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2012 Resource & Curriculum 2012 Resource & Curriculum 2012 Resource & Curriculum

Guide Guide Guide (CCSS included)(CCSS included)(CCSS included) Information about the authorInformation about the authorInformation about the author

Preparing the class for the visitPreparing the class for the visitPreparing the class for the visit

Setting up the space AND intro-Setting up the space AND intro-Setting up the space AND intro-ductionductionduction

Internet LinksInternet LinksInternet Links

Curriculum ConnectionsCurriculum ConnectionsCurriculum Connections

Follow UpFollow UpFollow Up

The author will visit my class:The author will visit my class:The author will visit my class:

Date:_________________________Date:_________________________Date:_________________________

Time:_________________________Time:_________________________Time:_________________________

© Brandon Mull

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Biography

Brandon Mull resides in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife and

three children. He spent two years living in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile where he

learned Spanish and juggling. He once won a pudding eating contest in the park behind his

grandma’s house, earning a gold medal. Brandon is the author of the New York Times best-

selling Fablehaven series, the new Beyonders series, and The Candy Shop War.

I’ve always secretly wanted to write books.

I often kept the desire secret, because I knew that succeeding as a novelist would be a chal-

lenge, and I didn’t want people worrying about me or thinking I was crazy. As a kid, I lived in

my head a lot, making up adventures, and sometimes sharing my imaginary games with sib-

lings and friends. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always spent a huge portion of my free

time daydreaming and making up stories. As I aged, those stories became more elaborate

and compelling, and I decided that I wanted to share them with others. That was when I be-

came serious about writing.

I figured that if I could learn to write a good scene, I could eventually write a good novel,

so through high school and college I mostly practiced by writing short fiction. After gradu-

ating from Brigham Young University in 2000, I started working on my first full-length novel.

It was rejected by many agents and publishers before an editor at Shadow Mountain Pub-

lishing found promise in it. Shadow Mountain did not purchase that first book, but they

asked to see something else, and the book I wrote for them was Fablehaven. So Fablehaven

was published by the first publisher who saw it, after I did a lot of work shopping around

that first book. The first book has not yet been published, but I expect to rewrite it someday

and show it to publishers again.

Fablehaven surpassed my expectations

with how quickly it found an audience. It seemed that wherever the book got a start, good

word of mouth followed, and soon I had a career. I had been working writing marketing

copy to pay the bills, but was able to quit my day job about six months after the first Fable-

haven was published. By then I had already written the sequel to Fablehaven, so I started on

The Candy Shop War, since my publisher didn’t want more than one Fablehaven title per

year. As I aged, those stories became more elaborate and compelling, and I decided that I

wanted to share them with others. That was when I became serious about writing.

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I am now contentedly living my dream. Between writing and promoting, I work more

hours in a week than I ever have, but I am passionate about the work. I love my wife

and kids a ton, and am relieved to be supporting them by doing a job I adore.

Links and More Links!

Brandon has a very detailed website complete with:

Video games featuring the stories of Fablehaven

Book Trailers

Interview clips

A teacher’s guide for Fablehaven and Beyonders

Writing clips to show your students

Brandon’s website:

www.brandonmull.com

Also follow him on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/brandonmull

© Brandon Mull

More About the Author Brandon Mull, a lifelong fan of fantasy, has wanted to write novels since childhood. The Chronicles of Narnia awakened his love of reading, and The Lord of the Rings sealed the deal. Mull credits the Harry Potter books for helping him recognize the existence of an audience for his stories. His intention with the Fablehaven series and The Candy Shop War has been to provide family friendly fantasy for kids and adults to share.

