How to use this Page

Author and educator Kathy Stemke writes fun, educational books for children. Her titles include Moving Through All Seven Days, Trouble on Earth Day, and Sh, Sh, Sh, Will the Baby Sleep? She's also the author of the Wonderful Water Explorers series. In addition, she's a regular contributor to Helium and Associated Content. For more information about her work and her books, visit her website.

Thanks for the interview, Kathy. Did you always want to be a writer?

Yes, I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I write poetry for self-expression. I’m working on a book of poems about life from a dancer’s point of view. Here’s an example:

An Empty Stage

Coiled torso frozen on an empty stage,

a living sculpture trapped in place

with no gown of tulle to hide her age

only weeping knees below her waist.



Framed in light, her insides groan

with pent up passion poised for release,

she now waits long and alone

for rhythm to carry her to peace.


But I remember her unencumbered

prance, so light for one held down

by unfulfilled dreams remembered,

floating above her tattered gown.

Tell us about your children's books.

My first book, Moving Through All Seven Days, was an outgrowth of a blog post. This book inspires movement as children learn about the days of the week. The lyrical rhymes also teach them how to spell each day! The activities at the end of the book are designed to reinforce the concepts as well as give impetus to movement exploration.

I plan to write a series of picture books with environmental themes. Trouble on Earth Day is almost ready to be released. This is a fun and educational story about a Squirrel who helps a new friend while learning to recycle. This book is full of great recycling ideas, craft projects, and worksheet pages.

I recently completed the second book in this series titled, Wonderful Water Explorers. This book opens up conversation about water preservation with a story of a thirsty bluebird named Charlie, who has lost his ability to sing due to a lack of water. When he meets up with his squirrel friend, Shelby, they set out on an adventure to find fresh drinking water and to bring back singing to the forest.
Guardian Angel Publishers will publish my book titled Sh, Sh, Sh, Will the Baby Sleep? In this action packed story a boy named Zachary must keep his new baby sister asleep. In the process he finds out that he loves her very much. This book and the activities included in the back focus on teaching children about consonant blends. Teachers will love it.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on my third book of the environmental series, which is about air pollution, as well as a picture book about dancing wood fairies.

I’ve also started my first YA fantasy novel. Although I’m still fleshing out my characters and plot, I’m very excited about this story.

What type of book promotion works for you? Any special strategies you’d like to share?

Because my books have teacher activities in them, I belong to several teacher groups online. This is a great way to keep in touch with what teachers are looking for in t

Kathy's back and has a super useful article about teaching creative writing to children. It's a great article, so we'll get right to it.

Kathy's Creative Writing Article:

Reading books with your children not only opens up the whole world to them, but often kick-starts their creative writing juices. For instance, after reading "The Wizard of Oz," ask your children to write a story about a strange world. When teaching creative writing to children, I've found that using maps, props, cards, books they've read, or pictures help them oganize their thoughts and create characters and a plot for their writing. Here are a few activities that will help your child get started.

CREATE A MAP OF A NEW WORLD

Draw an island on a crinkled up paper bag. This will show that the map is old.
Now add some features. Give it some mountains or a volcano. Put in rivers, swamps, or lakes. (By the way, this is a great way to give your kids a geography lesson or map making lesson without them knowing!) It could have forests, beaches, caves, villages. How about an old, deserted pirate town? By the way, islands don't have to be tropical islands. There are also rocky islands, jungle islands, and since this is an imaginary story, how about rainbow islands, candy islands, islands made of toys, or any combination of elements you want.

Decide who lives on the island. Maybe it’s a clan of long-lost Vikings, rock people, whacky animals, or talking birds. Maybe there are two groups on each side of the island that don’t get along with each other. This might help you give the land a name.

Finally, start the story by bringing to the island a main character or two. What would happen when two kids get shipwrecked there, or a time-traveler shows up? They need to have a goal as well. It could be as simple as trying to get home, or finding an object that's needed to save the world.

Because you have a picture of your island it is easy to create a plot as your characters move from one part of the island to the other. Create a problem to overcome at each feature.

