising from Invisible Lines

Example of Editing and Revising Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life

Example of Editing and Revising Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook