Kite Dreams

TO COME AND GO LIKE MAGIC…a Parents’ Choice Recommended Book, 2010…listed by the Bank Street Children’s Book Committee as one of the Best Children’s Books of the Year (with a star for outstanding merit)…featured in the Weekly Reader’s READ magazine, April 29, 2011 (in the Fiction Excerpt)…selected for Battle of the Books 2012 in Halifax, Nova Scotia…winner of the Evelyn Thurman Award for Best Young Reader’s Book of 2011. 

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About the Author…

Katie grew up in eastern Kentucky.  She has been a social worker in Appalachia, counseled continuing education students at American University in Washington, DC, written ads for Peace Corps and VISTA on government contract, and written about projects in developing countries for an international organization.   She has published articles and essays in several magazines and local newspapers and journals.  For the past several years she has devoted most of her time to writing but occasionally teaches writing workshops to middle-school students and  tutors high school students in preparation for the SAT and college application essays.

For thirteen years she volunteered in Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia (kindergarten through high school) doing all sorts of fun activities, from being a room parent, library assistant, and helping elementary students “publish” their own books to managing publicity for high-school theater, setting up biology labs, and serving as a Great Books discussion leader.  She holds a B.S. degree in psychology, sociology, and education.

Katie offers presentations and workshops for both assemblies and small groups and can vary the topic, information, and activities to fit the age level.

Email Katie at klzfawcett@gmail.com with questions and/or comments.

School and Library Program Descriptions

Growing up Writing…

I have been a writer since elementary school.  When, where, and how did I start writing?  What books did I enjoy reading?  How did my surroundings influence my writing?  How did my teachers make a difference?  What do I like to do when I’m not writing?

This could include a Q & A afterwards for older students or a storytelling time for the primary grades.

Writing Workshop 1/Turning Journal Entries into Essays and Stories…

This workshop could work for small groups of interested students or for individual classrooms of up to 35 students.  Length: two 60-minute blocks

Most students are required at some point to keep a journal.  In the first hour of this workshop students will learn how to turn a short journal entry into an essay or a story.  They will explore how some of our best writers have used memory to express an opinion or to create new worlds.  For the student who “can’t think of anything to write” a number of possible ideas (and a few exercises that help “find” ideas) will be presented.  During the second hour students will write their own essays or stories using the techniques discussed.

A shorter (60-minute) workshop would be more appropriate for younger students who would spend the first 20 minutes learning how to turn a real incident or feeling from their journals into a short, short story or poem (about 20 minutes of writing time).  The last 20 minutes would be for sharing, storytelling, or question and answer.

Writing Workshop 2/Collecting Words…

This is a fast-paced session where students skim famous or favorite books and collect words that “jump out” at them; they then must use these words creatively to write their own short vignettes.  It’s amazing how different students will choose different words and create uniquely individual stories.  Older students, fifth grade and up, like the game aspect of this exercise and learn to write under pressure.  Every minute of the hour is used.  It’s also a way to introduce them to quality books that may peak their interest.

Lunch with an Author…

This is a great chance for small groups of students — or teachers — to chat informally with Katie during the lunch hour.  Lunch participants could be an individual classroom or two or be chosen from the winners of a writing contest.

Q&A/Projects…

Informal session.  It could be a question and answer time about writing in general, about To Come and Go Like Magic, the life of a writer, or any other related topic.  Classes could also use this time to share their own writing projects and get feedback and ideas.

Ideas for the Classroom

1) Read aloud to your class…

One of the short vignettes from To Come and Go Like Magic can be read in a few minutes.  Although it’s best to read from beginning to end for the story, it is also possible to select a single vignette that might go along with other studies or projects.  A social studies class studying the 1970s, for example, could take a closer look at Appalachian culture or traditions and the importance of this region during that time.

2) Writing with the senses…

To Come and Go Like Magic has many examples of the sights, scents, and tastes of the Kentucky hills.  Have students select and illustrate their favorite phrases, images, sayings, etc. from the story and create an Appalachian quilt like the ones Aunt Rose makes in the story.

3) Understanding characters…

To Come and Go Like Magic has many characters with both negative and positive qualities.  Students could choose a character to study in depth for a group discussion or writing activity.  (Who do you like/dislike the most?  What good/bad decisions did this character make?  How does this character contribute to the community/story?  If this character acted differently in a given situation, what might be the outcome?  Is this character a “proud” person?  How does this sense of pride help/hurt them or others?)

This could also be an opportunity for students to work in small groups of three to five people to compare individual thoughts and feelings about a chosen character.

4) Feature To Come and Go Like Magic in a unit of study about America in the 1970s...

Before the late 1960s and 1970s the Appalachian region was one of the most isolated areas in the United States.  A study of this particular time — President’s Johnson’s “War on Poverty,” the Great Society programs, the influence of VISTA — could show how these programs brought the world to the hills and the hills to the rest of the world.  One project could explore how Appalachia has changed and how the area has remained the same.  A number of studies and individual true stories about the people of Appalachia are available in literature, film, and online.

5) Explore the Appalachian Culture…

Have students explore the culture through the music, literature, beliefs, and handicrafts.  In To Come and Go Like Magic, Chili (the narrator) and her cousin Lenny enjoy listening to the same popular music of the 70s that all other teens enjoy, but they also sing the old-fashioned gospel tunes of the hills, and one friend of Chili’s plays the dulcimer.  In terms of literature, students could discuss the attitudes and practices surrounding the banning of books and how reading some books in Appalachia could be seen as inappropriate or even a threat to local beliefs and traditions.

Please see TO COME AND GO LIKE MAGIC: The Soundtrack for a list of songs, text references, and You Tube links to performances.

6) Consider the references to, and importance of, the natural world…

Nature plays a big role in To Come and Go Like Magic.  A number of vignettes deal with nature and/or science — the migration of eels and butterflies and ducks, the variety of trees, the interest in — and prevailing attitudes toward — Darwin’s theories, the love of the land and importance of planting season, etc.  Before Kentucky was settled by the pioneers the land was rich in both plant and animal life and attracted great parties of hunters (Daniel Boone, for example).  It is interesting to note that in the 1970s (and even to a certain extent today) this area held fast to its love of the natural world and to many of the traditions and beliefs of the pioneers.

7)  Teaching writing…

a)  The book lends itself well to teaching similes, metaphors, and descriptive language to budding young writers.

b)  The short vignettes can readily be used to learn about author viewpoint.  Many students enjoy reading first-person narrative and the stories here can serve as examples for how they might write their own.

c)  Social studies teachers could combine geography and writing (as Miss Matlock does in To Come and Go Like Magic) and use the descriptions to bring the customs of Kentucky alive for students.  They might also compare and contrast life in Kentucky with their own states.

d) A number of themes weave their way through the story making it a good example for teaching theme.  One vignette may be all about freedom, while another echos forgiveness or the meaning of home.

**Many thanks to my friend Kathy Hudson, a former teacher in Delaware, for her great insights and help!

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