Try reading The Adventures of Grassie Green in the Colored Worlds by Steven Rox.

IMAGINE YOURSELF AS A TINY BUG EXPLORER

First give your character a reason to explore. Maybe you're looking for a lost treasure, a rare animal, or a cure for a terrible bug disease. As a tiny creature, everything looks different to you.

Use numbered popsicle sticks and string to map out your journey in the yard. Wind the string around each stick as you place it in the ground. Each stick represents a problem that you must overcome to continue your quest. Maybe you have to think of a way to get over a big rock, cross a puddle, get away from a hungry bird, ride on a dandelion seed, or in a toy car.

Finally, decide how you solve the final problem and find what you're looking for.
Try reading The Little Squeegy Bug by Bill Martin and Michael Sampson.

HOW DID THE TIGER GET IT'S STRIPES?

These types of stories are called folktales. They have historically explained things. Have your child draw a picture o make a clay figure of his favorite animal.

Make a list of the characteristics that make this animal unusual or different.
Write a story that explains how the animal got a particular trait. (How a tiger gets his stripes, how an elephant got large ears, why an eagle has a white head, or how a giraffe got a long neck.) For instance, start the story about elephants when they had tiny ears. Tell us the problems the elephant had. Tell how his ears grew to solve his problems.

Try reading Asian Children's Favorite Stories: A Treasury of Folktales from China, Japan, Korea, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia by David Conger, Patrick Yee, Marian Davies Toth, and Kay Loyons.

It's never too early to start training your child in creative writing. If your child is too young to write the story himself, have him tell you the story and you can write it down. Children love to illustrate their stories in a fancy notebook. There are even book making kits available at bookstores. Once you start exploring the endless number of props that are available to inspire writing, you will be amazed by your child's imagination and writing ability. Who knows? They may become a famous author someday.

Thanks, Kathy for a great article; I'm going to apply these tips to my grandson.

To learn more about Kathy Stemke and her books, please visit her websites:

Moving Through all Seven Days
http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#

http://educationtipster.blogspot.com

http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html

http://kathystemke.weebly.com

Well, that about wraps it up for the October VBT - Writers on the Move tour. Thank you, Kathy, for being our guest. It's been a blast!

For you authors out there: Why not increase your visibility and readership with VBT - Writers on the Move. We're a group of authors who use cross-promotion as part of our marketing plan.

And, VBT - Writers on the Move's October Viewpoint will be hosted by Elysabeth Eldering on Sunday, the 11th.

Finally, don't forget VBT has a monthly Mystery Site Giveaway: a free book or a guest spot on the VBT - Writers on the Move's blogsite!

Thanks to all who stopped by!

Talk to you soon,
Karen

Wow, it’s my pleasure to host, my friend and creative author, Kathy Stemke. Her story is amazing: the first book she submitted for publication was picked up. And, then the second one was picked up by the same publisher. What a way to start!

To keep things moving while waiting for her books to be published and available, Kathy wrote another book, Moving Through All Seven Days. But, that’s not all: Kathy’s FREE monthly newsletter, “MOVEMENT AND RHYTHM” is listed in the “100 Best Blogs for Homeschooling Moms!”

So, let’s learn a bit about this fast moving and talented author, Kathy Stemke:

Kathy Stemke has a passion for writing, the arts and all things creative. She has a B.S. from Southern Connecticut State University and Covenant Life Seminary, as well as graduate coursework from New York Institute of Technology and Columbia University. Hanging her hat in the North Georgia Mountains, she has been a dancer, choreographer, teacher, tutor, writer and an antiques dealer for many years.

As a freelance writer Kathy has published several articles. She is a contributing editor for The National Writing for Children's Center. Kathy’s first children’s e-book, “Moving Through All Seven Days,” is now available on Lulu. Kathy's second children's book, “Trouble on Earth Day,” is slated to come out in the fall of 2009!

Now for a bit about Moving Through All Seven Day:

This book inspires movement as children learn about the days of the week. The lyrical rhymes also teach them how to spell each day! The 14 pages of activities at the end of the book are designed to reinforce the concepts as well as give impetus to movement exploration.

