Perfect Picture Book Friday looks at ‘Sharing The Bread’

For this Perfect Picture Book Friday, I’d like to visit a marvelous Thanksgiving book by Pat Zietlow Miller. Sharing The Bread.

Thanksgiving has long been one of my most favorite holidays. In many ways, it’s much like Christmas–minus the gifts. It’s a time when family and loved ones come together to enjoy each other’s company over a lovingly prepared meal which has completely filled the house with a myriad of delicious, nose-tickling, heart-happy smells. And with Thanksgiving so near, I felt it the perfect timing to share my new favorite picture book (in plenty of time to buy a copy to share on Thanksgiving with your family).  And…if you read down to the bottom of this post, I will share one more fitting addition to Thanksgiving…. My best ever, totally yummy, pass me another heaping spoonful, cranberry cherry sauce.  But first…. Sharing The Bread.

Title – Sharing The Bread – An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story

Written by- Pat Zietlow Miller

*Illustrated by- Jill McElmurry

*Published by- Schwartz & Wade Books – New York – 2015

*Suitable for ages – 4  – 8 (That’s what the jacket flap says, but personally, I think they could say this book is suitable for ages 4 – 100.)

*Topics/theme – Family. Togetherness. Holidays.

*Opening – Mama, fetch the cooking pot. Fetch our turkey-cooking pot. Big and old and black and squat. Mama, fetch the pot.

Jacket Flap Copy – Journey back to nineteenth-century America and watch a family prepare a delicious Thanksgiving feast together–one that’s not so very different from what we eat today. Here’s a mouth-watering read-aloud filled with spirit and perfect for families to share.

Why do I like this book? The rhymes are not only fun to read aloud but easily pulled me into a cozy, nineteenth century home with warm, welcoming hands. Page after page, as the family works together to make the day special, I could smell the turkey baking in the large cast iron stove, I longed to dip my spoon into the sweet cranberry sauce, bubbling in a pot, and I wanted to pull my chair close to the dinner table and share bread with this family that loves Thanksgiving traditions as much as I do.

Pat Zietlow Miller’s carefully chosen words combined with Jill McElmurry’s talented, Americana illustrations come together to create a Thanksgiving book no home should be without this holiday season.

Author – Visit Pat Zietlow Miller’s web page here.

Illustrator – Visit Jill McElmurry’s web page here.

Learn about the history of Thanksgiving along with classroom and art projects here.

To find other perfect picture books please visit Susanna Hills blog.

A writer’s prompt:  Set a timer for 5 minutes and without stopping, describe what a perfect Thanksgiving would be like.

And now…for the cranberry sauce recipe I promised you!  Brace yourself, this gets a little boozy, but because you’re going to boil it, the alcohol goes away (darn), and the flavor stays (yippie).

Traditionally, most families cook cranberries with water and sugar. In my recipe, the only ingredient in common is cranberries. That’s right, zero water and zero white sugar. Are you ready for this?

Leslie’s Totally Yummy, Pass Me Another Heaping Spoonful, Holiday Cranberry Cherry Sauce

(It’s a long title, but once you taste it, I hope you’ll agree.)

illustration by Leslie Leibhardt Goodman

1 bag of fresh, washed cranberries (not canned).

1 bag of pitted, frozen cherries (fresh cherries are nearly impossible to get at this time year)

1 cup of real maple syrup (no imitation syrups, please – maple syrup adds a cozy flavor that surpasses white sugar)

1/2 cup of brandy (Yes, you read that right, and don’t worry about the alcohol getting your family tipsy, when it’s boiled, the alcohol disappears and the flavor is left behind.)

Place all ingredients in a pot and stir while ingredients boil until the cranberries have popped. Then you can pour the sauce into a large serving dish. I make the sauce the day before Thanksgiving to give it a chance to thicken up slightly in the refrigerator. Since the year I substituted brandy for water and maple syrup for white sugar, we’ve never had leftover cranberry sauce.

Do you have a memorable Thanksgiving you’d like to share?

Over 100 Ways To Awaken Your Childhood Memories – Wednesday Prompts and Inspirations

 

Tapping into childhood memories is an exercise, activity, and skill many writers turn to when generating a fresh story idea. However, after leaving childhood in the dust, the process of digging through the debris for a story-worthy gem is daunting.

How can we wake up our memories?

Sometimes a smell, a place, an event, holiday, or word can bring back a memory. Let’s try it and see what happens. For each word on the list that awakens a memory, write a sentence or two. Include such things as your age at the time of the memory, where you were, who you were with, what you recall seeing, and what you recall feeling emotionally.

