"A book, too, can be a star, 'explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly,' a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe." - from Madeleine L'Engle's Newberry Medal Acceptance Speech

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Planning the Picture Book Story, Part 2

After you have done research, you should have a better sense of what to write about. 

1. Brainstorm your characters and setting.

2. Plan your definite story. Either write out a mountain of action, an outline, or print out one of these templates to plan out your definite story. 

Story Board Template:

Mountain of Action:

* Complete an outline of your picture book story and include : character, setting, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and theme. Also, list other things you need to research or do to write your story. Due Friday December 21.

My example:

p. 1
My name is Sampaguita. I live in a red, white, and blue house in Queens, New York with my mother, father, and brother. 

p. 2
Today a boy in my class, Alex, says to me, "Why do you have such a weird name?"

p. 3
Other kids start looking at me and say, "Yeah - your name sounds funny."

p. 4 
I turn red and tell them to leave me alone. 

p. 5
When my mom gets home from work, I ask her why I have a weird name. She tells me it's not weird, that it is a beautiful type of flower in the Philippines where she and my dad are from. 

p. 6
In English, my name means jasmine. But I like Sampaguita better. It has more letters. It has more sounds like a song. And there is no Disney princess with my name. 

p. 7
My mom shows me the potted plant in the dining room. (describe plant - do research on sampaguita)

p. 8
Before school, I take a stem from the plant to bring to school.

p. 9
In the schoolyard, I bring it to Alex who made fun of me yesterday and say, "do you know what this is?"
"A dumb flower."
??
"It's a sampaguita, what I am named after. My mom says I am a sweet smelling flower." 
I walk away and get ready for another day.    

Theme: Don't feel bad when people make fun of you; appreciate and accept your unique qualities even if people don't accept them. 

To do:
Research - 
  • I want to know what a sampaguita looks like, how it's significant in the Philippines.
  • I would also like to know statistics on and experiences of Filipinos in America. 

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