My review below gives a little more description of this impressive children’s book:

Title: Moving Through All Seven Days
Written by: Kathy Ann Stemke
Illustrated by: Tony Glisson
Ages: 3-7
Publisher: Action Alley Education
Reviewer: Karen Cioffi (May 22, 2009)

Moving Through All Seven Days is a wonderful way to teach young children the days of the week. The days move forward with playful activities, "Slipping, sliding, spin and play, Fun on Sunday, that's the way."

Reading and exercise – what a combination! With bold and colorful illustrations it is sure to hold any child’s attention.

As an added feature, Moving Through All Seven Days includes an activity and learning section with: in class activities, spelling the days of the week, rhyming words, coloring pages and more. This is sure to be a hit in any preschool or lower grade classroom.

Moving Through All Seven Days is also a great way to teach the days of the week to your own little ones before they start school. I’ll be reading it to my 3-year-old grandson!

Mine is just one of many great reviews of Moving Through All Seven Days. I highly recommend it.

You can find Moving Through All Seven Days on lulu by clicking on this link:
http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#

And, don’t forget to sign up for Kathy’s FREE monthly newsletter, “MOVEMENT AND RHYTHM” on her blog. You’ll find great teaching tips, movement activities, and children’s book reviews. Head on over to: http://educationtipster.blogspot.com to subscribe.

Check out this impressive review by Suzanne Lieurance of The Working Writer’s Coaching Club:

Both parents and teachers of small children will want to subscribe to Movement and Rhythm, a valuable new resource from educator and children's author, Kathy Stemke. This free newsletter is chock full of original articles, activities, and other offers to make education and teaching more fun and effective both inside and outside the classroom.

Wait, we’re not done yet:

COMING SOON-The release of Kathy Stemke's new picture book, Trouble on Earth Day, is coming very soon. This adorable squirrel uses what she has learned in school about recycling to help her new friend. This book, like all of Kathy's books, has several worksheets, crafts, and recycle ideas pages for it's readers to enjoy.

You can see an illustration from Trouble on Earth Day above.

To learn more about Kathy Stemke and her books, please visit her websites:

Moving Through all Seven Days
http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#

http://educationtipster.blogspot.com

http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html

http://kathystemke.weebly.com

Whew! Kathy sure has a lot going on. Be sure to stop back here on Saturday, the 3rd, for more with Kathy: a creative writing article that you won’t want to miss.

Talk to you soon,
Karen

by Kathy Stemke

Historical fiction gives shape to the past. It brings part of the past alive in the present.

Stephen Crane, the author of the American Civil War classic The Red Badge of Courage, was once asked why he had chosen to write his book as fiction rather than history. The reason, he said, was because he wanted to feel the situations of the War as a protagonist, not from the outside. And it was only by writing a novel that he could do this.

And this is what all historical fiction does. It makes us feel what otherwise would be dead and lost to us. It transports us into the past. And the very best historical fiction presents to us not only the past, but also the heart of the past.

The best historical novels have characters that pull you right inside their skin so you can see, hear, taste and smell another time and place through their senses.

These books work well when integrated into a social studies curriculum.
Historical novels and picture books pique the children’s curiosity.

Before reading aloud have the children list what they already know about the subject. Afterward, investigate whether what they heard is typical of the time period.

They emphasize everyday details. Picture books today provide visual and contextual clues to how people lived, what their speech was like, how they dressed, and so on.

Social studies texts are often devoted to coverage rather than depth. Too often, individuals — no matter how famous or important — are reduced to a few sentences. Children have difficulty converting these cryptic descriptions and snapshots into complex individuals who often had difficult choices to make, so myths and stereotypes flourish. Good historical fiction presents individuals, as they are, neither all good nor all bad.

Traditionally, historical issues have been presented to children as flat, one-dimensional, or single-sided. Historical fiction restores the landscape of history so children can discover that problems are age-old.
It’s important for students to share their perspectives, while respecting the opinions of others. Historical fiction introduces children to characters who have different points of view and offers examples of how people deal differently with problems.

