Last year Mindy Hoffar (the leader of All-Write) had shared an exchange of letters between a student and Laurie Halse Anderson from the book Dear Author: Letters of Hope (Top young adult authors respond to kids’ toughest issues) edited by Joan F. Kaywell.
A few weeks ago, it jumped off the shelf at me while I was perusing the shelves of my town library. It is a treasure chest for teachers.
- The letters exchanged give incredible insight into the lives of teenagers. (Not to mention, provide great mentor texts for reading response.)
- The end of the book has information about the authors, books, and websites.
- I now have a list as long as my arm of books I want to read because I’ve learned how they’ve impacted someone else. I’m sure the same thing would happen to our students.
- The introduction was written by Catherine Ryan Hyde, the author of Pay it Forward. I’ve read the introduction six times now and continue to be moved by it. I have to read it once more before I return the book this afternoon.
Quite simply, it’s one of those books that is screaming to be read aloud in classrooms. And it makes me ache for a classroom of my own so I could give it a place to shine.
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 