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"Throughout its history, the BBC has aimed to help audiences delve into the imagination of writers. This collection of interviews with some of the 20th Century's most read authors reveals something of those imaginations and the personalities which lie behind some of the greatest modern novels. "

"Communication skills are critical for today's students. Reading, writing and the ability to tell a story set the stage for success. The Hub, a new TV destination dedicated to bringing kids and families together, is partnering with Discovery Education to support teachers in this important endeavor. Here you'll find inspiration to engage and inspire your budding writers. Meet the artists, editors and writers that bring good stories to life-and watch your students' communication skills soar!"

"At its core, the six-word memoir teaches us to be concise but also introspective. Try describing yourself in six words. Not easy, right? So, for English teachers, the six-word memoir is a great way to get students to focus on getting a point across in as few words as possible. Students have to choose words precisely since they can't waste any. The six-word memoir teaches all of us writers a critical skill: words are valuable and have meaning -- don't waste them. "

It begins with a story start. A story start is the first chapter of the book. The rest of the story is up to you. The story start could be written by a professional writer, a teacher, you or your classmates, or maybe even a celebrity! You write your version of Chapter 2. Take the story where you like. The only limits are your imagination and a word count. At the same time, other BoomWriters will be writing their own version of what happens next. Submit your entry. When you're done (and before the deadline), you submit your entry for review. If it's accepted, you'll get points and BoomDollars. You'll use BoomDollars to purchase accessories for your Boomer avatar. Vote, Vote, Vote! You and the other BoomWriters vote on the entry you think is the best. Of course you can't vote for you own entry, and you won't know whose entry it is you're voting for. You may be able to vote more than once, which is good, as voting also earns you points and BoomDollars. Did you win? If so, then your entry becomes the official Chapter 2 of the book. If not, don't worry because there will be many more chances for you to win. It's a book! The competitions continue until the book is finished. Then, *Boom!* you're a published author! The end result? A real book that you, your friends, family, and the whole world can buy. Imagine that, a book with your name in it that you helped write.

"Welcome to my story ideas web site. If you want to write short stories but are stuck for ideas then you've come to the right place. Here you will find various idea generators that will provide you with as much, or as little, help as you need. There are plenty of ideas for short stories - from first lines and titles, to fully outlined characters or scenarios. A new addition is the twist in the tale generator to help with those surprise endings. Novel writers will find these ideas useful as well. There's also a random generator which will give you three words to try to spark your imagination into life. If you prefer visual prompts try the image generator. In the library you'll find books to help generate story ideas, get rid of writer's block and help with the creative writing process. Have fun and get writing!"

Letter P.A.L.S. is a school-based National Reading Project focused on helping students strengthen their reading skills through weekly, engaging practice! The project is facilitated via dynamic, high-interest, online interactive reading adventures, where the content is delivered in letterform from age-specific, theme-related, fictitious pen pals. Thus, drawing the reader into the world of the writer and providing a one-of-a-kind engaging, motivating reading practice session. Each letter is personalized with the student's name, 3-4 pages in length, professionally written, beautifully illustrated, tells a complete story, and reviewed by reading specialists for age appropriateness. The Letter P.A.L.S. reading experience is further enhanced by the addition of supplemental activities, such as word searches, crossword puzzles, etc., and extra peripheral components, such as 3D glasses, magnifying glasses, puzzle pieces, etc., to bring maximum engagement and the most meaning out of each theme-related reading experience.

This site discusses what students are and are not learning in college. One thing I hear so often at the high school level is that we need to prepare the students for college. The best we can do is help them develop as life long readers and writers.

Ever heard of an Exquisite Corpse? It's not what you might think. An Exquisite Corpse is an old game in which people write a phrase on a sheet of paper, fold it over to conceal part of it and pass it on to the next player to do the same. The game ends when someone finishes the story, which is then read aloud. Our "Exquisite Corpse Adventure" works this way: Jon Scieszka, the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, has written the first episode, which is "pieced together out of so many parts that it is not possible to describe them all here, so go ahead and just start reading!" He has passed it on to a cast of celebrated writers and illustrators, who must eventually bring the story to an end. Every two weeks, there will be a new episode and a new illustration. The story will conclude a year from now.

Famous authors discuss how they became readers and writers.

"Our mission is to transform boys into lifelong readers. We are an organization of parents, educators, librarians, mentors, authors, and booksellers. Periodically, we will feature an Extraordinary Author on our home page. Below is information about an incredible writer who has published several compelling and gripping novels that boys love. "

"In a research paper titled "Unlocking Literacy with iPad," Ohio English teacher James Harmon found that state-compiled statistics indicate that those students with iPad access in the year leading up to the Ohio Graduation Test had a 6-percent greater chance of passing the test's reading portion than those without, and an 8-percent greater chance of passing the writing portion."

"The TeachingAuthors are six children's book authors with a wide range (and many years) of experience teaching writing to children, teens, and adults. Here, we share our unique perspective as writing teachers who are also working writers. Our regular features include writing exercises (our"Writing Workouts"), teaching tips, author interviews, book reviews, and more."

"1,000 Non-fiction Passages! - Aligned to the Common Core and State Standards - Research-based question sets - Lexile Leveled"

Students work with author's editors, and illustrators in exclusive workshops designed to guide them in developing their skills.

Thanks for finding this, Lauri, This is a great website. I shared it with the NHE and SS 4th-6th grade teachers.