PRIMARY
Casey Over There by Staton Rabin, 32 pages; $15
This is a touching story of two brothers whose lives were affected by World War I. Casey fought and his younger brother, Aubrey, waited and worried. Aubrey’s letter to Uncle Sam initiates a sensitive response from the president. The illustrations add intensity to the story.

In America by Marissa Moss (Dutton); 32 pages; $14.99
Walter’s grandfather tells the story of immigrating to America. Walter learns about his grandfather’s village in Lithuania and about courage through his grandfather’s experience.

PRIMARY/INTERMEDIATE
Seminole Diary: Remembrances of a Slave by Dolores Johnson (Macmillan); 32 pages; $14.95
Libbie, a slave, tells of the peaceful coexistence of African-American slaves and the Seminole Indians. In the Seminole villages, runaway slaves found a haven of mutual respect.

The Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and a Spanish Loss by Sally Schofer Mathews (Clarion); 40 pages; $16.95
In text surrounded by Aztec codices, the story of this ancient civilization is recounted. Told from the Aztec perspective, this book connects the past with a modern-day discovery.

INTERMEDIATE
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco (Philomel); 48 pages; $15.95
Two young Union boys from very different backgrounds are caught up in the travesties of war in Confederate territory. This is a poignant Civil War story passed down through generations, including the generation of the author.

The Lucky Baseball by Suzanne Lieurance; 160 pages
Harry Yakamoto grew up in Seven Cedars, California playing baseball, going to school, and working at his family’s restaurant. As a young Japanese American, he faced discrimination daily. But when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, his life would change forever. Forced to move to a relocation center in the desert of California, Harry and his family have to start a new life behind barbed wire and guarded watchtowers. Follow Harry Yakamoto in this World War II story as he learns to live through difficult conditions in a Japanese-American internment camp.

Yippee! The talented children's author, Kathy Stemke, will be my guest for the VBT - Writers on the Move October Tour.

You'll want to read about Kathy as two of her books have been picked up by publishers - and Kathy's just recently entered into the writing game!

And, her Newsletter, “MOVEMENT AND RHYTHM,” is listed in the "100 Best Blogs for Homeschooling Moms!

Stop by on Thursday, October 1st: we'll talk about Kathy's new book, Moving Through All Seven Days.

And, on Saturday, October 3rd, we'll feature Kathy's article about getting children's creative juices flowing.

Talk to you soon,
Karen

Reviewed by Donna M. McDine

Title: Moving Through All Seven Days
Written by: Kathy Ann Stemke
Illustrated by: Tony Glisson
Ages: 3-7
Publisher: Action Alley Education
ISBN: To Be Released by Lulu.com
Published: 2009
E-book: 32 pages
Price: $5.00

Move and groove along with the whimsical characters of Moving Through All Seven Days as they slip, twirl, and glide you through the days of the week. An activities resource, to help reinforce the learning process of spelling the days of the week, is a welcome bonus to the book. Moving Through All Seven Days provides an ingenious way of getting the children up from behind their desks to experience learning through movement.

Children’s author, Kathy Ann Stemke brilliantly blends lyrical rhyme and the learning process with a fun and educational twist. Vibrant illustrations created by Tony Glisson help make Moving Through All Seven Days a must-have for preschool and kindergarten classrooms and no home library would be complete without it.

Learn more about Kathy at kathystemke.weebly.com and educationtipster.blogspot.com

_________________________

To learn more about Donna McDine’s writing career, visit her a site at www.donnamcdine.com. Sign her guestbook and receive her FREE e-Book ~ “Write What Inspires You! Author Interviews”

by Kathy Stemke, Contributing Editor

Multicultural literature that represents any cultural group through accurate portrayal and rich detail has become an important ingredient in education. Books with characters of similar backgrounds, familial situations, of a close age, similar ethnicity, or living in familiar geographical settings can be useful tools in guiding children to discover who they are and where they fit into their communities. These books offer motivation for more reading and inspiration to pursue goals because someone like them did the same thing. They also help children solve problems by seeing how others solve similar problems. Children must to be able to find books that focus on many ethnic identities and backgrounds to help develop the sense of self so important to growing up and to the appreciation of others and the world around them.

