The Ink Splat is our monthly activity letter filled with inspiration sparking challenges and resources guaranteed to inspire your creativity. In this Ink Splat, the book and author spotlighted is Newsgirl by Liz Ketchum along with an author interview! Submit a response to a challenge and you may have a chance to be published online! What are you waiting for?
The Challenge: Pop
Imagine you are a kernel of popcorn. You have just been dumped into a large container. You hear a voice say, “Plug it in. It’s ready to pop.” Describe what happens as you are popped! Be sure to describe things you see hear feel and smell.
Try using this new word in your writing:
Do you know what svelte means? Svelte is another word for slim or thin! For example: Mr. Andy’s diet is working out well, he is looking mighty svelte.
Want a chance to be published on the website? Submit your response HERE!
Newsgirl by Liza Ketchum
This historical novel is set in San Francisco in 1851. 12-year-old Amelia and her family arrive, penniless, but full of hope for their new life. Amelia’s first discovery– that newsboys make a fortune selling East Coast papers– sends her on an adventure of a lifetime, which involves chopping off her hair, membership in a boys-only gang, and a wild balloon ride. Liza Ketchum weaves fact with fiction, bringing Gold Rush California to life. How does she do this? Read the book and tell us what you think!
Interview with author Liza Ketchum
Question: When writing non-fiction what techniques do you use to describe what a real person might have felt in that time period? Do you have any words of advice?
Response: “I try to read diaries and letters written by kids and adults who lived in the time period I’m writing about. I also read old newspapers (including the ads) to find vocabulary words and other terms from that time period. But figuring out emotions and thoughts is so much harder. It goes to the heart of what it means to be human–right? A child who was picked on or bullied in 1782 must have had the same feelings that a child today would show–except that they might use different words to show those feelings. That is why my character, Daniel, calls Hiram “Buffle brain!” after Hiram ruins Daniel’s chance to catch a fish. (In Where the Great Hawk Flies.) That was an insult that I found in reading 18th century diaries. But a kid today would probably feel the same way that Daniel did, if a bully caused him to lose something he wanted badly.”
Thanks Liza!
Want to learn more about Liza Ketchum and her work? Visit her website: http://www.lizaketchum.com
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