Scents: Lavender, cinnamon, lemons or other citrus, pine, wet dog, fresh-cut wood, mowed lawn, chocolate, perfume, new car smell, peppermint, crayons, machine shop, roses, smoke, mildew, incense, popcorn, rain, people have smells, too – Is there someone from your childhood that comes to mind from a particular scent?

Places: Farm, city, train station, airport, grocery store, hardware store, camp, department store, shoe store, movie theater, relative’s house, friend’s house or backyard, garage sale, car ride, farthest place you traveled on vacation.

Holidays and events: Best Christmas because of: present you received, relative that visited, Santa encounter, new outfit, etc…), worst holiday gift you ever received, Valentine that surprised you, the first birthday party you can remember (What made it memorable? Who attended? Where was the party? What gifts did you receive?), sporting event you attended (Who took you? Did your favorite team win? Was the experience better than you expected?), recital, school play, county fair, contest, Halloween, school field trip…

Random words:  Can you think of a memory involving any of these? An alarm clock, dresser, back door, basement, attic, doughnuts, bacon, party, new outfit, new shoes, hand-me-downs, present, pet, insects, gardening, hamburger, rainbow, storm, wish, restaurant, stranger, zoo, peaches, carnival, circus, farm animals, lamp, museum, backpack, picnic, hiccups, sneeze, playground, stuffed animal, broken toy, broken bone, rain, stray animal, dentist, snow, first pet, photograph.

How about jogging your memory with some questions? Remember to make note of the place the memory occurred, who you were with, your emotions at the time, and any other details that crawl back. 

What is your earliest memory of trying a new activity like a game in gym class, a music lesson, flying a kite, swinging…

Who is the first friend you ever had? How did you two meet? Why did you like being friends?

Who was your favorite teacher? Why does this teacher stand out in your memory? What made this teacher the best?

Who sent you your very first letter? Do you remember how you felt receiving mail? Did you write back by yourself or with the help of a parent?

Did you have a pen pal? How did you get this pen pal? Where did he/she live? What kinds of things did you write to each other about?

What is your earliest happy memory? Feel free to list as many happy memories as you can. Were they happy memories because they made you feel good about your accomplishment(s), made you feel grownup, or made you feel listened to? Is the memory happy because you went someplace you always dreamed of? Or is it a happy memory because you received a great surprise or present you always wanted?

What is your earliest sad memory? Feel free to list other sad memories. Was the memory sad because the incident made you feel ashamed of yourself, sad because you lost something or someone, sad because you didn’t do well in school at an event or on a test, sad because a friend didn’t want to be your friend anymore?

Were you ever jealous of another child at school? What made you jealous?

What did you cherish as a child? (a person, a place, your privacy, time spent with a parent, walks, trips to favorite places, a doll or toy…)

What is your strongest childhood memory? What brings this memory back to you?

Did you ever leave something behind on a trip that caused you emotional stress? (a toy, book, a piece of clothing, etc…)

Did anyone ever surprise you with a great kindness?

What did you like to collect?

What was your favorite meal that your mom or relative made?

Describe your childhood bedroom. Did you have a desk? What did you keep in it? What could you see from your window? What toys did you keep on your bed? What books were your favorites and why?

Could you draw a floor plan of the house you grew up in? List as many things as you can remember being in each room. List as many activities or memories you have from each room. Which room(s) were your least favorites? Which rooms were your favorites?

I hope the words and questions unlock good memories for you. And if you are a writer, I hope those memories make their way into your stories.

Happy writing!

Want To Play A Game? – Wednesday Prompts and Inspiration

As I move forward in writing my middle grade novel, I continue to define my cast of characters. (remember my 75 point character development questionnaire?) Part of understanding my characters so they feel like real people involves creating a list of defining items for each. My main character is a fourth grade ‘girly’ girl with a strong dislike for camping (one guess what her class is doing on the weekend).

As a writing warm-up for this task, I wrote the names of some people I know along the top of a sheet of paper. Beneath each name, I listed defining things/items.

If you try this exercise, you can test your lists for accuracy. Without revealing the names, see if others, who know the people, can figure out who each list belongs to.

WANT TO PLAY A GAME? This exercise can also be turned into a fun family and friends game: choose four or more people everyone in the room has in common. Then ask everyone to list 5 or more things that come to mind when they think of each listed person. When you’ve all completed this, pass the nameless lists around the room to see who can match  the most names to the right lists.