A graduate of Brigham Young University, Mull worked in marketing for an independent film studio while he wrote his first unpublished novel. Although that manuscript was not accepted, it attracted the attention of the publisher Shadow Mountain, which asked Brandon to submit something else. “I had been collecting ideas all of my life,” Mull says, so after considering what they were looking for, he settled on a premise about a preserve for all sorts of magical creatures. Five months later Fablehaven was accepted by the publisher, and Mull’s lifelong dream began to come true. His first project after quitting his day job was to write The Candy Shop War. Now Mull spends most of the year writing, giving presentations to school groups, and spending time with

his wife and three children. More than a million Fablehaven books are currently in print. © Brandon Mull

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The Perfect Author Visit

Excerpted from an article by author Dan Gutman, www.dangutman.com

When kids get the chance to meet the author of a book they’ve read, a special connection is made. They are en-

ergized, inspired, touched with a new appreciation for reading. I know because I’ve visited hundreds of schools.

I’ve had many wonderful days doing author visits, and a few miserable ones. I thought it might be useful if I spell

out clearly what schools can do to make an author visit successful.

THINGS TO DO IN ADVANCE

Tell the students the author is coming. It sounds obvious, but I have walked into auditoriums and found

that students didn’t know who I was or why I was there. Nobody bothered telling them! You don’t have to roll

out a red carpet or anything, but DO make the kids aware of the upcoming author appearances starting at least a

month in advance. Put the author’s books on display in the school library. Put a display of book covers up in the

hallway.

[Send a note home informing the parents of Brandon Mull’s visit.]

Have classes read the books and write/draw book reports AND think up questions to ask the Author.

Have a contest with the winner receiving an autographed book.

Have an art class make posters, banners, and bookmarks welcoming the author

[participate in the APPLE Celebration of Reading Artwork Contest!.]

Talk it up. The more excited you are, the more excited the kids will be. And when the kids are excited, any

message the author gives them will really hit home.

Find out exactly what the author will need in terms of equipment - a slide projector, screen, chalkboard,

extension cord, etc. Have a microphone ready ...A glass of water or cool drink soothes a raw throat. Get every-

thing ready in advance so nobody has to scramble around look-ing for things as the kids are filing into the audi-

torium .

ON THE DAY OF THE VISIT

Lunch. It’s nice to give the author lunch, even if it’s a cafeteria lunch. What I really enjoy is when the

school chooses 5-10 motivated kids and awards them “Lunch with the Author.” They set us up in a room with

pizza or sandwiches and we have a great time.

[This will depend entirely on scheduling for each day. Feel free to contact Evelyn at 439-5075 if you’d like to dis-

cuss possibilities]

Don’t expect the author to discipline students. Some kids are going to act up. If a student is

disruptive, have someone step in and take care of the situation. Have the teachers present during the program.

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AFTER THE VISIT

Have the kids write about the visit, or write a class letter to the author.

[If you do write a class letter, or take pictures, send copies to Evelyn Walkowicz, ewalkowicz@hdpl.org, so we

can post them on the APPLE Partnership web site!]

When you bring an author to your school, you are not only helping your students, you are also sup-

porting the art of writing. With the exception of a few famous names, most authors are struggling to pay their

bills. Visiting schools is very often the only way we can afford to

continue creating books.

There are a few things you can do that the author might really appreciate….If the author is good, write him a

letter saying so, It can be used to get future bookings. Tell other princi-pals, librarians, and teachers about a

successful visit. And keep the kids informed when the author’s future books are published.

For me, visiting schools has been the most successful and rewarding thing I’ve done since I started writing. Not

only do I get paid for my time and create fans for my books, but I have seen how I can really make a difference

in a young person’s life.

Dan Gutman

[With comments from the APPLE Partnership]

AUTHOR INTRODUCTION

Hopefully, you have used all the information in this guide to prepare an awesome introduction for your guest.

However, in the event that you have been selected to introduce Mr. Mull with less than 5 minutes notice,

here’s a brief but adequate introductory statement.

“ Today, we have a special guest, who has taken time from his very busy schedule back in Utah to spend

a few days with us here in Henderson. As a kid, he lived in his head a lot, making up adventures, and

sometimes sharing imaginary games with siblings and friends. For as long as he can remember, he’s al-

ways spent a huge portion of his free time daydreaming and making up stories. As he aged, those stories

became more elaborate and compelling, and he decided that he wanted to share them with others. That

was when he became serious about writing. You probably know some of his books, including the Fable-

haven series, the Beyonders series and The Candy Shop War. We are so lucky to have him here today.

