SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Fusenews
  • Reviews
  • Librarian Previews
  • Best Books
    • Top 100
    • Best Books of 2022
    • Best Books of 2021
    • Best Books of 2020
    • Best Books of 2019
    • Best Books of 2018
    • Best Books of 2017
    • Best Books of 2016
    • Best Books of 2015
    • Best Books of 2014
    • Best Books of 2013
  • Fuse 8 n’ Kate
  • Videos
  • Press Release Fun

February 23, 2008 by Betsy Bird

Spotlight: Monica Edinger

February 23, 2008 by Betsy Bird   4 comments


I mentioned last week that the next person who would be visiting my library for our monthly Children’s and YA Literary Cafe would be none other than children’s literary blogger, teacher, author, and former Newbery committee member Monica Edinger.  Monica (shown here with her buddy Jon Scieszka) is one of those people that is almost too accomplished.  The kind of person that if you stop and think about all that she’s done, you’ll just end up tongue-tied and blabbery.  And if you’re already blabbery to begin with then her talk on Saturday would do little to soothe you, since Monica presented an excellent piece called Beyond the Books: Bringing Fantasy Literature Alive in Your Library and Classroom.

There was quite a turnout and a couple familiar faces in the crowd.  I was sorry not to get a chance to talk more with Susan from Chicken Spaghetti (Susan, you ran away before we could chat more!) and I was pleased as punch to meet Suzanne Harper, author of the book The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Monica teaches English to fourth graders at The Dalton School here in New York.  You may be familiar with some of her posts on the subject on her blog Educating Alice.  During her talk, Monica showed how to link between classic texts like Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz while bringing in film, YouTube clips, diaramas, parties, and more.  Her site The Many Faces of Alice provides a more than substantial glimpse into a variety of her projects.  I was particularly taken with her Toy Theater series.  You have to take a look at them.  Many of the class projects involve small videos taken of the toy theater in motion.  In her talk with the Cafe, Monica mentioned that in one case the kids wanted to make it clear that Alice was swimming in her own tears.  So they cut out the back of the theater, filled a Ziploc bag with water, dyed it blue with blue food coloring, and moved it around as a kind of set.  The sole problem with this plan was that the characters were all stuck to barbecue skewers.  Sharp barbecue skewers.  Sharp Ziploc-bag-bursting skewers.  Hijinks ensued.  This year’s version is here (though the bag bursting is elsewhere on a blooper reel).

And then, of course, there’s the Curriculum, Student Packet, and Bibliography.  All that for a single project.  Now add in the fact that she has done projects with the class on The Arrival, Sierra Leone, an assignment where the kids create their own blogs, The Golden Compass, and on and on and on.  If you’re anything like me you’ll find yourself sort of yearing to be a fourth grader in Monica’s class.

She has all this stuff available through her website, and to top it all off you know those cool pictures of Alice getting smaller at the top of Monica’s blog?  She drew those.  Yep, Monica is an artist to boot.

So when it comes down to inspiring kids and getting them to read classic texts with huge heaping helpfuls of enthusiasm AND getting involved with blogging and computer savvy, I’m tipping my hat to Monica Edinger.  Bravo!

Filed under: Uncategorized

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

March 2023

Announcing the Stinetinglers Winner! The Kettle's Dark Secret by Clara J.

by Betsy Bird

March 2023

Bologna Presentations: IBBY Doing the Good Work That Needs to Be Done, Worldwide

by Betsy Bird

February 2023

Sydney Taylor Book Blog Award Tour Interview: Featuring Mari Lowe of Aviva Vs. the Dybbuk!

by Betsy Bird

January 2023

The Top Ten Most Disappointing Edibles and Potables of Children's Literature

by Betsy Bird

January 2023

Announcing the 2023 Newbery/Caldecott/YMA Pre-Game Show!

by Betsy Bird

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

U.S. Gov: ‘All Books Must Have Round Corners’

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Review of the Day – Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories by Jarvis

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Review: Swim Team

by Esther Keller

Heavy Medal

March suggestions: early Mock Newbery possibilities

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Write What You Know. Read What You Don’t, a guest post by Lauren Thoman

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey Try Something New

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Top 10 Manga of 2022

SLJ Book Reviews Editors’ Favorite Books Read in 2022

2 Picture Book Biographies about Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll

Looking for a Book to Read Aloud? These Classics Made the Hall of Fame.

4 Books To Introduce Holi to The Littlest Readers

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Susan T. says

    February 23, 2008 at 5:28 am

    Betsy, sign me up for fourth grade, too. Wouldn’t it be awesome to be in Monica’s class? I thoroughly enjoyed her presentation, though I had to dash off for the train soon afterward.

  2. candice ransom says

    February 23, 2008 at 5:46 am

    I want to be in Monica’s fourth grade too, but first I have to go lie down in a dark room with a cold cloth on my head.

  3. Jen Robinson says

    February 23, 2008 at 12:07 pm

    I wish I could have been there. I would love to have heard Monica speak, and been able too hang out with you and Susan, Betsy. Thanks for sharing.

  4. Leeza Hernandez says

    February 26, 2008 at 6:25 am

    This is cool, I’ve been a big fan of Alice since childhood and loved Monica’s “Many faces of…” thanks for the link, Betsy. Wished I could be in her class, too.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • External Links

    • A Fuse #8 Production Reviews
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023