What you’ll learn is more than you expect…

Beyond your list of items that shows your relationship to each person, you will see how others perceive these people, too. In writing, it is important to remember that, like in the real world, the relationship Anne has to her best friend, Linda, is different from the relationship Anne’s mother has with Linda. If Anne and her mother both made lists to define Linda, you would see two different lists. If Anne and her mother interact with Linda in your story, you’ll want to take the time to make both lists.

Whether you are making these lists as a writing exercise or as a game, you could include other items…

Habits: clicking nails, twisting a strand of hair, jingling coins in their pocket.

Hobbies: exercise, stamp collecting, reading, swimming, golf, gardening, etc…

Expressions: Whatever, gotcha, you know it, etc…

Positive personality traits: uncomplaining, willing to lend a hand when someone needs help, volunteers, kind to everyone, sets goals and achieves goals, organized, …

Negative personality traits: Complains often, no situation is ideal, finds flaws in everyone and everything, nags, lazy, untidy, undisciplined…

Defining Items individual would use at home, always or often take with on a car ride, always keep in their pocket, purse, or wallet: small notebook, pen, photo of someone, goals list, particular snack, magnifier, etc…

 

A FICTITIOUS EXAMPLE:

George – microscope, reading glasses, science magazines, strong coffee, workaholic, generous.

Megan – sketch pad, pouch of colored pencils, mini trampoline, bike, hair accessories, doesn’t put things away, artistic, creative.

Liza – exercise bike, workout clothes, cup of tea, Kindle, stretchy headband, spearmint gum, organized work space, often too honest with comments.                                    

After I filled in the list of items for some of the people I know, I made a column for myself. Why? Because as writers, we often look to ourselves when creating our characters.

Leslie (me)Stack of small notebooks (No surprise there. Right?), favorite wood pen my husband made for me, jar of highlighters, laptop (Of course…), coffee, my pets, stack of favorite books (too long to list), focused, determined, works so hard at her writing she often neglects doing the dishes and laundry.

If you play the game I outlined above, I hope you’ll learn a lot about those you know and have fun along the way!

Happy writing!

Reveal Character Through Setting – Wednesday Prompts and Inspirations

Listen. How many sounds do you hear?

Open your eyes. What surrounds you?

Breathe. What smells linger in the air?

Touch what is before you. Describe the surface.

Taste. (I’ll wait…. Head into the kitchen, nearest coffee shop, or vending machine, and get yourself a cup of coffee, tea, or snack.)

Now place yourself in the setting of your novel. Where are you? What time of day is it? What year is it? What season have you selected? Who is near you? What surrounds you? What does the air smell like? What surface are you touching? What do you feel? What can you hear? If there is food near, what does it taste like?

Building your setting with these tools helps bring your writing alive for your reader. These tools allow your setting to become an active player. But to use them to reveal character, it is crucial to include those things that are important to each player in your story.

EXAMPLE: Take Janet and her boyfriend, Mike. They decide to hike through a rain forest. Upon seeing the towering trees, both standing and fallen, Janet sees history before her. She wonders what the world was like when the trees were saplings. How did people dress then? What did those people hold sacred? Janet marvels at the lush, green moss dripping from the branches. The wild, curly moss resembles her best friend’s hair she braided when they were kids. The intoxicating, woodsy scent brings her back home to the incense her mother burned at the holidays which triggers the scent of cherry wood tobacco her Grandfather smoked when he visited at Christmas. The bounce under her feet, as she steps on the moss-covered trails, causes her heart to flutter with giddiness as she recalls the bouncing on a trampoline as a child in gym class with her favorite teacher, Miss Henkley. She sighs because of the many gifts she has received here and promises herself she will make time to come back, if only to enjoy the wonder of so many cherished memories.

Enter Janet’s boyfriend, Mike. Upon seeing the fallen trees, he sees the ragged bark, the decay, the slugs that fill the crevices. He breathes out sharply, trying to clear the smell from his lungs–a smell that whisks him to a mountain cabin where, on a vacation when he was a small boy, his uncle beat him. The wild, curly moss resembles the pasta his mother served day in and day out to save money because of his father’s low paying job. And as for the moss-covered, bouncy trails…Jack recalls a time his brother tripped him, causing him to break his ankle, which in turn caused him discomfort and instability when he walked. Jack grumbles at the anger this place his filled him with and promises himself he will never step foot in this forest again to spare himself so much heartache.

As you move through your setting, place yourself in the shoes of each character. Focus on each one’s personality, quirks, history, hopes, and dreams. If you were that character, what would you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste? If you were that character, what memories might those things evoke?

Keep in mind that adding details with the goal of setting the stage creates a generic environment. If you want setting to reveal character, you must become that character. You must be aware through all of their senses when you write.