Please welcome , Brandon Mull! “

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SETUP

Brandon is on a tight schedule. We also want this to be the best possible experience for your students, and honor your time. Please help us out by ensuring that the following simple preparations are in place for Brandon’s visit so Brandon can devote his time to his presentation and avoid delays.

Please have a PROJECTOR up and running by the time Brandon arrives.

A SMALL TABLE or cart. Brandon will bring his own laptop computer to hook into

your projector.

1 EXTENSION CORD and 1 POWER STRIP.

SCREEN to project onto. Either a screen or white wall will work.

MICROPHONE - any type.

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Curriculum Connections

Students can sort describing words from Fablehaven into categories.

Activity: Ask two (or more) students to leave the room for a few minutes. While they are

gone, have the remaining students randomly select ten words or phrases from Chapter

One of Fablehaven and list them on the board. Make sure at least one word fits into each

category (setting, character/characterization, plot, fantasy) as being useful. Add additional

words for this to happen if necessary. When ready, call the two volunteers back into class.

Ask them to choose words from the list that show setting. Go through the entire word list,

determining which words show setting. Then move on to the concepts of character/

characterization, plot, and fantasy until the students have correctly identified the words

and their placement.

This sort can be done with chart paper or a white board and sticky notes. It also can be

done on the SMARTboard. (If you’re a novice to the SMARTboard, you can open a SMARTboard note-

book . You or students can write the categories along the top [if you prepare beforehand, type it in] and ran-

domly write the descriptive words underneath. To move the words, just touch, hold, and drag. The word will

move and when you have moved the word where you want it to go, un-hold.) If you use responders and

have the kind that allows you to type in text, students can type in their word and send it to

the board. If assistance is needed, please contact the technology savvy person at your school or find more

information on your interact account under Ed Link, Curriculum & Professional Development, CPD Instruc-

tional Technology, and Interactive Whiteboards and Response Systems.

Once sorted, have a small group or class discussion to better meet your standards, such as

how these words cause a conflict within chapter one and the type of conflict that charac-

ter is experiencing.

Common Core State Standards

RL4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing

on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).

NV 3.4.1 Describe elements of plot in text with a focus on external conflict and res-

olution.

RL 5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story

or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

NV 3.5.1 Describe elements of plot in text with a focus on internal conflict.

For additional inspiration check out Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven teacher’s guide:

http://brandonmull.com/site/educators-and-parents

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Students can do readers theatre with Pingo.

Activity: For struggling readers, you can do readers theatre with Pingo written by Brandon Mull

with an A.R. level of 2.5. If you have used readers theatre in your classroom before, great! If

not, then let me introduce you to it. Readers theatre can be done with your small group, pairs,

or individually. This particular activity will focus on fluency and prosody. You can use the copy

provided below, but students will be unable to use the illustrations to help guide the story and

provide clues to those who really struggle.

Common Core State Standards

RF 4.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

SL. 4.1b Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

RF 5.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension

SL. 5.1b Describe elements of plot in text with a focus on internal conflict.

For this readers theatre, / means a pause and // means a stop. The students should begin to

notice that there is a comma with / and a period or other punctuation mark with // .

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Pingo

Written by Brandon Mull and Illustrated by Brandon Dorman

Like many other kids his age, / Chad had an imaginary friend. // That friend was named

Pingo. // On rainy days, / they defended forts from ninja armies. // Sometimes they brewed

magical potions. // And sometimes Chad’s room became a zero gravity chamber. // As Chad

grew older, / he was often taunted for having an imaginary friend. // One day, / Chad got fed

up with the teasing and sat down with Pingo to have a talk. // “I’m growing up,” / Chad said. //

“It’s time to stop pretending that you’re real.” // “Pretending?” / Pingo asked. // “That’s right,

