by Wendell Berry
Once there was nothing,
not even darkness,
not even silence,
not even nothing.
Think of that.
from This Day: Collected & New Sabbath Poems by Wendell Berry
Counterpoint, 2013 
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Meribeth C. Shank reviews books for young people, writes picture books, has taught adult classes on Writing Books for Young People, has worked in Media Centers, Libraries, and bookstores, and earned her MFA in Writing for Children from Vermont College and her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Goshen College. meribethshank@gmail.com
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About Me
- Meribeth Shank
- Goshen, IN, United States
- I'm a Specialist in Literature for Young People, specifically in Educational and Library settings. Also, I review books for young people in the magazine and newspaper market; and I write for young people. Additionally, I have trained to be a Labyrinth Facilitator.
Award Winning Reviews
This is where I will post links to award-winning book reviews that I have written for Family Magazine.
Blog Archive
I'm Reading NOW
- An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpugo (2011, Feiwel & Friends, $16.99, Ages 10-14) Inspired by a true story. By the author of WAR HORSE
- 34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues (2012, Simon Pulse, $16.99, Age 14+)
- A Tugging String: A Novel About Growing Up During the Civil Rights Era by David T. Greenberg (2008, Dutton, $17.99, Ages 9-12)
- Hidden by Helen Frost (2011, FS&G, $16.99, Ages 12+)
- Daughter of Winter by Pat Lowery Collins (2010, Candlewick, $16.99, Ages 12+)
- The Mourning Wars by Karen Steinmetz (2010, Roaring Brook, $18.99, Ages 12+)
- Shooting Kabul by N. H. Senzai (2010, Simon & Schuster, $16.99, Ages 9-12)
- The Water Seeker by Kimberly Willis Holt (2010, Henry Holt, $16.99, Ages 10-14)
Poetry to Love
- Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberley (2012, Little Brown, Ages 8-14)
- The McElderry Book of Mother Goose: Revered and Rare Rhymes compiled and illustrated by Petra Mathers (2012, Simon & Schuster, Ages 6-10)
- The Arrow Finds Its Mark: A Book of Found Poems, edited by Georgia Heard, illustrated by Antoine Guilloppe (2012, Roaring Brook, Ages 8-12)
- Switching on the Moon: A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (2010, Candlewick, Ages 2-9)
Biographies & Fictionalized Bios
- Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by Robert Byrd (2012, Dial, $17.99, Ages 8-14)
- Master of Deceit: J. Edgar Hoover and America in the Age of Lies by Marc Aronson (2012, Candlewick, $25.99, Age 14+)
- The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan & Peter Sis (2010, Scholastic, Ages 9-14)
New and Favorite Picture Books
- Eight Days: A Story of Haiti by Edwidge Danticat, illustrated by Alix Delinois (2010, Scholastic, $17.99, Ages 7-11)
- C. R. Mudgeon by Leslie Muir, illustrated by Julian Hector (2012, Atheneum, $15.99, Ages 4-8)8
- Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Kelly Murphy (2007, Charlesbridge, $15.95, Ages 6-9)
- Rrralph by Lois Ehlert (2011, Simon & Schuster, $17.99, Ages 2-6)
- Gathering Sparks by Howard Schwartz, illustrated by Kristina Swarner (2010, Roaring Brook, $16.99, Ages 4-8)
- Mirror by Jeannie Baker (2010, Candlewick, $18.99, Ages 5-8)
- The Hidden Alphabet by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (2003, Roaring Brook, $19.99, Ages 3-7)
- A Little at a Time by David A. Adler, illustrated by Paul Tong (2010, Holiday House, $16.95, Ages 4-7)
- It's a Book by Lane Smith (2010, Roaring Brook, $12.99, Ages 7-10)
- Bag in the Wind by Ted Kooser, illustrated by Barry Root (2010, Candlewick, $17.99, Ages 8-11)
- Cork & Fuzz: The Babysitters by Dori Chaconas, illustrated by Lisa McCue (2010, Viking, $13.99, Ages 6-8, EZ To Read)
- Biblioburro: A True Story from Columbia by Jeanette Winter (2010, Beach Lane, $16.99, Ages 6-9)
- Goal! by Mina Javaherbin, illustrated by A. G. Ford (2010, Candlewick, $16.99, Ages 7-10)
- What if? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (2010, Roaring Brook, $15.99, Ages 3-6)
Amazing Non-FIction
- After Gandhi: One Hundred Years of Nonviolent Resistance by Anne Sibley O'Brien and Perry Edmond O'Brien (2009, Charlesbridge, $24.95, Ages 11-13)
- Mysterious Bones: The Story of Kennewick Man by Katherine Kirkpatrick, Illustrated by Emma Stevenson (2011, Holiday House, $17.95, Ages 8-12)
Ideas for a book discussion group
- Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan (2007, Scholastic, $6.99, Ages 9-12)
- Honeysuckle House by Andrea Cheng (2009, Front Street, $9.95, Ages 8-10)
- *Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) by Lisa Yee, illustrated by Dan Santat (2010, Scholastic, $5.99, Ages 7-10)
- *The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies (2007, Sandpiper, $5.99, Ages 8-10)
Websites for Children's and YA Lit
Graduate Programs in Writing for Children and Young Adults
Other Links
LITERATURE CIRCLE ROLES FOR BOOK DISCUSSION WITH UPPER ELEMENTARY AGE GROUPS
These ideas are jumping off places for conversations to begin. Not all these roles need be used each time the group meets.
- Questioner/Discussion Director thinks up open-ended questions to discuss/leads the discussion.
- Illuminator pulls out big ideas/locates interesting passages in the text to share with the group.
- Illustrator draws and shares an interesting scene from the book and invites the group to guess what’s going on.
- Connector finds links between the text and other books, films, tv programs, world events, or personal experiences.
- Summarizer summarizes events briefly.
- Word Wizard looks up and shares meanings of new, interesting, difficult, or unusual words to share.
- Travel Tracer shares fun facts, a map/diagram about the location of events.
- Investigator/Gossip digs up juicy details and background information about the author or events or places in the book.
- Character Shrink chooses one (or more) character(s) to “psychoanalyze” (can use a diagram to present key traits of the major characters in the book).
- Game Warden devises a short, fun activity connected with the book
From Literature Circles by Harvey Daniels, 1996. (adapted)
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