American Holidays - Thanksgiving and Christmas from Grace Lin Perspective

Thank you all for visiting my blog!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Decoration made by Basia P, 2017

"American Holidays the Chinese Way" from 

"The Year of the Dog" by Grace Lin 

 

Check

Motivated Parent - Successful Child: Great Writer and Illustrator - Grace Lin

Merry Christmas!

Tree Decorated by Basia P, 2017

Great Writer and Illustrator - Grace Lin

Basia said to me: 

Mom! The books are soooo gooood! You have to read them.

Basia with Friends

Dragon -Art By Basia P

Basia’s favorite award-winning and bestselling novels by Grace Lin are:

(in order from the most preferred)

“Where the Mountain Meets the Moon”
“Starry River of the Sky”
“When the Sea Turned to Silver”

 “The Year of the Dog”

“The Year of the Rat”

“Dumpling Days”

I quote Grace Lin’s statement:

“I'm a children's book author and illustrator which means 

my secret life is full of drama, intrigue, adventure...

and fuzzy bunny slippers. 

More about me at: www.gracelin.com 

My personal blog http://www.gracelinblog.com/ “

Also check her Press Kit 

www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=presskit

Book Character Questionnaire

 

Basia interviewing her character Matilda, 2017

When creating a character questionnaire ask variety of

what, where, when, why, who, whom, how, if, do questions.

They can be basic, such as:

1. What’s your name or nickname?
2. How old are you?
3. Where do you live and with whom?
4. Do you have a family and who they are?
5. What do you want to be when you grew up?

Or more specific, for example:

1. What do you like to wear?
2. How do you like to socialize with?
3. What was your first best friend like?
4. What do you do when you are bored?
5. What makes you laugh?
6. What annoys you?
7. What music do you listen to?
8. What season do you enjoy most?
9. Are you a dog or a cat person?
10. Do you consider yourself an active or passive person and explain why?
11. What are their long term goals?
12. What are their short term goals?
13. What scares you?
14. What is the one word you would use to define you?
15. What are you most proud of?
16. What do you find embarrassing?

They can be deeper, let’s say:

1. What do you feel most passionately about?
2. Are you a leader or a follower, explain why and give an example?
3. What trait do you find most admirable in others?
4. Do you want a job that helps people or a job that makes money?
5. If you were to come into money what would you do with it?
6. If you could have lived in another decade which would it have been?

Some questions can require to use imagination, like:

1. Imagine you are doing intense spring cleaning. What is easy for you to throw out? What is difficult for you to part with? Why?
2. You are getting ready for a trip. Where are you going? What are you taking with you? Who will you be with?
3. It is Sunday afternoon. What you are doing? Give details.
4. When you think of your kitchen, what smell do you associate with it? Why is that smell so resonant for you?
5. What is in your refrigerator right now? In your bedroom? On your library shelf? On your nightstand? In your garbage can?

Q: What questions would you add to the list?

Check some links for more suggestions.

Gotham Character Questionnaire

https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/character-questionnaire/gotham

Marcel Proust Character Questionnaire

https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/character-questionnaire/proust

Four Methods for Interviewing Characters by Laurie Campell

https://www.autocrit.com/editing/library/four-methods-for-interviewing-characters/

10 Questions You Need to Ask Your Characters by Brenda Janowitz

http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/novel-writing-10-questions-you-need-to-ask-your-characters

30 Questions to Ask Your Main Character by Carly Watters

https://carlywatters.com/2014/01/13/30-questions-to-ask-your-main-character/

Big Question –What’s Puberty? –Get Ready

Question that can pop up innocently at any age and

can turn into an awkward conversation for all

involved rather quickly, so get ready.

Decorated by Basia P

Puberty

(Say: PYOO-ber-tee) is the name for the time when your body begins to develop and change as you move from kid when girls are developing breasts and boys starting to look more like men. During puberty, your body will grow faster than at any other time in your life, except for when you were a baby. Read more at KidsHealth.com http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/puberty.html

Read and have handy books to support a big talk

“The care and keeping of you: the body book for younger girls” by  Valorie Lee Schaefer

“The care and keeping of you 2 : the body book for older girls” by Cara Familian Natterson
“A Girl's Guide to Making Really Good Choices” by Elizabeth George

See it first before introducing it to your child. 

Pictures and vocabulary might be too advance for your child yet

“What's happening to me? The answers to some of the world's most embarrassing questions” by Peter Mayle
“It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health” by Robie H. Harries

Vocabulary and Approaches

Pdf vocab and more

https://www.nsd.org/cms/lib08/WA01918953/Centricity/Domain/1704/GrowthDevelopment.pdf

https://alexandrarizzo.weebly.com/uploads/2/5/9/5/25958024/merged_document_7.pdf

Good source of information when talking to your child about puberty

http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/talk-about-puberty.html by Kids Health 

All toys made by Basia P, 2017