“ / Chad said. // “If I stop believing in you, / you’ll disappear!” // “I’m not sure about that,” /

Pingo said. // “Wanna bet?” / Chad said. // “We’ve had some fun, / but I’m done playing. //

Good-bye Pingo.” // “But wait,” / Pingo said. // “I’m still here! // We’ll see whether the playing

is done…” // From that day forward, / Chad no longer had an imaginary friend. // He had an

imaginary enemy! // Pingo led pirate raids when Chad was trying to sleep. // Pingo filled

Chad’s backpack with maple syrup and peanut butter. // And zero gravity was no fun outside. //

Eventually Pingo grew weary of harassing Chad. // As the years passed, / Pingo bothered him

less and less. // Occasionally a report that Chad needed for work would vanish. // By the time

Chad was an old man living in a quiet rest home, / he has almost forgotten about his old friend

who was also his old enemy. // Until one day Chad could not find his dentures, / he checked

under the bed, / in his dresser drawers, / and in the bathroom sink. // When he looked in the

closet, / he found Pingo showing off a new set of perfect teeth. // Chad couldn’t help but

laugh. // “All right,” / Chad said. // “I give up. // I’m too old and tired for your mischief. //

Plus, / it’s lonely here and I’ve missed the fun we used to have. // Let’s be friends again.”//

“That’s all I ever wanted to hear,” / Pingo said with a smile. // Before Chad knew it / he and

Pingo were on a safari in Africa. // Escaping spies on jet skies. // And counseling with the wise

chiefs of mighty tribes. // Chad and Pingo lived happily ever after.

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FYI: Brandon’s Schedule 2012

Sunday Oct. 14

Time Activity/School Grade Level

ARRIVAL

Monday Oct. 15

Time Activity/School Grade Level

9:00 AM Twitchell (award ceremony) 4th/5th

10:30AM Smalley 4th/5th

Lunch

1:30 PM Kesterson ES 4th/5th

3:30 PM Teen Zone Middle School

Tuesday Oct. 16

Time Activity/School Grade Level

8:30 AM Bob Miller MS 6th

10:15 AM Brown Jr. High 6th

Lunch

1:00 PM Dooley ES 4th/5th

2:30 PM Art Contest judging CLOSED EVENT

Wednesday Oct. 17

Time Activity/School Grade Level

9:00 AM Aggie Roberts ES 4th/5th

10:30 AM Cox ES 4th/5th

Lunch

2:00 PM Vanderburg ES 4th/5th

Dinner

6:00 PM Artwork Contest Presentations Presentations

6:15 PM Key to the City

Presentations -

Mayor Hafen

6:30PM Book Signing

talk and book sign-

ing

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Dear Educator:

As we wrap up this year’s Celebration of Reading and begin planning for 2013, the APPLE

Partnership would appreciate your input. Your class or program was visited by this year’s

author, Brandon Mull. Please fill out the following evaluation of his visit, and feel free to com-

ment wherever you feel necessary. Return it by mail, fax, or email before

November 1, 2012 to:

Evelyn Walkowicz

100 W. Lake Mead Pkwy

Henderson, NV 89015

ewalkowicz@hdpl.org fax: 565-8832

What grade or program did the author visit at your location?

What was the approximate audience size?

Did you receive an electronic/email copy of the Curriculum/Resource Packet before the

author’s visit?

Yes

No

Was this packet helpful?

Yes

No

What could have been included to make this packet more useful?

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Did you receive an email or phone call confirming the setup requirements for the author?

Yes

No

Were you able to provide everything requested, and if not, what were you unable to

provide?

Were you given adequate time and information to prepare your class or group for the author’s

visit?

Yes

No

Was the author’s presentation appropriate for the class/group at your location?

Yes

No

Was the author well prepared ?

Yes

No

Was the author able to engage the audience?

Yes

No

Do you feel the author’s visit was worthwhile for your class or group?

Yes

No

What could be done to improve the Celebration of Reading Author Visits?

Please add any additional comments.

Thank you