The Things You Can Read: November 2013

The Things You Can Read welcomes you and thanks you for your readership. We, here at The Things You Can Read, ask your help, if you visit our site regularly, please follow us either via email or Google Friend Connect. Launched on June 7, 2012, our site has already attracted a great deal of attention. One of the goals of the site is to feature reviews of Children's Picture Books, Young Adult novels and Adult Literary Fiction/Nonfiction. A second goal for the blog is to be a resource for teachers of English and writing--with examples of student created writing, writing tips, resource links, and the opportunity to pick the brain of a seasoned English teacher. To spice things up...every now and then, we'll also include random quotes and thoughts on education and life in general, but our ultimate goal is to reach out into the blogosphere and be a "Book Whisperer" and "Writing Whisperer" to children and adults of all ages. Thank you for your readership. Here is to a lifetime filled with reading and writing.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving

Mildred Davis and Harold Lloyd cruise down the road with a fine feathered friend in Haunted Spooks (1920)

Happy Thanksgiving!

'Tis the season to be grateful!

Happy Reading☮
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Happy Pre-Thanksgiving Holiday!

Tis the Season to Give Thanks!

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Writing: Biography of Dickens

We are about to embark on our annual teaching of Dickens and Drama in all my English classes. This is when students learn about the author, Charles Dickens, and read a dramatization of Charles Dickens' novel, A Christmas Carol. Not to mention, they will also be studying drama terminology. We have added a lesson option to our Teaching Dickens and Drama page, which guides students through the process of writing a short biography of Dickens. The full lesson can also be found on The Writing Whisperer. Check it out and let us know what you think here at The Things You Can Read or The Writing Whisperer.

Download Plan Sheet: Click Here

Dickens Quotes Link

Resource for teaching Dickens: Click Here

Each of the categories from the plan sheet will be developed into three to four sentences, with the help of transitions, the end result will be a fluid paragraph.

The Quote(s) will be used to start and/or end your paragraph.

Sample Opening Sentence using a Dickens quote:

Charles Dickens wrote, “Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.” these words fully describe Charles Dickens transformation from a poor English boy working in a shoe polish factory to a wealthy, respected, writer touring the world. Charles Dickens was born...

Sample Closing Sentence using a Dickens quote:

Charles Dickens' life was filled with joy and sorrow, however, he never lost sight of the fact that, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”-Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Sunday, November 17, 2013

And the WINNER of the Literary Blog Hop is...

Congratulations to LaurieC@BayStateReader'sAdvisory, Laurie chose the Amazon Gift Certificate! Thanks to all those folks who participated in the hop! We loved all the comments! A big thank you to our host Judith@Leeswammes.wordpress.com.

Laurie's Comment via Amazon: Thank you for the Amazon gift card through the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop!

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Writing Lesson to Use for Thanksgiving: Gratitude

This lesson uses a beautiful and moving video by time-lapse film-maker Louis Schwartzberg and encompasses the themes of gratitude, beauty and nature. Students will write sentences about gratitude, speak about what they are grateful for, watch a video, and write a short composition.

To see the entire lesson checkout our sister site: The Writing Whisperer CLICK HERE

The Writing Whisperer

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!

This lesson has been modified from its original version. The original lesson can be found on FILM ENGLISH

View the film the lesson is based on:

Let us know what you think of the lesson, here at The Things You Can Read or at The Writing Whisperer. Look for student essays to be posted in the coming week(s) on both sites.

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

World Book Night: Apply Now through January 5, 2014

World Book Night 2014

Happy Reading☮
The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Saturday, November 9, 2013

The Literary Blog Hop: November 9-13, 2013

The Things You Can Read is proud to be joining The Literary Blog Hop hosted by Judith@Leeswammes' Blog. What does that mean? It means you have a chance to win some great books or book related prizes, but not just from The Things You Can Read, but from all those participating in The Literary Blog Hop.

We here at The Things You Can Read will be giving away a free literary Audible.com book of your choice (you must be a member of Audible.com to receive the book) or a $10 gift certificate to Amazon.com to be used for a literary book of your choice . Here are the rules:

1	The Literary Blog Hop starts November 9-13.
2	To enter write a comment on the official November 9th post and fill out the entry form: Click Here.
3	Now, FOLLOW The Things You Can Read on Google Friends Connect (GFC), by Email or Bloglovin. If you already follow us, let us know in your official comment.
4	The winner will be chosen by using the RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR.
5	The winner will be contacted by email after the contest has concluded (November 14, 2013 Eastern Standard Time.) We will post the winners name and blog (with their permission) when we announce the WINNER. However you don't have to have a blog to participate.

Don't forget to checkout the other The Literary Blog Hop participants and Good Luck! The Literary Blog Hop is from November 9 until November 13, 2013! Enjoy, and let us know what new blogs you discover as you hop around the blogosphere!

Here is a list for your hopping convenience: