BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6 JIGSAW PUZZLE at TeachingBooks.net

Did you know that you could turn the cover of my book BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6 into an online jigsaw puzzle and time yourself to find out how long it takes to put the puzzle pieces back together? I just discovered this wonderful feature at TeachingBooks.net. Click on this link to go to the page for BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6. https://www.teachingbooks.net/qla2am5

On the left side of the page you will see an icon of a puzzle piece. Click on it and it will take you to the puzzle activity. You can choose a 4, 16, 36 or 64 piece puzzle. The pieces will go to the side and you can slide them back to the frame with your mouse. A clock will time you as you put them back together to make the cover of the book. Good luck!

TeachingBooks.net is an online database that can be used by teachers, students, librarians, and families to explore children's books and young adult literature and their authors. Twenty of my books have pages at TeachingBooks. At each one you can find a blurb about the book, how to pronounce my name, author interviews and more. 

Other Caroline Arnold titles you can find at TeachingBooks.net. (You can find them by using the search function at the top of the TeachingBooks home page.) You can do these as puzzles too!

A WARMER WORLD: From Polar Bears to Butterflies, How Climate Change Affects Wildlife
BIRDS: Nature’s Magnificent Flying Machines
A KILLER WHALE’S WORLD
TOO HOT? TOO COLD? Keeping Body Temperature Just Right
HATCHING CHICKS IN ROOM 6
BUTTERLFIES IN ROOM 6
THE ANCIENT CLIFF DWELLERS OF MESA VERDE
WIGGLE AND WAGGLE
YOUR SKELETAL SYSTEM
GLOBAL WARMING AND THE DINOSAURS
GIANT SEA REPTILES OF THE DINOSAUR AGE
A POLAR BEAR’S WORLD
LIVING FOSSILS: Clues to the Past
A WALK IN THE DESERT
THE TERRIBLE HODAG AND THE ANIMAL CATCHERS
A WALK IN THE WOODS
A WOMBAT’S WORLD
A PLATYPUS’ WORLD
THE SKELETAL SYSTEM
HAWK HIGHWAY IN THE SKY

LETTERS FROM STUDENTS

I always love receiving letters from students, especially in response to an author visit. Last February I visited third and fourth grade students in Elizabeth Williams’ class at Esperanza School near downtown Los Angeles. I recently received the letters they had begun after my visit, but didn’t finish because school was closed for the pandemic. I’d like to share a few of their comments. It is always so gratifying to find out how much the students learn from my visit. I hope that it won’t be too long before children are back in school and it will be possible to do author visits again.

“Thank you so much for coming to tell us a little bit about you. Something that I liked about you is that even when you were a little girl you liked to write.”

“You taught us lots of stuff that we didn’t know about. You showed us how big a California Condor’s wingspan is.”

“One day I want to be like you. I am an artistic kid. You inspired me so much. Thanks for the inspiration!”

“You showed me a lot of facts and surprised me with how many books you made.”

“I liked the book that you wrote All About Birds.”

“When I grow up I may want to be like you.”

“Thank you for coming. You took some time out of your schedule to come here. Not everyone is like you. Some people are too busy to visit us.”

“Thank you for telling us about global warming.”

“We are delighted and hopefully you can come again another time.”

AUTHOR-GO-ROUND, Santa Barbara: A Fun Week with Students, Teachers, Librarians

Reading The Terrible Hodag and the Animal Catchers at my Author-Go-Round Station

A week ago I was one of four authors participating in the annual week long Author-Go-Round in Santa Barbara put on by the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO). This was the 47th year! It was more than thirty years since I last participated and it was just as much fun as I remembered.

Authors Lee Wardlaw, Eugene Yelchin, Kristen Kittscher and Me at the SBCEO Author-Go-Round

Each day about 125 students came to the Santa Barbara County Education Office on Cathedral Oaks Road and assembled in a large auditorium. After registering, the students did short writing activities and collected autographs from the authors in the booklets they had received. Each author had a special autograph page in the booklet as well as a page with “cool facts” and a list of recent books.

Writing Activity: One student's Mixed-Up Animal, inspired by my book The Terrible Hodag and the Animal Catchers

There were four authors–Lee Wardlaw, Eugene Yelchin, Kristen Kittscher, and me-- and we each had our own corner to set up our "station". (I was the yellow station, decorated with yellow balloons and a yellow carousel horse.) The students then heard each of us make a short (15 min) presentation. After that they rotated around the room in smaller groups, spending 15 minutes at each station asking questions and interacting with the authors. Almost every group wanted to know what was my favorite animal and my favorite book. (I like them all!) At the end, students received prizes for the best writing activity. One activity was to create a mixed-up animal like the Hodag in my book The Terrible Hodag and the Animal Catchers.

With our cut-out heads made by Fred Borchers

The students who attended were from all over Santa Barbara County. A limited number came from each school and in many cases they had competed to be selected. The kids were in grades 4-8.
Every year the planning committee at SBCEO works really hard to put the Author-Go-Round together and make sure that everything runs smoothly. I thank Matt Zuchowicz, Director of Educational Technology Services, Scott Spector, Coordinator of Innovation and Academic Events, and the Educational Technology Services staff, Fred Borchers, Doris Buchanan, Rose Koller, Homer Morro, and Kristen Walker for doing a fantastic job. For the students and teachers who come, it is a highlight of the year. For authors like me, it is an ideal opportunity to interact with the students, teachers and librarians who are reading my books at home and at school. THANK YOU!

With our souvenir T-Shirts!