A great book to use in conjunction with a multicultural lesson is Shoes, Shoes, Shoes by Ann Morris. It features shoes from around the world. After you read this book, talk about individuality and diversity. The following shoe measurement activity celebrates diversity and requires measurement skills, art, body parts identification, and matching skills.

1. Each child traces both his shoes on construction paper, and cuts them out.

2. The children measure the length to the nearest inch, and writes it on the feet.

3. Trace your own shoes and add several others of various sizes.

4. Let the children measure the other feet and record the lengths.

5. The kids can take turns matching up the feet first with the measurement side showing.

6. Now flip the shoes over and see if they can still match up the feet in pairs.

7. The children can practice counting by twos.

8. Now each child can use their art skills to decorate their own set of feet.

9. You can make a great bulletin board of feet, each with the child’s picture next to their feet.

10. Laminate all the other feet. Tape them to the floor in pairs. Have the children jump from pair to pair counting by twos.

Multicultural books:

China Ancient Arts and Sciences by the Franklin Institute includes inventions like the compass, papermaking, printing, and gunpowder.

A Birthday Basket for Tia by Pat Mora. Colorful papercut illustrations accompany this story of Cecilia as she prepares a surprise gift for her great-aunt’s ninetieth birthday with the help and interference of her cat, Chica.

Friends From the Other Side -Amigos del Otro Lado by Gloria Anzaldua. This is a bilingual story of Prietita, a brave young Mexican American girl who befriends and helps Joaquin after he crosses the Rio Grande into Texas with his mother in search of a new life.

The Lotus Seed by S. Garland. Throughout her life, Grandmother has carried a special lotus seed. When her grandson buries the seed, a beautiful pink blossom appears in the garden — a reminder that this symbol of her homeland will bloom wherever it is planted.

Light the Lights written by Margaret Moorman. One of very few pictures books about interfaith holiday celebrations, this is the story of a little girl named Emma whose family happily celebrates both Hannukah and Christmas.

The Butter Man by A. Alalou and E. L. Alalou. During a famine Nora’s grandfather must travel over the mountain to find work so he can provide food for his family. While young Ali waits for his father’s return, he learns a lesson of patience, perseverance, and hope. Fold-art illustrations capture the Moroccan culture and landscape.

Halmoni’s Day by E. C. Bercaw. Jennifer’s grandmother, Halmoni, is visiting all the way from Korea. She’s arrived just in time for Grandparents’ Day at school but she doesn’t speak English. As this moving story shows, there are many ways to express love–ways that bridge differences in generations and cultures.

How My Parents Learned to Eat by I. R. Friedman. An American sailor courts a Japanese girl and each tries, in secret, to learn the other’s way of eating.

Colors of Japan by H. Littlefield. Each double-page spread features one color and includes the Japanese word for the color, along with the pronunciation. The brief text contains basic information about history, daily life, traditions, population, schools, and geography.

In a Circle Long Ago: A Treasury of Native Lore by Nancy Van Laan. This is an impressive collection of Native American tales, songs, and poetry from the Arctic North to the Florida Everglades.

To purchase any of these books, visit our Book Store.

******************

Kathy Stemke is a freelance writer, author, and educator. Sign up for FREE monthly newsletter here!

Vivian Zabel honored me with the Prémio Dardos - or Darts Prize. Thank you, Vivian.

The Prémio Dardos is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.

From what I can gather, the origin of the Prémio Dardos began in Portugal or Brazil and this is the closest rendition of the original intent available:

1) Accept the award by posting it on your blog along with the name of the person that has granted the award and a link to his/her blog.

2) Pass the award to another 15 blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment, remembering to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been selected for this award. So, I am passing the torch to:

Terri Forehand
Carma Dutra
Kathy Stemke
Lea Schizas
Joy Delgado
Suzanne Lieurance
Karina Fabian
Margot Finke
Simon Rose
Deboran Ramos
Dehanna Bailee
Dainne Sagan
Harry Gilleland
Nancy Famolari
Margaret Fieland